A Not So Typical Tea Party

Chapter 1

I dropped the cash on the counter and stuffed my purchased items in my pocket. The lady, who by the name tag must've been named Alicia, grinned almost too happily at me, handing me my receipt.

"Have a great day!" She chirped like the little humanised bird she was. I forced a small smile and nodded, not really caring how fake my affection looked.

"Yeah you too!" I said in an exasperated voice that seemed to go ten octaves higher at the last part of the sentence. As I stepped out of the unbelievably sluggish automatic doors I was hit with a sudden cold blast that was the latter November weather.

The warmth that emitted from the crowds and heating of Wilkinson had made me lower my guard down, making the bitter impact of the winter wind one hundred times as powerful. I instinctively shivered, causing awkward looks from the people around me but to be honest, it was something I was familiar with by now. I sighed excessively loudly and began walking onwards, the light yet satisfying crunching of snow beneath my feet.

Jack Frost had paid us an incredibly early visit this year; snowfall very rarely fell in the muggy town of Stevenage and when it did, it was either in late December or the beginning months of the following year. Not that I'm complaining; I love snow as much as the next fourteen year old, in fact winter is my all time favourite season, as well as autumn (I'm stuck for choice between the two).

I love watching as the cold air carries ruby and amber leaves across the dull sky bringing it to life. Meanwhile bustling crowds get ready for Christmas festivities down below; the slightly overpowering aroma of coffee diffusing throughout the air, counterbalancing the equally as strong stench of tobacco and...other smokable items.

Everything about winter seemed so comforting and homely.

I'd considered stopping by at the famous Costa corner on my way to Home Bargains but instantly rid myself of the thought when I saw the line, stretching out for miles; well past the 3 shops adjacent to it anyway.

People were dressed fully in all there in-fashion winter wear, woollen hats, cotton gloves and scarves so long they need to be wrapped around your neck at least three times so you don't trip yourself. However, regardless of their seemingly snug clothing choice, you could still see them rubbing their hands and knees together, struggling to maintain their body's warmth.

I myself had just my tight fitting black leather jacket and a black beanie to shield me from the chill and they weren't doing a particularly good job. I glanced at my watch: 16:45, and the sky was already portraying it's midnight blue shades.

Luckily the Christmas lights were already lit and the yellows, reds, greens and blues created a festive stream of colour across the concrete, like a magical path from a fairy tale. The lights had a fantastical feeling to them, the way they lit up the sky was almost surreal and they would never fail to astonish the little children, grinning and waving back at the animated Santa and his reindeer.

Taking out a new pack of Extra from my pocket, I ripped off the foil and popped a piece of the spicy fresh, peppermint gum in my mouth. I began rapidly chewing it in an attempt to stimulate my muscles and keep my body warm. The original plan was to buy a piping hot cappuccino and a brownie from Costa to keep me from getting hypothermia but unless I wanted to be at the town centre after closing hours, that wasn't going to happen.

I finished up buying the odd bit or two at several different stores I'm too lazy to list and made my way down to McDonalds, near the bus station. Buying a small portion of chips for the journey home, I waited at Station E for my bus to arrive.

I've always hated waiting for buses as it would require standing for several minutes, a half hour even, for the specific type of bus to arrive. Of course there was a bench that you could sit on but when it was made at such a dramatic angle, it was much rather like a slide.