The Cool Girl| Kim Taehyung

Quiet

"He's spending Christmas with the kids at his parent's this year. To be honest I'm glad to have a break!" she stretched her legs out underneath the table and let out an exaggerated sigh of relief that caused everyone around to chuckle. 

Desiree's heart felt warm for the first time in weeks! She knew that having the mental diversion of fun and family time wouldn't fix everything but it was definitely what she needed right now.

                                                    ***

A long morning of opening presents ensued. Followed by an afternoon patterned by eating, napping then repeat!

Later that night, Desiree brought the pile of mugs, sweaters, socks and books she's gathered to her room. 

The typical family presents, but they all made Desiree feel happy and so loved today in-spite of their simplicity. 

That's right. 

She was loved  by many....so why did she suddenly feel so empty as soon as the door slammed shut behind her and she found her self alone in the privacy of her bedroom?

Desiree walked over to the window. The moon was high in the sky now and she wondered if he could see  it too? What if he was looking at it right now like she was?

As the silence fell around her, an all too familiar feeling of hurt crept in causing her stomach to wrench in pain. 

Desiree did her best to push those feeling down where they belonged but they burned and bubbled in her chest, fighting their way to the surface like bitter bile.

"I have my friends and my family," she affirmed in her head, " I don't need him!"  

That didn't work. 

Her face prickled with heat as the taste of salt and misery filled her tastebuds.

Desiree slipped her clothing off slowly and got into the shower. 

There, she let her tears fall. As the warm water rushed over her head it took her tears away with it and so, it didn't really feel like she was crying at all but just cleansing herself from the day's pent up feelings. It was like wringing poison from her veins and it felt good to let it all go.

She emerged feeling a bit calmer now. After drying her hair, Desiree slipped a soft, oversized hoodie over her head. 

She put on her favourite pair of fuzzy socks and crawled lazily into bed.

The covers were half way over her legs when a light smack against her window pane made her jump with fright!

Holding her palm to her chest, Desiree crept slowly across the wooden floorboards stopping about a metre in front of the window, not daring to get too close.

Maybe it was just Sam?  She thought.

But all her friends had already dropped by earlier that day to exchange presents: a blend of surfing gear, travel accessories, scented candles and inappropriate slogan mugs were passed between them.