Together by This Christmas Tree

john o'callaghan

Cally looked so beautiful, but yet so ugly. Maybe it was because she was hanging off Pat’s arm, cuddling into him as she looked up at Pat again, hiding a smile as Kennedy’s words hung in the air. Pat smirked, looking proud of himself as he wrapped an arm around Cally’s slim waist. “Yeah, we are,” He said, sneaking a gentle kiss on her lips, a gentle brush that seemed so innocent, so like Pat to not get too dirty with a girl, despite dating her and able to get her ass on a platter.

And that’s when I lost it.

I didn’t even realize it was happening, until suddenly, I was outside, the door banging behind me and hitting my super nice shoes, and Cally’s voice was pushing through the thoughts that were terrorizing it all. I was happy with Sumner, I didn’t understand why, all of a sudden, Pat being with Cally was such a monstrosity. They were adorable together, and the way they looked at each other, I was almost happy that she found someone to cuddle with during this Christmas. I was happy with Sumner and happy that someone loved me like Sumner did, whether artificial or not, she cared about me like no one else had before.

Or if they had, I hadn’t been paying attention.

I laughed darkly, half to myself and hoping that somehow someone would tell me that I wasn’t actually happy with the girl who broke my heart. Sumner was great, she was a perfect girl .. and I wanted her for my own.

I was so-

“John?” Cally said, speaking quietly, but what got my attention was that she looked directly into my eyes and was momentarily blinded by her long earrings, her bright blue dress, her recently bleached blonde hair. She looked so momentarily beautiful, so flawless and gorgeous that she almost didn’t seem real. She flashed a pearly white smile, before she bit down on lips that were far too pink. “John, you’re scaring me. Are you alright?” I finally shook it off, shaking off the momentary beauty that was always so captivating.

“I’m fine, Cally, I just needed some air.” My voice was dark, and absolutely and completely awful. Cally took a step back, her heels clicking on Garrett’s rickety old porch, and her face looking completely broken. She put her hands up, taking another step back towards the door.

“I’m sorry, John.” Her voice sounded so fucking broken that I hardly believed I had done that to her. “I tried, okay? Just remember that. I tried.”

I instantly regretted it, but as I opened my mouth to speak again, she had already slipped inside, the bright blue skirt the only thing disappearing behind the bright red door.