Karl the Great

Karl opened his eyes as the alarm clock on his night-table began to jingle. It was 8.30 AM and usually Karl would sleep in, but he didn't have time for it that morning. The guy turned off his alarm clock and got out of bed. He looked around his room, which was a total mess, but he wasn't even considering to clean up since no one except him would be in his bedroom the whole day. Karl jumped into his old skinny jeans and put on a grey t-shirt with Iron Man on it. He closed his bedroom's door and went into the kitchen for some morning coffee.

It was the second day of Christmas and he invited Jessica to come over. He had prepared a present for her and wanted to give it right away. They haven't talked to each other since their last encounter and Karl hoped that today wouldn't be too awkward. Karl quickly washed some dirty dishes from another day, then cleaned the living room. The guy brought his present for girl from bedroom and left it in the kitchen. There was still some time left, so Karl put on a sweater because even after cleaning up, the air still was cold. He then picked Zoe's present from his trash bin.

Yesterday afternoon he found a little box, wrapped into gift paper on his door with a note, saying “To Spring from his baby Z”, but threw it away in a heartbeat. Karl was long over Zoe, so at first he didn't even want to know what was inside the box, but now he reconsidered his move. Karl sat onto his blue sofa and crossed his legs on a small coffee table, where only a short vase with a bunch of flowers was put. His fingers ran through scotch tape. Karl started to tear the wrapping paper, but he heard a door bell and stood up.

“That must be Jessy” – he said, leaving half-unwrapped present on the sofa.

Karl opened the door and saw the girl, grinning up at him and giving the big box in her arms a little wiggle.

“Merry Christmas!”

Karl just smiled and opened the door a bit more, so Jessica could fit the big box in her hands through the door frame. He closed the door after Jessica and watched as she took off her coat, before hanging it. Karl saw his cat Lagerfeld coming towards Jessica and starting to wind its' way around her ankles, so he picked the cat up in his arms, before the girl tripped over it and fell.

“Quite a box you've got there” – Karl commented on the size of the box that Jessica brought with herself.

“To be honest” – she explained – “It’s more of a gift for Lagerfeld than for you.”

She put the box down in the living room, setting her bag down on top of it and giving Lagerfeld a little pat before she went into the kitchen after Karl, leaning against the counter, glad to have her arms free of the box for a moment.

“Do you want coffee or tea?” – Karl asked girl.

In the kitchen Karl let go of his cat, which made its' way back to the living room, as soon as felt freedom. The guy chuckled and boiled water, still waiting for Jessica to answer.

“Tea, please.” – she said, reaching up to push her hair back over her shoulder.

Jessica had never been to Karl’s place before, and couldn't help but glance around a little curiously. Meanwhile, Karl opened a shelf that had tons of various tea and coffee from all over the world in it. One of the things that he was obsessed with was dragging all kinds of tea and coffee home from his trips with his model agency. The first box of tea he saw was some kind of herbal tea, that he brought from Tibet and he thought that it would be quite ironic, if Jessica chose that one.

And that was the moment, when Karl unconsciously went back to the trip with Jessica last summer. He remembered such little details like the girl wrapping a pink scarf made by her around Karl's neck before their plane set off. He later lost it during one of his trips and was desperate, when couldn't find it. Oh, how Karl was happy to find that damn scarf just before leaving to Astoria! Anyhow, Karl also didn't forget how their trip to Tibet was far beyond successful. He left Jessica for Zoe just after two days. Everything was tragically different back then. He was with Zoe, expecting a baby, neither his mother or Luke were dead and everything seemed to be somehow perfect. But now Karl was all alone and in a desperate need of someone close.

“What tea do you want? There's bigger variety than in a tea museum or what-so-ever” – Karl turned around and asked with a big smile upon his face, while holding onto the shelf-doors

Jessica came a bit closer to the open cabinet of tea, her eyes widening a little, and she gave a low whistle, honestly impressed by the spread.

“Uhm… Something... fruity?” – she said, reaching up to nudge a couple boxes aside, peering at the ones behind – “Anything with raspberry?” – just as the girl asked, she found a box that looked promising, tapping it with the tip of her finger – “Ooh, this one, definitely.”

Karl picked up the box with raspberry tea and took a green one he brought from Germany for himself. He then took two big cups from another shelf and filled it with hot water that had just boiled, after putting tea in the cups. Karl took a plate with ginger cookies from fridge.

“Let’s go to the living room” – Karl said by taking cookies and both cups of tea into his hands and making his way out of the kitchen.

Karl put everything onto the table. Only then he saw still unwrapped present from Zoe. He quickly covered it with a pillow, but Jessica saw his quick movements, understanding that he'd hidden something from her. Jessica sat next to Karl, he looked at her and remembered about his gift for girl.

“Oh, wait, I forgot something” – Karl put on a guilty smile.

“Oh, okay.” – Jessica said, watching him get up and head back to the kitchen. She eyed the pillow he'd moved, but then reached for her mug of tea instead, wrapping her hands around the warm ceramic, blowing gently across the surface and taking a small sip to occupy herself until Karl got back with the present in a few seconds. Karl sat in the same spot on the old blue sofa, by crossing his one leg under another. The size of Karl’s present could have never be compared to Jessica’s. It was in a white envelope, wrapped in red and green Christmas wrapping paper with reindeers.

“It clearly looks like nothing next to your present, but I hope you will like it anyways” – Karl said and handed the gift over to Jessica.

By doing it Karl felt anxiety kicking in. He wasn’t afraid, but still felt uneasy. He had no idea how Jessica was going to react to two tickets to Tibet anytime in the upcoming spring.

“I've heard you've got yourself a new boyfriend, so you can use it with him” – Karl added before Jessica would jump into any conclusions, when seeing what he got her.

“Oh, come on, size isn’t all that matters, Karl.” – Jessica teased, winking at him as she started to tug open the end of the envelope.

The girl slipped a finger under the tape to pop it open, glancing curiously inside the envelope. She pulled the tickets out slowly, eyes widening faintly as she read the black type across them. And really, she couldn’t help the way her mind jumped to conclusions. She glanced up at Karl quickly, eyes wide. His words dispelled any illusions she might have had, but all the same… Jessica shifted her gaze quickly to the ceiling, rolling her eyes up to try and stop the tears that had welled up the second she realized what Karl’s gift to her was.

“Shit” – Jessica swore quietly, reaching up to rub her thumbs against the corners of her eyes, blinking quickly as she looked back down to Karl, smiling faintly at him – “Thor. Uhm, pretty sure you mean Thor.” – the girl nodded – “Thanks, Karl. It’s… it’s an amazing gift.”

Jessica then leaned in, the tickets lying in her lap, arms opening to pull Karl into a quick hug, tucking her chin over his shoulder.

“I wanted to give you something awesome, but that was all that came to my mind” – Karl started explaining, still wrapped up in Jessica's embrace – “I mean, sure I thought about various expensive things, even some art supplies, but I realized that most people would buy them for you and it wouldn't be very original. I then remembered how you love Tibet and that your last trip to there wasn't very successful because of me, so now you can go there with someone, who won’t leave you the next second”

Karl took a deep breath after his short speech, which was starting to get a bit emotional and put on a guilty smile. He let go of Jessica and said, looking over at the big box she had brought.

“I should unwrap your present”

Karl knelt next to the box, from the corner of his eye seeing that Jessica had also left the sofa. He unwrapped the box slowly and without saying a word. When Karl could finally see that Jessica got a cat tree for him, well, as she said – more for his cat, he let out a loud chuckle.

“Would you look at that!” – Karl couldn't stop laughing.

He opened the box ant took all the parts that needed to be constructed, then put them on the ground. After doing that, Karl stepped in now an empty box and sat down, so only the upper part of his body from half of the chest to the head could be seen. The guy turned to Jessica with a mischievous grin.

“Thank you, Jessy! I think it's the best gift I've ever got. I might as well just sleep in there from now on” – Karl closed his eyes and acted as if he was about to take a nap in the box.

“You're unbelievable, Spring!” – Jessica rolled her eyes, then added – “I feel really bad after seeing what you've given me”

“It's okay, Jessy” – Karl giggled, getting out of the box – “Let's drink our tea”

Karl took his place onto the sofa, waiting for Jessica to come back.

“You know, I can't get rid of my curiosity” – the girl started, settling down – “What was that you hid from me under the pillow earlier?”

Karl froze and didn't answer, making Jessica bit her lip. She felt as if she had crossed a line and asked something forbidden. Karl sighed after awhile and said:

“It's gift from Zoe. I found it at my door yesterday, but threw it away instantly. I guess, just like you now, I felt curious this morning and took it out of the trash, but didn't unwrapp it, since you came over”

“Why don't you look what it is now?”

Karl looked Jessica in the eye and just nodded after seeing sincere comfort in the girl's eyes. He took the small box that was hidden under the pillow and finished unwrapping it. The guy opened the box, his eyes widening at the content.

“I always wanted one” – he breathed out, looking at brown leather passport wallet.

“Looks like Zoe knows you really well” – Jessica smiled, seeing Karl so shocked, then mumbled – “I really don't get it why you two aren't back together. Did you know that she started going to school this September? My friends at the school say that Zoe has been doing so well these past months and...”

“I have an ugliness that is impossible to love” – Karl cut Jessica off, feeling his another outburst coming up.

“What?” – Jessica asked, raising a brow.

“Jessy, I don't know what, but there's something special about you. Every single time you try to put some sense into me, I just start spilling everything that has been on my mind for months, sometimes even years...”

“Karl...” – Jessica tried to interfere.

“Don't you know, Jessy? Everything I touch turns to shit, everyone I try to love won't hear of it. There's no future for me and Zoe” – Karl breathed out, clutching Zoe's present in his hands.