Love is a Losing Game

LIALG - Chapter 15

As soon as the words 'Christmas tree' left my mouth, Jay and Carlos had made it all the way down the hall and to the main entrance before Evie reminded them that it's December and they should really get their coats first. As soon as everyone was 'snug as a bug in a rug', to quote Evie, we headed out to the parking lot and to Carlos' car. He wasn't sure where the destination was, so Evie sat up front with him and helped him navigate. On the way, Jay explained how there are people who grow trees specifically for the holiday season and sell them in lots throughout December. However, it turns out that there aren't people selling Christmas trees at nine at night on Christmas Eve. Who would have thought?

"So, tell me again how this isn't wrong?" Evie sighed, her breath forming a cloud of smoke in the air. Her arms were wrapped around her midsection either in protest or because of the cold; it wasn't entirely clear.

"It's Christmas Eve, and they're closed, so no one is going to need these trees tonight or any day after that," Jay reasoned, bending down and cupping his hands for me to step into.

"Except for us?" Evie countered with a raised eyebrow.

Jay pointedly ignored her in favor or lifting me up and over the fence separating us from our future tree.

"Look, these trees are all precut. They're going to die off now, so we should at least take one home and give it a good rest of its life," Carlos supplied, walking up to Jay and placing his foot in the other boy's hand.

"Yeah, E; let's give it a loving home," I added, pouting at her through the chain link fence.

"Well, when you put it that way..." she mumbled, avoiding my gaze. "But I'm staying out here. If I climb over that fence the whole world will see my ass."

"It's your fault for wearing such short shorts," Jay laughed.

"That's okay, E; we need a lookout anyway," I assured her, although I, for one, wouldn't mind being flashed.

With a loud stomp, Jay landed on the inside of the fence after scaling it like it was nothing. "Alright, who's going to pick out the tree?" he wondered.

"I vote that Mal, as our unofficial leader with a keen eye for detail, picks out the tree," Evie suggested, giving me a smile that made my heart swell with pride.

Jay looked as though he was going to contest 'unofficial leader' until Carlos said "Can't argue with that!"

I took my sweet time examining every single tree down to the individual needle to find one suitable for my friends. Evie even slowed time to allow me to really get into it. If the dramatic sighs and feet shuffling were any indication, the boys wished that they could speed time up so they wouldn't have to wait so long. But this was an important decision, and it was not one to be rushed. Finally, it hit me. There it was – a big, beautiful pine tree. It wasn't as massive as the one in the Great Hall, but it was definitely impressive.

"This. This is it. This is our tree," I stated, brushing my hands across the needles fondly.

"Nice!" Jay agreed.

"Damn!" Carlos exclaimed, staring up at it with his hands on his hips.

"It's perfect!" Evie chipped in from behind the fence.

"Of course it is," I agreed, pushing through the branches to get to the trunk. Once I was in far enough I felt like the tree had eaten me; all I could see was green. My knees bent and I lifted, but the tree barely budged.

"Whoa! Here, let us he-" Carlos called, reaching his hands into the tree.

"No! I've got it!" I insisted, not wanting to seem weak. I just needed to get a better grip; that's all.