...and a partridge in a pear tree

[05] five golden rings

          [in which your character listens to carolers]

        It was the last Friday before Christmas, and Holly couldn’t believe how fast the holidays were approaching.

        Holly was to meet Luke, once again, at the bus stop so they could continue with The Hunt. Considering it wasn’t as cold as yesterday, Holly assumed she wouldn’t need Luke to escort her to someplace warm.

        Luke Ebenezer, her new so called ‘friend’.

        Now that Holly wasn’t cold and she’d had the night to think about it and rest, she couldn’t wrap her head around what had happened yesterday. Luke had opened his mouth, and the one word she never would’ve imagined she’d hear Luke say escaped his lips: friends.

        Me? Friends with Luke? Ha.

        “So, where will we find…” Luke paused, squinting at the palm of his hand. “Uh… the five golden rings?” he managed to ask.

        Holly noticed the strain he was putting on his eyes, turning his hand over to see the last eight items scribbled and smudged on his palm in blue ink. “Did you really?” She laughed, covering her mouth.

        Luke flushed, trying in vain to mask it with confidence. “Yes, I did write the last items on my hand, Holly Mistletoe, and I am not ashamed.” He pulled his hand away from her grasp. She continued staring at him, laughing under her breath until he finally coughed awkwardly, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

        “So, where do we go? The jewelers at the mall?”

        “We can go anywhere, it’s a Friday,” she informed. Nudging his shoulder, she smirked. “You know what that means.”

        Luke continued staring at her silently.

        “No curfew!” She fist pumped, the red beaded bracelets lining her wrists making sounds as she did so. Luke rolled his eyes, causing Holly to pout.

        “You could at least share some of my enthusiasm.”

        “Woo,” he deadpanned, glancing at his phone. The white numbers read 5:09pm. “I got to be home by 7:00, though.” The starting of a smile curving his lips, he glanced at Holly. “Curfew!”

        She frowned at him. “Where did this sudden curfew come from?”

        “My brother has something ‘special’ planned,” he rolled his eyes, playing with the wristband peeking out through his jacket sleeve. The fleeting thought that he was nervous about something passed through Holly’s head, though she shook it away. “Brothers,” he scoffed as if he weren’t a brother himself.

        “My brother’s had the flu for like, two weeks, but won’t risk his man pride and go to the doctor already.” Holly rolled her eyes. “Brothers.”

        Silence consumed them, Holly creating cities in the slush around her feet.

        “How about we head to the cafe through the park,” Luke proposed. “Then we can go to the mall…” he trailed off, his voice fading at the end. “If you wish.”

        Holly shrugged her shoulders, already standing from the bench. Now that she thought about it, she wouldn’t mind a gingerbread cookie. She hadn’t had one in forever and craved them suddenly; her mother had stopped buying them after Holly’s pleading got annoying.  

        “Yeah.” She nodded, Luke standing also. “Let’s go.”

. . .