A/N: This is my third oneshot. I was given the word 'Presents' Check out BerryCollector's profile and her oneshots! –Enjoy--
I was surrounded by presents. Dolls, books, trucks, anything I imagined. The souls went overboard – as expected – with the Christmas thing. Still, I saw no sign of a Santa. Disappointed, I rolled my cart forward, deciding which presents the people in the cave might like. It was hard, not to decide, but to actually pick up the presents. Every time my hand touched one, it jerked back like it had been burned. Because I hadn't deserved these presents, I had given nothing back to the community, and that seemed worse than just getting the food, which we actually needed.
Guilt flooded me again, Just do it, don't think about it. I thought, heisting to pick up the presents again.
I touched another present, a book this time, only to be struck with the burning reaction again. I signed, I was hopeless. Plus, I needed to hurry up, Ian, Andy, Melanie, and Jared must be pretty cramped in the small van by now…
"Need any help?" A voice asked behind me.
I let out a breathless squeal and turned around. My hand bumped against the small pill in my pocket, and I got worried I might need to use it. My face morphed into a red color as I saw it was a soul, as with the silver glint in his eyes, dressed in a smock and jeans.
I lowered my eyes, "No. No thanks."
He eyed my tiny body warily, "You sure? It's awful big to be carrying."
He was just being helpful. I let my fist that was wrapped around the pill to unfold. Just being helpful.
"I'm sure," I said. With a grunt, I pulled on the present and let in roll in my cart. "I'm Christmas shopping for my partner and some of my friends."
"Oh?" He asked.
Why wouldn't he go away? "Yeah," I said, hopefully ending the conversation. "Thanks for the offer."
I rolled my cart away, adding more presents and ignoring the emotions rising in my chest to the overflowing cart.
After I had scanned all the items in my cart, I walked steadily to the van, keeping my eyes on it. I could feel the tense atmosphere in there already, and I knew I had taken too long. So much for keeping the presents a surprise.
"What took so long?" Andy hissed at me when I was loading. I could see his head over the bags, and the back seat, looking at me angrily.
"I, um," I started. "I got some Christmas presents. It was harder to get them then I thought it would be."
"Why?"
I saw Ian's face over the grocery bags this time. He looked worried, too worried as always about me. He seemed to make up for my lack of selfishness.
"Oh please," I heard Melanie say. It was more of the way she said things than her voice that I recognized though. "She just means she had to get over feeling guilty for getting the presents."
I blushed and nodded. Melanie knew me so well, we were like sisters. I continued packing the van and emptying the cart and shut the truck tightly. After running the cart back, I got and the front seat and drove.
"I didn't get presents for everyone…" I said. "But I'll get more as we go to more stores."
"Looks like we'll have a regular Christmas after all," Jared murmured.