Smoke Filled Lungs

Chapter 17: Happy Holidays!

This chap takes place a few days before Christmas just to let you'll know! And yeah I know it ain't nowhere near that time of year, but oh well, hope you enjoy this little Holiday chapter.

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Kylie-B's head turned towards the door when he heard a quiet knock, his mother was in the kitchen on her tablet, his father was at work, and Ike was in his room probably on his computer, so being the only one to notice he stood and went over and opened it, revealing Stan. "Stan, what'cha doin' here so late?" It was nearing ten o'clock.

Said goth said nothing as he looked away and pulled a small, poorly wrapped box out of his hoodie pocket and handed it to him, "Merry Christmas..."

The redhead blinked at the other teen as he looked down at the box but took it, "Um, thanks...you didn't really have too."

"Well...I just felt like it," he glanced at him and asked, "Aren't you gonna open it?"

"Oh, sure." Kylie-B tore the paper off easily and saw a little black box, he quickly glanced up at Stan before lifting the lid off it and there in the center was a black handle of a knife. Dropping the paper he lifted the handle and found a little button on the side, pressing it a silver blade shot out of the handle, a switchblade. "Whoa..."

"It's nothing special..."

"You kiddin', I ain't ever got something like this, it's great!"Kylie-B pressed the button and the blade retracted, and he smiled at the raven, only for it to drop and his eyes widen, "Shit, I don't got anything for ya!"

Stan shrugged, "It's fine, well I'll see-," he was about to walk away only for the taller teen to grab his hand, stopping him, "Wait, I think I may have something you like."

He blinked at him but said, "Okay."

Kylie-B smiled and pulled the other into the living room, closing the door after Stan was in. He noticed the goth's confused glances around the room like he thought something was missing. "Somethin' wrong?"

"Uh, you don't have Christmas decorations."

"Oh, we don't celebrate Christmas. We're Jewish so we celebrate Hanukkah."

Stan blinked at him, "You're Jewish?"

Kylie-B snickered, "Ya surprised, it's fine, not like I wear it on my sleeve or anythin'."

"Well, it explains that weird candle holder."

He let out a laugh, "Yeah I guess it is weird." The redhead then pulled Stan up the stairs and to his room, which looked so much better than when they worked on their project and he was high. He walked over to a shelf filled with books and scanned the titles on the sides, but stopped when he seemed to have found the one he wanted. With a smile, he pulled out a thick book and turned to give it to the goth, "Here, Grimm's Fairy Tales. You may like it unless you have done already read em'..." he trailed, now feeling awkward if Stan had done read the Macomb stories.

Stan stared at the other as he took the book, "Henrietta's read them, Firkle may have read a few but I don't think Michael or Pete has. Which I've heard of them but never read them myself..." He opened the book only to then see highlighted passages and written notes on the side of paragraphs.

Kylie-B chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah sorry for the annotations, just thought certain things were interestin'."

"It's fine. I like it," he said with a tiny smile on his face as he glanced down the page before closing it. "Thanks."

Kylie-B couldn't help the smile that spread across his face or the feeling in his chest that wanted him to get closer to the goth, but he stayed put because for right now, this was enough.

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Sorry that it's short!