The Lunacy Fringe

Felix and I didn’t get to spend much time together after that. Mainly because we didn’t want anyone to figure out that we’d spent the night together. So we only hung out when our parents were working, and Quinn and Billie weren’t around. Which wasn’t easy since both of them liked to show up unexpectedly every time they were bored.

But on Christmas Eve, I was starting to get kind of antsy about it. My dad and I were decorating our small tree. I scratched the back of my head nervously while I hung up the final ornament. An ugly old wreath I’d made in class when I was seven. It still had the original candy on it. It was hideous, but it was my dad’s favorite.

“Hey, Dad?” I started, wondering how in the hell I could get this out without making it obvious.

“Yeah, Kid?” He was standing back, looking the tree up and down, and adjusting things so that the most awful of my handmade ornaments were on full display.

“Can I—could I maybe go—talk to Felix?” He turned his attention to me. Blue eyes staring and curious.

“Are you guys talking again?” I shrugged as I tried to play it off as no big deal.

“I mean—we’ve said some slightly friendlier words.”

Actually, the last time Felix and I were together, we talked for a long time about everything that happened when we were apart. Part of me wanted to move on and just forget it. But we didn’t want to leave things unsaid, and Felix was still clearly feeling very guilty about it.

Even though we’d been alone together a couple of times, we hadn’t had sex again. It happened a bit unexpectedly for both of us, and we were still trying to wrap our minds around everything. It was complicated. We were in love. But the relationship was still kind of new. And yet—we knew each other intimately. And there were just a lot of feelings to work through. Felix admitted he didn’t want to overstep too quickly.

“I just wanted to wish him a merry Christmas,” I explained. “I think Quinn said something about him going to visit his family in Canada tomorrow. I made him something. So I thought it might be a good place to start.” He nodded to himself.

“Alright—just—be home before Frosty comes on.” I nodded quickly.

“I will. Thanks, Dad!” I hurried up the stairs to get Felix’s gift and my sweater and shoes. When I came back down, my dad was fighting the dog over a piece of tinsel she got ahold of. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll be right back!”

It was already dark when I got outside. The air was colder than expected. The streets were glistening from a recent rainfall that had dusted the distant mountains with a light covering of snow. I hurried down the driveway and over to Felix’s house. I bounced on my feet while I waited for him to answer the door. I expected it to be Claire, but it was Felix. He hung onto the doorknob and smirked at me, apparently readying himself for something smartass.

“Carolers. Very nice,” he said.

“Haha. Very funny.” I nudged past him to get out of the cold. He shut the door behind me. “I just came to exchange gifts before you leave.”

“Good. I have something for you too.” We stood there for a second until I nervously handed out the box. He took it and then went to retrieve one from beneath his much prettier tree. He handed it out, and then we stood there some more. Awkwardly dancing around it.

“Want to go to my room?” he finally asked. I nodded.

“Sure.” So he took my hand and led me down the hall. His mom was nowhere in sight. Come to think of it, I didn’t even notice her car out front. I’d been too excited to see him to pay attention. “Will your mom be mad?” I asked when I sat down on his bed.

“She’s not here. Open up.” He sat down beside me.

I smiled and opened the box. It was a woven bracelet. I had a bunch of them already because Billie had gotten into bracelet making, but his was made of thicker, blue and pink leather cords braided together.

“I love it!” I told him. Then I handed it out so he could tie it to my wrist.

“I made it.”

“Did you really?”

“Workshop at school. Don’t tell anyone.” I laughed, and he smiled just to show me he was joking.

“I love it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it.”

“Now it’s your turn.” He opened the box and laughed when he pulled out another bracelet. I made it with one of Billie’s kits. It was made with black and red thread woven together with red beads. I obviously couldn’t give him a real ruby, but it was close enough. He handed it out, so I secured it to his wrist.

“It seems we have similar ideas,” he said. I nodded.

“A little freaky, isn’t it?”

“I love it.”

“You sure? I just wanted to give you something more personal than something store-bought. I didn’t know if it would be too girly.”

“It fits right in.” He lifted his wrist, showing off the other bracelets he wore—most of them made by Billie, of course. I knew for a fact she was responsible for the beaded one that said: “Shoot the Gems” in alphabet beads because she’d put all of them together for the band for Christmas.

“I’m glad,” I told him. He leaned in and kissed me.

“I’ve missed you.” Both our parents had been out of work for a few days, and it was putting a damper on our alone time.

“I missed you too.”

I held his face in my hands as we made up for lost time. We fell back onto the bed, and I wrapped my legs around him. His lips went right to my neck. It didn’t take long before I was pulling at his shirt, and it was too hot for the sweater.

“Where’s your mom?” I asked.

“Last minute shopping.” He barely took his lips from my skin long enough to get the words out. I pawed at his shirt, pulling it up until I could feel the hot skin of his back.

“Do you want to?” I whispered breathlessly. He lifted his head and smiled at me.

“There is nothing in this world I would rather do more.” Then he pecked me on the lips. “But I have no idea when my mom will be back, and your dad is right next door, knows where you are, and knows how to remove fingers.” I laughed.

“Damn.” He sighed and then attacked me with kisses. But not the sexy kind from before. Playful, silly kisses that made me giggle

“I still don’t want you to leave,” he said, moving his hands to my ribs to tickle me.

“I won’t! I won’t!” I shrieked.