The Yellow House

Chapter 6: Decorating

Chapter Six: Decorating

Anna’s P.O.V.

I’m fairly sure he’s trying to get with me. It wouldn’t surprise me, and I wouldn’t put it past him. I don’t love him, although he is fairly desirable. But I have to control myself. I cannot risk everything I’ve done building up against him.

One week passes, and Dan and I are sitting at the kitchen table. We’re deep in discussion about decorating for Christmas, but he is strongly against it. I have no idea why.

“Come on, Dan! It’ll be fun!” I insist. He glares at me.

“Why should we decorate? It’s not like we’re going to be having people over to talk to!”

“I still think we should put up decorations, keep the spirit up.”

“What spirit?” He asks, annoyed. “It’s not really Christmas, not when it’s just the two of us stuck in the house together!”

“What are you going to say next? Bah Humbug?” I tease.

“If it makes you realize I’m not in the so-called Christmas spirit, then yes!”

“Thanks for that…. Thou-art-Scrooge.” I mutter, delighting in the look he shoots me. Then it hits me…

Flashback: December 2012

I waltzed back to where Kaitlyn was sitting at the teacher’s desk, feverishly typing away, occasionally looking over at a piece of paper beside the laptop she was working.

“I’m so screwed, so, so screwed.” She muttered.

She was muttering it, because we had to write essays for school about a book we’d read, and the word limit was a thousand words. Kaitlyn, of course, was already past the 1000 mark, and had only recently started remarking on how screwed she was, so I took every opportunity…

“How are you, thou-art-screwed?” I asked pleasantly, then had to dodge her fist, as she took a swing at me.

“Stop calling me that!” she snapped, irritated with me. I couldn’t blame her, but at the same time, it was her own fault. Since we were nearing the Christmas season, and she was so constantly irritated with me, I couldn’t help but switch to calling her Thou-art-Scrooge. It stuck, no matter how many times she hit me.

I’m pulled out of the funny memory, by Dan saying.  “What did you just call me?!”

“Scrooge.” I shoot back at him. He stands up and leaves the room. I sit by myself, and start writing out a list for our suppliers. We need some Christmas decorations, and we need to be cheered up, even if it means me going behind Dan’s back to do it. I scribble out a hasty list, and then I leave it on the table, running upstairs to go to bed.

Dan’s P.O.V.

I cannot believe her, calling me Scrooge! I’m not that cruel to people, I just don’t feel like celebrating when there’s nothing to celebrate… Because there isn’t anything to celebrate, not this year. I’m stuck in a house with a girl I barely know, and she wants to decorate for Christmas. Although what I want for Christmas is to get a chance. For what, you’re probably asking. I want a chance to apologize to Kaitlyn. She deserves an apology. What I wouldn’t give for five minutes with her, to explain. That’s what I want for Christmas this year, but I don’t expect to get it. I hear Anna mucking around in the kitchen, before coming upstairs. She walks into her room, and I hear the door close. Then that’s all I hear.

I wake up late the next morning, around ten. The sun is pouring through the window, and I have an awful feeling, as though I’ve missed something important. But when I walk downstairs, I realize why. It’s decorated for Christmas! “ANNA!” I yell, walking through the rooms on the ground floor.