M U T E

|| 17 ||

I see the car pulling up in the driveway, and that same depressing feeling comes right back, pulling at my heart. It's Bryce's car. Jocelyn gets out of the passenger side and waves goodbye as she comes to the door. I pretend that I was reading the whole time.

"I'm back!" Jocelyn says with a big smile on her face.

She sits down on the couch and starts spilling how lunch went. That sad feeling is wrapping a hand around my heart, crushing it in its palm ever so slightly. I just keep nodding as she goes through the events of lunch with Bryce. I continue to ignore the feeling. 

I keep ignoring the feeling as Christmas nears. They keep going out. One day they're at lunch. The next, they go to a park. Sometimes Jocelyn is back late. That kills me.

Bryce was over when we put the tree up. That down feeling stomped on my heart with a big foot when I saw the two together. He made Christmas cookies with us. We barely spoke. He sat next to Jocelyn, and they talked the whole time. They looked so happy together. My cookies looked sloppy. Her cookies were perfect. 

The presents wrapped for my family lay under the tree. The ones for Myra and Bryce are in my hands. Myra is coming over Christmas Eve. That's when we're exchanging. Bryce is coming today. 

"I got Bryce this cool thing I got from a souvenir shop in New York. I'm not into my souvenirs anyway, so I thought it'd be good to give. It's pretty, isn't it?" she takes out a glass figure that was a model of the city of New York. 

It is really pretty. She wraps it up again with the bubble wrap and tissue paper. Then she puts it back into the gift bag. 

"Oh, Reyna. Did you get him a book? You and your books. You're so cute," she says, glancing at the present I'm holding for him. 

The down feeling holds tight onto my heart. I can feel it almost burst into a million pieces. He'll like it, right? Her present beats mine by about a million.

I go into my room, sit on my bed, and hold his sweatshirt in my hands. I should give it back. I hear a knock on the door. It's Bryce! I quickly hide the sweatshirt under my pillow and go downstairs. I'm holding tightly onto my present. 

Jocelyn gives Bryce her present first. I watch as he opens it. I watch as he absolutely loves it. He gives her a hug, saying a thanks. I ignore the sting in my heart.

"It's so pretty. I've always wanted to go to New York. Thank you, Jocelyn," he says to her.
Then, it's my turn. I sigh and hand over my present.

"I-I h-hope you-you like it.." I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm sure that I'll love it," he says as he undoes the wrapping.

The title appears to him, and he stops. 

"Oh my gosh," he whispers, "how?" 

A huge smile finds itself on your his face. A moment later, his arms are around me. 

"OhmygoshReynayouareamazing!" He said in one breath, holding onto me tight.

My nervous levels sky rocket. The down feeling that had been enveloping my heart lets off a bit. I was too shocked to say anything. He liked it. He really liked my present. It took a lot to hold back the smile I wanted to let out. 

He breaks the hug and looks me in the eye. His hands hold both of my cheeks.

"You are so sweet, Reyna. Thank you. I must ask, how the hell did you get this?!" 

"I-I..." I glance over at Jocelyn to see her a bit surprised and a bit upset. I must've upstaged her a little.."It's not a big deal," I finish.

"This is a book I've been looking everywhere for! It just disappeared before I could read it," he says.

"I know the author..She-she personally gave me the book." 

"Thank you, Reyna," he gives me another hug. This hug is a smaller hug that doesn't last long.

The small hug is enough to give my heart just a bit of brightness from the hand that's been clasping and crushing it these past few days. It's also enough to make my heart race overload. 

"Okay, Jocelyn. I already gave Reyna my present, but I did get you something too. I got you and your sister something, actually."

He hands Jocelyn two small presents. Jocelyn takes the one with her name, then calls to her sister upstairs. 

"Get your brothers, Reyna. I got something for them too," Bryce tells me. 

Jocelyn calls for my brothers as well, so that I don't have to. All three kids come down. Jocelyn hands her sister, Lilliana, her present. Both start opening them. Jocelyn's present is a bracelet. It's a black bracelet made of string, and it had a bunch of cool tiny seashells along it. 

"I know you love the beach here, plus I think it looks nice," he says, smiling at her. 

Jocelyn puts it on and gives him a hug, "thank you." 

Lilliana had a matching bracelet with pink string instead. She tells him a 'thank you' and also puts it on her wrist.

"We match, sis!" She says, holding her wrist up to her sister. 

Jocelyn smiles, though, I can tell it's fake. I find it that I can study people's faces easy. I know if an expression is fake. She looks happy to receive the present, but slightly disappointed as well.
My brothers open their presents. They got two small buckets of candy each. 

"Great, just what they need. Sugar," I mumble. 

Bryce puts an arm around me, "sorry," he chuckles, "but on the bright side, look how happy they are to receive it." 

Yeah, they're already stuffing their faces. My mom walks down then. 

"Hello Bryce. How are you?" She greets.

"Great, Mrs. Murray," he says, smiling, "I have something for you as well."

He gives her a small rectangular box. She opens it to reveal half a dozen dark chocolate truffle squares. 

"Oh, Bryce. Thank you. This was very sweet of you," she says. 

"It is my pleasure," he replies.

Jeez, I see why Vienna makes such a fuss over him. He's charming. It would be easy to fall for him and his sweet charming smile. Well, not me. I'm not into the relationship stuff. I'd be too much to handle for a guy, and I don't want to put my burden on anyone.

I head towards my room, but arms pull me back. I feel my back against a chest in the next moment.

"You're not going anywhere. We are going to play a game," Bryce's voice says right into my ear.
My heart races about a million times a second. 

"Breathe."

It's when Bryce says that that I realize I've been holding my breath. He laughs and lets me go. They all walk into the room. I'm about to follow, but Jocelyn grabs my wrist.

"Just stay here and read. Tell them you're not up for a game," she tells me.

She looks upset, so I agreed without argument. I get my book, sit on the couch, and read. I ignore the sounds of my family having fun.