How didn't he see it? Of course this would happen. He felt so stupid for not seeing it coming. He would've seen the damn smoke signals if his head wasn't so high in the clouds. By now it was clear, but way too late. He'd invited Noelle, after school, as instructed. But then she'd turned around and invited Susie, because, well, he and Susie were friends. Speaking of Susie, He was sitting cornered by the purple monster, while she was looking about to spill out the store at any moment. Noelle was standing opposite to them, autumn sun pouring onto her hair and swirling around her flowing curls. Kris tried his best not to stare, completely squashed between a hard place and beauty on a canvas.
‟Have you ever been here before, Noelle?" - He tried to make conversation.
‟I-I have, but mostly to see Catti, I've never ordered much."
‟Can we get something to eat, already?! I'm damn starv—"
Susie froze into ceramic as a white paw placed a drink down in front of her. The paw's owner didn't seem any less excited to meet her than any other customer. She simply placed their orders down and walked away, heels making a mellow clatter as she left.
‟Y-you guys sure it's okay for me to be here? …She-She didn't put anything in my drink, did she?"
‟I-it's gonna be fine, Susie! Catti's not that mean!"
He chuckled, ‟Besides, you probably wouldn't notice if she did."
Susie would have responded if she wasn't in a cold sweat, vapor and soot were both steaming out of her mouth. She probably needed a cold drink instead of hot chocolate. And besides, He looked in her mug, and it was only half cat fur, Susie's drunk worse. And, who knows, maybe cat fur was her cup of tea. Or cup of coco. Whichever.
‟Ouch! This is way too hot to drink…"
‟It's fine Noelle, it's barely even warm."
‟You'd say that Kris! You didn't even order a drink!"
‟It's drink-like."
Just because Kris had to eat his drink with a spoon and it was so thick it congealed back into a solid down his throat, didn't mean what he was drinking wasn't ‟hot chocolate". It came in a cup, so it was drink enough for him. If this was a French diner, Kris would've ordered a real mousse, Hometown had nothing like that.
‟You came here to eat that?! You haven't changed one bit, Krismass lights, gosh!"
‟…Wait, you guys know each other?" - Susie staggered her head out, like from a daze.
‟Yeah! I mean, I guess we do. We used to play together."
Susie looked down in her drink, a swirl of emotions on her face. Then her eyes lit up, and she chugged the whole cup in one drawn gulp.
‟…Sheesh. Haven't had a drink like that in forever!"
‟G-Gosh, Susie! I-I don't mean to stop you, but… won't you burn your tongue?"
‟Worth it."
Noelle's sweet giggle was an ice cube down Kris's throat, it made him boil inside. She looked almost perfect standing there, with a mild drink and a warm smile. If she only looked at the right person, the picture'd be complete, just like before. But Kris swallowed his thoughts, and his dark chocolate.
‟T-this was great Kris… Thanks for inviting me."
‟What, leaving already?"
‟Yeah, I need to be somewhere by now."
Noelle looked in her phone, and the coffee-brown bells strapped to it made a conclusive chime, his time was up. He barely had any contact with Noelle, but he was already feeling over-extracted and wrung out.
The dinosaur instead, piped up with a swagger, ‟Hey Noelle, you wanna trade phone numbers?"
‟?! …S-S-Sure!" - Noelle just released enough steam to make a teapot blush.
‟Susie, you have a phone?"
‟Everyone's got a phone these days, Kris. Well, except you."
‟Whuh!? I have a phone, Sus! Mom got me a new one a few months ago!"
Kris flipped up his flip-phone triumphantly. Susie just looked at it like an ancient artifact. Ironic, because Susie's phone looked like it had been used as a coaster a few too many times, ready to leak something at a moment's notice.
‟You call that new?! That's older than you are!"
‟It's old, but it's not broken like that hunk-a-junk!"
‟Hey, this baby's just scratched! It can still do more than play snake!"
‟Y-you two, please calm down!"
They both looked at the deer with confusion. This wasn't even a fight by their standards. They excitedly exchanged phone numbers. Then, as quickly as she came, she left, Gamemon Color jutting out her school bag.
‟Just us two now, eh twerp?"
He stood silent. A wave of curiosity washed over him. He barely managed to spit out a goodbye, and still, He wanted to follow her out and escort her wherever she was going. But that was super creepy, so he chased the thought out of his head. However, Kris's mind was walking towards the door on its own. And His feet wanted to follow.
‟What is it Kris, don't tell me ya burned your throat on that desert thi-"
Susie turned to fine china again as a server prowled up to the table. She gave him a receipt, the tab was crossed out in purple, and next to it was written in small, bunched-up letters:
Good luck
Followed by a surprisingly competent cat smiley.
It was like a stream of water slid from under Him. Or maybe it was liquid courage, because His mouth ran before his mind caught up to halt it.
‟…Actually, I think I need to go too, Susie."
‟…Where you going?"
‟Bathroom."
‟Oh, I'll just wait for you here, then."
‟No, I'm going home afterward…To Do Homework."
Susie looked at him for a moment, then glanced at the door, and spilled out the bench to let Him leave. He looked back at her, and she seemed a little rinsed out, looking past the window. But then she smiled at Him, and he knew everything was fine. He returned a strained smile and a shaky wave as he left.
X_X_X_X_X_X
He had to hide his face in his jacket, to protect it from the unsettled weather. A leaf landed on his face, carried like dust by the wind. The trees were starting to blossom, and their dead petals were cracking off. They hadn't matured into cold, dead snags yet, but autumn was doing its best to take their color away. Just like the sky, eventually they'd turn pale and lifeless. He trudged down the gray sidewalk, and tried to leave the bloom and gloom beside him.
The hospital was looking as clean and lifeless as ever. The chalk-white tiles and the plastic bushes gave off a friendly image. The inside let no light or grime in or out, bright and sterile. The nurse made dull small-talk, then Kris was let in. The door to Rudy's room was heavy, and the window was just clear enough to tell that he was still in bed. Although Kris saw someone talking with him, and heard some cheery commotion escaping over the sill. He shouldn't stick his nose in her visit, he then realized. But he was caught up in His pace, and it was hard for him to leave. He slowly opened the door, and failed not to choke on the stuffy air.
‟The equipment just keeps getting more expensive, huh…" - A small girl trudged.
‟I told you honey, we need a thief to keep up with the prices, give that knight a job change for a while, huh?"
Noelle was like a splotch of color in the hospital, like a spot of shade in the fluorescent light. A Christmas station to surrounding static.
‟I can just grind the money later…"
‟Honey, we both know you don't have that kind of—Oh, Krismass came!"
‟K-Kris!?" - Noelle reacted like Kris came from under Rudy's bed, and not the door.
He just waved with a blank face, ‟Hi."
‟Kris Kringle himself! What, have I been naughty this year?"
Kris now realized he had no idea what he barged in to do, but with Rudy's toothy smile and Noelle's saucer eyes on him, his thoughts were stuck. He just stood rooted there, until his mind crawled back into his head.
‟…Came to talk with Rudy."
‟O-oh, you did? …A-alright, I'll give you two some privacy. But tell me when you're done, okay?"- Noelle got up and walked out with a worried-but-still-polite-but-probably-actually-angry look. The door bolted behind him with a strong clank. He got a whiff of hazelnuts, weirdly?
‟…Hey, Kris, blink twice if your mom's forcing ya to come here."
As the room closed, it was like all the energy left Rudy along with Noelle. He was laying securely tucked in the bed, almost like he was trying not to melt into its softness. It got very quiet, all sound that remained was the dismal buzzing of machines, and quiet breathing. Kris took a seat.
‟What's that look s'posed to mean!? I'm fine as a fir tree!"
‟So… are you getting out soon?"
‟…Seems like they want me to rot here or something. They said they'll be finished by Christmas, can ya believe it?!"
‟You must be sick of this place."
‟Sick to death, Kris!"
‟Pfft, don't say that!"
‟Sorry for making ya worry!
But seriously, some actual food would be nice sometime, and a better view too."
All that was visible out the thick windows were dimming vistas of falling leaves. The room was filled with dust and an inescapable smell of antiseptic. Actually, very faintly, it also smelled a bit like those Christmas tree-shaped car freshners. But even that would probably disappear soon.
‟So you won't make it to the festival?"
‟Nope. You're not gonna get to hear my trumpet skills this time, I know… But don't look that disappointed Kris, there's always next year!"
‟I really won't miss it. But does Noelle know?"
Rudy left the Christmas cheer behind, he looked through the foggy room and into Kris's face, without the evergreen smile for once.
‟…Hey, Kris, could you do me a favor?"
‟M-Me?"
‟Can you, make sure my little girl's gonna have fun?"
‟Sure, but I think she'd have fun anyway."
‟Pfeh! Where'd the little scamp who used to scare my baby girl go, huh?! Since when'd you become such a goody-two-hooves?"
For a moment, they reveled in those silly memories, about how he used to slather mustard on his face when he was sleeping, and how he used to put bath-bombs in their shower, or how he broke their thoses and thats. But then they were done, and they, left to wallow in silence.
‟But, that's not what I was asking about."
‟…What do you mean, then?"
‟…Make sure she enjoys herself, in the broadsense of the word, you get me?"
The booth closed in to give them privacy. What Rudy was about to say was not gonna leave that room.
‟W-What does that mean?"
‟…Noelle is the best daughter in the world right? Couldn't ask for more, really couldn't
But, she tries to imitate her mom too much, y'know? And, thing is, her mom wasn't even like that when she was younger."
‟…She wasn't?"
‟Oh, if you'd seen her! I betcha you wouldn't recognize her, she was a completely different monster! Her hair was like ‟fwoom!", in every direction!"
Kris sat wide-eyed, he tried to imagine it, and couldn't. Carol Holiday is a serious businesswoman who keeps her hair short and straight. This is a fundamental law of the universe. It was easier to imagine the sun not coming up in the morning. The 80s must have really been something.
‟…And, a dad's worried, y'know… It's in my blood, I guess."
‟She puts everything on herself, and it ain't good on her. I try to help, but at this point, she's the one taking care of me…"
Rudy looked ready to raise hell for his daughter, he also looked like he couldn't lift a finger.
‟…I'll help."
Kris had no idea what that would entail, but you don't turn down an honest old man.
‟You would?! That's my Kris! You're starting to remind me of your old pops!"
‟Oh, and while I got you, can you make sure to give Noelle some alone time with that Susie girl you hang out with? They'd really-."
Rudy's question was interrupted by a sudden door slam, almost like someone thought she somehow heard something that sounded like the name of her crush and wanted to know what her dad and classmate were talking about.
‟Dad, what are you telling Kris?!"
‟What?! Can't I reminisce with my dear nephew?!" - Rudy puffed up into a healthy shade of red.
‟You can reminisce with him later! Kris! Uhm… D-Do you…"
Noelle suddenly realized how much she was sounding like a spoiled child, and reddened up like she was caught smuggling cookies. Rudy laughed at her. Kris wanted to stay a bit longer, but realized he was shimmying into their private time, and conceded to the red princess. He bid a festive good-bye and ducked out the front door. Walking home, he was ready for the festival. But then another leaf blinded him, and it made him wonder how much longer until winter came.
