Being Santa's Daughter

Chapter 5 Part 2

Chapter 5 Part 2 (Holly's POV)

          After three grueling hours of following Aunt Connie around, she finally deemed us ready to leave. I groaned as she plopped six of the fifteen bags on me. "Aunt Con!" I complained. "Can't we just stuff them in the back?" She glanced back there. "No room," she said. "And I can't carry any. I'm driving, remember?" I groaned again and looked out the window.

          I saw something that made me feel sick. "Stop!" I shouted. Aunt Connie stopped the car and I shot forward. I barely noticed. I unbuckled and opened the door. I couldn't seem to get it open fast enough. "Holly!" Aunt Connie said, a little panicked. "What are you doing?" I finally got free of all the bags and sprinted to where I saw it.

         It was Jett. He was getting.. slapped by his.. father? I stopped for a second, breathing a little quicker as I watched him get punched in the gut. I winced. Ouch. That looked like it hurt. I ran forward just as his fist flew toward Jett's face. I knew I was being stupid; I knew I was getting into his business and he wouldn't like it. I don't know why, but I didn't want to see Jett get hurt. I just didn't.

      I felt it more than saw it. Jett's Dad still looked really mad for some reason. My right hand came up to cup my eye and I glanced at Jett. He was standing there, looking like he was in shock. Jett's Dad snarled. "Hey, kid!" he said, shoving me away from Jett. "Can't you see we're in the middle of something here?" Jett glared at his Dad.

     "Don't touch her!" he growled lowly. Before Jett could get to me, Mr. Anderson grabbed me and pulled me towards him. He wasn't going to hurt me more, was he? Jett's Dad put his hands around my throat. "Is this your little slut?" he asked. Jett glared at his father. "Just let her go," he said, defeated. "Do what you want to me, but she didn't do anything. Don't take it out on her."

    Mr. Anderson looked a little surprised, so I took that little advantage. I elbowed him in the gut and wretched myself out of his grip. I grabbed Jett's hand and ran with him back to Aunt Connie. "Holly!" he called. "Hol, wait!" I stopped, but pulled him into a store so his father wouldn't know where we went. "That was your Dad?" I asked. He stared at me for a second before shaking his head slowly.

   I looked at him curiously. Sure looked like his father. "No," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "I was just getting mugged." I looked at him. He squirmed under my scrutiny. He was lying. I knew it. But why?

~.~

  Aunt Connie drove me home in silence. I could tell she was mad, but why? I was just trying to.. well, I don't really know what I was trying to do. I just didn't want to see him get hurt by his own father. Is this what Mom and Dad were talking about? Him getting abused my his own father?

   Uncle Mason's eyes widened when he saw me. "Holly?" he said. "What's happened?" I glanced up at him, my right eye stinging. Aunt Connie looked at me, disappointed. "Apparently she was helping her friend when his attacker punched her in the eye," she explained. Uncle Mason looked at my eye and sighed. "Let's get it cleaned up, then," he said.

    He led me to the bathroom and cleaned my eye. I doubt it was bleeding, but it was swelling. He gave me an ice-pack. "Keep that on it for a while," he said. "You're going to have a nice shiner." I sighed, bringing the ice-pack up to my face. Why, oh why did he have to punch me?

~.~ ~.~

    The next day, I went to school with n eye that was black, blue, purple, and yellow around the edges. I walked into homeroom and was immediately sneered at by the cheerleaders. I gave them a glared and some shuddered. I smirked. "Holly!" I turned at the sound of my name being called. "Hanna!" She looked at my eye. "Um, Holly?" she said. "What happened?" I sighed. "Yesterday I was in the mall and someone accidentally elbowed me in the eye. Nothing big," I said.

    I know it was a weak excuse, but that's all I could come up with. She looked like she believed me. "It's crazy!" she said. "All because of Christmas!" I winced slightly. The way she said it made it seem insignificant, when, in reality, it was the most important thing in the world to me.

    I sat down in my seat, only to feel someone's gaze burning through my back. I turned around to see Jett staring at me. I stared back. The way he held himself looked like he was in pain. I wonder why. Maybe his Dad beat him again? That's all I can come up with.

    Hanna tapped my shoulder. I turned around to look at her, but noticed everyone else was looking at me, too. I blushed slightly. Mr. Morrison didn't look amused. "Staring at boys, Ms. Saxon?" he said. I blushed as the class laughed. "What happened to your eye?" Mr. Morrison asked. I cleared my throat. "I went to the mall yesterday and got elbowed in my eye," I said, glancing back toward Jett a little. Mr. Morrison sighed. "You're just a danger magnet, aren't you?"

   Jett started at me the whole class. I felt self-conscious and uncomfortable. "Can I go to the bathroom?" I asked, raising my hand. Mr. Morrison stopped mid-sentence. "You're supposed to raise your hand, then ask your question, but I guess. Take the pass," he said. I blushed slightly and ducked my head, running out of the room.

   I walked down the hall leisurely. What's the rush? Mr. Morrison already thinks I'm a lunatic, so why not just leave his class for a little bit?

   I walked in the bathroom and looked at myself in the cracked mirror. My green eyes were bright and looked like the best feature on my face. My lips were small but plump, and a bit chapped. My nose was like a little button. I was a bit flushed, as I always am, but I was a bit tanned. How that's even possible, I have no idea.

   I walked out of the bathroom and sighed. "Hey!" I turned around to see Jett. I internally rolled my eyes. Did he follow me to the bathroom? "Holly," he said, taking a few deep breaths. "I want to ask you something." I rose an eyebrow at him. It couldn't wait until after class?

    "Yes?" I asked, biting my lip. He glanced at my mouth for a moment before looking me in the eyes again. "Do you still think that man yesterday was my Dad?" he finally asked. I stared at him, narrowing my eyes a bit. Then nodded. He sighed, looking down at me in frustration. "Of course it wasn't!" he finally shouted, scratching the back of his neck. "Just stop worrying about me, okay?"

   I smirked. "Who said I was worrying over you?" I asked. He looked at the floor. He looked up after a few moments. "It wasn't my Dad," he said, walking away from me. Why does he keep lying?

~.~

  There you go. There's something more Christmas-y in the next chapter lol. Kepp reading this, please!

xxSavannah