What’s Your Flavor // 46. Call

Time: Christmas / Kinsey: Age 17 / Pre-YIM
Rating: Fun For All

Kinsey sighed and set her purse down on the ground between her feet. For the last twenty minutes, she’d been having a staring contest with the Christmas cards in Hallmark. She’d already selected great cards for her family, Zac, and Isaac, but there was one card causing her particular grief.

“Just pick a generic one and be done with it,” Tif grumbled from beside her, her own cards purchased over ten minutes ago, “Why do you have to get them all separate cards anyway? Just get them one all together. Wouldn’t that be easier?”

“Yes, it would be, but I always get them their own cards when I’m not going to be seeing them at Christmas. And since they’re going on a trip with their parents this year, I won’t be. Therefore, I have to buy them cards,” Kinsey explained.

“Here, it has a pretty picture on the front and on the inside all it says is ‘Merry Christmas.’ Perfect! Now can we get out of here?” Tif said, shoving a card at Kinsey and taking a few steps away.

Kinsey glared at her and put it back in its slot. Not even that would do, because Kinsey didn’t want Taylor to have a Merry Christmas.

“If it said ‘I hope you choke on a candy cane and die’ inside, then I’d buy it.”

“I don’t think we’re going to find one that says that. Some of these down here say that they’re blank inside. Want one of those?” Tif suggested.

“No,” Kinsey said simply.

“You’re ridiculous. I need an Auntie Anne’s pretzel. I’ll be back,” Tif huffed before leaving.

Kinsey knew that she was being crazy, but she did have a good reason. One that she couldn’t tell Tif about. For almost eight months, she and Chris had been in a good relationship. She’d given herself to him in every way possible and looked forward to seeing where it could go in the future.

And then Taylor had happened.

The few times they’d been around each other, Kinsey had thought that everything was fine. But after one particular afternoon where Taylor had been in the kind of particularly foul mood that he always takes out on her. While she’d been on the defensive all day, she’d waited for Chris to come to her defense. But, he hadn’t. Not once.

In fact, when they’d left the Hanson home and he was driving back to her parents’ house, he had started in. He’d accused her of having feelings for Taylor. No matter what she’d said and how upset she’d gotten, he wouldn’t hear any of it. In his mind, it was already over and it didn’t matter what she had to say.

That had been a week ago. Ever since then, she hadn’t been able to look at Taylor, let alone want to wish him a good holiday. The worst part of all is that she couldn’t even tell anyone about it. How could she? They would all just laugh at her, and that’d be the absolute last thing she would need. Tif wasn’t the only person to notice Kinsey’s bad mood, but she along with Zac and Isaac were assuming that it stemmed solely from the break-up.

Kinsey glared at the inadequate cards before turning and stalking towards the counter. A flash of a bright color caught her eye and she grinned wickedly at it before yanking it from the slot along with its equally garish envelope before paying for her cards.

One week later, early on Christmas morning, her bright green phone started playing Ode To Joy loudly on her bedside table. She groaned and picked it up, trying to focus her sleepy eyes enough to read the illuminated screen. A smile spread across her face and she quickly answered it.

“Merry Christmas!” Zac’s voice exclaimed through the phone.

“Merry Christmas,” she grinned, “But do you have any idea how early it is here?”

“I know, I know, but I finally had a spare second and wanted to call you.”

“Do you like your card?”

“I love it. I opened it this morning,” he said, “I bought your present yesterday. I can’t wait for you to open it.”

“Hey, it’s from Italy and you picked it out. I’ll love it,” she told him. Before he could respond, she heard someone shout something out in the background.

“Taylor would like to speak with you,” he said, stifling a groan.

“I think I know what this is about,” she replied, “Put his royal highness on.”

Kinsey could hear the phone changing hands and Taylor sigh loudly before speaking.

“What the hell was that card about?” he asked.

“I couldn’t find a single Christmas card that I wanted to get you, so I settled for the best thing I could find.”

“It says “Happy birthday to the pretty princess on her fourth birthday.” How was that the best thing you could find?”

“It’s the thought that counts. Now goodbye, Taylor,” Kinsey said before hanging up, a big smile on her face. The fact that the card had actually annoyed him was a wonderful gift to start the day with.

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