Learning to Love Christmas

Chapter 19

XIX: The Winter Ball

December 22, 2013

 

“I can’t believe you actually did that.” Carol said, looking up from painting her nails and regarding me with a new look of admiration.

We were in Carol’s bedroom, getting ready for the winter ball. We decided it would be best to get ready here instead of my house where a tornado called Daniel Winters could strike at any moment. Carol only had one brother, Cameron, who was three years older than we are. He never really bothered us that much whenever Gavin and I are over, even before he went off to college. Save for whenever he decides to have a chat with us and tell us embarrassing stories of his little sister, of course. So, even though Cameron’s back for the holidays, Carol’s place was ideal. Plus, her mom loves doing our hair when the occasion calls for it.

I buried my face in a pillow and groaned. “I know. They’re going to hate me even more.”

Before I went to Carol’s, I dropped by The Cooling Rack – the same place where Oliver and I had lunch that day we went café hopping for hot cocoa –  to pick up lunch. After I ordered, I stood in the waiting area near the hostess’s desk. I was just scrolling through my Twitter feed when I saw Mr and Mrs Hastings walking towards the exit with luggage in tow. Luggage.

They were already out the door when I finally leaped into action. I rushed outside, just as they were loading their bags into the trunk of their sleek black town car. A chauffer was doing all the work while Mr Hastings just stood there and talked to him.

 “Mr and Mrs Hastings! Wait!” I exclaimed. Mrs Hastings turned around just before she stepped foot in the car. Mr Hastings turned his head to look at me.

“You again?” Mrs Hastings sneered. The look of disgust she was giving me was enough to make anyone want to hide but I didn’t waver. I had to know if my suspicions were true. “How dare you show your face after what you’ve done to our son?”

“I didn’t do anything!” I almost yelle, hoping she’d get it through her head that her son and I are just friends. I shook my head and went on to what I was really here for. “Are you leaving town?”

“That doesn’t concern you.” Mrs Hastings turned her nose up at me. Her husband was standing there, silently watching us. Mr Hastings was holding their passports and I could clearly see their boarding passes between the middle of the little book, acting like a bookmark of some sort. I can’t believe they’re leaving Oliver and Kelsey behind during the holidays. Again. What kind of parents does that?

“It’s only two and a half days until Christmas. You can’t leave!” I tried convincing them. I didn’t care if I sounded like a whiny baby. “Oliver and Kelsey will be devastated. You shouldn’t leave them behind again.”

“Again? You have no right of accusing us of any of that nonsense.” Mrs Hastings’s eyes were dancing with fire. “I’ll have you know that we’re not leaving them because we want to. We’re leaving them because we have to. An important emergency came up that – “

I was growing madder by the second. I couldn’t stand listening to any of that so I cut her off. “I’m sure someone else who lives there can handle that and still make it home to their families for Christmas. Stop putting your career over your family!”

The fire in Mrs Hastings’s eyes was replaced by a dangerously icy stare. She looked at me for a moment before calmly speaking. Her voice was calm but it was the kind of calm you would imagine the way a lion would speak, if it could speak, before pouncing on its prey. “You better choose your next words carefully, young lady.”