- Harry's Pov -
Things have been quiet for a while. It's been weeks since Jonathan made his unpleasant visit here. Weeks since Lukas and Alice hanged out weeks since she finally accepted that she's in love with him.
Now I see Alice sign over a simple talk over the phone or jumping happily from excitement to see him. I was happy for her, and it made me excited to see her so full of life. Love brings these feelings to everyone. Alice was happy, I was happy.
She'd come to my room to ask advice on how to answer some of his messages on what to say when they're talking or even what to do when they are together. I find it cute that she comes to me for advice, but I am not Cupid, neither an especialist in love. If I was, maybe I could find someone for myself.
We were a few days far from Christmas, Alice was now on winter break so she could enjoy the holidays with me. She was really happy about it. She could have time to spend with me besides school. School took a lot of her time, something that I understood but never enjoyed. Staying home working without hearing Alice's voice or steps was pretty lonely.
She was planning the following three weeks so we could spend the greatest time during the holidays. To be honest, I think she just wanted to get her mind away from Jonathan being back and her feelings for Lukas. She didn't want to think of that all the time, so she focused on the first upcoming holiday: Christmas.
She planned everything. The day we'd put on the decorations around the house. The day we'd bake some ginger bread cookies together, she chose a few movies that we could watch that would bring some of the spirit of the whole thing, then she kept thinking about a lot of things we could do during the holiday. Honestly, I wasn't that much into the holidays and the meaning of it, but Alice would find joy in the smallest things. Her joy was my joy.
On the other day, she came up with an interesting idea:
"What if he did a Christmas party?"
"On the 24th? You know people would rather stay with their families on Christmas Eve." I said, reminding her
"No, no! On the 23rd night! So we stay awake until the start of Christmas Eve. I don't know, we could have our friends join us on that day!"
"That's not that bad of an idea. Who do you want to invite?"
"Well, Kevin, your big friend, Anna, my favourite girlfriend, Félix and Lukas!" she said, smiling
"Who is that Félix guy again?"
"I told you! We met some weeks ago in the store! We talk sometimes though facetime."
"Alright. I guess I can't really refuse such a good idea as that one. We can throw that party! Just list everything you might need and bring it to me, kay?"
That was around two days ago. Alice was thinking of that list. I never even glanced at it while she was writing. I knew she was going to write good stuff.
I trust Alice even more than I trust myself, so I knew that whatever she wanted to do with would be great.
I was in the kitchen, washing the dishes that we used during lunch when I heard her rushing downstairs. I looked to the door and closed the water. I was worried she was gonna fall, but Alice came running to me with no problem at all.
She was smiling at me as she holded a paper in her hand. She not only seemed happy but also looked victorious. Like she had made a great accomplishment. She had that big beautiful smile on her face that I loved on her.
"Harry! I finally finished it!"
"What have you finished, silly?" I asked, smiling a bit
"You kidding me?! You forgot already?! Come on, brother!" she said laughing."The list! My list for our Christmas party! I finished it finally!"
"Wow! Impressive."
"I know, right? After we get all of these, we can invite our friends over for that party on the 23rd! I can't wait!"
"Let me see that list, ok?"
"Of course!" she said excited
Alice handed me her list and walked over to me. She stayed right by my side so she could also read her list while seeing my reaction to it. She always wanted to make sure I liked whatever she was proposing, doing, or wanting.
Most of it were ingredients to some recipes she wanted to do for the Christmas party. Some others are some decorations that she saw online to complete our Christmas tree and to place around the living room, like the ones we have aren't enough.
I smiled as I read everything. I nodded at her, and she smiled happily as she took some papers off her bag. They weren't simple papers, those were letters to sent to our friends. Letters handmade by Alice to invite them over to our party.
Apparently, to Alice, sending messages to invite people to parties is boring.
"Letters?" I giggled
"Hey! They are cute! And I think that inviting our friends personally would be more funnier than a simple message!"
"You have a good point, Alice. Will you deliver them personally?"
"Mhm!" she nodded happily."I am delivering them after we go to the mall. Get everything I, well, we need for the party!"
"Fine, fine. So get your bag, you little gremmlin!"
Alice smiled and rushed upstairs to get her bag so we could leave. While that, I walked over to the living room and got not only my wallet but also my jacket. Alice didn't know, but I was gonna get her a Christmas present as well. That was the only chance to go shopping during this week to get it. Alice deserved something special, and I was gonna get it for her.
She came back downstairs, grabbing her jacket as well. She was ready to go. She smiled and grabbed my arm, dragging me outside. I locked the door before she could dragg me the rest of the way to the mall.
As he walked down the street to the mall, Alice wouldn't calm down or shut up about the plans for the party. She was worried about not having time to give to cards to every single one of our friends. I couldn't help but giggle. We had like a week to prepare. But Alice was way too excited.
The mall was full of people! I mean, just a week and a few days before Christmas, of course, that it would be full. People were doing their late gifts shopping for Christmas. Which, I couldn't really judge, after all, I was gonna do the same in secret. While that, Alice had all the gifts from everyone, including that Fêlix guy, bought since the last wednesday of november. Alice was too much prepared for any occasion, I loved it on her, but also hated that I just can't be the same way.
Alice didn't really care about how crowded it was. She was too excited to even care. She wanted to buy everything she needed to prepare the Chritmas party that we would throw on the 23rd. All the decorations, ingredients for meals, and everything else that was on her list.
She grabbed my hand and brought me along with her. She somehow managed to find ways through the crowd so that we could pass. She looked around like she knew what stores she needed to visit and pulled me inside every single one of them.
She got some more decorations asking me if I liked them before deciding what she would get to decorate our living room, probably our whole house as well. I started to list the things she got in my head so that I could check the points on the list:
- Candy canes (Christmas Tree),
- Bells (Christmas Tree and Living Room),
- Baubles (Christmas Tree),
- Other ornaments (Christmas tree, living room, and bedrooms),
- Bows (Christmas Tree and Living Room),
- Wreath (front door),
- Garlands (fireplace and the other furniture in general),
- Lights (Christmas Tree),
- Candles (Fireplace and Dinner Table),
- Stockings (fireplace),
- One Snow Globe (Alice's Bedroom, she loves these things),
- Mistletoe (Doors inside house, need to be careful with those),
- Holly (fireplace and furniture in general);
This was only the part related to the decoration of the house. Because the list of what she wanted to cook with the ingredients that were missing? Was bigger by one single item:
- Gingerbread cookies (brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves),
- Christmas pudding (dried fruit and candied fruit peel),
- Stuffing (onions and seasoning),
- Eggnog (heavy cream and freshly grated nutmeg),
- Turkey (turkey, dried rosemary, orange, carrot, and a dried sage),
- Cookies (all ingredients were at home),
- Buche de Noel (all ingredients were at home),
Chestnut (all ingredients were at home),
- Mashed potatoes (all ingredients were at home),
Sweet potatoes (all ingredients were at home),
- Fruitcake (all ingredients were at home),
Gravy (all ingredients were at home),
- Mince pie (all ingredients were at home);
Alice was even happier now that our shopping spree was almost over. She was excited to get all the bags home so she could make me help her decorate the house. I don't even know how much happiness she could have inside of her tiny pure heart, but it was really charming.
Our shopping spree was almost over, and, on a moment of Alice's distraction, I found the perfect gift for her. She was gonna love what I got for her. I hide it in a bag full of the Christmas decorations so that Alice wouldn't see it until we got home. Once home, I'd take the gift and hide it the place I know Alice never steps in, the basement.
Alice just hated this place. According to her, it was "dark and dirty," and she said that she would never place a foot in there if I didn't clean it up. Poor sis was really scared of dark places.
According to Alice, there was just one more store left to visit. Where she would get some other things that she needed. I just nodded and followed her inside the store.
That could have been the end of our day, but unfortunately, it wasn't. As we entered the store and started to look at some isles, I spotted someone in the crow in the store. Jonathan. He was just a few feet from me and Alice. Unfortunately, I couldn't hide here I was looking for, so Alice looked where I was looking and she saw him.
Alice was fine before, but now she was incredibly nervous. Her hands were trembling and shaking. She got pale as she looked at Jonathan. Her eyes reflected the fear she had for him. Her legs seemed like they were gonna fail at any second. He didn't realise we were there. He was distracted looking at the products on the wall. I couldn't let him see her. I couldn't let her down, not now, she needed protection.
"It's... i-it's Jonathan...!"
"Let's go, Alice. Now." I said, trying not to sound as concerned as she was
I grabbed Alice by her hand and pulled her out of the store. I walked her out and guided her to the other side of the mall, closer to the restaurants area. I found a seat where Alice could stay, so I helped her sit down.
She was completely fricking out. Her breathing was sharply and fast. She was shaking and didn't seem to be able to hear me out.
I was also really worried. I couldn't stop thinking about how Jonathan might have seen us and was now looking for Alice, wanting to speak with her or force her to spend time with him. I had to calm Alice down before worrying about that fucking prick.
"Alice, sis, calm down please! It's ok! He's not here anymore, you're safe, come on."
"H-he... he... w-was... r-right there... w-what if we followed us...? Is he stalking u-us...? How would he know that I was here...?"
"Alice, it was just an unlucky coincidence! He is not stalking or following us, if he is, I'll get a restrain order against him, please just calm down!"
"H-harry... I... I a-am worried..."
I was trying to help Alice calm down, but it was so hard. I was also shaking, I was as scared as her. I was worried about her well-being, but also scared by Jonathan's presence.
As I was trying to do my best in calming myself down and Alice, there was a man approaching us. I stood up in between him and Alice. Who was this guy? His gree deep eyes showed concern, did he and Alice knew each other? I wasn't sure. He wasn't coming near my sister without me knowing exactly who he was.
"Who are you?" I said sternly
" I am just here to help. I swear it."
"That doesn't answer my fucking question, what do you want and who are you!?"
"You seem really stressed... try inhaling air for four seconds and exhaling it on another four seconds. Do it three times and then, if it doesn't work, do it on six seconds." the guy suggested
"Your mom's stressed."
The guy seemed truelly concerned as he looked at me. Those eyes, those beautiful green eyes... they were so calming. I started that breathing tecnique and did it as the guy said. After a bit, I felt less stressed. I kept looking at those eyes layed down on me. Those green calming and worried eyes... I felt like I could get lost in those eyes.
After sometime, my sister gained the courage to look up at us. Alice looked up at me and at the guy. She then blinked a bit, probably processing some of her thoughts before speaking us to us.
"W-wait-... Félix!
"Félix...?" I asked, confused and feeling my face slightly red
"Yup. That's my name. I am also a doctor, so if you'd let me get a look at Alice, that would be great."
I stepped to the side to let him help Alice. Félix whoever, placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled before turning his attention to my sister. I started to think a bit. So this was the older friend Alice wanted me to meet, and that was totally my type and worth risking...? Well, he surely was handsome... him in general, but also... those fucking beautiful green eyes.