Spots of Indigo

Chapter 15

Christmas at my house was always uneventful. Jerry didn't approve of my mom or I spending any money. So we gave each other small gifts in secret. I told Chrissy I didn't want her spending her money on my but when I walk downstairs to the Christmas tree I see one small wrapped present. It is about the size of a DVD. I look and see Chrissy standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. She's holding a steaming cup of coffee and smiling.

"Chrissy, I told you-"

"Open it!" she beams, cutting me off. "Please, open it! I'm so excited for you to open it!" She looks very excited.

I smile and head over to the package and pick it up. I gently tear the blue and silver snowflake wrapping paper away. I see that it's a book, "Looking For Alaska" to be exact. I raise an eyebrow and open the book. The inside of the front cover has a signature in the middle. John Green. Oh my god! I look at Chrissy in shock.

"Look at the back cover!" she says, giddy. I look at the inside of the back cover and it's a note written in black pen.

"Indigo,
It's fans like you that keep me going. I'm so glad you love this book as much as I do! Never stop trying to figure out the labyrinth. It can be answered differently at different points in your life. Your name is amazing, just as unique as Alaska! I hope you never forget to be awesome, Indigo!
-John Green"

I'm jumping up and down like a little kid.

"Chrissy? How?" I ask, too excited to form real words.

"I know people who know people. Do you like it?" She asks smiling. I run over and hug her.

"I love it!" I say smiling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I invited any of my friends who weren't with their family, which- sadly- was most of them, to my house for a Christmas party. Chrissy offered to cook but decided she would just order food. Ella, Lexi, Ben, and Josh came over. Lexi brought her little brother, Ryan. The seven of us sat around and ate pizza and had a good night.

"How old are you Ryan?" Chrissy asks. He holds up five fingers and we all laugh.

"Hey when are you guys leaving?" Ben asks and Ella kicks him under the table.

"When is who leaving?" I ask. He shakes his head. I look at Ella who just smiles back at me. I love her to death, but her constant mood swings and mysteriousness sometimes are just too much. I look to Josh and he just shrugs and kisses my head.

"Eww!" Ryan says and we laugh.

"You think that's gross. You should have seen them last week when I walked-" it was my turn to kick Ella under the table.

"Ouch!" Ben laughs and she smacks his arm.

"No continue, please." Chrissy says chuckling.

"I walked in on the two of them making out, I'm glad I intervened or we might have had more than one expecting daddy at this table." Ella says glaring at Ben. I feel the heat rush to my cheeks and Josh looks at the table. Chrissy stops laughing.

"Ben knocked this girl up. She hates me, I hate her. He likes me, I like him. Instead of asking me out, he got my worst enemy pregnant. No need to look so confused." Lexi says to Chrissy.

"Lex." I say but Ben stands up and walks to the other room. I follow him.

"Ella was just joking around. Lexi was just telling my aunt. Ben, it's not that big of a deal."

"Are you kidding me? It's not a joke, Indie! Quinn is really pregnant. I'm really going to be a dad at 17!" He says rubbing his face.

"I know. But we're all here for you, Ben. Come back to the kitchen." I say putting my hand on his shoulder. Lexi slowly walks toward us. I squeeze his shoulder and walk away. I give Lexi a warm smile as I pass her and return to my spot next to Josh. He reaches for my hand and intertwines our fingers under the table. I flinch a little because of the burn on my hand.

It's been three days since we got drunk at Josh's. I remember most of the night, which is an improvement. When I woke up I was in Josh's arms and I was happy. That is the best feeling in the world, waking up in the arms of someone you think you love. Josh told me that I had burnt my hand with a cigarette and I vaguely remembered what happened.

Ben and Lexi come back and sit down. We keep talking for another hour but then Lexi says she has to get Ryan home and put him to bed. They leave and Ben leaves pretty soon afterward. Ella comes over and hugs me.

"What are you doing tomorrow, we could hang out?" I ask returning the hug.

"No, I'll see you later, Indie!" Ella chirps and walks out the door, mysterious as always.

My aunt walks back in to the living room where Josh and I are standing.

"Josh, you can spend the night. Just don't..."

"We won't," we both answer at the same time. We walk upstairs to my bedroom.

"Are you tired?" He asks.

"Yeah, kind of. You want to watch a movie?" I ask climbing onto my bed.

"I'd love to. But I want to talk, first." He says sitting down beside me. I sit up and look at him.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I have a Christmas present. Tomorrow, we are leaving and going on a road trip." He says smiling. A road trip? With Josh? I'm in.

"Where to?" I ask excitedly.

"Marshaville, New Hampshire. We are going to stay with Jess. I know how much you miss her, even with your new friends. We can go visit her!" He's taking me home?

"You'd go all the way to New Hampshire for me?" I ask quietly. He puts his fingers under my chin and looks into my eyes.

"I'd do anything for you, Indigo." I frown.

"Why do you call me that? You know I like Indie."

"I only call you Indigo when we are alone. I know your story, you know mine. I know that you chose the name Indigo, and I don't care that you were nine, you chose it to blend in. And you don't blend in with anything, Indigo. You're one of a kind! And I love you."

I lean forward and kiss him. He turns and we lay down so that my back is on the bed and he's laying on top of me. We keep kissing and I try not to think about the bad things that could happen when we go back to New Hampshire.