Wrapped up in thick layers of clothing to protect ourselves from the cold weather of early December, I grinned as I saw the results posted online, through the screen of my phone. Ayah, Declan and I sat huddled in The Pudgy Moo, each of us with our own screens as we anxiously awaited for the results of the final test we had taken just two weeks prior.
"How did you guys do?" I quickly asked, turning over to attempt to peer at Declan's screen. He quickly angled it away from me, defiantly raising his brow at me.
"You first."
"Hey! Not fair, I-"
"Kelsey!" The high pitched squeal was quickly followed by me getting swept out of my seat by a monster dressed in an oversized pink coat, swinging me halfway around before I was set back down on my feet, and my eyes finally could see the face of my bronzed skin, superbly curled hair best friend, Megan Scott.
"Megs! You didn't say you were back!" I exclaimed, eagerly jumping on her as we both hugged each other so tightly, our eyes might have burst from our sockets if we weren't careful. Behind her, I could see someone shifting, but only noticed who it was when Megan released me from her hold. "Grant! You're back too!"
"Grant offered to drive me, else I would be stranded in UCLA still looking for bus tickets back." Megan replied sheepishly. I rolled my eyes as I laughed, completely unsurprised. Megan had always been the queen of last minute planning.
Grant grinned, but moved to greet Declan, the two exchanging man-hugs and fist bumps before Grant gestured at Declan's still scarred leg. "How have you been?"
Declan shrugged. "It's been... okay. I ace-d my finals in Hoffman, of course." He responded with a cheeky grin. I gave an exasperated huff.
"It's not fair, I'm telling you. He's always scoring with half the effort he puts in to study." I complained, and then suddenly realized we were still standing, and that Ayah was still opposite us.
"Oh! Megs, I have to introduce you. This is Ayah, she's been my best friend in Hoffman." I turned to the dark brown haired girl who sheepishly gave a grin. "Ayah, this is Megan. I've told you all about her!"
"All good things, I hope?" Megan asked with a cunning grin. It was one that Ayah easily recognized with a smirk.
"I'll tell you in secret." she responded. I rolled my eyes, running a hand through my own brunette locks. "
"Not even five minutes in and I've got my two best friends against me. What a wonderful start to the Christmas holidays."
"Don't worry, baby. I'm on your side." Declan suddenly piped up, to which my cheeks immediately flushed when Megan squealed and Grant's jaw dropped.
"Wait, hold everything what?! What did I just hear? Declan Reed, explain!" Megan started. I quickly grabbed her by her arm just as she was about to stalk to Declan, who was smart enough to hide behind Grant.
"Hold your horses, Megs! I'll tell everything if you'll just give me a chance!"
"You could've called me Kelsey Lee Harrington!" Megan whirled to glare at me. "You have alot of explaining to do young miss!"
"I'm your age, seriously. And Seeley is gone to somewhere again, and Dad is at work so if you would just come over, you'll find out in a quick jiffy! Ayah, you coming?" I asked, turning to the other. She however, shook her head, as she collected her stuff.
"I've got to go back, we're putting up the Christmas tree today and the kids want all of us back. Even Jamie had to take half day off from work to get home because Hank is a brat." Ayah made a face. I laughed, and waved her off, watching as she pushed her way out of the clean milkshake bar, before turning to Grant and Declan, who were in a conversation.
"See you boys later!"
---
"What do you mean Seeley's been weird?"
I had spent the last two hours filling Megan in on everything that's transpired in the past two months since Declan's return, and three weeks since we had reconciled back together. After ordering pizza, our stories had turned to our families. Megan's sister had also graduated from Redwood High recently, but was headed for University of Chicago instead. Her parents had both decided to join her sister in the move, and the whole family was relocating to Chicago, but Megan had promised to visit every holiday, and with how much she's been away to UCLA, I wasn't as torn up about Megan leaving as I thought I would be.
I had, in turn told her about how much more Dad has been working since Seeley had been taking random disappearances over the past two weeks. Ever since that one day he had taken off to see Miles, Seeley had been asking Dad for half-day's off more often, so much so that Dad was now considering Reggie, our part-time who covers for Seeley when he's gone, as a full-timer just so he didn't have to constantly calculate the pay.
"I don't know, Megs. He's just been in his room by himself more often, and he never tells me or Dad where does he go when he takes time off work, either." I explained, taking a bite out of the pizza we had ordered for dinner. We both lounged in the living room, with Netflix playing in the background but neither of us paying attention to it. It was our usual custom, and I had missed doing this with my best friend.
She raised a brow at me, tossing away the crust as she reached for her fourth slice. "Have you asked him?"
I shook my head. "Nope. But Dad has, and all he said was that his friends were all back for the holidays and they were all catching up. It's... odd though. I haven't seen any of them around. Luckily the House is closing soon next weekend for Christmas. Dad has been looking pretty tired lately." I paused, and then grinned cheekily at her. "But that's enough about me. What about you? How did you end up coming back to town with Grant?" It was an hour's drive, give or take away from Redwood Creek to UCLA, and I knew Megan had always haboured a minor crush on Declan's best friend. Ironic, considering her best friend (aka me) used to date Declan himself.
Or is still dating. Whatever you call it at this stage.
As I expected, Megan's cheeks flushed, but she narrowed her eyes at me. "He just offered to drive me back, Kels, it's nothing of import."
I raised my brows in a disbelieving manner. "Really? And you guys didn't talk much in UCLA?"
"Welllll," she dragged out the last syllable, smiling despite herself. "I did check up with him after Declan left, just to help you find out some information... but he invited me out for coffee, and we did study buddies in the library before our finals. You know, normal stuff."
"Normal stuff, sure." I replied, but decided to not press further.
"Let's just move on to more exciting stuff shall we. What do you want to do for your birthday? It's next weekend!" Megan squealed, grinning. My best friend had always placed a huge importance on celebrating birthday's especially those she cared for. "Do you want your birthday sundae at the Pudgy Moo again? Or are you finally willing to drive down to Los Angeles with me for a shopping trip? I have so many things and places I want to show you!"
"About that." I paused, wincing apologetically. "Lan's booked me for the weekend. Said something about going on a trip on Friday and coming back Monday evening."
Megan gasped, scowling. "That buffoon is already stealing you away from me!"
I held my palms upwards in a surrender position, nudging my cellphone towards her. "You hash it out with him while I toss these away and get us some soda."
As I expected, Megan immediately dialled Declan's number, and from the kitchen where I stood washing our plates and grabbing glasses, I could hear snippets of "You stole her right from my nose, buster!" and "Could've at least asked, couldn't you?". By the time I walked back out to our living room, Megan was angrily hanging up, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "That is not as satisfying as hanging up the traditional way, seriously." before she looked up at me.
"He's an ass." she complained.
I laughed, handing her a glass of fizzy orange. "That's Declan for you. He was always a jock. What did he say?"
"He's apparently booked something or other, and he told me that he'll come get you in two hours. What is this, Kels? You're already getting stolen away from me." Megan whined. I made a face, moving over to give her a hug.
"Don't worry. I promise you once I come back from wherever it is that monster is kidnapping me to, we'll go for birthday sundae's and a cupcake from Harrington House, okay?"
"Promise?"
"Promise."
---
"You could've been a little gentler with Meg, you know." I said accusingly, the moment I opened the door and saw Declan standing there all bundled in his green winter jacket and black jeans. A beanie was covering his dark hair, and his smile quirked sideways when he heard me, as he gave a little shrug.
"I made the plans for your birthday way before Megan came back, Kay. I can't just cancel them."
"Would you mind at least telling me where we're going? At least she'll be slightly mollified."
"She'll find out soon, c'mon." Without letting me get another word in edgewise, Declan took my hand, twining our fingers together. I easily fell in step next to him as he tugged at me, and we were soon in his red Toyota Celica, cruising away from town. As I recognized the signboard that said in loud orange letters, 'Welcome to Redwood Creek', I turned to look at Declan, mild confusion and discomfort in my eyes. "Where are we going?"
He turned to look at me, frowning when he saw the gripped hands next to my thighs. "Why are you always so afraid of leaving town, Kay?"
His question made me turn to look back at the black skater skirt I had on over my wine-red tights. The edges of my gray coat was lined with fur, which I could see was slowly shedding with each movement I made. But Declan knew my tricks.
"Kay, don't avoid me, please."
"I..." I paused, the words getting clogged up in my throat. It wasn't something I was proud of, and I knew for a fact that it was a silly excuse, but that didn't change the fact that my heart raced, and my skin turned clammy everytime I crossed the border that was our town, to elsewhere.
Without warning, I suddenly felt a warm, calloused hand cover mine, and I looked up in surprise, to see Declan's arm (obviously. Who else was in the car with us?) across the middle, despite his eyes still focused on the road. The boy gave no words, but merely squeezed my hand, a form of silent encouragement I knew all too well.
"The last time I went out of town was with Dad." I started, curling my fingers towards my palm. His hold tightened on me as he felt me tense up, an anchor I was thankful for as I continued my story, dredging up memories that still struck me with guilt. "It was my fifth birthday. Dad brought me to Los Angeles to celebrate. Mom stayed at Harrington House to man the front as Seeley and I had fun. We were brought to some indoor playland, where the two of us had the whole day to ourselves. We were supposed to go back by dinner-time, and Mom had promised to make me my favorite pancakes for dinner. She was going to make me a pancake birthday cake too. But..."
"Oh baby, I remember. Mrs. Harrington was caught in an accident, wasn't she?" I would've been stupid to think that he didn't remember. This was Redwood Creek we were talking about afterall, where everyone knew everyone else. Mom's accident with a tourist bus passing through town was on the front page of the newspaper the next morning.
"Dad got me and Seeley from the playground before we were done. I remembered being angry because I thought he was cutting my fun in half. But when we got back... Mom was in the hospital covered on a gurney. I... I never saw her again."
"Baby..." Declan spoke up, as he drew his car to a stop in a nearby town. If I were to look out, I would've seen a string of fairy lights in a clearing up ahead, surrounded by small diners that were seeming closed for the day. It was a small town with nary a name, purely for truckers and drivers to have a stop before continuing on their way. But I was too caught up in my story, my eyes focused on the free hand that was in a tight fist on my thighs.
Declan reached over and caught the curled up fist in his hands, his warmth easing the tense muscles as he squeezed them tightly. "Sweetheart, I know you miss your mother. But that shouldn't be a reason you keep yourself just ensconced in town. Your mother would want you to know more of the world then Redwood Creek."
"I know, Lan. I... I know." My voice cracked. It was a fact I knew very well. After all, Megan had tried many times to convince me to go to UCLA with her. Even Ayah kept convincing me to send an audition to Julliard or the New York Conservatory. "I just... Mom's grave is right here. And Seeley and Dad are still here. I can't... I can't just leave."
"You can. You just don't want to."
His words made me look up, appearing harsher then they seem. Yet when my eyes met his, there was nothing but warmth and compassion in it, as he leaned in to press a light kiss on my forehead. "But I'll be with you every step of the way, Kay. I have so many things I want to show you."
Hearing that, my heart swelled. For over ten years, I had been hearing stories and seeing pictures on social media of everything that happened outside of Redwood Creek, yet suddenly, with Declan's firm grip around my hands, it seems as if one day, I would actually step out of town. "But first," he broke the silence with a grin. "You're going to come with me." The dark-haired boyfriend of mine quickly got out of the driver's seat, going around to open my door, catching me by surprise when he caught my thighs as I swung my leg around, and held me there with a grin.
My cheeks flush, my skin heating up with his touch despite the cold December weather. "W-what is it?"
He grinned boyishly, pecking me on my lips. "Ah, naughty naughty, Kay. I just wanted to help you get these on." He knelt down, and before I knew it, were tugging my fur-lined winter boots off, only to replace them with a pair of laced up in-line blades. I raised my brow, watching the metal glint off the bottom of the shoe. "We're going skating?"
"I knew my girlfriend was a smart one." he winked, ignoring my squeal as he caught me under my knees and my waist, holding me up bridal style as I scrambled to wrap my arms around his neck. Deftly passing the keys to me so I could lock the car up, before long he had deposited me on a bench, and I finally saw the fairy lights that were strung around a small pond which had frozen over, serving as a temporary ice-skating rink for whoever was nearby. Due to the desolate nature of the trucker's town however, the only other people around were already taking off their skates as Declan slipped his on.
"This is my birthday present?" I asked in wry amusement.
"In part." Came his mysterious reply, accompanied with a wink before he stood up and extended an upturned palm at me. "Shall we?"