Chapter 33: Ducks, Suits, and Snow.

Perhaps you could read this slowly too

[Chip]

By the time Giselle was discharged from the hospital, Xander’s finals were long gone. Fortunately, that meant that he had time for his sister, and to Giselle, that was all she needed.

“Piggy-back?” Giselle asked, tugging on the hem of my shirt.

Her head was turned towards my direction, but her eyes were covered with several layers of bandage.

I was about to agree when Xander patted my head and gently pushed me aside.

I’ll do it, he mouthed, and I nodded, feeling slightly disappointed because I’ve always wanted to give piggy-backs.

“Come on Giselle,” Xander lifted her arms and guided them over his shoulders, “I’ll give you—“

“Noooo I want Chocolate Chip!” She pouted unhappily, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“I-It’s okay Xan, I’m strong enough!” I patted my abs (there’s nothing there honestly, but oh well).

Xander stared.

Then he snorted, giving me one of his best smiles. “Angel, I’ve seen every part of you—and I’m sure there’s nothing there the last time I checked.”

I felt my cheeks burn and the tips of my ears grow hot.

“W-Wha—don’t say that out loud!”

“What? It’s the truth,” Xander smirked.

“B-But that’s un—“

“Want me to describe? Slim, supple thighs; the perfect waist—“

“CHOCOLATE PIGGYBACK!! XANDIE GO AWAAAY!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In the end, Giselle settled with holding our hands—so here I was, holding Giselle’s left hand while Xander held her right.

We were about to exit the ward when I heard a familiar voice.

“Wait—are you sure this is the room?”

“Yes Blake, I’ve checked it a thousand times—stop nagging!”

“What? I’m just making sure! What if—“

The door opened.

In the doorway stood a group of high school students. I recognized some of them from the time I sat with Xander at his table in the cafeteria.

“Hey! Xander! We heard about your sister…” Blake trailed off when he saw Giselle. “Wait is that her? Shit she’s so cute! Hi, my name is—“

“No way I’m gonna let my sister get to know the likes of a dirty guy like you Blake,” Xander got between Giselle and his captain jokingly, and the group laughed.

“We brought fruits and chocolate though,” One of the girls said.

“Are we too late?”

“Let’s sit outside then—“

“What? Since when were you guys nice?” Xander raised an eyebrow mockingly.

His friends stared at him like he was crazy.

“Since, like, forever,” Then they rolled their eyes simultaneously. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As usual, no one seemed to notice me—well maybe they did, but they chose not to talk to me, and it was fine that way.

Phew.

I was busy peeling a banana for Giselle, who waited patiently next to me, when Xander’s friends suddenly stopped talking.

Curious, I turned around.

That was when I caught sight of a very hot pink mini-skirt and an expensive leather jacket.

Well, and the only person who could possibly wear that was Vicky.

“Vicky, wait up!” A certain voice called, and a teenaged boy came jogging after her with a huge hamper in his arms. 

Oh! It’s Ace!

“Ugh, Ace, can’t you hurry up a little? So useless. Hey—isn’t it this room? It’s not? Why is it not this room? It should be this room. It’s not either? Why is it not this room?”   

Vicky opened door after door, a rather silly look on her face as she tried to figure her way around.

One of Xander’s friends broke the ice.

“Is that…?”

“Vicky?”

“Yeah.”

“You know, the one who goes crazy in every party?”

“Yeah, that’s her.”

They turned back to stare.

Xander just buried his head in his hands, as if wishing this was just a dream.

.

“Ummm…Vicky? I think we should ask the information counter…” Ace pointed out, but Vicky simply ignored her brother.

She scanned the floor, and then she noticed us.

She pointed and shouted loudly. “There they are!”

The nurses and doctors around turned to stare at her angrily, but Vicky didn’t seem to care (or even notice).

She stalked over to the row of chairs in her heeled boots, flipping her hair along the way.

Ace hurried after her.

After glancing at every single member of the group except me, she opened her mouth to speak.

“Well, hi. My brother and I have heard about Xander’s sister. I shouldn’t care—I don’t really. But since he insisted,” She jabbed a finger at Ace, “We have come to wish Xander’s sister well.”

She checked her perfectly manicured fingers.

“Hurry up Ace, I don’t have time.”

But Ace was staring at Xander.

“Oh huh? What? Oh yeah—Um, here,” He said shyly, handing the huge hamper to Xander. “This is for you and your sister.”

Ace turned to Giselle, intending to greet her, but he stopped short.

“U-Um…” He lowered his voice, “why are her eyes bandaged?”

Everyone was silent for a while, until Vicky had to open her mouth.

“’Cuz she don’t have eyes now, duh.”

Xander looked like he was ready to cut off her tongue.

“Oh my God, you didn’t have to say that!” A girl snapped.

“Can you just shut up?”

“What the hell!”

“Ah, I’m so sorry guys, my sister’s like that—“

“What?” Vicky shrugged. “I think she looks better like that honestly.”

“At least you can’t see her crossed eyes,” She added.

There was a moment of silence.

Everyone seemed just too shocked to respond to such a comment.

I was white with anger, but that anger seemed to cloud my thoughts.

It was Giselle who responded.

“Duck?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Xander’s friends left soon after Vicky and Ace arrived, leaving Xander, Giselle and I alone in the hospital—waiting for Rose and Loki to come pick us up.

“Can I eat ten cupcakes?” Giselle asked, tugging on my hand which she held tight.

Xander squeezed her other hand, and spoke sternly. “That’s too many. Only three maximum! The doctor says that you should watch your diet for the next few weeks.”

“Besides,” He added gently, “we shouldn’t bother Chip’s family…”

I shook my head quickly, “N-No! It’s a bother at all Xan—“

A kiss on my lips left me speechless, and the words at the tip of my tongue disappeared.

“U-Uwa! Xander, we’re outside…”

“Sorry,” He laughed, “Just had to help myself,” He replied playfully, licking his lips.

I felt like a living heater, and someone just turned on the switch.

My face was getting hotter and hotter by the second.

“U-Um…”

.

“Are you the brat that called me?” Came a low voice behind, and I jumped.

Before I turned around, I saw Xander’s shoulders stiffen—and I knew this couldn’t possibly be good.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The man that stood in front of me was dressed smartly in an expensive business suit and silk tie.

His shoes were really, really shiny—

And I couldn’t help but think that he must have been really attractive when he was younger.

In fact, he had a domineering air that matched Xander’s.

His gaze flitted towards Giselle, and then back to Xander.

“Is that her?”

There was a strange silence, and then Xander frowned and nodded his head with difficulty.

“Oh, she’s still alive?”

W-What was this person saying?! How could he say such a thing?

“I’m surprised myself,” Xander spat, “that we’re alive despite you throwing us out.”

“Barely,” The man replied, his eyes leveling with Xander’s. “She wouldn’t be here not for my money.”

The man smirked—a twisted, ugly smile that made my throat burn with anger.

Xander only clenched his teeth.

“Don’t know how you’re going to pay me back with what you have right now—but you agreed to the deal right? Better start thinking, son.”

There was a mocking tone in his voice—and I wondered whether the term ‘son’ was simply a figurative speech, or that this horrible person was actually Xander and Giselle’s father.

“I’ve paid for your sister’s surgical fees—meanwhile,” The man paused, taking a step closer to Xander.

“You can learn how useless you are without wealth,” He ended, a terrible smile on his face.  

He turned on his heel to walk down the corridor—and at the end of it, there was a woman waiting for him.

He snaked an arm around her hips, and sauntered off.

Both Xander and Giselle were very silent—

And for once, I believed that it was for the same reason.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

-Slowly- 

“T-That’s your father?”

Xander nodded, looking down at the sheets. “Some bastard he is huh?”

“Well…”

I glanced at Giselle, who had insisted on using her new paintbrushes upon reaching home.

Xander squirted some paint on the palette, and handed her some paper.

I was in charge of guiding her hand to the correct color, and back to the paper.

“We could have…settled the bill for you—“

“No Angel. You have done so much for me—and what have I done?” Xander’s tone was bitter.

“W-Well, you make me really happy, a-and um, the…the warm…and fuzzy—“

“Nothing…”

“I’ve done nothing.”

I took my eyes off Giselle for a second to glance at Xander—

His face.

His eyes…

Why were they so—

“That’s not true at all Xander, i-it’s not you—it’s me! I’m the one…”

“What? No—you’re an Angel! So pure, so beautiful, so harmless and endearing—what am I? Some fucking demon,” Xander laughed cruelly, an arm shielding his eyes from my sight.

“Stop helping me…I don’t deserve you at all.”

“I can’t even protect my sister—

Who am I to protect you?”

—sad?

His eyes were so sad.

“Xander…?”

I looked up at him, took his hands.

His eyes widened when he saw my face—

But they widened in fear.

How did I appear?

“Shit—I’m sorry. Don’t make that face…please don’t…make that face…”

I lunged over, and our beings seemed to fit perfectly against one another.

We stayed together for a long time, simply hearing the beating of the other’s heart.

Mine’s really fast—

But Xander was—

Faster?

Why do I feel like we’re standing at the edge of a cliff?

Why do I see two words—

The end?

And not—

‘Happily ever after’?

It was cold,

Even in his hold—

Heart fooled,

Just a tool.

Tales lie,

Humans cry—

Love ends,

None defend?

.

“Giselle? What’s that?”

Her canvas was painted a messy black.

“That’s Love.”

“Why is Love black?”

“Because…

“Because it’s right…in front of me—

“But can’t see…

“Can’t see it.”

She said, as she looked at us.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

While Xander waited for his results, he began to spend more time with his volleyball mates.

He helped out in the bakery every morning till close, and after that, he would sneak off to an indoor court with Blake to practice.

Rose and the rest didn’t know—

Didn’t notice how tired he was from taking care of Giselle, juggling volley and work at the bakery.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine Angel.”

—Became so often spoke, that I felt a door closing.

Xander didn’t want to share his pain.

He knows it would make me worry—

But wasn’t that the purpose of having someone that loved you?

To share joy, sorrow, pain, ecstasy?

I want to believe that everything’s okay—

But once you are loved, and have loved—

Love?

For why does Love exist—?

To make us cease

To believe?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

-Slowly- 

It was my turn to sleep on the couch outside, and when I woke up, I felt colder than usual.

There was a soft glow outside the window, so I sat up and pulled off the covers.

What’s this?

Soft, white fluff of little nothings floated gently from above.

I breathed—

Fogging up the glass.

It’s snowing.

It’s snowing.

My feet brought me to the room, and I opened the door with such happiness, eager to tell the one that I loved—

“Xan! It’s snowing!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Xander…?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Xan…der?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

To the Angel who holds my heart:

Thank you.

P.S,

I love you.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: This, is a story of happiness.

          I promise.

          Not the end. Not yet.

-Cuppiecake.

Merry Christmas, for it is the time you spend with the ones that you love. ^^