Finding myself shocked, I then realized our overlapping schedules.

DEREL: I-I see..well it's best not to miss the funeral…huh..?

Chris only looked on somberly as the thoughts in her head distracted her from my words of persuasion.

DEREL: Hey, don’t think about it too much–we always have next year, and the year after that.

Raising my arms in a friendly gesture–I tried reassuring her; despite my understandable disappointment.

CHRIS: T-Thanks Derel.

She only mumbled an appreciation before we headed off towards our own classes.

As I clicked and chewed my pen–the semester final drained each of my youthful aspirations.

With each clicking tick passing by–my eyes flew lazily as the answers on my paper looked like the fiery pits of hell itself.

BRRIIING!

MRS. JUSTIN: Times up! Please–settle down your pens and papers. I will be picking them up shortly, have a wonderful break class!

With groans and moans, most of us stood tired and half assed our way to the door as our break had just arrived with the dismissal of the bell.

Waiting by the entrance as always–I stared at the beauty that walks by every day, though without the minor feeling of companionship to accompany me in my troubles.

Apparently for the past few days–I haven’t seen much of Chris; although despite her greeting me every morning; our conversation hasn't been the same ever since her grandpa's death.

Though knowing it saddens me to not see her much as of late–I understood her reason and understood more of her detachment. It’s just, sometimes people need time to grief–or at least figure out why they feel like being basement dwellers.

To tell you the truth though–it's only my personal experience that led me to this thinking, hell Chris could be just having a good ol time being by herself–despite how heavy the circumstances seem.

But I’m willing to think she went with the first option.

VOICE: Yo! You all by yourself?

Turning my head–his familiar voice struck a chord in me.

DEREL: B-Burn? What’re you doing here?

Burn looked almost confused as to my seemingly simple question.

BURN: What do you mean? You’re on the football court. And we’re just about to start practice.

BURN: I was gonna ask you the same question.

Realizing my wandering thoughts–literally made me wander, I didn’t know what else to say.

DEREL: Oh..ah, well…

Making an expression as if to know my struggle–Burn sat down right next to me before saying.

BURN: (Sympathetically sighing)..Look, I understand…if you actually look at it, breakups aren’t all that bad when you just accept it.

Patting me on the back to try and comfort my misunderstood situation–I quickly looked at him with an expression of confused understanding.

DEREL: Oh, you’ve got it all wrong–I’m not getting dumped.

Now with an open mind–Burn grew curious.

BURN: Huh? So then what’s got a man like you so moody?

Trying to flatter me with his charmed words–I semi-rejected them without hesitation.

DEREL: Mm..it’s just, my friend Chris.

Now expressing more curiosity, his spacious brows narrowed even more.

BURN: Oh…I thought you and Chris were dating.

Looking at him as if he stepped in heaps of shit, my expression of not–exact disgust but profound realization, shook me to my core.

DEREL: W-Wait, wait..! Did people think me and Chris were dating this whole time?

Burn only shrugged with an impotent face.

BURN: I dunno, I mean I did–who’s to say others didn’t.

Sighing a quick breath I soon turned my attention into figuring out how to ask for advice–without detailing Chris’ situation.

With moments of silence going through my mind–the quickening awkwardness was getting to Burn.

BURN: So–what IS the deal with you and Chris?

Turning to him–I looked with hesitating gestures before answering minutely.

DEREL: I…I guess you could say we’ve been friends for a long time, childhood friends.

Snorting the tiniest of chuckles, he realized I noticed his brief cringe.

BURN: I-I’m sorry, it's just the cliches in like one of those stories you know? My bad.

Looking at him with a scorn of “It's not like that” I finally realized that no amount of advice can help my situation.

Sighing another breath, my profession in becoming stressed in my own situations–was somewhat now more common.

Looking up, the football players were just about to begin practice.

BURN: Well, It was nice talking–even though it was short. I’ll see you tomorrow Derel!

Running towards the team–I was surprised by his vigor to practice–even in this kind of temperature.

As Burn crossed over towards his teammates line of sight–an idea finally hit me.

Getting up from the bench–I stood firmly, gripping my shivering hands as I left towards home.

Clicking the door open, I went over towards the kitchen to grab a pen by the neck as I unsheathed a piece of printer paper. Taping it onto the fridge, it read.

(Going over to Chris’ place, will be home soon. -Derel)

Changing into suitable clothes for the weather–I knew I had to prepare.

Chucking down snacks into the center of my backpack–I then folded a blanket to conceal their true purpose.

As I gripped my house keys within my palms–its metal tip glared with a determined skepticism.

With one foot in front of the other–the cold sting of winter air singed my nostrils as I hid them within the brims of my scarf.

Seeing cloudy smoke from each breath I take–I was certain Chris was gonna enjoy my evening plans.

Ding Dong!

I rang the doorbell once. No immediate answer–if any, no immediate response at all.

Ding Dong! Ding Dong!

This time I rang twice. Yet again no dice.

Getting a little bit more colder–I shivered myself as I stood solid on the doorway porch.

(Whistling from above)

DEREL: Gugh..! Where’s the wind coming from..!?

Looking up–I noticed that the window was slightly ajar.

As I hesitated–as though to think of an idea, though childish–I used to do it many times when I was younger.

Sighing a breath, the fog from my hesitation danced gracefully in the air; taking a pebble from the frosted ground, I reeled back my arm before launching the stone with a softened throw.

Tink!

Its noise sounded like a good enough tap. And yet there was still no answer.

Frowning my brows–I quickly picked up another pebble and threw it a little harder.

Tunk!

Having faith that the noise should attract some attention–I was finally answered. Though not with who I was expecting.

Of course it was Chris–but her peculiar shorts as well as a darkened hoodie sort of distanced me.

Waving my hands, I said.

DEREL: Emo much?

Seemingly sighing–Chris walked away, making it as if she never even noticed my presence.

I waited for what seemed like a solid minute before the door finally shifted its lock.

CHRIS: What’re…what’re you doing here..?

I grinned widely to overexpress myself.

DEREL: Well I’m here to celebrate Christmas Eve..!

DEREL: I even brought some of your favorite snacks. And also I couldn’t help but wonder what you were up to.

Seemingly lighting up her expression–her gloomy persona soon turned into neutral excitement. And despite her seemingly cold and somewhat uncaring motion–she lets me in.

CHRIS: I-I..see…uhm, why do you have your backpack?

Taking off my shoes I stumbled a bit before setting my stuff down.

DEREL: Well, I thought of an idea–since you wouldn’t be coming over tomorrow–I decided to come to you today. To celebrate.

With somewhat of a childlike thinking–even I surprised myself for how courageously ignorant I was. Though in a way I accepted it–as it was the thought that counts.

Sighing with an appreciated heart–Chris chuckled, but only a little.

CHRIS: ..I mean, I guess it is you after all. 

CHRIS: Of course you’d think of something like this.

Smiling back I quickly went behind Chris and urged her onto the couch as I pulled some popcorn out from my bag.

DEREL: Hey–come on, I’ve got an awesome movie to show you. I’m willing to bet you’d find it meaningful.

Acting as though my life was on the line–I put my all into my genuine act of care; brightly contrasting the cynicism we both shared from days before.

CHRIS: W-What?..But I was going to-

Sitting right next to her–I quickly said.

DEREL: If it’s so important that you were gonna make an effort for an excuse–you should have done so when I was freezing at the door.

Seeing a certain realization on her face–she quickly backtracked her statement.

CHRIS: O-Oh..sorry.

Catching myself astounded–it was one of the few times I genuinely heard her say the words, “sorry”.

DEREL: A-Ah..hahah..! It’s..no problem..!

Feigning awkwardly I quickly rushed towards the kitchen and chucked the bag of popcorn into the microwave.

DEREL: Uhm..you’re family won’t mind me using this right?

Chris only nodded as she stared with intrigue.

Smiling with an awkward tension, I turned back towards the microwave–finding myself staring at the rotating popcorn within the bag.

As I felt the certain stare peering over my shoulder–I could tell Chris was still looking at me, and despite my uncanny celebratory attitude; she seemed okay with it.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

It was done. The popcorn was done.

Searching the nearby cabinets–I tore open the package as I guided the rest of the popcorn kernels into the metallic bowl.

As I walked towards Chris–her gaze was now fixated on the TV, its processing of rated movies spiked, rotating onto newer ones as the timer quickly ushering the viewers perspective to pick and choose.

Setting down the bowl of instant popcorn–I grabbed the nearby remote and played on a certain movie I watched some nights before.

CHRIS: ‘The lone soldier?’

CHRIS: Wasn’t that movie criticized for using actual bombs?

I only nodded before looking back at the screen. I pressed play.

With the scene beginning with a beautiful backdrop of sun rays and fresh American soil, the calm before the storm played for about thirty five minutes.

As we reached the forty five minute mark–the movie soon grew darker, somberly.

MAN: I won’t ever forget you, I’ll always be proud of you no matter where you go.

As the little boy shed tears within his eyes–a certain blur skewed my vision. We both kept watching the film in silence.

Closing in on the hour and a half mark–we soon found ourselves watching the beginning of the end game. The main character has just been struck with an electronic bomb–striking down each and every aspect of nerves within his body. But in spite of that–the hero successfully disabled the destructive nuke that was going to blow all of the coast of the United states.

With only thirty minutes left of the movie, the time flew by fast–syncing the clock from five to seven. As we watched the last scenes of the movie closing to an end. Our paralyzed protagonist lays in his bed–aged and incapable from taking care of himself for the extent of his life. With years passing by and his son gradually growing into a man without his father–he still respects him deeply, despite his personal sacrifice to his family. As the man–his son sheds one last tear; he finally pulls the plug.

With the credits playing in the background of a black screen–we find our reflections within the pitched dark.

Blurred and sniffling–I tried quietly to reassure my senses as I sleazily wiped my nose. With the taste of popcorn kernels and artificial butter–its innate sensation only made my nose more stuffy.

Hearing not even a peep from my friend–I gaze towards her with my puffy eyes afore spotting her curled up in a ball. Confused if her slight shaking was a figment of my imagination or the blurring of my vision–I still comforted her despite the judging atmosphere within the room.

DEREL: Hey, you all good now?

Still with a hesitation in my throat–I just calmingly asked for her feelings.

CHRIS: . . .

DEREL: . . .

Finding no way to talk to her without words-I could only rub her back caringly.

CHRIS: I’m…I’m fine…

Chris then looked back up at me–her eyes red and puffed, simply the same as mine.

Huffing a chuckled breath I tried breaking the tense atmosphere.

DEREL: H-Hah..! I knew you had it in you to cry..!

Narrowing her brows as she smiled–she then pushed me playfully before saying.

CHRIS: Yeah..! Shut up..!

As I fell back onto the couch we both finally laughed for the first time in days. For a good minute we laughed at the emotional baggage that came with the coming of age. A loss of ignorance per say.

DEREL: Hahahah!

CHRIS: Hahah..!

As I sigh to regain my breath and relax my stomach–I sat back up and picked up the remote. Still wearing my yarned beanie–I clicked through channels of movies.

CHRIS: So, what’re we watching now?

Still searching, I stared at the screen for some time.

DEREL: Mm..I was hoping for something more entertaining, something like ‘Battle Faction Heroes’

CHRIS: Pfft!

She just scoffed at my suggestion, judging my poor taste in entertainment.

Knowing that I had the “Old Chris” back–I can only feel confident in our sincerity.