ʜᴀʀᴋ! ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇʟʟꜱ

1.1 ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ʙʀɪɢʜᴛʟʏ ꜱʜɪɴɪɴɢ

''Oh, yeah. This way, come on.'' She leads us to a slightly secluded spot, I shrug off my coat.

''Coffee?'' The waitress asks.

''No thank you-, Judy.'' He reads her name tag, sending a sarcastic smile her way.

''I'll have just a Holiday Turkey Dinner and Coke please?'' She notes down my order and I excuse myself, walking towards the toilets.

I push the door open labelled 'Female' and continue doing my business.

When I'm done in the stall, I wash my hands, looking in the mirror at the state of myself. Bed-head, a baggy christmas jumper, lint-covered leggings with tucked in mis-matching holiday socks slipped into black suede boots. My face is a sight, smudged mascara left over from the day and blotchy red patches from the heat inside Denny's. I still manage to have a bright smile etched onto my face, nothing can bring me down. 

I once again, got shitted up by a jingle of bells, what is up with that? Do I gotta see a doctor?

I shake head, rubbing my ears, and exiting the bathroom. 

I sit back down with a third of my family, participating in chit-chat until our food arrives.

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The drive home was a bit more lively than when we first set out, with full stomachs and the cheer of Christmas, it was easy to forget things you once held a grudge over.

The air was chilly, specks of white danced until they hit the ground, the night sky adorned with twinkling lights and aeroplane heights as people raced to visit far away family. Each house on our street, laced with decoration and holiday sprinklings, families slept inside awaiting Christmas day. A mother's desperation as she tries to keep the magic alive, unlikely in my family, I lay still in my bed. Thinking of the past, thinking of the future, more so thinking of tomorrow. 

I switched off my lamp, closing my heavy lids, no amount of sadness could make my Christmas arid. 

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''-gah!'' I woke up to heavy thuds coming from above, I sucked in a breath and slid my feet onto the floor, listening again for any sounds. About twenty seconds later another thud landed, coming from the roof. As I got up to check the noise, I heard Charlie's light padding of feet run across the hall, in the direction of Dad's room. Pulling on my shoes, which were seated below my desk and my black coat, draped across my desk chair. Grabbing my phone and headphones, I left my room to go downstairs. On the way I bumped into dad in the hallway, ''What's goin' on? Do you know?'' I questioned, following him down the stairs. 

''I have no idea, just checking it out now. Stay inside.'' Yeah, like I was going to listen, 'stay inside' my ass. 

The front door ricocheted off the idle steel-capped boot that infringed the doorframe, leaving it wide open, it must've gotten moved in the commotion. I felt the snow crunch underneath my boots as I left the house, ''Hey, you!'' My dad bellowed, seemingly towards the roof. 

Hearing some noises I turned around to face the front of the house, my eyes as wide as a football field, a large man coveted by a red suit came sliding off our roof. 

''Hey, buddy! You should...just stay still, perfect.'' 

''What the hell was that?'' I ask, a slight shake coursed through my body.

''You got him!'' I heard a child's voice come from the front door, Charlie.

''Charlie, stay where you are.'' My dad and I chorused, I looked at him and furrowed my brows as he did the same. Charlie continued to walk towards us.