REDDING, CA – Sunday – December 19th

     Kirstin still couldn’t believe Tom had convinced her to go to Redding on their week off and for the holidays. They had arrived the day before and were staying until Dec. 28th. Kirstin felt sick just for being there. She felt like that every single time she went to Redding. Like something bad would happen whenever she‘d be in that town. And she'd only been back to Redding 2 times since her prom night. One time for visiting her father after he went through a surgery and the second time being that one, with Tom. She looked out her car window, just thinking what bad things could happen this time. She then glanced at Tom driving and then to her hands ‘Maybe this time, only good things will happen’ she thought, smiling down.

     Tom parked the car in one spot at the K-Mart parking lot. They got out of the car and soon enough were getting inside the store.

     “Please, God, I don’t wanna meet anybody here.”

     “Oh, come on, K! Redding is not a small town. It’s not gonna be that easy to find a familiar face here.”

     “That’s what you think!”

     “Come on. Relax! I’m with you now. You don’t have to worry.” Tom said, pulling her under his shoulder, and that made Kirstin realize he’d protect her at any cost.

     “Yeah…” she said, wrapping both her arms around Tom’s waist.

     “Ok. Now where do we find that turkey?” Tom asked, assuming Kirstin would know the place, being Redding her hometown.

     “I don’t know. I guess, near the frozen food part?”

     “Ok, but where is that?”

     “I don’t know!”

     “How would handle yourself without me?” Tom smiled and pecked her on the lips.

     “I wouldn’t. That’s why I need you for.”

     “Oh, good to know you use me for your own good.” they both smirked “Now, let’s find that damn turkey!”

     “Little Kirstin Addams? Is that you, dear?” they heard a voice saying as they were walking through the aisles.

     “Oh, hello, Mrs. Carter.” Kirstin greeted this old, short woman with gray hair and hazel eyes.

     “Oh, my! Look how much you’ve grown! Oh, Lord!” Kirstin just smiled kindly “How is your mother? I haven’t seen her since she moved out 6 months ago.”

     “She’s good. Busy. Still making some arrangements at the new house. But she’s fine.”

     “And who’s this handsome young man?”

     “Hello, I’m Thomas Walsh. Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

     “Hello. I’m Darcy Carter. Oh, Kirstin, you got yourself a good catch here.” the nice lady winked at Kirstin.

     “Yeah, I know.” Kirstin looked up at Tom and smiled.

     “Well, now let me go. I still have to do my Christmas shopping. It was nice seeing you Kirstin. Happy holidays.”

     “You too, Mrs. Carter. Bye.” Kirstin waved at the lady and, walking again, said “See? Told you it was a small town after all.”

     “Sorry.” Tom smiled weakly.

     “That’s ok. Let’s just finish this up fast before I meet someone else and…”

     “Oh my God! I can’t believe it!” Kirstin and Tom just looked back to find out where that high pitch voice was coming from. When Kirstin saw who was it, she just smiled weakly.

     “I can’t believe it’s you, captain!”

     “Captain?” Tom mouthed to Kirstin.

     “Later.” she mouthed back.

     “Hey, pompom.”

     “Pompom?” Tom mouthed, again, to Kirstin, trying hard not to laugh this time. Kirstin just shot him a look.

     “I can’t believe it’s really you!”

     “Well, believe it, because it’s really me.”

     “Wow! How long has it been?”

     “Ahn… 5 years?”

     “Yeah, something like that. Wow. You haven’t changed a bit.”

     “Well, I can’t say the same to you. You look great.” Kirstin was trying to be nice to her former friend “What have you being up to?”

     “Well, I’m a model now.” she said, obviously very proud of herself.

     “No? Really?” ‘Of course. Dumb as you are.’ Kirstin hated her. Even when she was part of the squad team, she hated her. Kirstin felt she always envied her.

     “Yeah.”

     “Nice.”

     “Wow! And who is this?” she asked, looking at Tom.

     “Oh, this is Tom, my…”

     “Oh, is he your boyfriend?”

     “Yeah. Well, actually…”

     “No, you have to come and meet mine! You’ll freak out! He’s freaking gorgeous!” she said, not paying attention at Kirstin and Tom at all.

     “Your boyfriend is here?” Kirstin asked.

     “Yes. We’re here to buy our turkey. My family doesn’t live here in Redding anymore, so I’m staying at his house.” she said, while leading them to the frozen food aisle.

     “Oh, ok. Good. Because we need to buy turkey and we don’t know where it is.”

     “Oh, silly. Always forgetting things. It’s right there. Come. Oh, he’s there.” she pointed out to a guy.

     “Oh, ok.” and they went to the guy’s direction.

     “Hey, honey. I ran into an old friend of mine from high school. Look.” the guy turned around “Kirstin, this is Ashley Angel. Ashley, this is Kirstin Addams.”