Tina rounded the corner, her breath visible as she finished her morning jog.
It had been peaceful in winter around the Wharf; the brisk ocean breeze was refreshing. The occasional crunch of tires in the snow or a fellow early-bird taking out the trash were the only company she had as her sneakers crunched pleasantly beneath her. She had left while her family was still asleep, the sky just as dark now as it had been when she had risen. She paused in front of the door to her house, pulling out her phone to check her distance and speed.
No improvement. She tucked the device back into the pocket of her leggings; her thighs and feet frozen from the cold. She tried to pull out her keys, her fingers numb. They fell to the snow.
"Dammit." She sighed, bending to retrieve them.
"Tina?"
She snapped back up, her heart racing. Before she could stop herself she let out her familiar groan before turning. Almost like a scene from one of her novels Jimmy stood in a blue winter coat. His legs well defined and on display in skinny jeans that highlighted the muscled thighs. She felt her insides quiver. Something about him had always melted her reserve, her anger. She thought back to their years as on and off again boyfriend/girlfriend. She had every right to be angry, to be upset. He had been horrible to her. She watched him approach.
"Oh... h-hi Jimmy Junior." He stopped a few feet away, Tina was overly aware of her running nose, her wind bitten face, her bright red fingers holding freezing cold keys. "Fancy meeting you here... In front of my house... across the street from- you know what, never mind."
"L-look, Tina I wanted to apologize." She felt her breath catch as he ran a hand through his hair. "I know what I did was messed up but I-"
She turned her attention on him, looking at him for the first time since that Summer. His hair had darkened, he had more freckles. He really was the boy next door type. His lisp was now just a faint whisper that was endearing.
"I met someone before you left."
"That ballet lead?" Tina cocked her head, she was freezing. She needed this though. "I thought you dumped her-"
Jimmy stiffened. "Him, Tina. I dumped him... but... after that summer with you I realized... Tina, please don't tell my dad. I-I'm going to when I can. But, Tina I'm gay."
She felt her insides twist. All those years, all that time she had spent with him. All that love and devotion and obsession. Was it her? Had she done something to- She shook her head.
"I won't tell, Jimmy. Are you and he-"
"Oh no. We broke up last year." He kicked at the snow. "I guess I should have known earlier but I was so afraid to be a stereotype, you know? The gay dancing kid." He motioned across the air with his hands. "Of what my dad would think. Of hurting you. I know I was a terrible boyfriend to you, I guess I sort of resented dating you. Not that it was your fault. It was mine." He rubbed his arm, looking at her as though for the first time. "You look good, Tina. You look really good. I-I know you're cold. I just had to tell you that. I had to explain. I felt really bad for hurting you."
"Thanks Jimmy." Tina inserted her key, opened the door. "For what it's worth, I hope you're happy and that your dad understands."
His whole body hitched, as though her words had slapped him. His eyes watered though he tried to hide it. "Thanks Tina. I'll see you."
"Yeah. I'll see you." She watched as he crossed the street, grocery bag swinging from his hand. "Still has a butt that won't quit." She whispered before closing the door, making her way to the bathroom.
~*~*~
Christmas itself was a little weird with all the kids being older; Tina situated herself under the tree, her mind still reeling at Jimmy Juniors confession as she handed out gifts to her family.
"Thanks for volunteering to be Santa this year, Tina." Bob rested on the couch, rubbing his left wrist.
"Yeah, yeah. No problem." She was quiet for a moment, "Have you guys ever dated someone who turned out to be gay? Like, right after they dated you they realized it?"
Linda stiffened, putting a hand on Bob's arm. "No, Tina honey. Why?" Her speech was slow and careful.
Tina was old enough now to recognize the tone, what Linda was doing. "Oh no reason." The truth beat at her chest, just begging to come out. "Someone at college I know went through that right before I came here-"
"Was it Nick?" Linda puffed, standing and pacing between wrapping paper and opened boxes. "If it's him I swear I'm gunna-"
"No, Mom!" Tina sighed.
"If someone did that to you, we can get 'im back." Louise offered flippantly. "For a price, of course."
"Oooh, I'll help." Gene added, playing a thunder sound from his new keyboard.
"No!" Bob interrupted, "Louise. We've talked about this. You can't-"
"Bob..." Linda cut him off, sitting beside him again, "Are you okay? Your arm isn't hurting is it?"
"Just my wrist." He smiled, "It's nothing, see?" He shook his hand vigorously, quickly bringing to appendage back to his chest with a cry. "Dammit, ow."
"Bob, we should get you some pain pills-"
Tina frowned, worry growing in her. "What's wrong? Why-"
"Just my carpal tunnel acting up." He smiled through gritted teeth, "How about those pain pills, Linda?"
"Right. And a little wine to wash them down!" She gave a sharp bark of laughter as Bob declined.
It wasn't until Louise burst into her room later that afternoon that Tina had bothered to do anything interesting.
"Ready?" Louise blared, geared in her pink winter coat, combat boots, and green skinny jeans.
"Sure." Tina slid off her bed, laptop closed and set aside as she meandered over to her bag of clothes. "Let me just get dressed."
"Fine, fine." Louise acquiesced, scooting onto the bed and opening the personal computer. "Ooh, Tina. A gay romance novel? Scandalous." Tina dressed quickly, trying to ignore the embarrassment she felt with every tap of the keyboard. "So wait, one is a vampire and the other is a zombie? How does that work?"
"It doesn't have to, okay?" Tina all but shouted. "You don't need to make fun of me."
Louise looked up in shock. "Oh no. I'm genuinely curious. This is way better than your old stuff."
"You are curious about my romance novels?"
"Don't sound so surprised Tina, jeez." Louise hopped off the bed. "I did have that weird... thing for Boo Boo and his stupid cute face."
"And Rudy!" Gene yelled down the hall.
"GAH, GENE, SHUT YOUR FACE!"
Tina smiled, "You and Rudy, huh? Still going strong. Good for you."
Louise blushed, "Yeah well it's nothing. He's a dumb, gullible idiot."
"Just your type." Tina muttered as they made their way down the stairs.
"Yeah, I guess it is, isn't it?" She cracked a wicked smile as they trudged out into the snow. "I think he's good for me."
"I do too." Tina agreed, pulling her gloves on. "Where are we going?"
Louise froze, turning on a heel. "You know..." She looked away, growing defensive. "Well after the Cranwinkles died this other elderly couple bought the store."
"Mmm-hmmm." Tina wasn't sure she liked where this was going.
"They changed the whole place!" Louise spun back around, her boots stomping firm prints in the snow. "So we're gunna get them back."
Tina felt her nerves rattling on edge. "What do you mean?"
Louise pulled a spray can from her bag. "Just a little simple defacement. You know. Just to send them a message."
"Louise, no." Tina felt her hands starting to sweat. She tried to breathe, calm herself. "Louise, you're old enough to get in real trouble for this."
"It's fine!" She waved a hand as they stopped in front of the shop. "We do this song and dance at least once a week. We'll be fine. It's okay."
~*~*~
A sharp pounding on the door to the house woke Tina. As though summoned everyone met at the top of the stairs.
"What? What is it?!" Linda grabbed onto Bob's night shirt. "Bobby it's intruders, we're all gunna die."
"We-" He swallowed a chuckle, "We're not going to die. Why would they knock if they were gunna kill us?"
"They're polite murderers, Dad!" Gene admonished.
"Yeah Dad." Louise rolled her eyes. "Haven't you heard of that before?"
"Oh my God." He rubbed the bridge of his noe. "I'll go see what they want."
"Okay, don't get stabbed Bobby!" Linda shouted after him as Gene started playing ominously on his keyboard. "I'm too old to run the restaurant by myself!"
"I'm not gunna die Linda. Gene! Stop it!" He turned the knob. "Oh, hi-"
"Your hooligan daughter tagged our shop again today!"
"Well, I mean technically it was yesterday-"
"Don't. Change. The subject!" The older woman snapped.
"H=how do you know it was Louise?"
"She does this every week. EVERY. WEEK. Since. We. Bought. The. Place!" The man strode into the house, poking Bob in the chest as he did so.
"D-Don't poke me." Bob growled, "Can you prove Louise did this?"
Louise peered from the top of the stairs, "Yeah. Prove it." She sniffed.
"W-well no." They backed down somewhat, "But we're installing cameras tomorrow. We'll be able to watch you every second. From our house-"
"From the bathroom-"
"Okay, that's weird." Louise laughed.
"YOU GET MY POINT!"
"Alright, alright!" Louise held up her hands.
"Oh my God Rob. Look." The woman grabbed her husbands face, yanking his gaze to Louise. "She's got PAINT on her HANDS!"
"Oh this?" She turned her hands back to her face. "It's Christmas. We were doing arts and crafts."
"Ohhh, arts and crafts are my favorite!" Linda sighed, "Can I see them."
"Yeah, Mom. Yeah, sure. When they're dry."
"I think you need to leave now. She won't do it again. Not that she did to begin with." Bob amended.
"Y-you're..."
"Calm down, you'll have an apoplexy." Louise laughed.
"FILTH!" The woman shrieked, "You're all FILTH!"
"Alright, yes. Thank you." Bob shut the door, squeezing them outside. "Why do all the owners of that shop call us filth?"
"We are kinda..."
"Don't say it." Louise stopped her. "We're awesome."
"You didn't tag their shop, did you?" Bob groaned up the stairs.
"I mean, I can't say I did or didn't." Louise shrugged, turning back to her room. "I can't implicate you guys. You can still claim innocence." She shut the door before they could say anything else.
"Well," Tina moved back to her own room. "I missed all this. But- Oh! I have an idea!"
"Oh exciting!" She heard Linda comment as she raced back to her room and flip open the laptop. "Oh, Bobby. Our little author."
"L-Linda. Linda- we need to talk about-"