Living for the Music

The next few days blended together in a haze of long naps and movies. I occasionally went downstairs for some food, but I really didn’t want to run into my dad. I was sure he’d find a way to break through the comfortable haze I’d created. I ignored all my homework. Most teachers went easy over break, and I didn’t have the energy to tackle the few problems they had assigned. I would probably end up doing it all in the last three days of break.

When I woke up one morning, I laid in bed staring at the ceiling. Something about today was supposed to be different. Why…? Then it hit me. Of course. Today was Christmas. I’d been so out of it the past few days I hadn’t processed the time passing. I threw on a new pair of sweatpants and wandered downstairs I couldn’t help noticing the lack of holiday cheer in the house. My dad obviously hadn’t done any decorating while I’d been out of it.

I rummaged around in the fridge and finally pulled out a Coke. “Merry Christmas,” I muttered, cracking it open and taking a long swig. I looked around the living room, but I wasn’t surprised when I didn’t see any presents. I had given up on Santa a long time ago, and my dad… well, I wasn’t expecting much. I grabbed a few chocolate chip cookies – the only thing I’d made this week – and headed back up to my room.

I grabbed a small bag from the closet and crawled back into my nest. I took out the small pile of presents that had come in the mail over the past two weeks. I opened the envelopes first. A gift card from my aunt and uncle, a check from my grandparents. Both had notes that were virtually the same. Hope school is going well. Sorry we haven’t been in touch. We’ll see you soon.

I knew they wouldn’t be, and they did too. So they tended to be especially generous with their gifts. The money was nice, but I would rather have a family. My cousin was four, and she’d never met me.

There was a small package from my oldest cousin Eve. We used to play together at all the family events we’d gone to before my mom died. She was two years older than me, in college, and she made sure to send me an email every couple months.

I opened the gift and pulled out a homemade CD case. Merry Christmas, Sophia. Let me know what you think. I scanned the track list and smiled. At least I had gotten one real gift. I pulled the last box out of the bag. Aaron must have slid it into the bag sometime when I wasn’t paying attention. I took a deep breath as I ripped off the wrapping paper. A small white box slid out. I picked it up and glanced at the front of the box. And stared. I tore open the box and pulled out the small purple iPod. It wasn’t the top-of-the-line touch, but it was sure better than my crappy MP3 player.

I turned it over, feeling the cool smoothness in my hand. Something on the back caught my eye and I leaned in to look at the inscription. Sophia – Forever <3

I turned on the iPod, happy to see it was fully charged. I quickly flipped through the menu. Aaron had taken care of me. He’d loaded some of my favorite songs, but had left plenty of room for me to add my own stuff. He knew me well.

I unwrapped the connector cord and plugged it into my computer. I easily navigated through the installation process and soon the iPod popped up in my iTunes. I dumped a few of my favorite play lists on it and a huge smile filled my face. This crammed my MP3 player, but my new music device was only a quarter of the way full. I could add more songs, and talk to Seth and get him to….

I forced myself to stop before I got my hopes up. Who knew how Seth would act when he got back? I’d have to make do with my own music until I figured out where we stood.

But even that thought couldn’t dampen my mood. Aaron had just made my Christmas. I quickly added more and more songs to my iPod. Finally I disconnected it and flipped back to the main screen.

I couldn’t help grinning as I saw that Aaron had also uploaded a few games for me. Probably ones that he would end up playing more than me, but still. It’s the thought that counts.

I pulled out my phone and hit Aaron’s speed dial. I wasn’t surprised when he didn’t answer, considering it was Christmas Day, but I left a message anyway. “Hey Aaron. Merry Christmas! I just wanted to say thank you so so much for the iPod. It’s amazing! I love it! But you probably knew that already.” I laughed. “Anyways, I hope you’re having a great day, and a fun trip, and feel free to give me a call if you get a chance. Miss you!”

I hung up the phone before I gave myself a chance to say ‘I love you.’ It wouldn’t be fair to either of us. But I was still dancing around my room when I hung up the phone. I took great pleasure in taking my old MP3 and throwing it in the trashcan, where it landed with a dull thud. Knowing I didn’t have to get it back out made the task that much sweeter. I collapsed on my bed, plugged in my new iPod, and smiled as the music washed through me.