She knelt on the carpet of her new living-room, a big cardboard box in front of her, unwrapping ornaments, it was Christmas time, her favorite time of the year. Mark and the boys had gone out to film some collabs with a few people before the big day arrived when no one would work. Sarah had been left to do the decorating of the house that was now partly hers.
She loved Christmas ever since she was a little girl. She could remember her father letting her decorate the tree every single year with brightly colored lights, and shiny ornaments that could break at a single drop to the ground. "Be really careful honey," she could hear her father voice say, "you don't want to break anything." A big smile came to her face before a tear started to come to her eye. She'd lost her father to a car accident a few years back. So, the holidays were always tough, but she powered through it.
Shaking her head free of the memories that still haunted her to this day, she put on a smile and some Christmas music and started to decorate the tree. She took ornaments out one at a time and smiled as she hung them up in perfect position all over the tree. Some of the ornaments had been from some of Mark's fans that had given them at conferences, and in the mail around Christmas time over the last few years. She thought that it would be a nice touch to the tree.
Sarah had moved in with Mark a few weeks ago, after a really terrible breakup with her now ex boyfriend, she decided it would be better just to get out of the place that held her prisoner for so long. She packed her bags, moved to L.A. and never looked back. Mark Fischbach was her best friend. She had known him since high school, and he was really the only one that would talk to her. Being deaf for most of her life, school was hard. Yeah, she had a cochlear implant, and could hear things now, but still, she was different, especially to her fellow students.
Most people called her cyborg. Freak was a pretty popular name too. It bothered her for a while, but her father taught her that no one could make her feel bad without her permission. Well, Mark was the only one who ever found an interest in her. He wanted to learn this new language. He had known about deaf people, and that they spoke with their hands, but he actually wanted to learn it. So, she taught him and the two had been best friends since.
She smiled as she looked at her magnificent work done on the tree that would soon have presents sitting underneath it waiting to be unwrapped on Christmas morning, and the living room came to life with a new kind of joy and brightness. Something all of the gentlemen she lived with needed the most right now. After the all too recent passing of their friend Daniel, this Christmas would be very difficult for all of them. It was Sarah's mission to make sure that they had one of the best Christmases ever.
She heard the door slam shut behind her and she put the last box back into the closet that held way to many things for her taste and went to greet whoever walked in the door. It was Mark, his body was wet from head to toe, and he was shivering.
"What happened to you?" Sarah asked signing to her friend and she tried to hide back a smile. He looked ridiculous his now red hair was dripping wet and his nipples stuck out, showing through his shirt.
"I did a challenge." He said. His hands were shaky.
"And what challenge was that?" She asked trying her absolute best not to laugh at him.
"The ice bath challenge." He shivered. Her expression went from joy to anger. He knew better than to sit in an ice bath for pure enjoyment, but he was also 26 years old and she wasn't his girlfriend, or his mother.
"You know that's dangerous." She said taking him into the kitchen and making him a hot coffee to warm up his cold body.
"Yeah, I know, it was stupid, but we're stupid so it's okay." He said taking the cup with his hands still shivering.
"After you drink that you need to go and take a warm shower." She instructed him. He nodded and continued to sip.
"The living-room looks nice. Very festive." Mark signed his hands not as shaky as before. He was trying to get her to not be bad at him anymore for the stupid thing that he and his friends were doing. It worked. Sarah sprung to life with a new kind of happiness.
"Oh thank you. I worked really hard on it. You know Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year." She smiled as she sat down next to him. He nodded.
"Yes, yes I know. And you always give the best presents too." He winked. She rolled her eyes.
"Well, who said you were getting any gifts this year?" She teased. His expression made her want to laugh. His eyes looked like a little kid who was being told that he would never receive a puppy if he didn't start behaving. "I'm just kidding Mark, you know that I buy everyone gifts, even if they have been naughty."
Mark smiled and finished off the coffee. "I am going to go and take that shower now, oh but before I do, I have to tell you something." He said motioning for her to come closer to him, as if she could hear what he was about to whisper to her. "I have a friend coming in for Christmas this year, he wanted to spend it with us, I hope that's okay." Mark said.
"Yeah of course that's okay. Who is it?" She asked.
"Sean McLoughlin, or Jacksepticeye." He said. Sarah froze where she sat. She didn't move and her eyes glazed over with an emotion that she couldn't explain. Sean had been her crush for a few years now. She didn't act on it because let's face it, he lived in Ireland for God's sake and who would want to date a deaf girl?
"Sean?" She finally asked. Mark nodded.
"Is everything okay?" he asked. She nodded and put on a smile that wasn't genuine and Mark knew it. "Are you sure?"
Sarah knew it was pointless to try and lie to Mark, he could see right through her every single time. Damn him for being able to do that. She sighed and sat back into her chair and shook her head.
"No, everything isn't okay." She said.
"What's wrong?" He asked, concern filled his eyes and he listened no longer concerned about his shower, or the coldness still radiating off his body. Sarah was all that mattered to him at this moment.
"I have a secret, and you can't tell ANYONE!" She signed big. Mark nodded and urged her to continue. "I really, really like Sean. I have for a while now, but now that he's coming here. I don't know what I am going to do." Mark's face looked like he was trying to hide back a smile. "WHAT?" She signed getting flustered.
"You like Jack?" He asked. She nodded and put her head down. It was embarrassing. Sean probably had a girlfriend and she was wasting her time getting into someone that she knew she had no chance with.
"Yeah, pretty dumb huh?" She asked.
"No it isn't dumb, it's really cute! Jack's single you know, maybe this could be your chance at romance!" Mark said raising his eyebrows and smiling.
"Oh please! Why would Jack want someone like me? Deaf? In a different country than he is? I don't want a one-night romance Mark, I want forever. I've always wanted forever." She said standing up and pacing the floor.
"Honey, calm down." He said.
"I can't! Mark this past year has been hell for the both of us, and all I want for Christmas this year, is a miracle, not something that lasts a week and then is gone forever." The expression on her face broke Mark's heart. He got up and went over to her and hugged her tight moving a strand of her long red hair over to her right ear. He looked into her eyes and what he saw broke his heart even more. It was sadness, abandonment, grief, and many other emotions.
"Honey, you'll find that special person, and maybe Jack is it, don't let yourself not try something just because you're worried it might not work out. You don't truly live life that way." Mark said. She nodded and buried her face into his chest not caring about the cold or anything at the moment. All she wanted was the embrace of her friend. He smoothed her hair with his hand and kissed her head and she felt warm and safe. "Now, I am going to go and shower, then we can have a movie night tonight if you want, the boys won't be back until tomorrow they are both with their girlfriends tonight." Mark said pulling away from the warm hug. Sarah nodded and smiled. Mark winked and headed up the stairs, it was going to be an interesting week after all.
