Eat.

Christmas was tomorrow. I sighed as I fidgeted with the phone, it’s been three days since I’ve gotten suspended but considering I got suspended on the last day before Christmas vacation, I was going to be suspended for two weeks after vacation was over, bullshit right? But along with three days since I’ve been suspended, it’s also been three days since I’ve last talked to Ellie. She hasn’t called me and I haven’t called her and I was beginning to think she was mad at me. I would admit, I think I went overboard on the kid. I gave him a broken rib and a broken nose but then again it’s what he deserved, should’ve never touched Ellie like that anyway.

I jumped when I felt that the phone vibrated in my hands, I looked at the number and squinted at it. It was unfamiliar but answered it anyway, “Hello?”

“Brian? It’s Joe, your dad told me that you got suspended?”

I laughed lowly to myself, “Yeah I did.”

“I also heard you broke Mario’s nose?”

“Yeah, that was my doing as well.” I chuckled

“Let me just tell you, thank you for that. I’ve been wanting to break that kid’s nose myself for a while now.”

“Happy to help sir.” I grinned

“So I wanted to invite you and your family to come over tomorrow for dinner.”

“That’s sounds cool, I’ll ask them later.”

“Thanks Brian, see you then.”

“Later.” I hung up the phone and smiled to myself, I would see Elizabeth for the first time tomorrow after being suspended. I jolted upright in my bed, I don’t have a present.

Fuck, how could I forget about the fucking present?! I jumped off my bed and grabbed the keys off my dresser and ran downstairs and out the door, my dad yelling at me and asking me where I was going. I ignored him and jumped in my car until I realized, the mall is closed on Christmas Eve.

“Fuck!” I yelled, hitting my head against the steering wheel before I backed out of the driveway and searched desperately for a store that was open.

Eventually, I settled for a Wal-Mart, sure it was trashy and tacky but I had to make do. As I was walking through the aisles I kept cursing at myself for being such an idiot and not thinking about Christmas before. I walked around the toys section and looked for something she might liked. Idiot, I yelled at myself, she’s seventeen she doesn’t need a damn barbie. I kept cursing angrily at myself, causing a woman to scowl at me as she covered her child’s ears.

“Bite me.” I grumbled, until stumbling upon something that made me smile. It was a big, purple ball, looking a lot like Bubba, the ball Ellie and I played with when we were younger, we played with it all the time during elementary school and well, it was special memory to me and hopefully to her too. I stood on my toes as I reached up to the top to get it and when I finally got in my hands, several memories ran through my head.

“Oh my God, Ellie I’m sorry!” I yelled, running towards her and picking her up from the ground, “I didn’t mean to- I’m sorry!”

Ellie wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at me and smiled, taking my hand and standing up, “It was an accident.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I promise.”

“I didn’t mean to.” I said again

“I know you didn’t mean to.”

“Sorry.” I frowned, leaning towards her and kissing her cheek

“Keeper back then and now.” I smirked at myself, hearing over the intercom that the store would be closing soon, “Shit.”

I continued roaming around the store for more things that I could buy her but when the only thing I could salvage was a few notebooks, pens, a bear and a card. I groaned at myself, I felt like the worst friend in the world but hey, it had to make do.

I ran to the register and dropped all the things on the counter, the guy looking at me and giving me a smug smirk, “Forgot the present?”

“You have no idea.” I replied.



“Brian! I’m glad to see that you could make it.” Joe greeted my dad, shaking his hand firmly and then turning to Suzy, shaking McKenna’s small hand and then turned his attention to me, “Ellie’s upstairs if you want to go see her.”

“Trust me, he wants to see her. He ran to Wal-mart when he realized he didn’t have a present.”

“Dad. Shut up.” I stated bluntly, walking up with store bag towards her room and knocking gently on the door.

“Come in.” I hear her voice say behind the door

I turned the knob gently and walked in to see that Ellie was standing in front of her vanity, fixing her hair and applying make up to her eye, it was pretty much almost gone but there was still a slight bruise on the corner of her eye.

“Hey.” I smiled lightly, “Merry Christmas.”

Ellie turned around and smiled at me, “Merry Christmas.”

“I got you some presents. They’re not that cool like last years but um, I kind of forgot about. Sorry.” I smiled sheepishly, walking towards her and handing her the store bag.

“Wal-Mart?”

“I told you I forgot.” I laughed

She laughed and took the notebooks out first, smiling when she saw that there were at least seven of them in there, then pulling out the pens and the bear. The ball and card was in a box in my hands.

“Thanks, Bri, I love it really.” She smiled big and kissed my cheek, then her attention went to the box in my hands, “Is that for me as well?”

“Nope, this is actually for Lisa Marie Presley.” I smirked

“Hand it over smart ass.”

“Only because you asked so nicely.” I mocked, handing her the box and following her onto the bed and watched as she opened it.

“Oh my God! It’s Bubba!” She yelled, taking the ball in her hands and holding it to her chest

“And there’s more! It’s just a card but, you know, it’s still more.”

Ellie smiled and took out the card, “Sorry for forgetting about your Christmas present. But I hope Bubba is enough. Love you, Ells. Brian. You made me cry I hate you.” She laughs, putting the card down next to her and pouncing on top of me, wrapping her arms around my neck as she knocked me down on the bed. I laughed and hugged her back.

“I love you, Brian. You’re the best.” She mumbled on my shoulder

“I love you too, Elizabeth.” I smiled, placing a kiss on her head, I love you so much.