Lauv / Ari Leff One Shots

[6] Ba Humbug "One Shot"

I don't know what this is so enjoy xx

It was a wandering kind of day.
The streets were filled with people, completely. On the brink of two weeks from Christmas, the streets were packed with parades and Christmas celebrations. On this day in particular, it had been the lighting of the garden square tree. People flocked from the four corners of the city to witness the thirty foot tree light up in all its glory. On the hand for me, I could probably not have cared less.
While I was no 'bah humbug', I did not particularly enjoy Christmas. Over the years, the jolly- happy vibe had never crossed over and I would rather sit at a table, working on my next article, dreading the fact that I would have to go to my second job that night. And that is exactly what I was doing on that wandering kind of day.
A fifteen minute wait at till inside my usual stop at Heather's coffee had me agitated from the start. I was already late to begin my article about a Christmas special being filmed downtown- not one I was excited to write about- and was not in the mood to wait any longer. Now, the upstairs seating was fairly empty upon my arrival, the tables having had been cleaned and the second floor opened as I was in line. Instantly I had acquired myself a seat at the corner window of the area, far enough away to be hidden, yet close enough for me to observe the scene around me. Down below, the simple line for coffee stretches far out the door and I visibly sighed at the fact I was able to get a seat before people began to flock to my area.
I tried to push my mind away from the hustle and the bustle of the people that had suddenly come into my personal space. All around me, kids screamed and adults conversed, the cool day keeping everyone inside. My earbuds had been my best friend at the time, so there was no surprise when I plugged in my music and hunched over my notebook, tuning out the world around me. I must have sat there for an hour or so before a motion snapped me from the trance I was in. Someone had broken my bubble space and sat in the seat across from me.
Usually, I didn't mind if someone across next to me on a busy day, but with my agitated mood and the fact that this person did not even ask to sit in this spot, I yanked my ear buds out of my ears and glared at them. It was a scruffy haired, unshaven man that has decided to sit across from me. Of course, he looked young, my age, yet he was invading my space and I had no intent on getting to know him.
"That seats taken." My own, cold voice had shocked me as the words left my lips. The man in front of me, however, does not seem fazed. He holds soft eyes and a small smile upon his lips. Oh he was one of those people alright.
"You are right, by me." I rolled my eyes, wondering if this cocky attitude was necessary for the beginning of a conversation.
"Really, why did you sit at my table?" The scowl that decorates my face is probably obvious to anyone that took glance in my direction.
"Because  you seemed completely fed up with something; though I'd bring some Christmas spirit and see if I could help." his deep voice was perky, excited, something that pierced my ears as I wanted nothing more but to be writing my article.
"I don't do Christmas spirit, sorry." As if on cue, my phone had lit up from beside me, my best friend replying to a message I had sent an hour earlier. 'Relax'. The timing was perfect to the situation before me, with the man and my agitation, so I took a deep breath. "But, I mean, I can try."
The small smile across his lips grew larger. A complete stranger and a simple text message at the right moment in time had completely snuffed out the little fire of anger that had been within me. I took a sip of my coffee, testing the liquid to my lips. Deeming it cool enough to take a full sip, I began to casually drink the liquid.
"That's more the spirit. Besides, no one should be looking like a bah humbug this close to Christmas." I roll my eyes again. Okay, maybe it was a good time to take back what I had said to myself not much earlier before that. With a push past my mind, I had close the notebook that held an article in it, one so important to me and my career for that matter.
"Funny, I had just said to myself that I wasn't a ba humbug. Scrooge will be angry that I stole his title." I attempted at a joke, and it worked. The man laughed, loud, obviously enjoying in my comment. It was funny how I began talking to this guy, someone that I probably never would have met if the day hadn't been going as bad as it was.
"You know, he probably will be, maybe in time you could give it back though?" The laughter died down back to the casual smile that had rested on his lips the entire, short conversation of ours. And I found myself smiling back.
Maybe in the long term, closing my notebook was a good thing, for I began to actually talk to the guy after that, learning his name and what he did for a career. Ari, a simple name yet a complicated guy. For so long, I spent Christmas alone, which never really bothered me, until Ari showed me what the holiday truly represented. If spirit could completely change someone, the person I was then would never want to meet the person I am now.
He took me ice skating that day, a sport I never enjoyed much in, though that day I actually attempted at a good time. Though I worked customer service that night, he walked me there, pointing out little things that a holiday can bring to someone. Giving, hope, love. It was almost as if I understood Christmas love completely, but if I were to look back on that day, like I often do, it would be seen that he taught me Christmas love and somehow, the ba humbug, was gone.