A Christmas Angel

Jake

    Jake looks around him, before he places the nice, squishy piece of gum he had been chewing on onto Santa Claus's face. He smirks as he smears it further onto the jolly man. He removes his hand and wipes the spit onto his pants. He admires his handiwork, before turning to leave. He didn't want to get caught.
    When he turns he immediately meets a white button, glimmering on a coat. He looks up and sees a woman staring back at him, her silver eyes shining with concern. She moves her gaze unto Santa Claus and the long pink smear of gum on his face.
    "Do you not like Santa?" She questions, looking back down to Jake. He feels his ears turn hot and he looks to the ground.
    "He's not real." He mumbles, not taking his eyes off the mall's tile floor. The woman hums. Silence surrounds the two and Jake tries to figure a way to sneak past her so he wouldn't get dragged to mall security. Maybe he could shove her?
    "Why do you think that?" The woman finally asks. He can feel her burning gaze on his head. He tilts his head up to meet her silver eyes.
    "Think what?" He challenges. The woman smiles slightly and then she crouches onto the ground. Her long black hair slides over her shoulder. Now, she is looking up at him.
    "That Santa isn't real." She responds, accepting the challenge with ease. Jake blinks at her, then looks away. But now he is looking at the vandalized Santa.
    "He just isn't. He has never brought me what I wanted." He whispers. He is so quiet he doubts the woman can hear him. Jake looks back at the woman and meets her big silver eyes holding sadness.
    The woman opens her mouth and a croak comes out. She clears her throat and tries once more. "Maybe he didn't hear you." She theorizes. Jake's lip curls up rudely.
    "Three years in a row?" He rhetorically throws out. "Yeah, I guess he really doesn't want to listen to me." He shouts. He slaps a hand over his mouth, noticing that he had gotten so loud. He looks at the people around him, but none meet his eyes. He glances at the vandalized Santa, but the pink, sticky gum is gone.
    "I'm sorry." The woman whispers. She raises her sorrowful eyes to meet his. "Try and make one more wish. I promise Santa will listen this time." She vows, offering her pinky to the young boy. He stares at the pinky and then his gaze drifts to her eyes. They were glistening with tears.
    He hooks his pinky to hers.
—
    Jake places the plate of cookies and glass of milk on the table nearest to the tree. His mom rolls her eyes as he does so. She mumbles something about him being too old for this. Jake's dad shushes her. She once more rolls her eyes.
    As for Jake, he felt like a massive idiot. Why is he trusting a random woman he met in the mall? But in his heart, he felt hope. He felt that she was an honest person.
    He sighs and walks away, heading to his room. He would probably wake up to disappointment once more. His father claps him on the back. His mom kisses his forehead and he goes to bed.
    He lays his head on the pillow. He doesnt feel any tiredness, but he remembers his teacher saying that Santa would not visit unless he was fast asleep. He closes his eyes and the woman's silver eyes flash in his mind. Then he drifted away into peacefulness.
    Jingle. Jingle. Jingle.
    Jake's eyes drift open.
    Jingle. Jingle. Jingle.
    He pops out of bed and rushes to the window.
    Jingle. Jingle. Jingle.
    And he sees Santa walking towards his sleigh in the front lawn. And sitting in the sleigh is the woman from the mall. Her silver eyes meet his. She waves at him cheerfully as Santa settles back into his seat.         Jake raises his hand to wave back, not quite believing what he is seeing. He blinks and they are gone.