Under The Nautical Star (Lesbian, GxG)

Seven

It's been a few days since I confirmed the pick-up details for Teegan, but my mind's been calculating a year's worth of work I've been doing. Between shifts and school and gift-making and doing normal things teenagers do, I might as well forget it's Christmas time. 

Which I did at some point. I walked into Dumb-ass and Mom putting up the tree last Sunday and asked them why they were doing that. I won't forget the unspoken answers they both gave me through facial expressions: my brother with "yes I'm the smart child now" and Mom with "oh god I'll be wasting money putting her through college".

Sorry, Mom. You want me out the house before I'm thirty, and we both know I don't have enough money to depend on myself. 

I answer the last questions of the study guide for history class and shove it down my backpack. In a few minutes, I'll be at the club and give Teegan my present. 

Shit, I need to make sure it actually looks good.

The blue folder finds its way on my desk. I flip through the pages, counting each one. Okay, they're all here. No need to worry.

The bell rings, ending the teacher's usual "you need to use the guide if you want to pass this test" lecture. He tries to finish it, but most everyone's out the door by now. It's not as if we haven't heard it all before. 

I'm the first in the room, surprising Cassie when she walks in a minute later. The brown bags she's holding are bulging with various Christmas decorations. 

She places them on the nearest table. "I didn't expect anyone to be here before me," she says.

"Guess I got too excited for the party," I offer. 

I set my backpack down and pull up two cartons of cinnamon rolls Mom brought in during second period, once I texted her I forgot to get something for the party and that I'd appreciate her more if she could help forgetful me.  

With a laugh at my response, Cassie pulls out some decorations from a bag. "Would you mind helping me put these up?" 

I don't mind in the slightest. I put the rolls on another table and pull out the decorations. I start putting them up around the room, now and then asking Cassie for the tape she brought with her. We're halfway through decorating when a steady stream of members come in.

Cassie has propped up a little Christmas tree for us to put the gifts under. And even though there's no secret for what we got for each other, the gifts are nicely wrapped and decorated to look so pretty under the tiny plant. I glance at my backpack, where the gift with a simple stick on bow on it is peeking out. 

And the food. No one's come in empty-handed. The donuts Claire brought are chilling with the two bags bulging with McDonald's sandwiches. McKenzie just placed a bulk bag of lollies. There's even a fucking nacho tray, I swear to God. Whoever brought that is getting a smacking kiss on the cheek from me. 

I don't notice Teegan strolling in and placing her contribution to the table. She manages to sneak up on for for God knows why and scare the shit out of me with a tap on the shoulder. 

A streamer roll hits her face. I gasp as she slowly brings a hand to where she got hit, muttering apologies as I collect the other rolls and keep them far away from me.

"Well, it's nice to know you have a go-to defense strategy, at least." Teegan gives me a small smile. Good way to make me feel worse.

"Yeah, at least."

Teegan's getting into the holiday spirit. A candy-cane inspired sweater hugs snugly around her, with a pair of white jeans. Her hair looks neater than usual. Has she done something to her eyes? It sparkles at every angle I look at her.

Sensing what I'm doing, Teegan lowers her eyelids, showing her sparkling green eye shadow. The tense shade makes her same-color eyes pale in comparison.

"What do you think?" she asks.

"About the eye shadow or the whole outfit?" I clarify. "Actually, forget I asked. Everything on you is really cute for once."

She raises an eyebrow. "For once?"

I nod. "You're usually bad-ass. Now, I could call you darling and risk a flick in the ear instead of a punch."

She's more confused. I should have left out 'for once' and not have to explain myself.

"Alright, everyone," Cassie calls out. She's in the middle of pouring out into little plastic cups the eggnog she brought. No alcohol. "Get a cup. If you're a minute away from dying of thirst, please wait until I do a toast."

There's some giggling, but we eventually get a drink. Cassie holds hers up.

"I appreciate you guys for coming here and being a part of this club," she starts, "and I'm happy that you made the club as what it is today, even if it's been two months since the first meeting. Hopefully, we'll keep this going into the next school year if it succeeds."

Cassie pauses, as if going through her head for anything else she wants to say. Finally, she ends her toast with, "Drink up! Eat up! Appreciate each other, and the gifts you get!"

We all clink cups with whomever is close to us and down the eggnog. Having never had it before, I was surprised by how it tasted. I stare down at the cup, wondering how it would taste with the rum it's supposed to have.

"Want one?"

I turn to Claire, holding up the box of donuts. Taking a glazed one, I thank her and turn to watch the others get the gifts from the tree and give them to the recipients. It's a wonderful sight. Claire's cooing over a book that entails the history of the Regency Era in England. McKenzie's trying to get her words out over how excited she was to have a headset for her Overwatch sessions. A freshman I don't know all too well is hugging Cassie for two bags of what I assume is her favorite coffee.

Smiling, I take another bite. A sharp poke on my arm interrupts me mid-chew.

Teegan's got her other arm behind her back, holding out her present. It's rectangular and hastily wrapped with newspaper comics. For a moment, she seems shy. It quickly changes into confidence.

"Here," she says.

As I take it, I pull out her present and hand it over. "On the count of three?" I suggest.

She shrugs. "Sure. One, two --"

I rip off the paper as she opens the folder. We're both silent as we analyze. 

The first page of my gift was a hand-drawn wolf staring intensely at me while a girl's petting it. They're surrounded by boulders and rocks, and the words "Don't Judge Me" are drawn out as star constellations.

Tentatively, I turn the cover over. The rest of the papers are front-to-back covered in her handwriting. Some of the papers are sectioned off with a colorful and funny chapter title. Honestly, the entire book must have taken Teegan every minute of her free time to work on. Hell, the easiest task I can see are the staples she used to keep the pages together.

I now have a legitimate reason for the safe I've been asking Mom to get me for the past five birthdays. According to her, no one should have a safe just because it looks cool and confidential. 

Teegan's still looking through her folder. Looking closely at one page, she mentions, "I can't believe you added musical notes with the songs. It's a great touch to your songs."

"...those are just dots."

"Oh." She closes the folder, pleased with my gift nonetheless. "I'll say they're notes if anyone asks."

"Good plan." Gesturing to the words on the cover, I ask, "Is this the title or you telling me not to be an asshole about the gift?"

"Both." Teegan glances at me. "And I expect you to read the whole thing fifty times." She's monotonous, but I catch the corner of her mouth turning up. 

Keeping the book close to my chest, I reply, "I'll let you know when that happens. Give me ten years, though."

Never have I ever seen someone comically switch from smirking to dropping her jaw in betrayal so fast.