31 Days of Christmas | ✓

1: A Breakup Just Before I Leave

Wednesday: December 1st, 2016

Considering we broke up, I suppose I can't exactly call him my 'true love'. Besides, this story isn't really even about him. It just begins with him.

Also, he technically broke up with me the day before December began. But that doesn't mean I didn't feel the weight of his absence any less as the new day started.

When the alarm shrilled through my room on the first day of Christmas, I was blatantly reminded that I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep overnight. I had been too busy being in a state of denial. Too busy trying to not cry. Too busy restraining myself from calling him or texting him whereby I would beg him to change his mind. I was not going to be that girl. Because, ultimately, I didn't even want to date him in the first place.

Rowan Hart—with his stupidly mesmerising emerald eyes, and his ludicrous heart-stopping smile—had weaseled his way into my life two months ago despite my attempts to push him away. And then he just... Well, I guess I should just show you.

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Two Months Ago

I was in no way musically talented, nor was Jojo. But Ria was a virtuoso at the guitar.

We were an odd trio. Me with my pink hair. Ria with her half-blonde, half-blue hair, and Jojo with her jet black hair. Nonetheless, they were the closest friends I had.

Jojo and Ria were both the same age as me: seventeen. But considering I started my education in the UK, I was a year behind in school. So they'd be graduating this year while I would be stuck alone for another 365 days.

Most people would feel awkward being their third wheel (as Jojo and Ria had been dating for over a year now), but I liked feeling like their weird pet, the third musketeer, the friend they both shared.

"Do you have to graduate?" I whined to both of them when Ria had finished another song.

"I mean, I suppose I could sneak into the teacher's staffroom, steal our final papers, and feed them to my nieces," Jojo replied.

Grimacing, I said, "If I ever have kids, remind me to never let you look after them. How does your brother even trust you?"

"Sometimes he doesn't have a choice. I'm a great aunt anyway."

"I still can't believe you're an aunt," Ria muttered. "If they ever legalise gay marriage here, and we got married... that would make me an aunt, too. I'm too young for that." Ria shuddered and began plucking at the strings again to soothe her worries.

"Just how soon do you want to marry me, Ria?" Jojo asked, a giddy grin spreading across her face.

Cheeks slightly tinged with pink, Ria didn't respond to her.

"Anyway, back to my point," I said, disrupting the lovebirds. "You could just rip up your final essays, fail, and stay with me for another year. No need to harm the twins."

"You suck all the fun out of everything, Zazu," Jojo replied, shaking her head. I always hated that nickname she had given me, but alas, Jojo was still obsessed with Disney at the age of 17. "You fun sucker!"

"Okay, Jamie Lee Curtis."

Ria paused and looked up at me, eyebrows furrowed. "Who?"

"Don't tell me you haven't seen Freaky Friday."

"I have. But who?"

"The actress who plays the mum."

"Oh... yeah. Reference is lost on me." She turned back to her guitar.