Author's Notes: Thank you again 3501BlackDemon for reviewing. Also, animeluva91. I really appreciate it. In this chapter, Gary is pretty OOC, but it makes the story good. This will also reveal the past of Hannah's life. Mainly her brother and their relationship. This is a lovey-dovey chapter, but they are still on friend terms, now becoming the type of friends that are inseparatable. Just read and see how!
Chapter 9: A Merry Christmas
It was now the day before Christmas, and everyone was rushing in a blur. Last minute gift shopping, family reunions, a break from school, well, I would say more, but that would be a waste of time. I had already bought gifts for my major friends, Beatrice, Lola, and Ricky, while I had gotten two for my best friend, Gary. He never really asked for anything, so I just guessed and came up with the idea for a perfect gift. The nerds, greasers, Gary, and I came up with the idea of meeting at the library, seeing it to be the warmest place on campus, both physically and in spirit. It was just a few hours of sleep that would make us wake up to a day of joy and laughter.
I woke up early on Christmas Day around 6:00. My friends and I said we would meet at the library around 10:00, giving enough time for us to sleep late. I felt in the Christmas mood so I grabbed a plain, white dress, a pair of white flats, and some white short shorts to go under the dress from my closet. I took a shower, changed, and dried my hair off. Again, I was in a total Christmas mood. I curled my straight, jet black hair with one of the curlers one of the girls left out. My outfit was done and I had three hours to spare. I'll just go and open my presents from my mom and dad. They had given me five presents: two from my dad, two from my mom, and a recently discovered present that my brother was originally going to give me on my birthday. My mom's gifts were some black shirts with some cool designs with a nice, black headband and a cool watch. My dad, being the guy who says I have too much clothes, got me a skateboard with a design of blue, the blue that was the same color of my eyes, and black camouflage with my name initials on it in white and a blue electric guitar. Finally, the present from my brother was a picture of me, him, Mom, and Dad standing together on the beach. It also came with a note:
Dear Hannah,
I just want to tell you that I love you like a brother should and so does Mom and Dad. I want you to remember that no matter where I am, at home or in space, at the same school or the one down the street, dead or alive, I will always be there for you. In good times and in bad, loving you no matter what decision you make. I cannot promise that I will be there at every great event in your life, but I will protect you until the day I see that light.
Your brother,
Jake
I couldn't believe that he actually cared that much for me. Not only did he love me, but he also protected me by risking his life. The words that really impacted me were I will protect you. As if watching a movie, I could remember the day Gary made the very same promise. My trust has gone up with him since then, and now it climbed up like a mountain knowing that Jake implied the same thing. I looked at the clock and it read 9:50. I guess I should go over to the library now.
When I got to the library, some of the others were already there, holding their presents in their laps. I did the same and sat in a chair and kept all my gifts in my lap. Finally, everyone came after a little waiting. I gave Lola, Beatrice, and Ricky their gifts while also giving Gary one of his. I got Lola some new perfume and make-up, Lola some new test tubes and chemicals for her chemistry lab set, Ricky some new parts, not used, for his bike, and Gary a picture of him and everyone in the room huddled together to take a picture together. They all seemed to like their gifts, and Gary just smiled like an idiot who just got the meaning to a joke. Others also got me some presents. Lola got me a new brush, Beatrice and the nerds got all the horror books that Stephen King wrote and a few other decent horror books, Ricky got me a matching blue and black helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads. He also told me he or the other greasers could teach me some tricks with my bike or a skateboard if I go to the skate park, and Johnny got me a black, leather jacket. Gary also received some things from the others while also giving at the same time. We were all pretty happy at that point, but I was a little upset when Gary got me nothing.
A few hours later, the library was now a Christmas Party location with music, food, and the occasional glass of egg nog. Gary pulled me by the wrist to a secluded spot in the building in the middle of all of it. "I see you have another gift in your hands," he said. "Yeah, it's for you," I reply. "Me? But you already got me one." "Just open it!" I shove the wrapped object in to his hand. He slowly rips off the paper and gives me a strange look at what he sees. "?" "It's a photo album. I filled it with some of our memories together and left the rest blank for the future." I said. He looked through the album, taking his time on each picture. He would always stop on each picture and guess what memory it was. He was correct on every one of them, from the photo booth at the carnival, to the day on Halloween in our costumes, and a few weeks ago when we had a snowball fight with our friends. I don't know how one picture got in there, but it was of the both of us on the auto shop roof the day after Halloween in our costumes asleep in each other's arms. Note to self: Ask Ricky for the explanation of this. Gary just laughed and gave me a hug. "Thanks Hannah. I got you something too. Close your eyes," Gary said. I did as I was told and shut my eyes closed. I feel something cold go around my neck with the occasional touch from his skin. "You can open your eyes now." I open them up and look at the object around my neck. It was beautiful! It was an opal heart that was on hanging off the sterling silver necklace around my neck. It stood out a significant amount from my white dress, but matched perfectly with my hair. "Wow, I knew that it was going to look nice on you, but with you wearing that dress, I think you could beat any girl here with your beauty." Gary said. I blush but regain my confidence a little after that. "Gary, thank you so much!" I give him the biggest hug I have ever given, bigger than the one I gave my brother when he was bleeding to death, bigger than the hug I gave my mom before coming here, bigger than anything I could imagine! I feel him hug back with just as much effort. "Hannah, just remember. I will always be there for you. I will always protect you, and I will make sure that murderer will never come close to you." Yes, Nicholas was getting closer to this small town which made me still worry, but I couldn't help but melt in Gary's arms. I sobbed quietly in his embrace, not because of what he was thinking that it was because of that killer, but because it sounded just like my brother in his letter. These tears were not of sadness, but joy that he was there with me, that he was in my life, taking the promise that Jake made only making it stronger in the terms of bonds. I could feel that I was closer to Gary. We would now not have a single thing to hide, no emotions, no problems, and no promises could be kept from each other from this point on.
Author's Notes: Aww! How sweet! The next chapter, forget about happiness! It will be all drama from here on out. Cruelty will rise in this beloved friendship. Not between them, of course, but Jimmy better watch out after this. One wrong move and he could end up in the hospital... by Hannah! Ahh! I am revealing too much! Okay, you have had the time to read this story, NOW REVIEW SINCE IT WILL ONLY TAKE THIRTY SECONDS! IF YOU THINK IT IS A WASTE OF TIME, THEN WHY ARE YOU READING THIS STUFF! Eh heh heh heh, sorry, my doppleganger got the best of me! ^_^'
