Let her go

On the next day, 18th December, the house was filled with sadness and worry. Nobody knew why she had run away. At least, she could've stayed for Christmas. 

After Tina had made breakfast and was doing the dishes, the girls sat down to talk about Alethea. 

"Guys, look, it's ok. She'll come back", Kayla said. 

"That's a lie no one will believe. Me and Tina know her since my childhood. She's not coming back at all", Aroma said. 

"I don't know what to say. I think we shouldn't be thinking too much about her. Christmas will be here next week. So, we should not think about her", Angelina said, smiling. 

"It's true. The police won't help us. Nobody knows where she is. Let's cheer up", Benny said. 

"Yeah, guys. You're right. We should let her go if that's what she wants herself. We don't have to think so much about her. Let's decorate the Christmas tree my parents sent me. We're already very late with the decorations", Tina said, exciting them a little. 

They agreed with her. They started the process of decoration by cleaning the house. Benny and Aroma were sweeping the house along with mopping it, too. Kayla and Angelina were taking out the tree from the storeroom, where it was kept when Tina's parents sent it in the second week of November. Meanwhile, Tina went out to buy some ornaments and decorations which they didn't have at home, with some money she had saved up just for this purpose. 

She went to Connect Plaza because the place had a very big Christmas sale going on. She was shopping for a long time now and she could shop for hours because she was wearing very comfortable clothes, blue straight jeans, a blue top with a pink coat over it. She was wearing her lilac colored British Knights sneakers which her Dad had bought her in January. Her long blackish brown hair were tied in a loose braid, which was her favorite hairstyle. 

She looked beautiful in the cold weather. Her features: almond eyes, double eyelids, chubby cheeks, button nose, heart shaped lips and a oval shaped face with a not so prominent jawline, looked amazing on her sun kissed skin. She didn't dress up or anything but it seemed like she was here for someone. 

She passed by a shop in the mall that had a beautiful black dress inside. She stared at it but then left because she wasn't here to buy stuff for her. 

She was tired of walking for 4 hours now so she went to 'The Burger Joint', which was one of the coolest attractions of the mall. After giving her order on the counter, she sat down on a chair. 

"Excuse me, but do I know you?," someone said to her from behind her chair. 

She turned around to see Ryan Verlice sitting there. He blushed at the sight of her. She had no makeup on and that is what caught his eye the most: her being attractive without any makeup on. He was wearing black jeans with a white hoodie and had a lot of shopping bags with him, just like Tina. 

"Ryan?," Tina said. 

"Oh my God, I can't believe I met you here, Tina! Do you mind if I sit with you?," he asked. 

"Yeah, why not", she said. 

So, he sat down across the table with her. He smiled at her. She was blushing. He looked so hot all the time, this being one of those times, too. He was at a loss of words. 

"So, what are you here for?," Tina asked, breaking the silence. 

"Oh, I had to buy Christmas gifts for my family. This time, my parents asked me to go buy the gifts. I was here for that. What about you?," he asked her, leaning on his elbow, staring at her.

"I was here to buy some ornaments for our tree at home. And gifts for the girls, too," she said. 

"Umm, sorry to say this, but, was it someone from your house that ran away?," he asked. 

"Yeah. Alethea ran away. We don't know why but I think it's my fault," she said, sadly. 

"Your fault? Why?," he asked, confused. 

"Because I invited you over and that was the first time my friends ever saw some guy with me. So, I think she might have gotten uncomfortable, you know," she said. 

"That is kinda true. But I don't think she would run away from home at something like that," he said. 

"Yeah," she said, looking away. 

He saw the sadness and worry in her eyes, which she had hidden with so much difficulty, come back. 

"I'm sorry," he said and grabbed her hands. 

Her heart started to beat fast at that. 

"It's ok," she said and undid his grip from her hands. 

"Oh, I know what will cheer you up," he said, smiling at her. 

"What?," she asked. 

"A gift...by me," he said, cheerfully. 

"What? No, you can't give me a gift!," she said, her eyes wide and telling him that she refused to accept a gift from him. 

"Why?," he asked, his mouth wide. 

"Because we're just friends and you know, it won't be a good thing if you gave me a gift," she said. 

"But what's so wrong in giving gifts to your friends? I mean, you give gifts to your friends that live with you. Why can't I give a gift to a girl who's my friend?!," he said, complaining. 

"Ok, but don't forget that I'll get you a gift, too," she said. 

"What? Of course not!," he said, shaking his head.

"Why? Gifts are there for exchanging. I will get you a gift. When someone gives you a gift, you've got to give one to them, too, Ryan," she said, explaining it to him. 

"God, ok. Let go of that and close your eyes," he said. 

She nodded at him and closed her eyes. He put a bag on the table in front of her. It was a bag from that store where she had seen the dress from earlier, 'C'est la Vie'. She opened it up and found that same dress from earlier. She was shocked. Her mouth wide open. 

"Ryan, what is this?," she asked. 

"Your Christmas gift, baby," he said, smirking. She blushed. 

"Thank you but please don't call me baby," she said. 

"Do you like it, the gift?," he asked. 

"I love it........but, how did you know I wanted this?," she asked, confused. 

"I saw you looking at it and I thought I should get it for you. Your choice is amazing, by the way," he said, smiling. 

Just then, a waiter arrived with their food. They ate their food in silence because both of them were an insane mess full of blushes. 

When the waiter arrived with the bill, Tina tried to pay for it. 

"Why are you paying?," Ryan asked. 

"What do you mean why am I paying? I'm paying and that's final!," Tina said, laughing. He laughed at her. 

Then they got up to leave because it was 8:34pm right now and Tina should be going home by now. 

"Well then, I'll see you later, Ryan. Thank you," she said, as she headed out of the plaza into the cold, chilly weather outside. 

"I'll drive you home," he said. "No. I'll be fine," she said. 

"Not with all those bags," he said. 

She laughed.