SANTA TELL ME ( JOE KEERY ) [SLOW UPDATES]

ELEVEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN - DAY SIX

ARIANA half listened to her mother as she blubbered to a market stall owner about vegetables and what was the best way to cook carrots. Yet Ariana still hadn't learnt the best way, her mother was someone who just rambled and went on about ten different tangents. Whitney had wandered off to look at a stall selling handmade pillows and her father and Joe were immersed in a conversation near the clothing stall. They had hit it off instantly. 

She was quite confused how this had all happened.

"If you let them boil..." 

Ariana decided she knew enough about the texture and making of carrots, so she trailed away silently as her mother babbled to the smiling, nodding market worker.

Ariana found herself at a stall covered in beautiful handmade jewellery, her eyes roaming them all. They were really breath-taking, with their carefully intricate detail and glinting silver chain. She wasn't much of a jewellery person, she didn't even have her ears pierced, but something about these pieces really interested her in. She'd picked up a bracelet with a small snowflake charm dangling off the silver band, when a voice tickled her neck.

"That's pretty" Joe breathed behind her, he didn't mean to frighten her so when she jumped and stepped away from him hastily with a shocked expression, he quickly rushed his apologies.

"It's fine" She giggled, the smile hurting her face. Smiles seemed to always be etched onto her face when she was around Joe. As she beamed up at him, she didn't realise she was absentmindedly fiddling with the bracelet between her fingertips, but Joe seemed to be staring at her twisting hands.

Joe awkwardly chuckled too and ran his hand through his long hair that had begun to fall into his eyes. However his chocolate eyes didn't meet hers, it was weird he still felt a little giddy and awkward around her, even though she made him feel comfortable and understood at the same time. She really was something different. He hadn't experienced this in long time.

But then again, this situation was slightly awkward, yet Joe seemed to be taking it in his stride, and none of Ariana's family (except her) seemed to notice the weirdness of this outing.

Yesterday evening - after her mother had practically begged her to invite Joe - she had bumped into him on her way out with Whitney, by complete coincide. She politely smiled and waved in greeting, since he was too far away for her to call out to, but close enough that she recognised that lopsided grin and messy bundle of hair tucked beneath his woollen hat.

Whitney had roughly bumped her shoulder with her own, "Ask him then" She said with a bored tone, as if Ariana had actually ever planned to do so, and now this was just a convenient time.

"What? No" Ariana scowled, pulling her scarf tighter around her face "I'll just tell mother that he was busy"

"And I'll tell her you're lying and you never asked. Also known as the truth" Whitney challenged her with a smirk and started to animatedly wave Joe over, who began to cautiously and confusedly tiptoe towards the pair, as if they were a ticking bomb - maybe Whitney was with the energetic aura that she seemed to never lose.

"What's up?" His voice rose at the end, signifying his trepidation and confusion, rather than the statement just being a throw away greeting.

Whitney had answered before Ariana could even open her mouth, but of course her voice would have been muddled behind the scarf anyway, so she began loosening it again with an exhausted sigh.