A/N:Due to some spamming I received,I can only accept logged-in reviews.
x.x.x
Jake inhaled the brisk, wintry air as he made his way toward the address the auction was being day felt heavy and uncomfortably warm, making his gray jacket feel too , the rush of clear clean air intake made it easier.
After debating about it all night and barely catching a wink of sleep,J ake Long had decided to take out a fraction of his college fund to purchase Rose what he hoped would compensate for whatever truly had her so unhappy yesterday.
There it is, he thought as people lingered as far back as the couple of blocks he had to go. Jake made sure no one saw and morphed into his dragon form.
The red-winged being lifted up from the ground to pass a few buildings where people congregated in front of before he slipped back down to earth in a blue flash, straight into a garbage can. Prying off the offensive tin, he started forward.
People chattered casually and easily, making the bustling nerves Jake continued to feel seem ridiculous. He summoned all this newfound courage he possessed and weaved his way through crowds of mostly, almost surprisingly, only adults.
"Sara wants one of his amps so bad,"One woman said.
"I know."Came man's voice among many."Kara can't stop begging for one."
Having had to make a few sacrifices of dignity to get to the front, Jake made his way to what could pass as being in the third row and stopped. The voices of people began to lower to near silence and turned all attention before them.
Jake went with the majority and found none other than Jarred Macarthur now standing a few yards away behind a podium. A couple of broad-shouldered, wired bodyguard types flanked either side of the suavely beaming rock star.
"Welcome, everyone."he greeted,n ot unlike a king to his loyal subjects. Or,Jake thought a bit exaggeratedly. To the loyal subject's parents. "Today we gather to auction off a most valuable, priceless, irreplaceable beautiful piece...of...me!"
His eyes momentarily watered and the sixteen-year-old boy clung onto the red guitar for a moment as everyone exchanged fairly bewildered expressions. At that moment Jake felt the whole thing wasn't worth it and began to walk away.
"All right!"Brad's voice rose above the rest. "Loser's going home. That signature guitar is going to the single most sumptuous person on the planet, Roselicious."
Jake bristled, a steely determination starting to build within him.
"Six thousand dollars!"He declared as he whirled back around.
Macarthur was on his feet in a moment. "6000, do I hear 6100? 6000 going..."
"6020!"A random woman called.
"60-"
"6500!"Brad hollered and smirked sidelong at Jake, who bared his teeth.
"6500-"The pop star began.
"7000!"Jake called.
"7000 dollars. Do I hear 7500?"
"Seventy six, double zero!"Brad announced deliberately.
"7600 going once, going twice..."
"7800!"Jake shouted.
"7999!"Brad combated, the confident sneer almost too unbearable.
" I hear 8000? 7999, going once, going twice..."
Jake stared down at his hand where his check lay for eight thousand dollars.
x.x.x
"Thanks for coming with me."Rose told Trixie as they headed toward the mall.
"No problem. Not all people know what to get a skateboarding, hip-hop listenin' dragon for Christmas."The two exchanged a look and laughed.
Rose pressed her lips together."To be honest, Trixie."she confided."I never know what to really get anyone for Christmas maybe because I never celebrated it."
The revelation caught her off guard and Rose knew it. "Seriously?"Trixie asked.
She nodded but waved dismissively."Don't worry about it.I got used to it over the years and it's pretty hard to miss something when you haven't ever done it."
"Hands off, Long!"A familiar voice commanded.
"That can be arranged for you, Brad!"An even more familiar voice barbed.
Trixie and Rose raced toward a gaping arc of a crowd where they were able to catch glimpses of two teen boys tug-a-warring a guitar as if it were rope. With a better view in a gap between crowds opening up, Rose watched with a feeling of shock.
Brad was bare up top with his trousers seriously sagging and only a single shoe was on, Jake himself only had on his white T-shirt, boxers and ankle high socks.
"Jake!"She cried at him."Stop!"
He didn't. The two just kept tugging away. Rose was about to make a move, but saw Trixie storm forward and tear the guitar away from the brawling twosome.
"ENOUGH!"
They still fought, landing punches and kicking shins. Even when the two guards came to separate the two they still were going at one another. Rose left quietly.
x.x.x
The fact that Brad had claimed he was getting the guitar for Rose, but admitted right before Jake was ready to outbid him that he was actually going to auction it off on the internet had sent the two in a frenzied fight which was now altered.
If not entirely restrained.
"Thanks a lot, jerkwads!"Jarred Macarthur called out to them through the mike accusingly. "You've ruined my love of pop rock, now I'll have to sing emo rap!"
Jake was still anxious to deliver onto Brad one last surprise when he caught a quick glance at Rose turning away from the crowds and was instantly aware of the unnecessary clamor he had just caused. Stricken, he started to run after her.
"Kid,"A bodyguard caught his shoulder and shoved his jacket and pants back into his arms. "Never throw away college fund checks for 8000 bills, along with a coat and jeans full of loose pocket change to outbid a person from now on."
Jake muttered a thank you and chased through a crowd of disapproving adults glaring at him, hustling and ducking around until he finally found his way out of the mob.
Rose was nowhere to be found.
"What on earth were you doin'?"Trixie questioned him."Sinking to his level? All over a dumb guitar by a guy who couldn't write okay lyrics if you helped him."
"It wasn't for me, Trix."Jake told her, clutching the check tightly."It was for..."
"Rose."she sighed in acceptance."I see."
He began to tell the entire story with the guilt factor weighing him down and all while returning his clothes to there proper places, his skin tingled tight with shivers.
"You mean, you were willing to buy her something worth eight grand to make up for fourteen years without ever having a Christmas?"Trixie recapped, taking Jake by surprise. Rose had never had a Christmas before?Never even one gift? An idea that he wouldn't have thought of otherwise overshadowed the old entirely.
"It's cool,"he turned to Trixie and assured her."I've got a better idea anyways."
"You always do." She smiled.
x.x.x
Rose gazed out at the thick sprinkling of snow swirls outside her window. After almost going the entire Christmas holiday without speaking to Jake, she now felt guilty for having done so and yet she still felt justified. What he had done was all but inconceivable even for Jake to do; fighting over a guitar at a charity auction!
And in a brawl with Brad nonetheless. She gazed down at her charm that lie on her window seal and brought it up to eye level. It was Christmas Eve and Jake had to be worried sick over her by now as they hadn't even dreamed together.
With a resolution to straighten things out, Rose walked over to her bed and lay down on her back atop the quilted mattress. Her legs straight out and her hands folded on her chest with the dream charm now against her softly beating heart, she sank into her dreams.
I'm coming, Jake...Rose thought fleetingly as she began dozing off. I'm coming.
The first thing that was vaguely present to her was the strong aroma of pine tree needles, the second was that she was sitting up. Rose slowly opened her ocean-colored eyes to discover a magnificent tree strung with multi-color bulbs was close by.
Perplexed, she turned to see a girl that bore a striking resemblance to her sat right beside her on the coach. Except for the crop hair that fell to her shoulders, a pair of thick rimmed glasses and a more formal outfit then her own, they were alike.
"Go on, Rose."she beamed at her expectantly."Open something already."
"Hurry now,"a man with brown hair and a fair build wearing sweats laughed."It might be too late by the time Max gets down here." Behind his joke lie warmth.
Rose looked down to see a red and green present sat enticingly upon her lap.
"Look up and smile as you open it."A slim blond woman in a navy pantsuit said as she aimed the lens of a digital camera at Rose."We need one for the album."
The people around her looked so genuinely as the ones from her dream did, she couldn't help but to think of them as real. But how? How could they all be real?
Her family continued to wait for her.
"Rose, c'mon."The girl beside her urged.
"Stephanie is right, Honey. Were all waiting for you."
She explored their faces.T he more she hesitated, the more concerned they got. Rose finally gave a little nod and looked down with a smile to untie the ribbon.
x.x.x
Jake watched from a safe distance outside the window as the dreamworld of a neighborhood he had imagined began to filter snow perfect setting and Rose's reaction brought him such happiness that he continued to watch for a few more moments before walking away leaving Rose to her very first noel.
The End.
LP