She is not expecting that and judging by his reaction to her, a very embarrassed look
must have crossed her face.
He laughs, "Don't feel bad. I understand why you did what you did. I hope you won't be mad, but Reianna told me about the 'bastard' when I expressed interest in you. She may have been a little foreward about it, but she was concerned I would be hurt when you emphatically turned me down. I am sorry if I should not have known about it."
She sighes. "No. It's okay. I was horribly rude to you last night. I've never hung up on any one before. My life is crap right now and I didn't want to be misreable alone."
His smile vanishes. "What's the matter?"
"It's Christmas. I should be going home. I should be happy. My life should be meaningful. But it's not. Life isn't fair."
"Nobody ever said life was fair, Blayde. We've all got a cross to bear. Make your Christmas a good one yourself."
"And how, pray tell, do I do that?" She asks sarcastically.
"Where are you going?" He questions her.
She's a little taken aback by his abruptness. "Walmart. I never go anywhere but Walmart. I have some shopping to do. My friends are coming to over in a few days, and I need some food. Where are you headed?"
"No where. Just out, I suppose. I have nothing better to do."
"How come you're not going home?"
He shrugs, "Mother couldn't come get me. Her car broke down."
"Oh." She blinks, "So, do you want to go to Walmart with me?"
A smile crosses his face. "Sure. If it won't bother you."
She smiles for the first time in days. "Nah...It's not a problem. I'm really sorry about last night."
By this time, the bus has pulled up in front of the Walmart. The two of them disembark together and head through the blistering cold towards the store.
Suichi seems like a nice guy. He's the most polite being Blayde has ever met and she likes that about him.
He catches her looking at him and she blushes. A reserved smile crosses his face.
They buy a few things at the store; a bag of Doritios, popcorn, chocolate chip cookies. She also picks up a couple bottles of soda (none of which will she drink) and some ice cream. She figures if she leaves the ice cream on the ledge outside her window it will stay cold enough. Also, she picks out a gift for Zangulus.
After paying for her purchases, she some how still has a five dollar bill in her hand. She shrugs, five bucks is five bucks, and slips it into her pocket.
A little boy and his mother are stopped by the display near the checkouts. It houses numerous toys of various price ranges and the boy seems to want only one in particular. He's pointing at a little metal race car and crying loudly, blubbering about how "I wan' that an' it ain't fair that Santa can't bring it!! _M a good boy!!" The mother, dressed in a shabby overcoat, sighs. "Santa can't bring you that." She says wearily, "He's got too many other boys and girls to visit and can't come to our house this year."
Blayde frowns. She can tell that the woman doesn't want to dispell the myth of Santa Claus while the boy is so young, but she likely can't afford to buy the car for her son. Blayde then thinks about the five dollars in her pocket. She pulls the bill out and looks at it.
The boy is bawling now. "What d'ya mean, Santa ain't coming?! How can it be Christmas without Santa?!" His mother looks helpless.
Suichi blinks his emerald eyes. He kneels down before the distraught child, that knowing smile on his face. "It is still Christmas without Santa Claus." He says softly, "The spirit of Christmas is in your heart all the time. You just have to want it."
While Suichi speaks with the child, Blayde approaches his mother. "Here." She presses the five into the woman's hand and saunters out of the store. The ice in her heart is melting a little and it's almost as if the magic is returning. Almost.
He laughs, "Don't feel bad. I understand why you did what you did. I hope you won't be mad, but Reianna told me about the 'bastard' when I expressed interest in you. She may have been a little foreward about it, but she was concerned I would be hurt when you emphatically turned me down. I am sorry if I should not have known about it."
She sighes. "No. It's okay. I was horribly rude to you last night. I've never hung up on any one before. My life is crap right now and I didn't want to be misreable alone."
His smile vanishes. "What's the matter?"
"It's Christmas. I should be going home. I should be happy. My life should be meaningful. But it's not. Life isn't fair."
"Nobody ever said life was fair, Blayde. We've all got a cross to bear. Make your Christmas a good one yourself."
"And how, pray tell, do I do that?" She asks sarcastically.
"Where are you going?" He questions her.
She's a little taken aback by his abruptness. "Walmart. I never go anywhere but Walmart. I have some shopping to do. My friends are coming to over in a few days, and I need some food. Where are you headed?"
"No where. Just out, I suppose. I have nothing better to do."
"How come you're not going home?"
He shrugs, "Mother couldn't come get me. Her car broke down."
"Oh." She blinks, "So, do you want to go to Walmart with me?"
A smile crosses his face. "Sure. If it won't bother you."
She smiles for the first time in days. "Nah...It's not a problem. I'm really sorry about last night."
By this time, the bus has pulled up in front of the Walmart. The two of them disembark together and head through the blistering cold towards the store.
Suichi seems like a nice guy. He's the most polite being Blayde has ever met and she likes that about him.
He catches her looking at him and she blushes. A reserved smile crosses his face.
They buy a few things at the store; a bag of Doritios, popcorn, chocolate chip cookies. She also picks up a couple bottles of soda (none of which will she drink) and some ice cream. She figures if she leaves the ice cream on the ledge outside her window it will stay cold enough. Also, she picks out a gift for Zangulus.
After paying for her purchases, she some how still has a five dollar bill in her hand. She shrugs, five bucks is five bucks, and slips it into her pocket.
A little boy and his mother are stopped by the display near the checkouts. It houses numerous toys of various price ranges and the boy seems to want only one in particular. He's pointing at a little metal race car and crying loudly, blubbering about how "I wan' that an' it ain't fair that Santa can't bring it!! _M a good boy!!" The mother, dressed in a shabby overcoat, sighs. "Santa can't bring you that." She says wearily, "He's got too many other boys and girls to visit and can't come to our house this year."
Blayde frowns. She can tell that the woman doesn't want to dispell the myth of Santa Claus while the boy is so young, but she likely can't afford to buy the car for her son. Blayde then thinks about the five dollars in her pocket. She pulls the bill out and looks at it.
The boy is bawling now. "What d'ya mean, Santa ain't coming?! How can it be Christmas without Santa?!" His mother looks helpless.
Suichi blinks his emerald eyes. He kneels down before the distraught child, that knowing smile on his face. "It is still Christmas without Santa Claus." He says softly, "The spirit of Christmas is in your heart all the time. You just have to want it."
While Suichi speaks with the child, Blayde approaches his mother. "Here." She presses the five into the woman's hand and saunters out of the store. The ice in her heart is melting a little and it's almost as if the magic is returning. Almost.