Element Fairies

Stressed

It's Christmas.

Hayden and his family is over here.

So far it's pretty awkward for them trying to fit in with everyone else here. His sister Bella is talking to me though. We've been catching up. I honestly feel really comfortable around her. I haven't spoken this much since forever.

"Oh I'm gonna get more of the meringue cookies I made." I get up from my bed and tell Bella I would be right back.

My room is literally the wall next to the dining table, so I have to get through a crowd of adults before I reach the kitchen, which honestly was not that far.

I reach the cookie tray to see it almost empty. 'Hmm already. Might as well get the second batch out.' I thought. I walked to the stove and get the second tray of cookies out and place them on the serving plate.

"Wow how long did it even take you to make all these?!" Hayden ask as he and my younger brother make their way to the tray. "They're the best thing I've ever tasted."

"Hey! I kinda helped to." My brother says.

I responded with, "Yeah helped get me stressed." Hayden laughs as my brother grabs a few cookies and leaves.

"Actually spending time with him feels so familiar to me. I think it's just like the old times." He came around to stand next to me.

"Yeah we used to all play video games together. I enjoyed those times." As I was about to leave with a small plate of cookies my mom stopped me.

"Did you really think you can get away with it?" She and all the other adults started laughing.

"With what?" I asked confused.

"You know how I've been wanting a mistletoe?" With those words I quickly looked up behind me to see a fake one taped to the ceiling.

"You've got to be kidding me." I muttered.

"Well what are you waiting for!" An adult asked. I looked over to Hayden who had turned red.

"I don't think it's a good idea." I simply said aloud. "You can't just force two people to do this."

"Fine then its bad luck for you!" The same adult said and they all laughed again.

"The bad luck can't be that ba-" I hit my knee on he corner of a box. Because of that I almost dropped the cookies. I could already feel the pulsing spot starting to become a bruise.

I ignored all the laughs and continued to my room. Bella was there eager to see what all the laughter was about.

"Mistletoe?" She blankly asked.

"Yup."

"Didn't do it?"

"Yup."

"My brother turned red?"

"I guess." I sat down on the bed and handed her the cookies. "What's the big deal with this anyways?"

"Well the custom of kissing under the mistletoe is referred to as popular among servants in late 18th century England. The serving class of Victorian England is credited with perpetuating the tradition. The tradition dictated that a man was allowed to kiss any woman standing underneath mistletoe, and that bad luck would befall any woman who refused the kiss."

"You've gotten too smart ya know. And I don't believe all of that." I munched on a cookie then drank some milk.

"Is it that you didn't kiss him because you have a boyfriend?" She asked and I immediately choked on the milk. After I was done I said,

"Are you crazy?! I hate boys!! My modo is 'Never date!' "

"So you've never been interested in anyone? Anyone at all?!" She grew curious.

"No and never will!" I started to become disgusted.

"So if you had a chance to kiss him again you wouldn't do it?" She smirked. "Not to sound creepy or disgusting, but my brother has a nice face. Don't tell him I said that or I'll kill you."

"First of all I haven't really looked him in the face that much so I wouldn't know. And second you don't know how tough I can get in P.E."

We continued talking until she had to leave because of another party. I said my goodbyes and then walked outside for a bit. My parents don't mind as long as I don't go too far.

As I was walking it didn't feel cold at all to me. It's still feels like fall. It doesn't even feel like Christmas. It's usually extremely cold during winter.

I was about to head back once I was at the top of my dead end street hill, but a tree branch broke. I looked up to see it falling right over me but I didn't flinch. I reached up to stop it with my powers but then I realized I was in my normal form.

"Move!" I was pushed out of the way and fell on the ground. It was Hayden and luckily for him he didn't get hurt. He was under the branch but it never fell.

He slowly opened his eyes to see the branch floating.

"Oh no... I can use my powers in normal form too? And he..just-"

"W-What is happening?!" He exclaimed.

"Nothing!" I quickly lowered my hands and the branch fell to the side of the road in the bushes. I rushed over to him.

"Why the heck are you still here?!" I smacked his arm but not too hard.

"Because! ....I had a vision. This thing that was about to happen; You being crushed. I couldn't let that happen so I asked my parents if I could walk home." He pointed to he branch. "But what just happened....? Was that you?"

I stayed silent. I didn't know what to do. I was terrified. Then I came up with a wild lie. "N-No! I'm just as frightened as you are! It must be the bad luck! Since fairies are real maybe all other magic is real too!" I've had so much experience with lying I can even fake being scared with my voice.

He turned around and clenched his fist. "T-Then.....will you...allow me to....." He said quietly.

"What?" I hoped I was hearing things. He turned around with a red face and started walking fast towards me. "Um.."

He hugged me. He was trembling. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you so..." he slightly let go and kissed my cheek. He let go and spoke quickly. "W-Well would you look at the time I should be leaving! Merry Christmas!"

My heart was beating faster. I started walking down the hill. I took out my phone and googled "what dose it mean when your heart rate is higher than normal".

Heart palpitations can have causes that aren't due to underlying disease. Examples include skipped heartbeats, variation with breathing, exercise, stress, love, smoking, use of alcohol, or some medications.

'.........It must be because I was stressed about him finding out I'm a fairy! There's no other reason here that makes sense.' I walked home calmly back to the party.