It's 8:46pm and I am scrunched beneath my covers, watching The Nightmare Before Christmas on my laptop, hot chocolate in hand in a desperate attempt to feel more festive. I've even strung fairy lights around my windows, still feeling too glum to actually place them on my tree.
Jack Skellington is singing about being misunderstood and tired and I can't help but mutter 'same' under my breath. It's a very relatable film. I ponder the deeper meaning of the characters and idly readjust my glasses, contemplating whether each character represents an inner malady. The mayor is classic split personality.
It's just getting to the good part (Jack singing 'What's This?', obviously) when there's a knock at my door. I groan and decide that I'm ignoring it, far too invested in the film to care.
The knocking becomes more incessant and I sigh, glaring towards it as I pause the film.
I walk purposely slow, dragging out the inevitable and open the door.
Sam is stood in front of me, holding armfuls of very poorly wrapped parcels and beaming in delight. He's even wearing his ugly little elf sweater. Sam's gaze wanders over my bare chest, my sweatpants hung low on my hips and he looks away awkwardly.
I'm more concerned about the present precariously balanced next to his left ear, which is slipping further with each second. I dart out and catch it, just as Sam curses. I hold it up and glance at his face again, my entire body radiating confusion.
"Uh?"
"Merry Christmas Eve, Elias!" He exclaims chirpily, barging past me and dumping the presents below my pitiful tree.
I watch him, absolutely bewildered and slowly close the door. I watch him disappear into my room, reappearing seconds later with my duvet wrapped around his shoulders, my laptop in one hand and my mug of hot chocolate in the other. He plonks himself down onto my sofa and takes a sip.
He glances over his shoulder and raises an eyebrow.
"You gonna stand there all night?" He asks and I shake my head slowly, meandering over to my room and pulling on a shirt before joining him.
"What are you doing?" I ask, suddenly finding my voice as I sit down and Sam shrugs. I give him a bland look and he exhales dramatically, throwing his arms up in defeat.
"Okay, king-of-shrugs, how come you can get away with it and I can't?" He demands, sounding remarkably like his old self and my mouth quirks up into a half smile as I shrug my shoulders.
He groans in exasperation and glares at me. He looks down suddenly, his expression changing like lightening and he appears smaller now, almost apologetic.
"Alright, I owe you an apology. I've been a real tit recently and just an awful friend and you don't deserve that." He states, still looking at the mug in his hands.
"It's alright." I say easily, happy to have him back, but his head shoots up, a frown crushing his features.
"No, it's not. You deserve more than that. You deserve a lot more." He says firmly and I just nod.
He watches my face for a moment before nodding to himself and exhaling, somewhat shakily.
"I really hate Christmas, Eli, I always have. My dad promised he'd be back on Christmas Eve, that he had the best surprise for me and then he never fucking came back. I know it's a stupid reason to hate something, especially since you lost your mum around Christmas. You still love Christmas, so I should too, right?" He explains, frowning to himself and I shake my head easily.
"It's different for different people. We all process grief differently. You associated yours with the holidays, I didn't." I say, matter-of-factly and he nods, his gaze seeming very far away. I've known about the situation with Sam's dad for years now, but it doesn't make it any easier to comfort him.
YOU ARE READING
Growing Pains
Teen Fiction-A soulmate story- Sam and Eli are best friends, they have been for years and they tell each other everything. Well, almost everything. Elias Grey has felt every cut, bruise and fracture that Samuel Rivera has received for eleven years. He has no...
