A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry it's taken so long for me to update; life is super crazy! I'll try to be quicker now that all the insanity of this past week is over. Hope you all enjoy! It's unedited, so please let me know if you spot any mistakes :)
[7] All I Want For Christmas Is Your Company, Dangit!
This was it.
Today was the day.
Today was finally the day!
December 19. Last day of the semester as well as the day that my dearest Astrid Scott finally arrived for her visit. I could hardly contain my excitement as I got ready for my last class until next year. I actually took time to straighten my hair and brush a tad bit of mascara on my eyelashes before slipping on my cadet uniform and heading to Commander Haines’s computer lab. I couldn’t help but smile and add a slight skip to my step as I trekked across campus to building 12. As I stepped into class, I noticed Jordan glaring daggers at me as usual, but I was too happy to let him get to me. In a moment of courageous stupidity, I smiled and waved at him before taking a seat.
As I plopped into my chair, I realized how foolish that was of me to do. Now flaming with shame, I placed my chin in my palms and waited for class to begin. I soon forgot Jordon, however, and returned my thoughts to Astrid. A grin played at my lips once more. Astrid Scott, coming all the way from Scotland to visit me. I thought of her gifts that were wrapped and shoved underneath my bed for Christmas morning. December 19. It was truly December 19.
I snapped to attention as Commander Haines entered the room. After greeting us, he gave us our final assignment: decode ten pages of computer language and write down, by hand, what was written there.
“This is not so much an assignment,” he said, “but a test to gauge your understanding. You may begin on my word.”
I, as well as fifty other students, anxiously held twitching fingers above the keyboard and prepared our notebooks and pens.
“Begin,” Commander Haines declared.
The room was instantly filled with the sounds of frantic typing, clicking, and scratching as our fingers danced across the keys and we scribbled down the translations frantically. I completed the test in about six minutes. My computer made a ding sound as I finished.
“Cadet Taylor,” Commander Haines addressed me, “please come forward with your assignment.”
I did as I was told, gathering my notebook and coming to the front of the room. I handed him my writing and watched nervously as his eyes skimmed over my paper. He gave a small smile and handed it back to me.
“Congratulations, Miss Taylor,” he said. “You passed. A perfect score.”
I grinned triumphantly. “Thank you, Commander.”
“You may return to your seat now.”
“Yes, sir.”
I went back to my seat and waited patiently for the rest of my classmates to finish. Jordan finished two minutes after me. I noticed that he brought his paper up to the Commander with a familiar rage in his eyes. I shuddered. Within the next five minutes, everyone else had finished.
“Well done, everyone,” Commander Haines said. “You have all completed the test with flying colors. I have no doubt that you will continue to excel next semester.”
Everyone began to clap for each other.
“And please give a round of applause for Cadet Catherine Taylor, who finished top of the class this semester,” he continued.
No, I thought, horrified. No, please don’t draw attention to me!
All fifty sets of eyes turned and landed on me, followed by smiles and a loud applause. I blushed and grinned, thanking them all. I quickly allowed my eyes to slide over to Jordan’s seat. As suspected, he sat glaring at me, his face burning with anger. My smile quickly faded as I locked eyes with him. He didn’t even have to say anything, and I knew: the next threat was about to come.
The rest of the class period was spent preparing for what was to come next semester. When Commander Haines dismissed us, I hung back to talk to him about some of the extra work I had been doing, just to avoid being stopped by Jordan. Commander Haines, unfortunately, could not stay for as long as I wanted to stall, and I was forced to leave by myself. I quivered and braced myself for the worst. My eyes darted from side to side and my heart pounded furiously in my chest as I made my way back to my room.
“Hi,” a voice said from behind me.
I screamed and clapped a hand over my mouth, whirling around to face the one who had addressed me. Bones raised an eyebrow.
“Jumpy much?” he asked.
“Bones,” I sighed. “You scared me half to death!”
He held up his hands in defense. “Sorry. Didn’t know you scared easily.”
“It’s not your fault,” I sighed. “I’m only jumpy on certain days…”
He scoffed. “You’re on an anxiety schedule?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What do you mean?”
He immediately mocked my stance and began to speak in a high-pitched voice, “I’m only nervous on Mondays and Wednesdays, but all other five days of the week I’m perfectly confident!”
“Shut up,” I said, trying to hold back a snicker.
“You so want to laugh,” he said. “I can see it in that awkward, pained expression on your face.”
I chuckled. “Okay, you win.”
I began to walk once more, and he matched my pace.
“So, why are you so twitchy today?” he asked.
“I’m fine now. I just don’t like walking back to my room alone.”
“You squealed like a girl because you were walking alone?”
“For your information,” I muttered, “I am a girl. And yes. There are some days where I just feel like I’m being followed.”
“Well, now that you know it was me following you, you don’t have to be nervous anymore.”
“Oh no,” I said. “That’s still plenty of cause for me to be nervous.”
He glared at me, and I laughed. We continued on toward my building, simultaneously agreeing that he would escort me to my room. I felt my nerves relax, and my thoughts were brought back to the day when Jordan had stopped me and tried to suffocate me. Why didn’t you trust him then, Catherine? I asked myself as he filled me in on the details of what he had been up to. Because you didn’t trust anyone then, I answered myself. But I was still mentally smacking myself. I could’ve saved myself so much mental trauma had I just told him what was going on that night when we ran into each other at the post office. I began to tune him out, considering telling him now, and ending it once and for all. Heart pounding once more, I decided that yes, I would tell him once we reached my room.
I tuned back in to Bones’s spiel about med school. Once he finished, I gave him my story about my computer classes, and he listened patiently. Just as I was starting to relax once more, we neared building 6. A small piece of me deflated; I actually wanted to keep walking and talking with Bones. But I knew that I needed to prepare for Astrid’s arrival, and the small sense of disappointment disappeared.
Bones was saying something about there being a huge snowstorm the year before when I noticed a pair of familiar green eyes watching me from across the way. I stiffened and stared right back, petrified of what would happen should I ignore him any further. Jordan leaned against one of the building with his arms crossed, observing me intently. Once he was sure that he had my attention, he made a slicing motion across his throat with his finger. I gulped. Grinning that creepy, evil grin of his, Jordan also pointed to Bones and mouthed, “Not a word.” I glanced at Bones (who was completely oblivious to the exchange that was going on) and then returned my attention to Jordan, who was still smiling. And then, he disappeared. I felt disappointment settle like a rock in my stomach; I couldn’t drag Bones into this. There was no way I could tell him.
We finally reached my room, where we said our goodbyes and wished each other a Merry Christmas. Once he was gone, I closed and locked the door behind me, sighing. I ran my fingers through my hair and moved further into the room, where I changed out of my uniform and into more comfortable attire. I switched on the radio, and Christmas music filled the room. Humming along, I began to clean up my mess: I made the beds, picked up any stray pieces of trash, created room on the bathroom counter for Astrid’s things, and strung up Christmas lights to give the room a homier feel. After hanging Astrid and I’s stockings at the feet of the beds, I sat down, clasped my hands in my lap, and waited for 6 o’clock to arrive.
I soon found that sitting idly for the next four hours would not be the most pleasant thing to do. Sighing, I stood up and began to clean even more, finding messes to clean even if they weren’t all that important. I took out the trash I had picked up, organized and reorganized my desk about five times until it was so organized I didn’t quite remember where everything was and I had to start over again, and finally, I moved Astrid’s presents to the closet.
When six o’clock arrived at last, I jumped up from my seat, grabbed my purse, and practically sprinted out of the dormitory. The airport was only about a twenty-minute walk away from Starfleet campus, so I decided to use my legs rather than a cab. I could always use the exercise. And besides, it was beautiful outside. A few flakes of snow had decided to grace the city, leaving a think blanket of white on the hoods of cars, sidewalks, and awnings. A smile found its way to my lips as I slipped my hands into my pockets and hunched my shoulders so that my scarf covered my neck more.
I reached the airport in twenty minutes. The terminal was already overflowing with people coming in and going out for the holidays. I stood to the side and got on my tiptoes, hoping to catch sight of my friend. And after much observing, I finally did. She was standing near the baggage claim, also on her tiptoes and scanning the crowds. Her strawberry blonde hair looked redder than usual, and it was pulled into braid that fell over her shoulder. Her blue eyes were squinted until she caught sight of me, upon which they brightened, and she grinned widely. I waved and laughed, excitement filling me.
She immediately grabbed her suitcase and began to push through the crowds. I heard many grunts of disapproval, which only made me laugh more. Of course she would barrel through a crowd of people just to get where she wanted to go. Once she reached me, she dropped her bag, sprinted the last few steps between us, and nearly knocked me over in a hug while squealing and bouncing up and down.
“I’m finally ‘ere!” she giggled.
“I know!” I cried, still laughing and hugging her back.
“God, I’ve missed ya,” she sighed, pulling back.
“And I you!”
She picked up her bag once more and flashed her teeth. “Shall we go?”
“Sounds great. You hungry at all?”
“A little. You?”
“Starving.”
“Wha’ do ya wanna do fer dinner?”
“Do you want to just order pizza so we can relax in the room?”
“Sounds perfect,” she said, brushing her bangs out of her face.
I grinned. “Great.”
On the way back to the Academy, Astrid grew chattier and livelier, talking a mile
a minute with wild hand gestures and nearly bounding in her walk. I could hardly get a word in edgewise, but I didn’t care. I was just happy to have her with me again. When we reached the Academy, she stopped talking and began to sway and twirl.
“What are you doing?” I laughed.
She whirled around and looked at me, wiggling her eyebrows and pointing to me dramatically. “This song goes out to my dearest friend, the lovely Catherine Taylor!”
“Oh, lord,” I groaned.
“I don' wanna lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need; I don' care abou’ the presents underneath the Christmas tree…”
“Astrid!” I shouted, growing red with embarrassment.
“I JUST WANT YOU FOR MY OWWWN, MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER KNOOOW! MAKE MY WISH COME TRUUUUE, ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOOOOU!” she sang loudly, never breaking eye contact with me as she danced around in circles. Despite the fact that I was embarrassed, I couldn’t stop laughing at her antics. She finished the entire song as we completed our walk back to my room, replacing “my baby” for “my Catherine” and making kissy faces at me whenever mistletoe was mentioned. After I unlocked the door, she collapsed on one of the beds, laughing hysterically. I fell down next to her, also chuckling.
“You’re insane,” I commented.
“I know,” she grinned. “Isn’t it grea’?”
“Definitely,” I said, wrapping my arms around her. She hugged me back and giggled more.
“So,” I said, standing, “pizza?”
“Sounds perfec’.”
“Okay.”
I submitted the order for the pizza online before coming back to Astrid.
“So,” I said, sitting cross-legged across from her. “Tell me about everything that’s happened at home. I want full details.”
“There’s honestly not much ta report,” she said carefully, picking at the bedding. “School’s borin’, as usual, Uncle Scott’s still gone, and people prank me ever’ now an’ again. Same ol’, same ol’.”
“Astrid,” I said slowly. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”
She held her hands up in defense. “Tha’s the honest truth, I swear!”
“So how come you’re suddenly so interested in the comforter and refuse to make eye contact with me?”
She frowned and raised her head, tears swimming in her eyes. I immediately knew what was going on.
“What happened with Daniel?” I asked gently, taking her hands.
She began to cry, dropping her head into her open palm and squeezing my hand. I pulled her close and held her, knowing that the best way to comfort her was through hugs and silence.
“I though’ he was differen’, Catherine,” she sniffed, wiping her eyes. “I really di’. But ‘e wasn’. He was jus’ like all the other pervs who always try ta ‘ave a go at me.”
“I’m so sorry, Astrid. You don’t deserve to be treated like that.”
“But I do! I’m the one who practically throws maself at ‘em!”
“That doesn’t make you any less a lady, Astrid. Every girl deserves respect, no matter what. You are a treasure, and you deserve to be treated like such.”
She sighed. “I don’ know, Catherine. I feel so awful all ta time. I always bring this upon maself. I’s no one else’s fault bu’ mine.”
I frowned. “That’s not true. If you’re going to blame anyone, blame those jerks who used you.”
She dropped her head. “I jus’ don’ know anymore, Catherine…”
I hugged her once more, running a hand up and down her back and playing with the ends of her hair. She sniffed and sighed deeply.
“Anyway,” she said after we pulled apart, “i’s over now. I ended it. No more Daniel. No more boys, period. I’s in the pas’ now. Wha’s been going on with ya? I only know wha’ I’ve ‘eard from yer letters.”
I shrugged. “To be honest, it’s been dull without you. I haven’t really talked to anyone else. I spend my days studying and working. That’s it.”
She made a face. “Tha’ doesn’t sound like much fun.”
I gave a small laugh. “But it’s all worth it. I’m top of my class, and I’m taking a lot of extra classes to get ahead. It’s exhausting, but the rewards make it all worthwhile.”
She grinned at me. “I’m gla’ yer finally livin’ ou’ yer dream.”
I smiled back. “I am too.”
She let out a long sigh before saying, “So, wha’ did ya ask Santa fer?”
I laughed. “You, silly!”
She gaped at me. “No way! Tha’s wha’ I asked fer!”
I feigned a surprised look and giggled.
“See?” she said, waving her hands dramatically. “Tha’ song was totally fitting!”
I laughed some more as she broke out into another ridiculous chorus of her version of All I Want For Christmas Is You, this time changing that phrase out for “all I want for Christmas is your company, dangit!” As we smiled and laughed and talked together, I felt the warmth that had been missing within me return. Nothing could describe the relief I felt. Nothing else mattered: not Bones, not Jordan, not even my father. Right now, it was me and Astrid, and I was finally able to enjoy myself again.