by Ivy Ruthven
Bramble placed the bowl with our names on one of the benches and asked us to pick up a folded note of paper. I took one and quickly glanced at it. I’d got Bramble as my Secret Santa buddy. Smiling, I pocketed it.
“When do we exchange gifts this year, Boss?” asked Jeanne.
“Twenty third,” answered Bramble. “We’ll stay closed from the twenty fourth until twenty sixth. The usual.”
I changed back into my regular clothes and went to meet Ryan in the dining hall.
All the lights except the tiny twinkling ones at the window were turned off. Ryan’s dark silhouette was easily seen by the windows.
“Hey,” I said, reaching the table.
“You took your time,” he said, but his tone was light.
“We were picking our Santa buddies.”
“Great. Who’d you get?”
“Bramble Woods,” I said in a hushed voice. “I want to get something special for her.”
“And me?”
I snickered. “Of course, you too!”
Grabbing his hand, I pulled at it to make him stand. “Let’s go home.”
“Yes,” he said, standing up. I was about to head towards the door, but he pulled me back.
“What are you doing?” I asked, struggling to regain my balance. His hand wrapped around my waist, steadying me.
“This.” He leaned into me and kissed me full on the mouth. My eyes widened. It had taken me a second to realize what was happening. Coming to my senses, I kissed him back.
When we parted, I looked up at him, trying to see his expression in the dimly lit room. He was smiling down at me. There was a boyish goofiness about him. It was so endearing that I couldn’t help, but stand on tip toes and kiss him once more.
“Why all the sudden kissing?” I asked slowly.
He pointed upward. There was a bunch of mistletoe hanging over the table. “I’d told you before you. I’ll kiss you under the mistletoe.”
Warmth flooded my cheeks as I buried my head in his chest. “I forgot,” I mumbled.
His hands wrapped around me. It was so warming against his chest. At that moment, I wished we could stay that way forever.
A loud clearing of throat made me jump. Turning towards the sound, I saw Nicole and Jeanne standing near us.
“Time to go home, love birds,” said Jeanne.
“Sorry,” I muttered, pulling at Ryan’s hand. “We were just leaving.”
“Bye, ladies,” said Ryan, cool as a cucumber while I was blushing and stammering. “See you guys tomorrow.”
“Come on,” I hissed, pulling him along.
Chapter 6
Exhaustion threatened to drown me by the end of the week. Along with piano practices during every free hour at school, work at the teashop became even more demanding. Crowds gathered outside the restaurant each afternoon, waiting in line to be admitted inside, which meant that we were working without a single break. To add to this, the teachers piled us with even more homework to be submitted before the school closed for the winter holidays.
As a result, it took massive amount of strength to get out of bed on Friday. My body begged me to stay inside the warm comfort of my blankets and sleep for a few more hours.
“You need to get up, Oli,” shouted James outside my door.
I groaned, covering myself against his loud voice.
“I’m telling Mother about this.” With that final threat, I heard him going down the stairs.
Grumbling, I threw away the covers and sat up. The clock on my bedside table told me that I had about fifteen minutes to get dressed and eat breakfast. Accepting the challenge, I hurried to the bathroom.
By the time I went downstairs to eat breakfast, James had already left for school.
“You look tired, honey,” said Sarah, her forehead creasing with worry.
“I was up late finishing up some math homework.”
“Have a seat here,” she said, rising from her chair. “I’ll make you some eggs and sausages.”
“Sounds really good, Mother but I can’t. Just pour me some juice. If I don’t go out now, I will miss class.” She frowned and was about to launch into a lecture but I put up my hand. “Please, Mother.”
Relenting, she went to the fridge while I put on my boots and coat.
“Here you go,” she said, handing me a glass full to the brim with orange juice.
Chugging it down, I handed her the glass and ran to the front door.
Sarah’s voice followed me as I closed the door behind me. She wanted me to be careful, but I knew I had to jog all the way to school to make it in time.
When I reached the school gates, the crowd was already gone. I checked my watch and moaned. Ten minutes had passed since the bell rang. It was Mr. Brown’s class that morning. Walking to the Washington Building, I debated if it was okay to show up in class. Would Mr. Brown be mad and think I was taking advantage?
Half way up the stairs, I changed directions. Instead of going to class, I made my way towards the Franklin Building that housed the piano room. There was no need to bother Mr. Brown or myself. Jenny and few others often didn’t show up for classes. If they didn’t get in trouble, I decided that this one time would be fine.
The music room was empty. Feeling almost gleeful, I went to the piano and sat down on the stool beside it. The rest of the hour flew by as I practiced playing one of the songs for the competition. Without Jenny hounding on me every time I made a mistake, my fingers loosened and towards the end, I could play it flawlessly.
For the first time that week, I felt a rush of hope within me. It erased away all my exhaustion and when the bell rang for second period, I went to find Stacie, hoping we could spend the afternoon doing something fun.
I found Stacie on her way to the library. She was surprised to see me as I jogged towards her.
“Why weren’t you in class this morning?” asked Stacie. “Mr. Brown asked both me and Ryan about you.”
“Oh no!” I whined. “He is probably calling my mother to ask her.”
“But why weren’t you there?” asked Stacie again.
“I was late to class and decided not to show up at all,” I said, feeling sheepish. “I went into Franklin Building, instead and practiced.”
Stacie blew out a long breath. “I was so worried while you were having fun.”
I wound my arm through her and smiled. “I’m sorry but see everything’s great? How about we go somewhere after school today? The teashop has a new menu now.”
Stacie’s frown melted away. “Do you want to check out the Christmas Market in Oakwood Park? We’ll have to take a bus but it’s an absolutely gorgeous place to visit at this time of the year and its best to go in the evenings because of all the lights.”
“Sounds great!”
“Will it be just us though?” asked Stacie. She looked suddenly anxious.
“Sure,” I said, not understanding the change in her mood. “Do you want to invite someone else?”
“No.” She hesitated. “I was wondering if you were going to invite Ryan Hargrove. Not that he isn’t nice,” she said quickly. “But…it would be nice to just have you for company.”
Her reluctance reminded me of Monday’s lunch hour when Ryan had ignored everyone at the table in the cafeteria. It was not surprising to see Stacie feel uncomfortable around him. I’d thought he was thawing towards people, but it had been a wrong assumption. All his attention had remained on me.
“Not a problem, Stacie,” I said with a smile. “It’ll be just you and me. Besides, I want to look for a present for him there. So, it’s best to leave him out of this one.”
Stacie looked relieved. Her enthusiasm was back again. “I’ll help you find great gifts. Will you be buying for your family too?”
Chatting together, we made our way to the library. Neither of us could concentrate on the books and notes in front of us. We brought our chairs together and talked under our breaths.
A heavy landed on my shoulder. Jumping away, I looked
up, afraid we were caught by the librarian.
“Ryan.” I swallowed my nervous.
His blue eyes were cold as they stared down at me. “Where’ve you been?”
“I was late to class in the morning, so decided not to show up at all,” I said with a shrug.
“You should’ve answered my texts. I was so worried about you.”
I hadn’t checked my phone at all. Since it was kept in ‘silence’, I hadn’t received any alerts. “I’m sorry, Ryan. Do you want to study with us?” I offered.
“No.”
Turning around, he walked away with his hands buried in his pockets.
“He’s too intense at times,” remarked Stacie, staring after him. “Are you sure you can’t go out with someone else in the school?”
I started. “Who said we were going out?”
“Oh please,” she said, winking and waving her hand. “It’s just so obvious.”
My cheeks burst in heated blush. Averting my eyes, I flicked through the pages of a book, not really seeing the pages.
Chuckling, Stacie placed a hand over mine. “I had no idea you could be this shy, Olivia. Do you feel that strongly about him?”
I nodded.
“Has he told you much about himself and his family?” she asked.
“Not really,” I said, thinking. “We’re taking things slow. He’ll tell me when he’s ready. Same for me.”
“You’d be a mysterious person too,” said Stacie, leaning against her chair. “The town knows your mother and your grandparents, so there’s no secret of who you are. I guess most people are curious about your father.”
“He’s dead,” I replied shortly.
Stacie looked stricken. “I didn’t mean to ask…I mean…I’m so sorry!”
“It’s fine,” I said, picking up a book. This time I stared hard at the page. There was no way I was talking about my father in hushed whispers in the library. A familiar choking sensation settled in my throat as I fought to control the tears that threatened to leak out of my eyes.
By the time Economics class came around, Stacie and I had gone back to our usual moods. I cleared the air between mentioning the Christmas Market again. Smiling broadly, she began telling me about all the great things she’d brought there.
I sat with Stacie during Economics. Ryan didn’t take the class, so I was able to focus on the lesson without any distraction.
When class got over, Stacie was among the first to stand up. “Can’t wait for classes to get over today,” she said. “Three more hours to go!”
I laughed. “One of those hours is for lunch. So, I am counting it as two.”
We walked out of the classroom and headed down the corridor towards the staircase. The crowd was winding its way to the cafeteria and we followed.
As I was moving through the ground floor corridor, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me back. My back hit something hard as I struggled to keep my balance.
“What are you doing?” I shouted as Ryan stared down at me. “You gave me a heart attack!”
His hand came around my waist, pulling me closer to him.
“Er-Olivia?”
It was Stacie who was staring at us, her brown eyes as wide as saucers.
“She is having lunch with me today,” said Ryan, still keeping a hold on me.
“When did I say that?” I asked.
“I am saying it.” The way he gazed at me was enough to make me forget all my arguments. My mind refused to work, leaving me speechless and my cheeks flushed.
“I’ll see you in class,” said Stacie at once. “Bye!”
She hurried away down the corridor.
I pushed against his chest. Ryan’s hold loosened, allowed me to take a step back.
“What is up with you?” I asked. “Are you still mad about me not showing up to class this morning?”
“I’m not mad. I just missed you but you look like you were having way too much fun without me.”
I chuckled. “I sort of did. I made plans with Stacie to go to the Christmas Market in Oakwood Park this afternoon.”
“Good thing I got you now,” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me through the corridor.
“I don’t want to go all the way to a restaurant now,” I said. “Last time we got late for class.”
“We won’t go far.”
When we neared the school gates, there were already some students loitering there. As we stepped outsides the gates, a massive food truck came into view. Its sides were painted in vivid colors and it boasted to serve the best food in all of Knightswood.
“Come on,” said Ryan, leading the way.
There was already a line at the front counter for orders. The smell of hotdogs and burgers was heavy in the air. While we waited, I looked at the menu painted on the side of the truck.
“What are you having?” I asked.
“Their burger looks good,” he said, eyeing a boy who was standing in a corner and biting into one.
“I’ll have the same,” I said, making up my mind. “Just hoping I won’t make a mess of myself.”
“That’s the fun of eating a burger.”
Ryan was smiling again. His bad temper from earlier had vanished. After a short wait, we were able to get our burgers paired with chocolate milkshakes.
The food was hot and delicious. Needless to say, I didn’t miss the cafeteria food at all that day.
“Are you sure you don’t want me coming with you to the Christmas Market?” he asked.
I shook my head. “It’s a girls’ day out.”
“Can I see you this weekend?”
“I’m not sure,” I said. “There are assignments to do and Jenny wants to practice tomorrow morning. I’m exhausted. This Christmas Market thing is just a way to relax a little today.”
“Promise me you’ll take care of yourself, Olivia.”
“I will.”
Since the food truck was station so close to school, we even had time to sit on one of the benches that lined the pathway near the main gates. It was cold as the sun dipped below the horizon but we were warm after the good meal.
The Christmas Market in Oakwood Park was similar to the German-style markets that cropped up in the parks of Haymarket in Edinburgh. A short bus ride brought us to an area surrounded by woods. Little stalls were set up throughout the area. Small Christmas trees decorated with glinting streamers and lights dotted the area. .
On the farther side of the park, an ice-skating ring had been set up. Gleeful shouts and cries punctuated the air from time to time. Stacie led the way towards the area that had all the stalls. Making up my mind to come skiing with Ryan, I followed her through the crowd.
The stalls there sold all kinds of things. Weaving through the paths, we came across shops selling candies, Italian sweets, Spanish delicacies like stews and pailayas and freshly made crepes.
“There’s always so much to choose from,” said Stacie, looking all around.
“How about we get something to drink first?” I asked, pointing towards a small stall that was selling non-alcoholic mulled drinks.
“That looks good,” agreed Stacie. “Let’s get some.”
The mulled beverages came in different flavors. While I chose a red grape one, Stacie went with sweet cherries. The drinks were hot, sweet and subtly spiced with ginger and cinnamon. Swigs of it warmed and refreshed us after the long day at school.
Feeling more energized, we decided to check out a different section of the park. The stores there seemed to be more about handmade goods. We passed through places selling hats and scarves, hand-stitched wall hangings, woolen dresses and coats and wooden cooking utensils and ladles.
“I want one of those,” said Stacie, rushing towards a store selling silver jewellery. It’s fronts glittered from the myriad lights that the shiny ornaments reflected off their surface. I walked slowly towards it.
“What do you think?” asked Stacie, picking up a pair of dangling earrings. They looked ethnic from the design.
&n
bsp; “Very Bohemian,” I said. “They’d go great with long, flowy skirts. Is that the kind of look you’re going for?”
Stacie sniggered. “Not really. I just love how they look.” Putting back the earrings, she began sorting through more.
“Mind if I look at the next store in the meantime?” I asked.
“Sure. Just don’t disappear on me,” said Stacie.
“I’ll be there.”
I walked to the shop nearby. It had a bright and colorful display of woolen things. Looking through the bold, vivid-hued patterns, I was strongly reminded of Bramble. She always loved dressing up in shades of pink and orange. Smiling, I looked at the hats hanging from hooks.
“Need some help, deary?” asked a kindly old lady.
“I am looking for a present for a friend,” I said.
“That’s lovely,” said the old lady. “I’m Dorene.”
“Hi. I am Olivia.”
As I looked around, a pink hat caught my eye. It had two large poppies on the side. With Bramble’s short bob, the hat would suit her quite well. The colors would match most of her dresses.
“Could you please help me find a matching scarf to that hat?” I asked, pointing.
“Sure,” said Dorene, going forward to get the particular hat from the hook. “The scarves are this way.”
After a few minutes of sorting, we found a pink scarf with red tassels in the end. Even though it didn’t have any flowers on it, it matched the hat quite well.
“I’ll have these,” I said.
“Wonderful. Give me a minute. I’ll pack them for you.”
“Thank you.”
Dorene disappeared behind the shop. While I waited, I looked around the nearby shops. Suddenly, my gaze fell on a familiar figure. It was Michael Hawthorne with two girls on each arm. From the distance, they seemed to have simpering smiles plastered on their painted faces and were pressing against him.
I was about to turn away, but it was too late. His pale gray eyes had caught my glance. A grin broke out on his face as recognition set in. Whispering something in the girls’ ears, he strode forwards while they hung back, watching him.
