12 Days Before Christmas

Chapter 1

"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, twelve drummers drumming."

14th December 2014, Sunday.

"Ugh, the nerve of him! How can he just leave me like that without saying anything beforehand? Doesn't he know what im like? Doesn't he know i would've probably blown up there and then? He's lucky i didn't strangle him!" I paced up and down the corridor of our joint house while waving my hands around like a mad woman and pouring my heart out to Lidsy, "Honestly Lidsy, i think he just wants me to make the first move and break up with him. Oh my God, thats just it, isn't it? He pities me and he doesn't want to break my heart."

"Edsy!" I heard Lidsy coming out of her room with a shocked look on her face as if Brad Pitt had cheated on Angelina Jolie or something, "Can you never say that again? You just need to take a hot bath and calm down or something. Chanyeol doesn't wanna break up with you, dumbass. He loves you a lot. Can you please tame your wild imagination. Plus, has it ever crossed your mind that maybe it was a really, very, extra spontaneous job opportunity or something? You should be happy he got this, not make him worry about your already-on-the-edge relationship. God, you guys need to communicate more."

Lidsy gave me a last reprimanding look and headed back into her room to finish whatever she was doing.

I stared at the floor, thinking deeply. What if she's right? Maybe he doesn't wanna break up with me after all. I mean, he would've said something to me if he was unsatisfied with anything, right? I was probably just speculating uselessly. I need to stop thinking about it. I just have to trust Chan... unless, oh my God those texts to Isabella. She must be his side chick. Oh God, what if he was-

"Edsy," I heard Lidsy say calmly from the doorway of her bedroom, "I told you to stop assuming things, didn't I? Look, you guys need to straighten things out, oka? Once he gets back from Japan, go on a date with him and talk things out there. Now, come on. We have work in less than an hour. Taemin's driving us."

Less than an hour later, i was at my place at the counter. The car ride was horrible. I had to deal with Lidsy and Taem being all cuddly and coupley and i had clutched the smooth leather seat many times in fright because Taemin is a bloody speed demon. But Lidsy doesn't seem to mind. In fact, she enjoyed it. Those two are so meant for each other.

"Hi! Welcome to Blue Moon. Please place your order and proceed to the left," I said as calmly as possible, with a fake smile on my tired face. My eyebags are probably way down to my chin. Oh God, i must look terrible.

Today, our manager had been much more grumpy than usual that even Lidsy is getting annoyed at him. The only thing that made her smile today was the fact that Taemin had come in to buy a drink and when our manager was busy chewing out another one of our colleagues, he kissed her discreetly and quickly ran out. I had given this interaction many surreptitious glances enviously. Why can't Chan be that romantic?

Shrugging to myself, i stepped away from the counter to prepare the customers orders. 

"One Caramel Macchiato, here you go, sir!" I turned around to hand the man his drink but a gasp escaped my lips when my face almost collided with a bouqet of red roses. Puzzled, i strained my neck to see who was behind the bouqet.

A round, cute face popped up from behind the huge bouqet of roses. A man wearing red suspenders with jeans, a green buttoned-up blouse and a dark red stussy hat was standing there. His cheeks were flushed and he looked excited, "Hi! I'm Xiumin and I am supposed to make a delivery to Eldina! Are you Eldina?"

I muffled a snort that was threatening to rise when i heard how he pronounced my name. It was supposed to be "air-dee-nah" but for some reason, Chanyeol always mispronounce it as "L-dee-nah."

With a jolt, i stared at this stranger suspiciously. Why did he pronounce my name the same way my boyfriend does? Has he somehow met Chanyeol? Are they friends? Did Chan send him? Is this a trick? What on earth is happening?

"Err, yes. I suppose-" I started off stumbling on my words but i was cut off mid-sentence by Xiumin.

 "Well, here you go then! Now, if i could just have my drink. Thanks! Enjoy the flowers!"

I traded the Caramel Macchiato for the huge bouqet of roses and watched in dazed wonderment as Xiumin skipped out of Blue Moon, sipping away happily on his drink.

I surveyed the bouqet of roses and counted them unconsciously. 12 red roses. Do they mean anything?

My brain started working and i smacked myself for being stupid. How could i have forgotten to collect the money? And how could i have forgotten to ask who the flowers were from? Oh God, im in so much trouble.

I looked around the cafe for any clues as to who might've given them to me. But instead of discovering clues, i met the eyes of a pale and terrified-looking Lidsy. Hmm, thats weird. Lidsy would've been looking at me knowingly and teasing me until i got annoyed. So why was she looking so scared?

And thats when it hit me. She wasnt looking at me, she was looking at something behind me. Gulping anxiously, i turned around slowly to find my irate manager practically hyperventilating after what he just witnessed. He was holding on to the counter as if it was the only thing keeping him from falling and his face was flushed red in anger.

Oh bloody hell, this wasn't going to end prettily. Apparently, Lidsy wasnt the only person who witnessed the whole fiasco, and especially, me not collecting the money. I smacked myself internally for being so stupid. Oh bloody hell, thanks a lot Xiumin. God save me.