vetitum amoris

chapter eight

Pearl's mum and dad returned home, and they seemed more in love than ever. They spoke to Pearl about their trip and showed her photos of everywhere they had been. Her mum and dad had brought her some proper Scottish shortbread home, and they all ate it while they were in the kitchen, with a cup of tea.

Pearl had found an old scarf in her wardrobe - a thick, black scarf with white skulls printed on it - and it had become her new skin. She wore it everywhere, and she was thankful she could blame the cold weather for her new fashion accessory.

During the last few days before Christmas, Pearl did some last-minute Christmas shopping, both with Pez and Tessa, and on a separate occasion with her dad.

Pearl, Tessa and Pez all met up on Sunday morning and went into town together. It had been snowing the night before, and there was snow, ice and slush everywhere. It was freezing cold, and everyone in town was all wrapped up, wearing big thick coats, gloves and woolly scarves. The three friends went for a coffee. "The Cabin?" Tessa suggested, but Pearl pulled a face. Her two best friends didn't know anything that had happened between her and Harvey, but Pearl was worried in case they bumped into him in there. She knew he was still a good customer there - Archie admired him every time he went in for a coffee. "How about Costa then?" Pez suggested. He took out his wallet and pulled out his loyalty card. "Come on, I think I have enough points to buy us all a coffee."

Once they had all had a coffee - which Pez bought - they left the coffee shop, which was packed out, and began their shopping. They all bought each other a few little bits, and picked up some gifts for their families, too: CD's, boxes of chocolates, perfume, gift cards for their favourite clothes shops, jewellery...

When they were all done, each had bags upon bags, they returned to their homes. They had agreed to wrap their presents for each other, and give them, today. They all returned to their own homes, and all met back up again round Pez's later that night. They all went up to Pez's room, and they drank vodka and coke, ate the chocolates from the tins - Rose's were Pearl's favourite kind - and then gave each other their presents. Pez went to unwrap one of his, but Tessa smacked his hand away from the gift bag. "Oh no you don't, Perry!" Pez's face was a picture. "Christmas is on December the twenty-fifth, not now! You wait."

***

Pearl went shopping with her dad the day later, on Christmas Eve. Her mum would have joined them, but she was stressing about having to cook Christmas dinner, so she stayed home and googled how to get the best, crunchiest pork crackling. Pearl and her dad had both offered to help, but Helen had said she'd be fine. Pearl and her dad left her to it. She was sat at the kitchen table on her laptop, glasses on, notepad by her side. Wayne got the car keys, and Pearl grabbed her bag, phone, keys and purse, made sure she was definitely wearing her scarf, and then they left.

Pearl and her dad got into town for around 2pm. Town was even busier than it had been the day before, everyone getting those last minute little things: stocking fillers, crackers, lots of alcohol and tins of chocolate.

"Have you had anything to eat, yet?" Wayne asked as he walked through town with his daughter. "No," Pearl replied. "I could do with a -"

"Costa?" Wayne smiled. "I know you like that other one, with Archie, the one your mum used to go to. The Hut?"

"The Cabin, dad," Pearl smiled. "And yeah, but it's not in town. Costa is only over the road, and they do sandwiches..."

Pearl and her dad went to Costa together. Again, it was rather busy, but Pearl's dad spotted an empty table by the window. "What do you want?" Pearl asked him.

"Just a plain white coffee," Wayne replied. "None of that fancy flavoured syrup you have in yours. Here." He handed her his credit card. "And... this," he handed her a cheese, ham and rocket panini from the fridge. "Tell them I want it h-o-t. Get what you want. I'll get us that table."