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Chapter Nineteen
Christmas Gifts
Mildred knew she didn't have long to make Ethel her Christmas present and even after the awkwardness with them touching hands she wanted to get her something special, she was going to use her artistic skills to her advantage but she needed a little help first.
"Sybil can I have a word," Mildred asked at lunchtime that day, the blonde looked confused but nodded and the two girls went into the corridor.
"I have decided to make Ethel a scrapbook for Christmas, I was thinking of putting pictures of you and your sisters in it so Ethel can look at it when she is feeling alone" Mildred whispered not wanting to be overheard.
"That is an amazing idea" Sybil smiled, knowing Ethel would love something like that.
"Yes but I need help with the pictures, do you have any at school with you?" Mildred asked not wanting to look through Ethel's stuff or she would be suspicious.
"Esmie has most of them in a big album, wait here, I will get her to go get it," Sybil said leaving to go back in the hall, and was back a few minutes later with her eldest sister.
"Hi, Esmie" Mildred smiled happily. The girl beckoned her head telling her to follow and the three made their way to her bedroom. Mildred walked in nervously, having never entered it before. It reminded her a lot of Ethel's room with books everywhere, a desk, a wardrobe, and a bed and pictures on the bedside table. Esmie hummed to herself looking around before she pulled a large heavy bound leather photo album down of her shelf.
"I am surprised you bring that to school," Mildred said knowing how much room it must take up in her trunk.
"I can't not bring it, it is too precious to leave at home, Sybil told me about the idea, it is a good one," Esmerelda told her opening the book and Mildred leaned over to look. There were thousands of pictures, the girls younger, older, together, apart, happy, sad, she had no idea how she would choose.
"Ethie knows she can come to look at this whenever but she doesn't normally do it" Esmie sighs, "I think your idea is more personal and she will use it much more, hopefully, it makes her feel less lonely," Esmie told her as Mildred flicked through trying to decide what photos she wanted to use.
"I can copy a bunch of them and then you can decide what to use," Esmerelda told her, Mildred beamed.
"Perfect, thanks Esmie," Mildred said looking forward to making the present.
One hour later Mildred was in her bedroom, cutting, sticking, glueing and drawing, she concentrated hard, wanting the present to be perfect for Ethel, there was so many pictures but Mildred ended up using most of them still. She chose the colour theme purple knowing Ethel had an unhealthy addiction to the colour and spent hours perfecting it.
Ethel was also working on Mildred's present. The feeling she had gotten when she touched hands with Mildred had freaked her out but she was trying to forget about it as it had not happened since. It was lunchtime and Ethel sneaked into the chanting classroom and walked to the piano, setting up her maglet.
Mildred had overheard her singing that time and wanted to hear it again so Ethel decided to make her a CD of her doing just that, she did some in multiple languages and some all in English and it took her days, she couldn't do too many songs a day because lunchtime was only an hour but after three days she was satisfied with her gift.
They still had a week until they broke up and with her gift made and ready, Ethel could focus on the talent show. She had decided to enter with her sisters, not for herself, but for them. She had been picky, no singing, no dancing, no potions so the girls would be doing a simple spell that produced pictures. When it came for there time to perform Ethel looked out at the crowd and saw a lot of them looked bored and tired, as most of the acts were stupid. Esmerelda lifted her hand and produced the colours of red and orange of a rainbow, Sybil followed doing yellow and green and Ethel finished with blue and purple. The crowd cheered as a beautiful bright rainbow appeared over their heads.
Then the girls produced more pictures, of cats, hats, and stars, everyone clapped and cheered as the girls left the stage and bowed. Ethel smiled as she went backstage with her sisters, glad it had gone well and honestly having of had fun.
"You three were great! The best of the acts" Mildred said appearing from nowhere
"Oh thanks, Mil," Sybil said smiling
Ethel smiled at Mildred and felt her stomach flip, it hurt but it didn't hurt as if she had a stomach ache it was like something was inside it, Mildred smiling was just beautiful she couldn't stop the happy feeling it gave her, Mildred looked at Ethel, finding she was getting lost in her blue eyes, she had never noticed them so deeply before but in the bright lights of backstage, they shone like glitter, making Mildred start to lose herself in them, the girls looked at each other for a moment too long before Mildred blinked to bring herself back to reality. The girls were having another moment but this time they didn't even need to touch to make it happen.
"Thank you," Ethel said nervously, her stomach causing her grief as she looked at Mildred feeling she couldn't stop. She forced her eyes away and waved Mildred off, feeling something was changing between them. Ethel was glad they were going home soon so she could get her off her mind.