CWWC | Challenge Eight

Friday, September 1st, 2017

All three prompts have been used by this Team Shire member.

I slump forward onto the counter and blow air into the wad of gum I’m chewing. A large bubble expands until it pops, and I collect it back into my mouth for another bubble.

Work has been hard — really hard. Working at a gas station isn’t hard in its own right, no — but ever since me and my sister’s big fight, everything has been hard.

I close my eyes, blowing air so hard into the bubble that it pops prematurely. Not bothering to collect it back into my mouth, I squeeze my eyes shut harder and try to clear the confusion in my mind. Everything happened so fast last night — I could barely keep track. Now Elisa’s hurt and angry, and it’s all my fault.

When my eyes open again, they catch sight of the clock. 9:00. I sigh and spit my gum out, grabbing my coat and slipping my arms into the sleeves. I’m not looking forward to going home and facing Elisa’s silent wrath and hurt. But it’s long past my shift; I’ve stayed here long enough, and no one says in The Valley Gas Station very long.

The moment I press my hand against the gas station door, I feel the cold long before the door is opened. A blast of the freezing gale comes to meet my face and chills my bones as I run through the cold of night to my car.

I stop short when snowflakes swirl around and sprinkle the ground below.

It’s snowing on Christmas Eve.

If only I could make up with Elisa before tomorrow.

I trudge across the parking lot to my car and get in, fumbling with my keys before I can get them into the ignition. I look up through my windshield and stop short. What the…

My hand finds the handle involuntarily and I jump out of the car. Rushing to the front of it, I read the words etched in the snow on my windshield.

We should talk.

Elisa?

I whirl around to face her; and there she is.

“Merry Christmas, sis,” she says with a smile, holding out a small box for me.

“But — it’s not Christmas yet.”

Elisa shrugs and takes a step closer. “I wanted you to have this early. An — an apology gift.”

“I should be the one saying sorry.”

Elisa smiles, then wraps her arms around me in a hug. “I love you.”

*dies laughing* Sorry. Best I could do in eleven minutes. Actually, no. That’s the worst I’ve ever done.

But it’s almost midnight. DEATH. Gotta hurry. Adios.