Happy birthday, Alyson Court! -Akumu

CLAIREMBER 2022
Day 9 - angel

Christmas felt different this year.

Well, duh. Last Christmas, you were sitting in an Umbrella-owned jail cell on an island in the South Pacific.

Claire held up a blue bulb. There was enough space for it between a green one and red one. She hooked the bulb to the small tree Chris had bought her and Elza for their dorm room. Together, the three bulbs gleamed like jewels.

She yanked the blue bulb free and hastily placed it near the bottom.

So much insanity and death last year.

1999 was supposed to be the year things returned to normal. And they had. Her brother Chris was contracted with the government, building an international anti-bioterrorism organization. She was back in college, still majoring in English because she still didn't know what she wanted to do with her life. Well, professionally, anyway.

What she really wanted to do was return to normal too.

There were a few more decorations that needed to go up. She'd leave those for Elza. Digging through the big bag of Christmas stuff that Chris had picked up when he got the tree, she pulled out the tree topper: a robed angel with opalescent wings. The angel held a frame just big enough to fit a Polaroid – a frame that, as Claire and Elza had agreed, would hold a cutout of NSYNC from BOP magazine. Elza said she would get the magazine, leaving Claire nothing to do with the topper except set it on Elza's desk.

She sat on her bed and looked at the tree. Sighing, she turned to her corkboard.

The photo had fallen down.

She picked it up. Steve and his mom and dad beamed at her from their couch. On the white tab, Steve's mom Odette had written, "Easter '98."

You'd be almost 19 now – the age I was when we met.

Her eyes welled up.

If only I'd saved you like you saved me.

The door opened. Elza walked in, her ponytailed blond hair soaking wet with melted snow.

She dropped her bookbag and proceeded to take off her jacket and boots. "Three finals down, one to go. And the snow's gonna be even heavier tomorrow. What do you say we go downstairs, grab a hot chocolate at the café, and settle in for a long night of – Claire? What's wrong?"

Claire wiped her eyes. "Nothing. Just…"

Elza was looking at the photo in her hand.

Claire cleared her throat. "It fell again. Guess I'm gonna have to try packing tape."

"Do you mind?"

Claire shook her head and handed Elza the photo.

Elza grabbed a pin and, placing the photo against the board, stuck the pin through the cork-fuzzed Scotch tape that had held the photo for only a week. The photo hung like a Christmas ornament.

"There," Elza said, smiling at her.

Claire tried to smile back, but instead she broke into tears. Elza wrapped her in a warm hug, which she returned.

"I couldn't save him," Claire said. "I tried so hard, but I couldn't. He's dead because of me."

"No, he isn't. He's dead because of powerful, evil people you and Chris stopped so they couldn't hurt anyone else."

Claire cried harder, hugged Elza tighter, then let go. She dried her eyes with the sleeve of her pink turtleneck.

"Thanks, Elza. I'm sorry. I wish…I wish I could just go back to being normal. It's like, the world keeps spinning but I'm standing still – back there, in Raccoon City, on Rockfort Island, and no matter what I do, I can't leave."

Elza sat Claire on her bed and joined her. "Have you talked to Chris about all this?"

Claire shook her head. "He's busy with the organization he's starting. Meanwhile, I'm here, reading a bunch of stories about bad things that never happened while trying to forget bad things that really did happen. I wish I could be more like him. I feel so stupid."

"You're not stupid. Maybe you need a change, is all."

"A change?"

Elza shrugged. "A change of scenery, a change of people, a change of hobbies. Just something different. Winter break starts next week. That'll give you some time to think things over, talk them out with Chris if he has time."

Claire nodded. "Okay."

"Meanwhile," said Elza, grabbing the angel and standing, "As much as I love you, Justin, there is someone who deserves to sit on high even more than you."

She took down the photo of Steve's family and slipped it in the frame. Then she placed the angel on top of the tree.

Claire stood beside her. "Are you sure, Elza?"

"Positive. Without him, I would have lost my best friend." She put an arm around Claire. "Now, how 'bout that hot chocolate?"

The cafe line was long. Elza knew the two guys ahead of them and started talking with them.

The dorm community board stood nearby. A bright orange flyer screamed:

"POLICY CHANGES IN THE AFTERMATH OF RACCOON CITY 105

DISCUSS HOW THE RACCOON CITY INCIDENT HAS SHAKEN OUR POLITICAL LANDSCAPE FOR BETTER OR WORSE

OPEN ONLY TO PUBLIC HEALTH MAJORS"

Hot chocolate in hand, Claire and Elza made their way back to their room. Elza put on a "Friends" rerun and hung the remaining ornaments while Claire reviewed her notes on the role Caliban played in The Tempest. Her eyes kept wandering to Steve sitting high in the angel's arms, her mind drifting to what could be done to prevent more deaths.

Not this, that's for damn sure.

She tossed the book and her notes aside. Steve seemed to be watching her. She remembered the flyer on the community board. Opening her desk drawer, she pulled out her major guide and rifled through it. She looked at her watch.

4:34 Just enough time.

Scooting off the bed, she pulled on her snow boots and jacket,

Elza asked, "Where are you going?"

"The Admissions Office. I'm changing my major. I'm going Public Health. Wish me luck."

"Good luck!"

As she raced through the door, she swore she saw Steve smiling at her.