Noted

Chapter 8

I was starting to spend less and less time at home. Since there were no classes to attend due to Christmas break, I would often walk around town, window shopping or grabbing a coffee while catching up on my reading for the next semester. I only went home to shower, change, or sometimes sleep. I hadn't crossed paths with my dad in over two weeks, and I wanted to keep it that way. We hadn't even put up our traditional Christmas decorations or even a tree; it just didn't feel right celebrating it without mom. Which meant, I would have to get my Christmas fix from the beautifully decorated streets I casually walked down at least three times a day.

I was on my way to the Rockefeller center to meet with Troy. He had invited me to go ice skating, and I just couldn't pass up the old Manhattan tradition. As we skated a few times around the rink, I felt like it was unnatural to be doing one of her favourite Christmas-y things without my family, but it didn't feel unacceptable either. I felt like this was a new part of my life now, and I accepted it with open arms. I felt like everything I was currently experiencing by myself was like my coming of age or rite of passage towards adulthood. I had to fend for myself at this point, and I had no problem with it. It felt good to have so much independence.

"What are you doing Friday?" I asked Troy as we skated.

"You mean, Christmas Eve?" he laughed.

"Oh, right!" I said. "I'm sorry; I forgot it was that day." I skated ahead of him, pressing my hand against my forehead in embarrassment.

"Wait, what did you want to do?" Troy asked as sped up to join me.

I wasn't sure if I should ask him, since he actually had a family to celebrate Christmas with, and I didn't want to take that away from him.

"No, stay home, help your mom cook," I insisted honestly, trying to forget I even asked him. "It's okay; it was nothing."

"Tell me!" he urged, pulling my arm gently and making me stop gliding on the ice. He then pulled me into a tight hug, that I couldn't squirm out of. I had to ask him now.

"There's this Christmas party that my old best friend is throwing, and she's forcing me to go, and I don't want to go alone because she's probably going to invite half of Manhattan, and I don't want to be alone in the corner looking like a total loser." Realizing I was rambling on, I  laughed nervously and added, "That's why I wanted to invite you, because if you come, it would mean that it may actually be enjoyable, and, she said I could bring a plus one..."

"Yes, I'll go," Troy said, laughing.

"What about Christmas eve?" I asked. "And Benji and Sebastian...won't they miss you?"

"We celebrate it on the 25th anyways," he explained. "On the 24th we usually watch Christmas movies until my mom falls asleep, and I have to clean up everything, so it's no big deal. I actually wouldn't mind missing that for one year."

The fact that he actually wanted to go with me, made so so happy. Even happier than I thought I'd be.

"Where's the party being held anyways?" he asked.

"Somewhere in the meatpacking district..."

*

Next thing I knew, it was Christmas Eve and Rebecca's party. It definitely was in the meatpacking district, but the real question was; where in the meatpacking district?

"Where is this party, again?" Troy was shivering from the cold; it just had started to snow.

"She said it was between Washington and Hudson Street, but never gave me the full address." I held up my phone trying to find a place called The Rose, but wasn't having any luck. My frozen feet felt like they were going to fall off. I was walking in tight knee-high leather boots and wearing a sequinned mini-cocktail dress by Dior underneath an oversized blazer-coat from Acne under my coat. I dressed in the most stylish outfit for a party; not for a treasure hunt.