Chosen

Chapter Six

Chapter Six: Nothing Merry About Christmas.

"Why put it off another day? One more walk through problems, built up, and stand in our way." -Van Halen: Right Now.

-

 "Monica..."

 The voice from outside the black void stirs my brain. An added weight in my bed disturbs my peaceful sleep. I am not fully pulled from my dreamy unconsciousness, so I ignore the disturbance. 

 "Monica," The sweet voice lulls me awake.

 "Mmm?" I mumble as my eyes slowly open to blinding natural light.

 "Merry Christmas," Alex grins delightfully.

 "Merry Christmas," I yawn then smile sleepily.

 My large uncovered window reveals a white coated city. The grey sky illuminates the snow on the ground. A few sparse snowflakes lazily flutter down to delicately touch the earth. I cannot help but feel joy as I am having my very first white Christmas. I look over at Alex who is still adorned in a sweatshirt and plaid pajama pants. His blond hair is messy, raggedy with untamed waves. The light shines on him at the perfect angle. He couldn't look more perfect right now.

 I put one of my hands on his cheek and use the other to pull him down to kiss him. I feel him smile as I press my lips against his. "Just to warn you, Tony has found it funny to put mistletoe all over the tower," Alex says as he pulls away, "I barely dodged an awkward moment with Doctor Banner."

 "Ooh, thanks for the heads up," I chuckle.

 "Everyone is going to meet in the living room to open gifts. I figured you'd like to be woken up nicely since it is a holiday and I doubt you would consider your dad waking you up by belting We Wish You a Merry Christmas pleasant. I volunteered before he could find a sleigh bell and a Santa hat."

 "He was going to wake me up like that?" I sit up.

 "Yes, he was trying to get Steve to join him too."

 "Oh gosh."

 "You wanna go open gifts?" Alex smirks.

 "I've been waiting for you to say that," I push my blankets off of me.

 "After you, m'lady," Alex sweeps his hands towards the door.

 "Why thank you," I jump out of bed. I'm so eager to begin the Christmas celebrations that I forget the very most thing I want to hide.

 "What's in your back..?" Alex asks uneasily, his voice lowered.

 I freeze in my tracks. The first time it dawns on me that I am still only wearing my tank top and leggings. My mind races to think of a lie of why I had more than a dozen scars on my back. I remain in the same spot when Alex slowly walks up behind me. There is not a muscle in my body that is not tensed when Alex runs his finger over the exposed mangled skin in between my shoulder blades.

 "Who did this?" Alex's eyes widen, his voice scarily stiff.

 "Doesn't matter," I mutter.

 "What?"

 "It doesn't matter!" I jerk away from his touch. Turning around and back up towards my closet, I stare him down.

 "It does matter! This is... This is-"

 "Messed up? Hideous? Disgusting?" I fire back as I find one of my sweatshirts on my chair.

 "Messed up, yes!" Alex exclaims, "Did somebody whip you?"