Secrets Left Neglected

Chapter 1D

Tadhg

"Seriously, guys?" I ask looking around to make sure none of the teachers can see what we're doing. "Are we really going to do this?"

"Yeah, Tadhg," Archer answers me with conviction. "Pete wants to hook up with Courtney. This is the best way for that to happen. Everyone knows you have to kiss if you meet under the mistletoe."

The two of them are working together to hang a piece of the berried stuff under a barren oak tree. Its leaves are in scattered piles around the schoolyard, and I'm standing as look-out, freezing my nuts off standing this far from the bonfire.

Man, it's cold out here tonight.

Walker and Cian had to leave; their dad had an emergency electrical job he needed their help with. Nick had to go home as well. Coda needed to be let out.

With a dull thud, Pete jumps down from the tree branch and lands on my left. "There!" he declares. "All set. Now, we just need the girls to come out and wander this way."

Before the guys can think up a scheme to get the girls to do just that, they surprise us by popping up from behind us. "Boo!" Siofra shouts giggling.

I shake my head. "Boo? Isn't that like so two holidays ago?"

"Yeah, so?" She says, defending herself. "It's dark. You weren't expecting us. So, yeah, Boo!

Besides, haven't you ever read Charles Dickens' Christmas Story? The Ghosts of Christmas past, present and future? I could be one of them, can't I?"

I shake my head and smile, holding my hands up in the universal sign of someone who's been bested.

"Hey," she replies, looking around with a frown. "Where's Cian and Walker?"

"They had to leave. Something to do with their dad," I explain.

Siofra's face falls and Jenny's mirrors it. Wouldn't the guys like to be a fly on the wall here tonight? I think to myself. If only they could see the girls' faces now that they've gone.

Without warning, Courtney lets out a screech and then a cry of alarm. "Oh no!" I hear her say.

Pete looks up quickly and moves forward towards her. "What's wrong?"

"My mom just texted me. She was looking for me over at the Yule log and when she couldn't find me, she left. She said she'd meet me at home. I knew I shouldn't have kept her waiting. Just because we live close by she always thinks it's okay for me to walk home from these kinds of things. Argh!"

Poor Courtney. She looks about ready to pull her hair out.

"I guess she assumes I'm leaving with you tonight, Pearl," she sighs.

"But I'm going home with Siofra," Pearl whines.

"And I can't go with you guys," Courtney continues. "I have to get up early for art class tomorrow and all of my supplies are in my room. I didn't leave them in the studio last week like you guys did."

"Come on," Pete interrupts. "Text your mom. Get her to turn around. We'll have her meet us at the end of the driveway."

"We'll go with you and make sure you have a ride, Court," Siofra replies grabbing Jenny's hand.

"Me, too," Pearl says.

I lean forward getting ready to go with them when Siofra turns back towards Caoilainn. "Will you grab our things out of the gym, Caoilainn? They're going to close up before we can get back and we won't be able to grab what we made for the woods if they do."

Caoilainn nods her head yes and I find myself offering to go with her while Archer accompanies the girls and Pete.

By the time we're back to the tree Caoilainn is laughing with me, trying to toss popcorn into my mouth like I heard about her doing earlier with the girls. I feel ridiculous but we're having so much fun I forget to care.

Our hands are full of all kinds of goodies for the animals around us. We start to string some popcorn and berries on the tree that Archer and Pete hung the mistletoe on. In the process of weaving the string between the branches, we find ourselves tangled. Working backwards we spin around until we're right underneath of it.

When I notice Caoilainn shivering, I take my jacket off and drape it around her. "Here," I tell her. "You must be freezing. It's so cold over here."

"But don't you need it, Tadhg?" she asks me. "Now you'll be cold."

"Nah," I tell her, rubbing my hands together before blowing hot air into them. "I'll be ok. It's fine. You wear it. You need it more than I do." Then I take my hands and rub her arms up and down to generate some heat for us.

"Thank you," Caoilainn says smiling. Just then, a small berry drops into Caoilainn's hair and she reaches up to grab it.

I laugh and look up, pointing. "Mistletoe. One of the berries must have come loose and fallen from it."

"Mistletoe?" Caoilainn asks me, surprised. "How'd that get there?"

"It was Pete," I tell her, brushing some stray pine needles off her shoulder. "He was trying to find a way to get Courtney under the tree tonight."

Caoilainn looks at me and then up at the mistletoe. "He never got to use it, though, did he?" she asks abruptly serious.

Suddenly, even though we're in the middle of an open wooded area the air is sucked out of my lungs. "No," I say, taking a step forward.

"That's a shame," she whispers, looking down at her feet and then back up at me. In the distance, soft caroling has begun. A light melody christens the air as we stand there whispering.

"Yeah," I reply back quietly.

Overwhelmed by unexpected nervousness, my heart tries to hammer its way through my chest.

"You know," I start to say out loud while starring at Caoilainn. "in the old days, a guy could steal a kiss from a girl if he caught her standing under the mistletoe."

"Oh yeah?" she asks me, a fire of challenge coming into her eyes.

"Yeah," I reply moving closer. "and the girl has to kiss him back, or it's like, bad luck or something."

"Well, we wouldn't want that going into the new year, would we?" Caoilainn replies, stepping nearer still, meeting my challenge head on. A little intimidated I take a hasty step in retreat.

"But," I backtrack. "I would never force you to do that, Caoilainn."

Before she can hide it, I think I see a look of regret cross Caoilainn's face. It's gone in an instant, however, as she quickly replaces the shadow with a friendly smile. Did I just imagine that?

"Good," she says, stepping towards me again.

"Good?" I ask disappointed. Now I know that intention wasn't about me.

"Mmm-hmm," she replies. "Know why?"

I shake my head and she advances without warning. She's up on tip toes to get eye level with me. "So I can do this!" Then she leans in to kiss me chastely on the lips, before laughing and running away towards the direction the gang went earlier. Very faintly I hear her call out to me as she goes. "Happy Winter Solstice, Tadhg!"

Speechless, I watch her run off and then glance up at the mistletoe hanging above my head.

Then I look over towards the still-burning fire. "Happy Winter Solstice, Caoilainn," I whisper back smiling to myself.

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Thank you to @BrittaSwann and @WriterontheIsland for their editing advice on this chapter!