Amanda was standing in the doorway as the chilly winter air ripped through the small crack her tiny figure left open and violently tore through the lair. She carefully eyed the fluffy white substance at her feet before picking up her left foot and kicking some in a northerly direction. She chuckled as the snow hit the back of the head of the intended target who turned to look at her over her shoulder before sighing and shaking her head. "Get in here. You're going to freeze to death…though it won't be any skin off my back if you die from hypothermia but John would be less then pleased."
"John's not here right now and I'm tired of being isolated like a vicious dog in a cage at the local shelter. Besides, it's Christmas, I need some sense of normality before I shoot myself in the head with a revolver." Her tone wasn't the nicest she could have mustered, but it was indicative of the way she felt towards the bitchy brunette giving her dirty looks in the doorway.
Sighing, Amanda huffed and puffed a little as she disappeared into the lair to grab a cloak before stepping outside of the door and shutting it behind her. The sky was grey even though all the snow had fallen - ate least a foot or two. The lack of the blazing sun made it much easier to peer out into the distance which was pretty much just a stretch of road covered in white and unmoving. The whole city seemed to be at a stand still not only because of the snow but because of the holiday. Walking over to where Michelle went to lean back against the side of the building after kicking a bit of snow out of way, Amanda leaned beside her, frowning rather intently. "What is with your stubborn fucking attitude? Besides, who the hell cares that it's Christmas. It doesn't matter."
Glancing at Amanda out of the corner of her eye she shook her head a bit before looking into the distance peacefully. "I agree with you about Christmas but to many people around the world it means a lot. Not always for the right reasons. The holidays are a time to spend with friends and family far and near but for the majority of the human population it's about what you can get in exchange for being a contributing member of your social group. It's pretty pathetic if you ask me, but then again I was never one to turn down presents so I guess I'm a hypocrite."
Amanda was silent through her little speech, finally looking over at the girl who never really spoke to her. What she said made sense, no matter how much she disliked her. "True. I never had a Christmas though considering there was no such thing as family for me." Folding her arms over her chest she looked down at the ground, burying the tip of her boot into the snow.
"Neither did I. Not after about 16 years ago. After the past 8 I just gave up entirely on even trying to muster the strength to give a damn. I had nothing left considering what family I knew no longer knew me. I really didn't care though. I could walk through life without a single person to know my name and I was completely content." She licked her lips to moisten them a bit before peering over at Amanda to see she was listening rather intently.
"You said 'was'…what's different now? You don't know anyone still. You're here and from what I gather from the way you talk about this place you hate it."
She scoffed and dropped her head, a smirk playing across her lips before she sighed deeply and gazed over the blanket of snow to see a hooded figure approaching the lair. "What's different now is that…I actually care whether I'm alive or dead." She reached up with her left hand and through the fabric of her shirt felt the telltale bullet wound that would never fade away. "Life's too short to be so engulfed in yourself that that's all you think about. Selfish views are never beneficial to any person and especially not me. I'm thankful that I'm alive and I never thought I would say this in my wildest dreams but if it wasn't for the hell I see every day and the pain I feel, I would be lying dead in a mound of sleeping pills with no one the wiser that I was gone. John saved my life…I'm just trying to figure out whether I like being alive or would prefer to not see death every time I close my eyes."
Amanda's lips were tightly pursed together and she was very intent as she listened to what this girl said to her. Now, Amanda's view of her would never change (she hated her close relationship with John that just seemed to be getting closer every day because it appeared to be what John wanted) but there was a great deal of respect she suddenly felt for the reborn lost soul.
"I guess I can say for the first time I enjoy Christmas." with those final words the two young women watched as John approached, for a moment standing silent and still as he saw them together. How odd, they never interacted in such a peaceful manner before.
"Amanda. Can you help me with these things?" he had a brown paper bag in his arms and Amanda nodded, smiling a bit as she pushed off the wall and headed towards the door, opening it up and stepping inside. Before John closed the door he paused, looking over his shoulder at Michelle who was clearly looking right back at him. "Is everything alright?"
"…everything is just fine now." with her final words to him, John smirked and nodded his head, stepping through the doorway as she pushed off the wall and slowly followed the two back into the lair, taking one last look over her shoulder at the snow and stepping back into the darkness of the lair - her new "life".
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays as well as a wonderful New Year to everyone!