The Twelve Days of Christmas

Chapter 25

It was pretty much like any normal time, except it was nothing like normal times all at the same time. The whole idea made my head spin. We were all sitting in front of the fire, just like Alice and I had done so many times on the cold winter evenings after a long day. Except, this time, there were two new guests.

Jimmy pretty much kept himself to himself. Sitting in the closest chair to the fireplace and gripping the plate of leftovers I had given him like someone would pounce and try to take it from him at any second. He had tried to insist on fixing the tap before he ate, but I was much more stubborn than he was and won out in the end. The poor man needed warming up before he attempted too much movement. I was convinced his joints were frozen solid and might snap under the pressure of a task.

He was completely different to Dylan. Everything seemed to be completely normal. It seemed he was a perfect fit for our jigsaw puzzle, too. I relayed everything that had happened to Alice. It was quite the change; it being me talking about boys instead of her. Even though Dylan knew everything that had happened, he was still as attentive and reactive as Alice. It was so funny, the two of them kept turning around to each other, mouths open and grabbing at each other’s hands. They were such teenagers.

“I really thought this story would have a happy ending when you started. I’m rather disappointed.” Alice was prone to being a little overdramatic at times.

“I know. I was heartbroken when she told me,” Dylan chimed in.

Alice turned to me, her face dropping even more. “You told him before you told me?”

“Alice, don’t be silly. I couldn’t have told you if I wanted to.”

She folded her arms over her chest and scrunched down in her chair. “I’m sure somewhere as grand as Buckingham Palace has phones.”

“I’m sure it does too, but they aren’t mine to use.” She was still huffing, and I knew her well enough to know that no excuses would change her mood. “I’ve missed you.” There was just a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth and I knew she was keeping up the sulk on purpose.

“I’ve missed you too and so has that fat ginger thing you call a cat. He’s whining constantly and rubbing up against me. The thing just won’t leave me alone.”

“Alice, have you tried stroking him?”

“No, and I don’t intend to.” She wrinkled her nose at the mere suggestion, and I couldn’t stop the laugh from bubbling up.

“While we’re here, we should go and raid your wardrobe.” Dylan just pulled the thought out of nowhere and was already getting up to go and do exactly that, even with no knowledge of where my wardrobe was.

I followed suit, but only to slow him down. “No way. You and project runway over there are not getting anywhere near my wardrobe.”

Alice walked straight past me and opened the flat door, the traitors. “Come on, I’ll show you where her bedroom is.” Which is how I ended up propped up on my bed watching on as they threw clothes into different piles. They weren’t even overly kind with their assessment of my clothes, more like outright rude.

Alice and I might be entirely different, but she and Dylan were like two peas in a pod. They seemed to agree on everything and by everything; I mean my need for a whole new wardrobe and someone else to style me.

“There is nothing remotely suitable here.” The slight tut of disgust at the end of Dylan’s statement bothered me more than it should have.

They both turned to look at me as I cleared my throat and I almost regretted the decision to speak up. “I’m not going to be doing anything but being hidden in the kitchen covered in baking ingredients. My outfit doesn’t matter.”

“Oh honey, I know you believe that, but it is simply not true.” Alice at least tried to hide her annoyance for once. It wasn’t the first time she had tried to get me to update my wardrobe, but it felt like such a waste of money. I had more important things to spend money on, not that I had much of it. “After what he has done to you, you need to walk in there looking even more amazing than the stupid blue blood he was dancing with. Show him that you were worth his time, but that he isn’t worthy of yours.”

“Alice, that doesn’t solve anything. He will think I am doing it for his benefit, and I really don’t want to give him any encouragement.”

“Which is why it will hurt so much more when you tell him to get stuff.” Dylan closed the wardrobe doors, and it was clear he was done trying to salvage anything from the wreckage that was my wardrobe. “Come on, Oxford Street will still be bustling. We have time to find the perfect outfits to make him wish he had knelt at your feet and worshiped you for the queen you are.”

I wanted to argue with Dylan and Alice. I wanted them to leave me be, but the idea of proving I was something more than he saw. To show him that he had made a colossal mistake.

So instead I didn’t argue for once and just went with it. Letting them pull me along with their excitement and conviction. Jimmy happily excused himself to go and find the gear that he admitted to stashing in the park each day. The idea of him sleeping out in the park while I went shopping didn’t sit right, but there wasn’t much I could do. I had no power or resources to change his life for the better, and I wasn’t sure he would even want me to.