After The Snow

Chapter 2 - Surprise

Chapter 2
Surprise

(Bree's POV)

It was that time of year again. Christmas time. The time when the snow fell, people sang Christmas carols, ate lots of cookies, and gave presents. The happiest time of the year. I still loved it, but now it reminded me of Anthony.

Five years ago in my young, high school mind, I had truly believed I had fallen in love. Yeah, that Christmas night when he had kissed me and then flown off with what looked like Santa's slay confused the hell outta me. I just told myself I would get an explanation the next time I saw him.

So I waited. I waited, and waited, and waited. But, he never came. Christmas vacation was over, I went back home and started school again. For some reason, I believed that he could find me wherever I was, including my home and not at my grandma's.

Every day I thought about that night and stared at his present. I wore it everywhere and never took it off. Whenever no one was looking, I would breathe on it and look at the little message engraved in the stone.

Bree,

Merry Christmas

Love,

Anthony

Some would call it obsessed, but I call it what it is; a young girl in love with someone who was never coming back. I can't quite remember exactly when I figured it out. It might've been the day I started college in Minnesota, or the day I turned twenty, but either way, it had been five years and I hadn't seen so much as a hair on Anthony's head.

When I realized it, the depression set it. I was devastated and angry. The funny part was I wasn't even mad at Anthony, I was mad at myself. I was mad that I had let myself fall in love with a complete stranger.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't be mad at him. I kept telling myself there was a reason that he never came back. My mind would always go straight to the worst case scenario; he had passed away. I would get sick because I was so worried, and finally, I said enough is enough.

I forced myself to take the first few steps of getting over Anthony.

Eventually, he faded to the back of my mind. I would still think of him, but it wasn't every day of my life. I didn't get rid of the necklace, but I did manage to shove it in a shoebox and put it in the back of my closet. Out of sight out of mind.

I continued on with college and met Scott. He was so nice and sweet I couldn't help but want to be his friend. He helped me through my grandma's death, he kept me strong. All the way to Senior year we were best friends, and then something happened.

Scott kissed me.

It was totally out of nowhere and unexpected. At the time, I had no clue that he liked me in a romantic way. We were sitting in my living room, watching a movie like we usually would every Saturday night. That particular night we were watching The Princess Bride. When the movie finished, it was well after two AM, and we were both exhausted.

"I assume you're staying over, again," I had said, pretending to be exasperated. Scott spent the night almost every Saturday because or moves would end so late. It had never been a big deal. He would sleep on the couch, and I would seep in my room.

Instead of responding, he had leaned over and planted a kiss straight on my lips. He pulled away and apologized profusely, and immediately left my house. That whole night I had stayed up, sitting in the exact same spot, trying to sort my emotions. Finally, I came to the conclusion that I liked Scott. Or at least I told myself I did because the alternative was that I was still in love with Anthony.