The Grinch: A Fillie Christmas story

Days as Cindy-Lou {3}

Saturday, 14th December

A week has passed since the encounter. I haven't been on the roof partly because our Christmas party planning has started. At the end of the day I would just plop on my bed and fall asleep. Mom puts me and Paige in charge of catering and invites which is very tedious if I may say so. I mean, everyone from every block is invited and they actually know that they are being invited. So tell me what are the invitation cards for? A waste of money really.

Since the school holiday started mom has been bugging me to help her with both indoor and outdoor décor as well. I guess she sees me being good in art and crafts as a major convenience now. She already assigned me to design the invitation cards and now also dealing with caterers. It's too much for a fifteen and a twenty-four year old to handle all these— considering this is the first time mom dragged us into planning a party. Thankfully though, this gives me a strong reason to put a halt on Gaten and Sadies's Grinch hunt.

"We need to discuss about the menu here Millie" I heard Paige mumbled under her breath, sighing for the umpteenth time in the past hour. We were sitting at our kitchen isle: me working on the card designs on my laptop while Paige is looking for a catering service on hers. "Do we have to ask every single soul in the neighborhood if they have any allergies? We don't want anyone dying in our first extravagant Christmas party now do we?"

"I guess we have to opt for something allergen free then. No peanuts" I said. "I don't want to go knocking on doors just to ask about allergies and besides we have to book a catering service that actually opens during Christmas"

"Or maybe you just don't want to knock on the Grinch next door" Paige said as she ruffles my hair. "I don't really hear you musing about serial killers living next to us anymore. You won't shut up about it"

It's because he's not.

I ignored Paige and pretended to focus on my screen. In truth I was thinking about him. No one else knows that the Grinch is just a young boy and no one could guess how young and forlorn looking the Grinch is. When Gaten mentioned a delinquent living next door I had imagined someone unapproachable with menacing tattoos. I didn't expect to meet a lean, pale face juvenile with crazy dark curls.

I haven't told anyone about me meeting him on the roof. Not even to my best friends. When I returned to my bedroom that night I simply went to bed. In the morning I was bombarded with questions from Gaten and Sadie.

"Aw come on Millie! You must've seen or heard something" Gaten insisted. I had only shrugged.

I pushed away the thoughts of the Grinch. I mean, we all call him the Grinch but we didn't even know if he is the one who stole all the lights. I didn't even get to ask him about it. Heck, I even forgot to ask him the simplest of things! His freaking name!

I decided to go to the roof tonight. I still have a mission to accomplish.

*****

I stretched my neck after a while of looking down on my laptop screen and see the stars scattered across the night sky. Puffs of cold air escaped my mouth as I sighed. I've been up here for half an hour. If I don't get to see the Grinch tonight at least I got to spend my time under the stars I thought. I have yet to find any inspiration to create our invitation card for the party. Perhaps watching the flickering Christmas lights can inspire me and thus here I am on my roof with my laptop in hand.

"Hello, Millie"

This time I wasn't startled. I heard the creaking sound of his balcony window opening. "Hello, neighbor" I said.

My eyes followed him as he climbed up his roof and sat on the edge facing me. Once again I get to see the constellations of soft freckles on his face. "Whatcha got there?" he said as he gestured at my laptop.

"I'm working on some things" I replied. He nodded.

I contemplate on asking about the missing lights. I don't want to further the already awkward atmosphere around us so I stayed quiet. I looked at him but he was staring at the sky.

Remember your mission Cindy-Lou. Suddenly my thoughts yelled. I have to break this silence.

"Hey" I began. "If I were to invite you to our Christmas party..." I paused. He turned his gaze towards me. "Will you come?"

He smiled. "You're inviting me?"

Remember, Cindy-Lou. I nodded almost too eagerly.

"You don't even know me, Millie"

And in that moment when he looked into my eyes, there it was: the palpable forlorn gaze. He may be smiling but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. It may sound bloody cliché but you always seem to know if someone is hiding things. I guess it's just our human nature to want to understand something.

"Okay..." I stood up. "Let's get to know each other then..." I said as I placed my laptop near my feet. "My name is Millie and I'm fifteen" I began. He was still sitting but with his knees folded to his chest now. "I am a core believer that Christmas should always be celebrated with your friends and family and thus here I am trying to make friends with the infamous neighbor 353" I purposely skipped the part where everyone thinks he is the Grinch that took all the Christmas lights. "Now, your turn" I sat back down.

I heard him chuckled and I smiled. "Nice to meet you, Millie" he said as he stood up. "My name is Finn and I'm somewhere around sixteen and seventeen years of age"

He's only a year older than me— and his name is Finn.

"I've never really celebrated Christmas with anyone because I was transferred to a lot of foster homes in my early years"

Oh.

I was hoping he would continue telling his story but we were met with another wave of silence.

"Sorry" he suddenly said. I looked at him questioningly. "That was a bit too much on a second encounter" he didn't meet my eyes and only stared at his feet.

I shook my head almost too vigorously. "No, no. It's very acceptable. We're establishing rapport here"

When he met my eyes I noticed a slight twinkle. The sadness seems to fade a little and that brings a tinge of warmth in my chest.

"Very nice to finally acquainted with you, Finn" I gave a small wave and he waved back with a small laugh. "So, now that technically we're friends, the invite to our Christmas party is still open. What say you?"

He smiled. "I'll think about it"