California dreamer

Chapter 11

Elizabeth

My communication with Hero turned out to be something similar to friendship: we were constantly writing to each other for the last two weeks. We learned information about each other, we shared photos from our lives and went to the park to walk. I couldn't call our relations friendship, because I didn't feel us to be friends. We didn't have any relationship, so there was no the exact term for it.

When I put the last touches to my work for today, Hero called me and invited to a mall. I agreed without thinking, because in the end of November there would be new year products and I always loved holiday atmosphere long before the holiday itself. You started feeling unconsciously that you were a part of a great fairytale, as if you appeared in a child's dream, when the room had been decorated with green - red - blue bulbs, you had put on soft slippers on your feet, and the street had been covered by snow.

Hero took a taxi to pick me up and we were driving to a mall and listening to the same playlist. Being together became easier as compared to the first days of our acquaintance – we were close and knew each other better, and our communication was simple and free.

"Do you like the playlist I've composed?" Hero whispered to my ear.

"I like it very much. It seems as if I were in new year rom-com, and music were a background in it," Hero smiled to my answer.

The travel wasn't long and I saw a small mall – it was smaller than I imagined. Zoella went shopping frequently to such places. When I recalled her vlogs, I stopped worrying about my future purchases. I wasn't afraid any longer that I couldn't find anything I needed.

As soon as we came in Garden center, I felt the happy new year atmosphere thrown as if it were a snowball.

"Do you like this snowman?" Hero asked me pointing to a large figure of small white and red lights.

"Yes, I do. But I'm not sure whether I want to put it in the street."

"What's about the English tradition?" Hero reminded me about our conversation of different mentalities jokingly. "Anyway, your house looks like a horror movie dwelling, it needs refreshing."

We were walking around stores of home appliances and new year decorations for about half an hour. There was enough stuff in the cart: a long garland in the form of snowflakes that would decorate the house outside, a decorative Christmas tree, several Christmas tree toys, which I could fasten to the cupboards, and dishes.

"Get up on the cart – there is a ledge near the wheels," Hero said quietly and he drove the cart to me.

"What? I don't think, I should do it," I started worrying, because I hated being scolded by somebody – a shop security guard, a relative, a teacher. I've always managed to escape from such situations.

"Try it, it isn't necessary to drive over the whole shop."

I got up on the cart and Hero put his hands on the handle from the right and left side of me. It was as if he embraced me. He was wearing a knitted light brown sweater, it was so soft that it seemed I were soaring in the clouds. My friend drove forward slowly and then he helped me to descend from heaven to earth.

Hero bought some decorations for his house as well, but he decided it wasn't necessary to decorate his dwelling thoroughly this year. Frankly speaking, usually he bought a small Christmas tree and he decorated it with one colour garland, and this year he bought a wreath to the door, and nothing more.

Leaving the mall we stood under mistletoe; I wouldn't notice it if Hero didn't point to it by nodding upwards. My body couldn't be moved because of nerve racking. He couldn't kiss me! Though we were dating for 2 weeks and we could come to another stage, but this thought frightened me, I didn't know why.

Noticing deadly horror in my eyes or because of his own preference, Hero only took my hand and we went to catch a taxi. I was glad he didn't kiss me, because I felt I wasn't ready for it. Surely, it wasn't my first kiss, but I couldn't say I had considerable experience in this area.

The travel home was longer, though we were listening to music again but we didn't talk. When we stepped to the porch, Hero leaned to me and he kissed me softly before he drove home. No doubt, the kiss was nice, but I couldn't realize what I was feeling the whole evening. Was it sympathy? Or was it just a lovely event?

It was a pity, I didn't think much and bother about it; anyway I couldn't judge the relations with crystal soberness at that time.