A Land of Imagination

We Are Young

The necklace feels cold in my hand despite the fact that I'm running up the stairs, taking two - sometimes three - steps at a time. I don't even know if she'll be there but here I am, stumbling my way towards her.

As I near the landing of the final floor of our school building, I rest my forehead against the wall, taking deep breaths to calm the butterflies raging inside my stomach and attacking my spluttering heart.

Why am I so anxious? I did nothing wrong.

Finally composing myself enough to be presentable, I turn and head towards the door that leads to the roof. The door is slightly ajar, which means someone is out there.

I push the door open, the icy breeze biting the exposed skin on my face and hands.

"Lin?" A small puff of smoke escapes my lips as I whisper her name.

"Over here."

My feet carry me to the direction of her voice, rounding the corner and coming face to face with a figure I hadn't acknowledged since last year.

She smiles sheepishly as her eyes travel from my face to my boots then back to my face again. "You look thicker."

Mortified, my response tangles in my mind so all I could utter was an annoyed scoff.

"Relax, that's a compliment. You know I like thick girls."

Even as the cold wind continues to whip around us, she laughs, a warm sound that slowly thaws the bitterness in my heart.

I open my hand to show her the necklace. "Did you put this in my locker?"

She shrugs. "Clearly you know the answer since you're here."

I roll my eyes at her response. Typical Lin.

"I thought I lost it..." I run my thumb over the golden heart. "Why did you even have this?"

She takes the necklace from my palm, the shock of her fingers sending spidery shivers up my arm.

"I took it after you broke up with me."

I cringe as flashbacks of our brief and painfully awkward fling from friendship attacks my thoughts.

"I'm sorry-"

"No, Tiala," Lin interrupts my broken apology with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I was a selfish, stubborn and inconsiderate twat who believed that if I truly loved someone and shoved it in their face, then they'd return the feelings too."

She walks closer and places her arms on my shoulders. Her fingers fumble at the nape of my neck, and I realise as I feel the cool metal touch my skin...that she put the necklace on me.

"My therapist told me to stop blaming you. It's not your fault you don't feel the same way." She sighs and pats my left cheek. "Although, if I kiss you right now, what would you do?"

I grimace at the suggestion which makes her laugh. "Ok, that's a no then."

She steps back and smiles. "I'd like you to promise me something though."

"What?"

"Pretend you don't know that I'm your secret Santa."

***

My entry to: Aim To Engage II, Day #26 - Secret Santa 

Word Count: 499 words

This was surprisingly the hardest challenge from Aim to Engage II to cut down to 500 words. Teen fiction is a genre I've never tried writing before so it felt awkward for me but hopefully it turned out ok?