Chapter 663: Party Prep
Turns out Amanda had more than just gifts stashed away inside of her bag.
One by one, she began pulling out all kinds of Christmassy decorations, colorful streams, wooly stockings, stripped canes and glittering stars to hang across the curtains with, and when she finally had everything strewn across the dining table, she had fully occupied every inch of space that its wonder how they even all fit in that scrawny-looking bag of hers.
Don’t even get me started on how she managed to carry it around so effortlessly... dunno, maybe her bag was actually a portal to the fourth dimension-who knows with this girl, really?
A little up and left into the corner sat all the gifts she bought. There must be something to the way I was staring at them, ’cause almost immediately Amanda came sliding herself right down the middle.
“No tree, no unwrapping,” She said, waving a stern finger at me before proceeding on with a handful of streamers towards the curtains. “That’s the number one cardinal rule of Christmas.”
“Hey, I’m just wondering whose is whose,” I said, glancing again at the bundle of different shapes and sizes. “And just what in the world could you have gotten me?”
“A piece of red string,” She said. “For you to wrap around me so I can be your lovely Merry Christmas.”
.....
I whirled around at her. “Y’know, that actually sounds like something you’d do.”
“Please, do I seriously look that thirsty about you to you?” She scoffed, wobbling high on tiptoe trying to reach the curtain railings.
“Well...”
“Don’t answer that,” She immediately said. “You wanna know what I got for you, too bad it’s not there. I’m keeping yours away and hidden for the time being.”
“Yeah, that also sounds like something you’d do,” I sighed. “May I ask why?”
“Because I wanna see what you got for me first,” She said, craning her head at me all the way across the room. “I mean, you are getting me something, aren’t you? You haven’t given me anything yet, after all.”
I nodded stiffly. “Of course.”
“Then, great!” She smiled. “We can show it to each other then. It’ll be plenty romantic. Ah, I wonder just what you’re planning to get for me?”
Mmm, I’m wondering about that myself too, to be honest, and now especially more than ever.
“Just so you know, I have very high expectations for you,” She said, her eyes trailing away with a raised stare. “Fingers crossed you don’t disappoint.” returning once more to her decor with a faint chuckle. “No pressure~”
Girl, all you’ve been giving me lately is pressure. I’m surprised my heart hasn’t burst from it all just yet... and now that I said it, it’s only a matter of time now, isn’t it?
Splendid.
For a good solid hour, Amanda and I toiled away in an attempt to make this dull and boring home somehow appear up to festive standards, give it a bit of life, a bit of color, and given how short a timeframe and basic the resources we had... we didn’t actually do too shabby if I dare say so myself.
Boughs of holly decked in the halls, needle-green foliage covering the furniture, and from up high sculptured angels could be seen swinging from the chandelier, with lots and lots of fake snow powdered everywhere, thus bringing forth with it lots and lots of fake miniature snowmen for Mr. Black to merciless crush under his paws in lots and lots of moments of curiosity.
And finally, there was the centerpiece, the focal point, the main attraction, the creme de la creme, if you would, that’s right-the fabled, promised Christmas has come to grace this lowly abode with its dazzling greeny magnificence.
Couldn’t fit it inside through normal means, so I had to strain my back pulling open the sliding door for the delivery guys to break theirs carrying the giant thing inside.
Yeah, now that I’m without the illusion of high-rise shopping mall ceilings, the tree was actually a whole lot more than it first seemed. It was... tall. Like NBA player tall. I could tiptoe on a standing ladder and still struggle to reach the tip, and naturally with length comes breadth, and I don’t even wanna mention how much furniture shifting we had to do just to find the perfect place to put it.
“And you seriously planned on decorating that on your lonesome?” Amanda remarked, the both of us with eyes disbelieving, watching the delivery guys drop two teeming boxes full of ornaments and lights right beside it. “Just how much did you get this for?”
“They were having a sale,” I muttered weakly, prying a clingy Mr. Black from its branches. “Still, won’t lie, it was quite a hefty amount.”
“And you got this all for a girl you aren’t even dating...” Amanda leered at me again, forming that same raised stare. “Now, I’m even more eager to know what you’d do for the girl you are...”
“Mmm, what’s that you said about pressure again?”
At once, she wandered her eyes away. “Just saying...”
Once the dust had cleared, I made quite sure to tip quite the generous amount to the delivery guys for their trouble. Hopefully, they use it to book a very good chiropractor, ’cause judging by the winces on their faces, Lord knows they need it.
It was quite the ruckus we made, and it was a miracle Adalia, who all this while, was still slumbering on the couch, could sleep through it all. Alas, the same could not be said of Sera, to which all the grunting and rustling had drawn her out of her nest.
From the second-floor railings, her yellow eyes were peering at the tree with what I assumed to be her version of giddy excitement because much like everything else about her, her reaction to it was a little mild at best.
“Yep, it’s finally here,” I called out to her. “After all this time. All that you have ever wanted. Right here, right now, all for you-you’re welcome. Pretty nice, right?”
She blinked once. Was it one blink for yes, or one blink for no? I forget these things.
“Oh, hey Sera! Merry Christmas!” Amanda greeted her smiling and with a hearty wave. “Not sure when you started living here, but it’s good to see you regardless! Excited for the party tonight?”
She blinked at Amanda twice. Yes, no, I don’t know.
“Well, you coming down now to take a closer look?” I asked. “Or later when everyone else is here?”
Quietly, in a blur of violet and gold, Sera withdrew from the railing and away from view, never to be seen or heard from again... again.
I think maybe that means later.
I hope.
“You know, she also walks away like that even in-game...” Amanda remarked, frowning. “She tends to do that a lot when she’s reflecting deeply on things.”
“Reflecting deeply, you say,” I stayed my gaze for a moment at the now empty space behind the railing. “Okay, she hates me forever now, doesn’t she?”
“Not necessarily a bad thing, you know. It just means she’s thinking is all,” She giggled, planting a musing glance at the same empty space. “That being said, I do wonder what she’s got on her mind right now... hey, what do you think?”
I could think of a lot of things, really- the great worrisome thinker I am. But right now, even I was starting to feel the fatigue of it all. I have enough on my plate already.
“Cookies, I hope,” I simply said.
“Oh, right, shoot! Thank you for that, I almost forgot!” Suddenly, with a squeezing grip on my wrist, and an eager smile, she turned towards me. “Hey, you mind if I use your oven?”
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