Tragic Christmas

Mystic Nightshade

She shook nervously as she watched him leave his friends to go home. This was her chance. She had been crushing on him for nearly a year. However, because she was so shy, she could never muster the courage to really confess her feelings to him.

When she had first moved to this town, she was too shy to make any new friends. However, he had been nice enough to talk to her and show her around. He was so kind and he always seemed so happy. Every time he smiled at her, she felt a flutter in her stomach and her heart would beat faster.

When he saw her, he smiled. He knew from the first time he saw her that she was different. She was kind and she always seemed to put the needs of others before her own. Unlike most of the girls at school, she wasn't self-centered or flirtatious with every other guy. He could always be his true self around her, knowing she wouldn't judge him.

When he approached her, she shyly averted her eyes to the floor. He smiled and asked what was wrong. She looked up at him, blushing lightly, and whispered her confession. Not having heard her, he asked her to repeat her statement. When she did, he stared at her in surprise.

He didn't know what to feel. He liked her, but he wasn't sure if she reciprocated his feelings. Not knowing what else to do, he embraced her. He held her close against his chest, resting his head on top of hers.

She froze in his arms. She was surprised with his reaction, yet it relieved her. He felt the same towards her. She smiled to herself and wrapped her arms around him, clutching his shirt.

From that day on, they were always together. She felt safe in his presence and he felt accepted by her. His friends accepted her and her family approved of him. Their love grew stronger with every day that passed.

By Christmas Break, they had truly fallen in love with each other. Together, they planned a special Christmas date. He had gotten her a promise ring to prove his love to her. It was a silver band with a pink rose quartz stone. He wanted to present it to her in the most romantic location he could thing of: the lake. It was where they had their first date. He remembered the awed expression on her face and smiled.

She had made him a small book of poetry she had written for him. Her feelings were carefully composed to express her love for him. The cover was red, his favorite color, and in the shape of a heart. She couldn't wait to give it to him.

When Christmas finally arrived, he was excited and nervous about giving her the present. He was about to walk out the door when his step-mother had called for him. She wanted him to stay and spend time with the family for Christmas. This irritated him because he didn't want to stay. He also didn't have any way to contact her. Her parents hadn't gotten her a cell phone and he was sure she wasn't home at this point. When he tried to object, his father told him that he could spare a couple hours. Groaning, he walked away from the door, clutching the velvet box in his pocket.

She arrived at the lake, clutching the small wrapped box in her arms. She checked the time on the phone her parents had given her for Christmas and smiled. She couldn't wait to give him the present and show him her new phone. She would've tried contacting him, but she didn't have his number. Smiling, she put the phone away, patiently waiting for him to show.

The time ticked by agonizingly slow as he waited to be released from "family quality time". He felt like he would never escape. Just as he was ready to leave, his cousin showed up for a surprise visit. Having not seen her since her family moved, he couldn't help but smile at her arrival. In a hurry though, he invited her to come and meet his girlfriend. He had a feeling they would get along really well. He thought she could use another girl to feel close with. She was so shy and always kept to herself. Meeting his cousin could be good for her. As they made their way to the lake, they laughed at past memories from childhood.

Hours passed and she was getting colder with every passing minute. Where could he be? Had something happened to him? She kept worrying about the possibilities that would prevent him showing up. Worried, she decided to go look for him. Maybe something at home had held him up.

As she was walking, she heard voices drawing near. Curious, she hid behind a tree, hoping to not be seen. Listening in, she immediately recognized his voice, but then she heard another voice. It was a girl. They seemed to be laughing and having a really good time. Was this the reason he has not shown? He had found someone else? Tears started to well up in her eyes and spill. He was cheating on her. He seemed so happy. Trying to choke back her sobs, she slumped down to the base of the tree, hugging her knees to her chest and crushing his present against her chest.

As they came to the lake, he looked around and didn't see her. Worried, he started to look for her and call her name. There was no reply. He and his cousin searched everywhere and still couldn't find her. Biting his lip, he clutched the small box in his pocket and started to walk to her house. Maybe he had taken too long and she had gotten too cold.

She heard footsteps walk passed her and she tensed, hoping to not be seen. The footsteps faded away and she slowly stood up, still clinging to the present; to her feelings for him. Slowly, she made her way back to the lake. She felt numb as she gazed out at the lake, remembering the happiness she felt when he was with her. She remembered being comforted there by him and his soft words. She remembered the warmth she felt when he held her tenderly. Carefully setting the present down, she texted a message and saved it to her drafts. After placing the phone on top of the box, she started to walk towards the freezing water.

Making his way back to the lake, he felt scared. She hadn't been home at all. Had she gone to his house looking for him? Surely he would've seen her on his way to the lake. His cousin had gone home, claiming that she was getting cold and it was getting dark. He let her leave but resolved himself to keep searching. He refused to give up until he found her.

When he arrived at the lake, he noticed a present that hadn't been there before. Smiling, he picked it up and opened it. Inside, he saw a red heart shaped book. He opened it and saw her handwriting. He read a few poems and his heart started beating a little faster as he thought of her writing poetry for him. He looked around, expecting her to jump out of the bushes and try to scare him. When no such activity occurred, he started to get worried again.

Kneeling down to put the book back into the box, he noticed a cell phone. Curious, he picked it up. It was brand new. No calls or messages. As he was about to shut it, he noticed one message saved in the drafts. Going against his better judgment, he read it.

I'm sorry I wasn't good enough to keep you happy. I hope you have a good relationship. Here's your present. Know that my feelings for you were true. I love you.

His hands shook as he read the message over and over again. He frantically looked around, hoping it was a joke. He tried to think, but his mind was dizzy with the message and its possible meaning. Feeling scared, he looked out at the cold black water. A sudden thought passed through his mind and he remembered that she couldn't swim. He tried to shake the thought away, but it kept haunting him.

Unable to take it any longer, he made his way to the water. He dived under, frantically searching for her. Just as he was about to run out of air, he spotted her near the bottom. Surfacing to get a breath of air, he dived back under and grabbed her wrist, pulling her up to the surface. He swam back to shore with her still in his arms.

Knowing it was already too late to save her, he pulled out the ring from his pocket and placed it on her left ring finger. His wet clothes stuck to his body as he held onto her tightly, crying to himself. He refused to just leave her. The sun was setting and the temperature was dropping. He slowly reached for the poetry book and began reading to himself, still holding onto her.

The next morning, the news covered the death of two teenagers. They were found frozen by the lake. According to a local pathologist, the two had probably fallen into the lake and froze to death once out of the water.