Nonentity Probie {Marina/Maya & Carina}

Swimming Spews (Chapter 24)

“How is this tree any different from the last one?” The blonde exclaimed, her hand waving around as she stood looking up at a seven foot evergreen.

“The branches are more together, it doesn’t look so empty” Carina mumbled as she stood behind the blonde, her glove covered hands wrapping around her stomach as she laid her head on Mayas shoulder. 

They both stood staring at their fifth option of a Christmas tree. The rest of the open parking lot that they stood in, was filled with pine trees and other families also picking out their christmas trees. The dark, eerie night brought comfort to the couple as they stood in warm coats, scarfs, hats and gloves to protect them from the circling cold. 

They held hands as they walked around the parking lot, the smell of evergreen filling their nostrils as laughs and wholesome moments filled the silence. Maya was still grasping onto the whole ordeal of picking out a tree. Carina seemed to be more invested and excited by the different trees, while Maya just stood their soaking in her excitement. 

To Maya, they were just trees. Bark and pines jumbled together to form a cone shaped decoration for Christmas. She was however very intrigued in learning Carina's way of thinking. Just from the past hour alone, of looking at pine trees. Maya now knows that Carina has to have a spiky tree top for the star to fit properly. It needs to be at least seven foot, six, if it has a good base. A wide enough diameter that the tree lights could show some depth when they sparkled, and she did not like when the branches were spread out.

“I don’t see you picking out a tree” Carina stated as she walked from behind the blonde and to the tree, fiddling with the pines, seeing as they fell off fairly easily. “Nope, too brittle” She stated, returning to Maya's side, taking a hold of her hand as she walked them around again. 

“Well I don’t know what to look for, you're the expert” The blonde explained. 

“You've never picked out a tree?” Carina asked, surprised, as she halted them, this time in front of their seventh option. 

“No, I usually just put the plastic one up and call it at that” Maya nonchalantly explained as she took Carinas information and fiddled with the pines, seeing as they didn’t fall off easily, she moved on to look back at Carina asking if she was pleased by this one. 

She shook her head in disapproval as the both proceeded to walk around the lot. “Plastic trees don’t give you that evergreen smell, plus they are severely annoying to put up” Carina stated, leaning her head on Maya's shoulder as they walked around the lot, holding onto Maya's arm.

“It's not that difficult” Maya defended her tree as she watched Carina's eyes light up. 

“This is it, this is the one!” Carina disconnected herself from Maya as she stood in front of another pine tree. It fit all her qualifications. Seven foot, spiky top, full branches and the pines weren’t brittle. 

She nodded in gratification as she spun on her heel, her face glowing in a smile as she stared at the blonde. “Okay so how do we buy it─”

“You're looking to buy a tree” A man appeared beside them, causing both girls to physically jump at his appearance.

He wore a black and red flannel with a hood attached, the sleeves were pulled up to his elbows, a backwards hat on his head and a pair of blue denim jeans to pair with his dark brown work boots. He looked like the stereotypical lumberjack. 

“Uh yeah, this one” Maya nodded at the tree, her finger slightly pointing to it as she felt Carina energetically link back into her arm. 

The man walked over to it, taking a bundle of pines in his hand and leaning his head into them, sniffing the green foliage. “She's a beaut” He said in a thick australian accent.