From the prompt: "Icy wind..."
"Christmas"
Tobias shuffled down the hallway, books hugged closely to his chest, head down to avoid being hit in the face by the jostling crowd. Risking a glance up, he caught sight of a large poster along one wall proclaiming the rapid approach of the Christmas Ball. Eight to eleven in the town hall, formal wear.
He sighed. The sign that sent excitement racing through the other students sent him cold with terror. The dance was in a month and couples were already being secured. Tobias bit his lip, dreading the approach of the doors. His threadbare denim jacket did little to keep out the cold, and he didn�t dare ask for a pair of gloves from Uncle. The doors meant cold. And the doors meant her.
Veronica Chamberlain was the most popular girl in school, but not in that �I�m so pretty and trendy, look at me� way that Melissa Saunders was. Everyone knew Veronica, had talked to her at one time or another. She was friendly no matter who or what a person was, quick on her feet with playful comebacks and even quicker to defend someone under verbal attack.
Lots of boys wanted to �get with her�. She was pretty, most people said, because she was kind. Tobias thought she was beautiful, that she left Melissa Saunders in the dust. Her golden eyes were warm and friendly, her smile lighting up a room. Tobias wondered if her curls were as soft as they looked�
As he neared the west end doors his throat closed, and he gradually slowed to a stop. Veronica stood there with a group of girls; they were talking about the Christmas dance.
�What are you waiting for, Ronnie?� Julie asked. �Brad Pitt to come and ask you to the dance? All of the popular guys asked you, and you turned them down!�
�So many other girls would like to be asked by them. They shouldn�t waste their time on me,� Veronica murmured. �Besides, I want that one guy to ask me, you know��
Willa rolled her eyes. �We know, the boy with the gorgeous eyes. You won�t stop talking about him.�
�We�ve looked for him, but we haven�t seen him, by the way,� Julie added.
A smile curved Veronica�s lips slightly. �That�s your loss, then, if you can�t see what I see.�
�You should say yes to Jake,� Willa insisted.
Tobias felt cold fear clench his gut. He wanted to ask Veronica, he�d already made up his mind about that. Now only if he could work up the courage�He knew she�d say no, what with all these popular, handsome boys vying for her attention. But he had to try, right? That was what was important. If only his legs were as convinced as his mind was�
Veronica suddenly looked uneasy, like she wanted to escape from the conversation. Icy fear swept over Tobias when she looked up and her gaze locked on him.
�Hey, look, there�s Tobias,� she said, flashing a smile.
He pretended he wasn�t terrified and waved weakly. He pretended it didn�t hurt when Julie and Willa said: �Who?�
And suddenly he found himself walking towards Veronica, head held high. What a great time for his legs to suddenly decide they worked.
�Hey Veronica, what�s up?� he asked, voice surprisingly steady.
She raised her eyebrows, surprised. �I�m great.�
Man, I�m a good actor. �That�s good. I hear you got the cr�me de la cr�me of this school�s male population asking you to the dance.�
She let out a sound that was almost a snort. �I guess you could put it that way.�
He laughed. �I�m with Willa. Go with Jake. Unless, of course, you�d like to go with me.� Did I just SAY that?
Veronica�s eyes widened. �Are you asking me to go with you?�
Tobias shifted his book, hands cold and clammy, somehow maintaining that cool, confident fa�ade. �Yeah, I am.�
Then his world spun out of control. Time stopped. What happened to �get away from me, freak boy� or �you�re kidding�? Veronica was gazing at him in awe, like it was a miracle he was even considering spending actual time with her.
�You�re not kidding, right?� she breathed, as if she talked too loud she�d shatter the moment. �Please tell me you�re not kidding. I�ll die if you are.�
He smiled. �I�m not kidding. So is that a yes?�
Veronica nodded vigorously. �Yes! Totally yes!� Then suddenly she was reaching out to him in wonder. �Your eyes are so beautiful��
Tobias was sure his heart stopped. Then time kicked back into normal gear. He flashed her a casual, cocky smile. �I�ll see you there, then.� And he headed out the doors. He�d have to find a way to pay for all this. The few dollars a week he earned from Mrs. Thibedeau for watching her cats wouldn�t cover it, and there was no way he�d be able to ask Uncle. As he started on the path home, he sighed. There was one thing he could do.
�And how much did you buy this for?� the man asked, turning the violin over in his hands.
�I don�t remember,� Tobias answered honestly. He�d been staying with some Aunt on the east coast when he was about seven, and all he could remember was skipping lunch for several months to buy it.
The man whistled. �I�ll give you eight hundred for it. It�s like, a Stradivarius.�
Tobias�s heart sank. He�d never be able to pay that back in thirty days. But his birthday was the day after Christmas, and this date with Veronica would be his gift to himself. He set his jaw stubbornly as he handed the pawnbroker the bow and case to go with the violin. One night with her; he�d treasure it forever, and it was all he would ever need. He could live without his music.
At school, Veronica sat with him at lunch, and they talked. The news that she was his date for the Christmas dance had spread like wildfire through the school, and Tobias found himself on the receiving end of many strange looks.
�So you like music, animals, art and history,� Veronica mused. �So�what�s your family like?�
He shrugged, a little uncomfortable. �I never knew my parents. My aunts and uncles toss me around. I�ve been living with Uncle Zach most of my life, though.�
Veronica seemed to sense his unease and switched topics. �So what kind of music do you like? Do you play any instruments?�
�I kinda like jazz, play a bit on the piano. The violin.�
Veronica blinked. �Wow. That�s like the hardest instrument to learn, I�ve heard.�
Tobias smiled, a little sadly. �Not exactly.�
The day of the dance was two days before Christmas, and Tobias desperately wanted everything to go perfectly. Uncle was drunk, sleeping it off on the couch in the trailer. Tobias had cooked and packed a meal in a picnic basket before stealing two blankets and going to meet Veronica on the school steps.
�Where are we going?� she asked as he led her through the woods. �Your place?�
�Not exactly,� he answered.
She peered over his shoulder. �What�s in the basket?�
He smiled. �Lunch. I cooked.�
She whistled softly. �Wow. I�m impressed. A man who can cook.�
Tobias blushed and thanked her, then fell silent until they reached their destination. The pack�s cave was conveniently empty.
�In he here,� he said, and she ducked in.
�Wow,� she breathed. �How�d you find this place?�
He shrugged, smiling slightly. �I know these woods. Here. Wrap up in the blankets while I light a fire.�
Veronica bundled herself up. �Is there anything I can do to help?�
He shook his head. �Nope, I got it.�
The fire was blazing, and both were well fed.
Veronica sighed contentedly. �That food was wonderful. My mama would be jealous.�
Tobias shrugged. �I just figured I�d put my skills to use.�
Veronica smiled at him. �You blush too easily. It�s sweet.�
He blushed more.
A comfortable silence fell between them before he finally said, �We should go. You�ll probably want to start getting ready.�
�Yeah,� she agreed. �A handsome boy�s got to have a beautiful girl.� She laughed when he blushed again.
He stood up and extinguished the fire, then held out one hand and helped her to her feet. The silence between them was comfortable as he walked her back to her house. She thanked him for lunch once more before promising to meet him on the steps of the town hall a little before eight. He smiled and nodded, then turned and headed home.
As he walked, he smiled to himself. She had to be an angel, the way she was so nice to everyone. Back at the trailer, the memory of her smile kept him warm inside while he hurried to fix his Uncle a meal.
�What�s gotten into you, boy, grinning like a fool?� Uncle demanded as Tobias set the plate down in front of him.
He shrugged. �It�s Christmas soon, Uncle.� But he was still grinning happily.
Half an hour before he was meant to go meet Veronica he was dressing himself. It took as moment to figure out how the bow-tie worked, and even though he felt like a child�s doll dressed up in the wrong clothes, he figured he didn�t look too much like an idiot. This night had to be a miracle, though, if his hair was cooperating. Usually the dark waves were unwilling to be tamed, but tonight his hair was neat.
Giving himself one last appraisal, he left the trailer and was plunged into the icy night. Uncle was at the bar with friends, but he wouldn�t have noticed his nephew�s absence anyway. Shivering, Tobias navigated his way through the woods on paths he knew by instinct. He would stay with the pack tonight, perhaps.
He was waiting on the steps when she appeared out of the darkness, a stunning vision in a deep emerald dress, her hair coaxed into ebony ringlets. He straightened up and moved towards her. She looked as shy as he felt.
�You look beautiful,� he whispered, smiling.
�You look handsome,� she answered, just as softly. She linked her arm through his, and they headed into the heart of the glamour.
The usually dull and dusty, past century town hall was a scene from a dream. The room was dim, lit softly with colored lights. Giant sized Christmas tree ornaments hung from the ceiling, glittering like stars. Tobias and Veronica exchanged excited smiles and stepped into the crowd. Tobias was surprised when Veronica slipped into his arms, beginning to sway to the slow tune.
She smiled up at him. �Hey, I won�t break. Dance with me already.�
He blushed. So he tugged her closer slightly, beginning to move with her.
He could feel the curious gazes on him, hear the whispers through the crowd. But he didn�t care. Veronica was his for the night, and that was all that mattered.
He perked up when the Brian Setzer Orchestra flooded over the speakers.
�Can you swing?� he asked Veronica, before pulling her into his arms and spinning her across the floor. She laughed joyfully, and he was impressed when she fell into step with him. The moves came back to him instantly and the two of them moved in perfect synchronization to the music. She was surprisingly light when he lifted her.
When the song ended, she sank against him, out of breath and laughing. Her eyes shone.
�Wow,� she gasped. �I didn�t know you could dance like that.�
He grinned. �I didn�t know you could either.� When another song came on, he didn�t hesitate to pull her close and hold her tight.
�That was amazing,� Veronica gushed as they strolled down the sidewalk, reveling in the cold. Tobias could ignore the cold when she was beside him. As corny as it was, there was no denying the warm feeling he had inside when she was near. The stars seemed brighter in the sky, the moon glowing softly.
He smiled at her. �It was amazing, being with you.�
She smiled shyly and slipped her hand into his. �You�re sweet.� She sighed happily. �I can�t believe you actually asked me. I was afraid I�d have to ask you myself, decorate your locker or something.�
He blinked. �I was surprised when you actually accepted. I was terrified when I asked you. I was so sure you were gonna say no, but I had to try.�
She laughed. �Coulda fooled me.�
She fell silent, and then they stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.
�Thanks for a wonderful evening,� she said.
�Thank you for sharing it with me,� he answered.
She tugged on his hand. �My house is just up this block � �
He tugged her back, wrapping his arms around her and lowering his head swiftly for a kiss.
He broke the kiss after a few moments. �I�m sorry, I probably shouldn�t have done that��
Veronica dragged him back down for a kiss, and he obliged her.
He pulled back again, struggling for breath, at a loss for words.
�Wow,� Veronica whispered. She giggled. �Who knew you could kiss liked that. I�m so keeping you for myself.�
He blushed. �Um�that was nice.�
She slapped his shoulder. �It was better than �nice�.� She nodded in the direction of her house. �C�mon. Town curfew�s almost up.�
He walked her to her door. They stood on the doorstep, and dread curled through him. His night was ending.
�Thank you for tonight,� he whispered. �And an early Merry Christmas.� He kissed her mouth softly, pressing a tiny parcel into her hands before whirling away and vanishing into the darkness.
It took a total of one minute to shed the fancy clothes and squirm into some new ones. Or rather, old clean ones. Uncle was snoring on the couch, so it wasn�t too hard to slip out of the trailer and head into the woods.
It was probably past midnight by now, Christmas Eve. He hurried through the trees and to the cave where the pack was.
A soft growl met his ears. (Come, White Paw. We sleep now.)
He smiled softly. (I come, Long Tail.) He ducked into the cave, stepping over the sleeping females to where the cubs lay. They snorted and growled, stirring to make room for him. He curled up on the floor beside them, and they shifted to curl around him, crowding for the warmth.
(Come hunting with us tomorrow?) Long Tail asked.
He nuzzled her. (Of course.) She snuggled closer to him and licked his nose. He smiled. (Good night, Long Tail.)
Uncle always spent Christmas Eve getting smashed with his other construction worker buddies. Tobias had to be back on Christmas day, though, to cook. He wandered through the town, the ghost town, as everything was closed for the holidays. He gazed in the window of the pawnshop, at the blank spot on the wall where his violin had hung. With a heavy heart, he turned and headed back to the trailer, kicking pebbles as he went. He had his hands stuffed deep into his pockets, fists clenched. The violin strains of Love Song in D were haunting him, trailing after him in the gray light.
He could forget about another dream in his life. He�d long ago abandoned the idea that his mother was coming back for him. He�d given up all hope of his uncle being decent to him. If he was lucky he�d set eyes on an actual university (brochure pictures never did a building justice). He�d probably be dead by the time he was twenty, rolled in some alley for money because he was too weak to defend himself.
Humming The Devil�s Trill Sonata under his breath, even though it was liable to make him cry, he turned down the road for the trailer park when a name pulled him out of his repertoire.
�Tobias!�
He looked around to see who was calling his name, and his gaze settled on Veronica. She trotted towards him, wrapped in a bulky jacket.
�Merry Christmas!� he called out, pasting a smile to his face.
She smiled, and when she came close enough he saw that she was wearing the earrings he�d given her.
She lifted one hand to hear ear. �They�re beautiful. You probably broke yourself buying them for me. I � I got you something.�
She opened her jacket and lifted out her burden, a black case�
Tobias bit his lip, his heart swelling. She hadn�t�
�I found it. The guy tried to convince me it was a genuine Stradivarius, but that didn�t matter. I know you can make it sound beautiful,� she said.
He accepted it reverently. �Thank you.� His eyes welled up with tears, and he cracked a watery smile. He opened the case and lifted the violin out, resting it comfortably between his shoulder and chin.
�Thank you so much,� he whispered, and drew the bow across the strings.
Sweet notes rose into a gray sky, carried on an icy wind.
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© Carlotta and Maleena 2004