Rose

Christmas Tree

Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away, flowed from the CD player, filling the Sixth Form classroom with Christmas cheer.

There was only a mere nineteen hours until school finished for Christmas. Tinsel in tones of ruby, emerald, gold and silver lined the curtain railings of the English room, while masses of Christmas cards were pinned to every wall and Christmas crackers, both pulled and unpulled, lay on each desk. In a corner of the classroom, a great, fatally beautiful, green Christmas tree, adorned with tinsel, Christmas baubles and fairy lights lay in a bright red plant pot, surrounded by wrapped Christmas presents of every shape and size – just waiting to be opened and for the mysteries inside to be unveiled.

At a table near the Christmas tree, James sat taking photographs, laughing and singing along to the music with his best friends. Beside him, Bianca sat with her eyes closed tightly as Lily patted her face with a powder brush and added the final touches to her stage make-up for the Christmas Drama Showcase. Lily, wearing a white fairy dress and stage make-up, also giggled when the door opened and Chris entered, dressed all in white and wearing a black top hat, a silver scarf of tinsel knotted around his neck, and orange lipstick smeared across his nose. He looked just like a snowman. Lily jumped up from the chair and ran to hug Chris and give him a wet, sloppy kiss on the nose.

“Chris, you have to change into your costume for the show,” she whispered into his ear. “Miss Braithwaite asked for all cast members to be in full costume and waiting in the wings in 45 minutes time. We also still need to visit the school garden and that will take at least 15 minutes. Now, take your costume from the rail near the window and be back in here within 10 minutes.”

After daring to sneak a shrug towards James, Chris took his costume from the rail and left the room. Lily heaved a deep sigh of joy, took a can of hairspray from her bag and stood behind Bianca.

“OK,” she explained to Bianca, “keep your hand on top of the bun and you must keep your eyes firmly closed. Ready?”

When Bianca nodded in approval, Lily shook the hairspray can vigorously and began to spray it onto Bianca’s hair to help keep her ballerina-style bun in place.

In January at the beginning of that year, when they were still in the Fifth Form of high school, both Lily and Bianca had started to attend ballet classes at the school’s brand-new Performing Arts School. This term for the Christmas Drama Showcase, the ballet troupe had collaborated with the Drama club for a production of The Nutcracker ballet, and Bianca had been cast as Clara alongside James as the Nutcracker. Her mum had sewn a beautiful, floor-length, bubblegum-pink, satin gown for her to wear for the 3 nights of the production’s run at the school and beyond, and since both Lily’s and her own hair and make-up had been neatly arranged, Bianca had put on the dress and was being helped by James to fasten the zip. James had carefully sorted through all the costumes on the rails and had found a smart, handsome suit consisting of a black hat, black military boots, brilliant white trousers and a long, red military coat with gold buttons and fringing. Lily had used her eyeliner wand to paint a moustache onto James’ face.

Suddenly, the door swung open to reveal a tall figure in costume. Lily and Bianca screamed in terror and burst into fits of laughter as a giant rat walked towards them. Lily removed a mask to reveal a rather embarrassed Chris.

“Have you got the cutting?” Chris asked James.

“Yes, it’s on the box on the table,” James replied. “Shall we go now?”

Giving only a mere nod of agreement, they each put on a coat, scarf and gloves, and left the classroom to go to the school garden. Bianca switched the main classroom lights off as she was the last to exit, leaving only the soft, warm glow of the fairy lights on the Christmas tree.