Sunday, the last day before New Year's Eve, she saw him at the mass where she sat on the edge of the bench as it was easier to get out of when the preacher finished. Although she didn't spare him a glance, he switched his gaze from the front to her when she carefully stood and sat as the preacher requested. As he looked at her parents also giving her concerned looks it made him sad to think about Friday's events. He didn't dare show his face at her house after what happened even if his parents told him it was an accident and her parents said it was alright. Still, he wanted to talk, have her acknowledge him even with a glare. That night he knew he must confront her not knowing how, but get her to give him a chance.
The next day, for the New Year's Eve countdown her family went downtown for about an hour before the load of fireworks. Her parents asked her to come even if on crutches, but she refused to be uncomfortable in that giant crowd of people. She could not strain herself to go so she stayed home with JoJo and watched from the television. It was less exciting but she didn't care though, it was only the shouting of numbers and booming fireworks she's seen before. For now, though, the news reporter was just smiling and talking nonsense. The camera crew showing the highlights of the crowds and decorative buildings. JoJo sporting his golden collar for the occasion pranced around the living room.
Her mind was elsewhere, thoughts of herself, her bandaged ankle, her emotions. God only knows her emotions were splattered all over the place. Ever since she fell off her tree her head throbbed at different hours of the day. She had snippets of dreams when she slept. She remembered a little boy with crayons, one of a hand sticking out for her. The strangest one of all was the little boy waving goodbye from inside a car. She woke up confused every day, these dreams came so sudden. She always had the capability of remembrance of dreams, which in her opinion she thought was fairly special.
When she asked her mother of these dreams she confirmed that they were indeed memories, her childhood memories she had forgotten all about. Her mother was no psychologist but she was a doctor and her intuition told her that these dreams were brought up by her subconscious. Dr. Green knew the suspect of these memories.
A nice boy with dirty blonde hair and bright green eyes, her neighborhood friend. Paisley felt bad about forgetting him, she only knew he was a good friend that moved away. Of course, her mother reminded her of who he was, her friend that moved back home not too long ago.
Her guilt made her mad in a lousy, despicable, hypocritical way. She definitely felt like a hypocrite at the moment. She asked herself l why she didn't remember a person that had such an impact in her young life. The little boy was her best friend, her only friend for that matter.
In her fit of judgmental furry, she chucked and she smashed presents. She knew what she had done was not intentional, but in her mind it was wrong. It was a stab in her conscious and it drained her physically. She felt that she didn't deserve these gifts for her pessimism towards her lovable family. The pain in her leg was nothing to stop her from being upset, she wasn't just upset with others for the dismissal of her birthday unintentionally. Paisley didn't even realize it, she just stood, grabbed, and tossed. She had blocked her sensitivity and tangible reactions to avoid feelings and now they were pouring out in angry tears. She was rendered uncertain on many topics. The unleashed meltdown for only JoJo to witness made her remember one more thing. She paid him no mind as he barked and hid in unease as she ran, or tried to at least, to the kitchen cabinets and swallowed pills and water without a second thought.
What a mess.
In the end, she was a wreck.
Times up, the year was gone, in with the new, stress and all.
:::
Two in the afternoon on new year's day, no one woke her. They were afraid to upset her, they could only imagine that was the reason for what they found when they arrived home, the remains of gifts there on the floor. Paisley's bandage was undone and laid in her bed in an awkward position.
When the sun was too high to bare she dragged her hand over her face and sat up in bed. She could feel the dried tears on her cheeks so she pushed herself to walk out and to the bathroom. On the way she her limp, her ankle was sore. After she slowly took the stairs and looked around to see last night's unleashed tantrum was all too real. The trashcan was full of broken pieces. Feeling deep sorrow she apologized to her parents first for the mess she had caused. They already forgave her, but she was still grounded. Paisley guessed it was sympathy or they just didn't want to start the new year off angry. She sat out on the back porch watching JoJo having a blast in the snow with his red sweater on, tags clinking together when he ran. Around five she made a sandwich to eat and had a jug of chocolate milk, she had a headache that didn't go away.
The day was short, sunset came soon enough and JoJo traced his bed before settling in it. She watched him fall asleep before she closed the drapes, went to the bathroom to brush up for restless sleep in her bed then left to her room. Her mother sat on the messy sheets waiting for her. She walked straight into her mother's arms without further thought and let her mother's gentle strokes through her head of knots calm her, holding on close with her head on her mother's lap. Fully relaxed, her mother placed her hand on her cheek lift up her child's face to see her and smiled softly, telling her she loved her. A new tear slipped from her glassy eyes and her mother caught it on her thumb. Paisley laid with her mother on her bed as she did before when she was an innocent child. Her mother told her of the best Christmas gift above all others, a darling baby, arrived a week before her due date. At the crack of dawn, there was never a beat of silence, all anyone could hear was a baby's wail in the hospital room. A pink, seven pounds and six-ounce chubby pie with a healthy set of powerful lungs. A joyous new year ahead for the new addition of the family.
Not long after, just like in December of 2000, she fell asleep in her bed, with a kiss on her temple from her mother.
Sometimes you will never know the value of something until it becomes a memory. -Dr. Suess
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Little Miss Grinch | ✔️
Short Story"Why do you hate the holidays?" ~ Paisley Green was not a holiday person. Especially the biggest holiday season there is. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve, the most wonderful time of the year. Well, for everyone in town except Paisley Gre...
