Peppermint Phil

Phil couldn't help but to be sad as the holidays were here in Manchester. His mate, Dan was with his parents with the flu so his stay was going to extend to next week so he wouldn't be celebrating Christmas with Phil. Phil couldn't visit his parents because they were out having a holiday in Italy.

So Phil was going to be alone for the holidays for the first time in his life. He couldn't help but feel like the loneliest person ever.

x X x

Phil woke up to the sound of his alarm, he clicked it off and looked over at the time.

9:00 A.M.

'What's there to do? Nothing!' Phil frowned at his thoughts, instead of being negative; Phil smiled.

"Today I'll go in town!" He cheered himself up and got ready for the day.

Phil smiled as he went into town. People were buzzing with Christmas spirit and it had made him feel better about himself. They even got some snow the night before so by the time Phil woke up the snow had melted into a path all around town.

'Everything's so festive, it's so nice!'
Phil thought to himself, he decided to stay out the entire day looking at random shop windows, having some coffee, and finally loosing himself in the crowd.

'Ahh what should I do? Should I ask someone where I am? Dan wouldn't ask for directions he's too awkward for that! Hmmmm...' As Phil thought about what to do he found himself crashing onto a bench.

"Are you alright?" A girl that was sitting on the bench asked. Phil literally crashed into the bench side first then facepalmed by the bench!

"Yeah, fine!" Phil said getting up, even though his forehead was hurting from pain, his side was in pain as well.

"You're forehead gone red! You sure you're alright?" The girl asked, standing up to examine Phil's forehead. She raised her hand to his forehead.

"Wow, your hands are cold!" Phil said, twitching at the touch of them.

"Well I don't believe in mittens so I'm sorry." She smiled.

"What about gloves?" Phil asked as he was slightly getting used to the girl's hand on his forehead.

"Fingerless." She smiled, raising the other hand up.

Phil smiled at the girl, sure she was strange but because Phil was so much like an introvert talking to this girl made him happy.

"I guess you're alright now that you're forehead isn't all red!" The girl said taking her hand away from his forehead.

Phil looked at the girl, she was a short girl with black hair with a blue beanie, she had hazel brown eyes and she was wearing a black coat that should have kept her warm but Phil assumed she was wearing a skirt or something because she was wearing leggings and boots. Her coat must have been covering her outfit.

"Thanks." Phil said as they now stood apart from each other.

"I'm Lily, in case you feel too awkward to ask." She said smiling.

"Phil." He smiled. She was right about being too awkward to ask her, her name.

"Lily pad!" A little boy's voice was heard as he ran towards Lily.

"Charlie Bear!" Lily said as she bent down to pick up the running kid and swing him around and stopping in front of Phil with the kid safely in her arms.

"Is he yours?" Phil said, even though he was trying to not think about the fact that he might hitting on a girl that's already got a mate.

"No, he's my nephew! Charlie say hello to Phil." She put him down and Charlie stared at Phil like he was a skyscraper.

"Charlie!"

"If my auntie likes you then I have to like you!" Charlie said and running off to play some more.

"Charlie! Be careful!" Lily yelled as he ran off.

"I'm sorry he's kind of straightforward with meeting people." She added.

"It's alright." Phil chuckled.

"How old is he?"

"He's four!"

"Lily pad!" Lily looked over in the direction of Charlie yelling at her, in view was Charlie and a woman that nearly looked like Lily except older and with longer black hair and a man in with short black hair in a jacket and jeans as if today was normal Manchester weather.

The older woman was waving a hand to Lily, and she knew what it meant.

"Well it was nice meeting you Phil, I hope we can actually have a conversation one day." She smiled as she got her things together.

"Yeah, of course! I'm always in town if you want to hang out!" Phil said thinking to himself that he's rarely in town and wondering why he said that.

"Oh, well then perhaps we'll crash into each other! Unlike the bench and you."

Phil chuckled, "Yeah, well..."

Lily jumped in her steps as she left and Phil smiled.

It wasn't everyday that he meets a girl that he can actually talk to or try to talk to without embarrassing himself.

'Today was a nice day!' Phil thought to himself as he left or tried to leave as he remembered that he was still lost.
'Well almost nice day!'

xXx xXx

The next few days for Phil were uneventful. He tried doing things he would usually do when Dan's here but there really wasn't anything. He had already had the tree ready and the apartment decorated so he couldn't find anything else to do.

Phil tried phoning Dan but Dan as he described himself "a dying mess" that couldn't stop coughing for more than a few seconds. He couldn't say anything without being misinterpret.

'Maybe the reason I said I was going to in town more was cause there's nothing to here!' Phil thought to himself, he had inertly gave himself the idea to go into town more! Although this time he would pay attention to where he was going and try and not to get lost again.

Phil went into without the intention of buying anything. Although the second he saw some cool looking socks he bought them!

'So much for not buying anything!' Phil smiled, even though the purpose was not to buy anything he was really excited about these new socks!

"Auntie! It's your boyfriend!" Phil heard some kid say, he glanced around and saw Charlie grabbing at Lily's arm as he was pointing at Phil.

They were standing off to the sides by Marks & Spencer as Phil had passed by.

"Charlie! Auntie doesn't have a boyfriend remember?" Lily said as she picked him to look at him rather than kneeling and looking at him.

"Okay, your husband's over there!" Charlie said giggling. He pointed at Phil still and when Lily looked at where he was pointing she couldn't help but feel her cheeks heat up as she heard Charlie.

She put Charlie down and waved at Phil.

Phil felt a little embarrassed that he was standing in the middle of the place just looking at them, so the second that Lily waved over to him he waved a little back and headed over there.

'I hope this won't be awkward!' Phil thought to himself.

"Hey!" Phil said, smiling.

"Hi Phil! What are you doing here?" Lily asked, so much for subtle!

"Just out buying gifts for myself!" Phil said, it's really random stuff.

"Oh, you're not spending Christmas with anyone?" Lily said knowing how that feels.

"No, my mate he's with his parents and got sick so he's staying out over there till he gets better and my parents are off having a holiday in Italy." Phil said, trying not be sad about it.

"Why don't you have Christmas with me?" Lily said, knowing that would cheer up anyone or any lonely person.

"Um, are you sure?"

"Yay, I get more presents! Auntie Lily I love you and I love uncle Phil too!" Charlie said as he hugged Phil's leg.

Both Lily and Phil looked at each other and looked away.

"Whose your friend?" Lily's sister asked, making the scene.
"Oh, this is Phil and Phil this is my sister Mandy."

Mandy was older looking than Lily but shorter.

"Oh, hello!"
"Hi. Charlie get off of his leg!"

"That's Charlie's mom!" Lily said standing next to Phil as Mandy got Charlie off Phil's leg.

"Okay well we're done looking for today. You guys can hang out if that was the plan." Mandy said as she was holding Charlie's hand.

"Um, sure!" Lily said, nodding her head.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." Mandy said waving off to Lily and Phil as she and Charlie walked in the other direction.