The Upside of Falling Back To You

chapter five | but i thought that my christmas shopping was over!

"WHAT SHOULD I get a teenage girl that probably can get whatever she wants because her brother is a millionaire?"

Parv looks up at me with an odd look. "I thought you were done Christmas shopping."

"So did I." I looked down at the rack of clothes my best friend was looking through. "But then my parents decide to throw a curveball and now, I mean, it's not like I can't not give at least Vi something."

Parvati held up the black knit sweater and pressed it against her chest. I gave her two thumbs up, approving. She puts it in her shopping bag. "I mean, she'll probably like anything you give her - I mean, when we were younger she looked at you like an older sister."

"She probably still does."

"Yeah, so get her something that she would like - doesn't matter if she could get it herself, she got the present from you. Maybe make it personalized, or sentimental. Or something just super cool that whenever she uses it she remembers its from you."

Parvati starts walking deeper into the store. I still don't get why she decides to go shopping on Christmas Eve, which was probably one of the most hectic days of the year. But at least this year I actually needed to go to the mall. And she would always agree to come with me.

"So, you're just going to ignore the other guests?"

"Well, when we were in Walmart earlier, I found this really cute flora piece that I'm sure Adelaide is going to love it, and they also had this Maple Leafs hockey mug that I'm sure Dalton will enjoy."

"And...?" I stare at her, shaking my head the slightest bit. "Oh, come on Aster! I'm your best friend. If there's one person that should have the opportunity to talk to you about it, it should be me. C'mon, tell me what's it like. How are you guys getting along? Please tell me it's not just awkward twenty-four seven, because if that's the case, I'm actually going to lose my mind on the trip."

If I'm being honest, since our conversation after dinner on the first night, I've been pretty much ignoring - even though I said I wasn't going to anymore. We exchange good mornings if we manage to see each other, and sit across from each other at dinner. The rest of the day, he's either playing video games with my brothers, or somewhere with Lucas and Jiro, and I just spend my days in my room, or am out with Parv and Jamie. Our paths just don't cross as much as I expected it would.

"I mean, it's not horrible," I say simply. "But, like, I don't even know if I'm supposed to get him something. Like, maybe that's the nice thing to do-"

"Of course that's the nice thing to do, your mom is going to scold you after if you don't get him something. Just watch."

"She'd understand."

"Aster-"

I threw my head back. "Oh, fine. Maybe I'll get him something. But what am I supposed to buy him? Like, what sentimental piece of shit can I give him that doesn't make him think that..."

"That what?" Parvati heads towards the cashier, deciding that's all she wanted from this store. It was actually a lot - the sweater, two t-shirts, a pair of ripped jeans. She was probably one of the few people in this entire mall that isn't actually shopping for tomorrow.

I shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. What if he thinks differently-"

"Aster, you're literally taken. You have a boyfriend and are in a long term relationship." The line is shorter than expected, we make it to the register in a matter of seconds, where a worker named Vicky greets us with a warm smile which we return. "He has to understand that. It doesn't have to be that personal, for him at least. Get him a toque or something to remind him of how he work that basically every single day in ninth grade."