C1 chapter one

Ah, Christmas, if there was a time that Lizzy loved for sure was Christmas, the best thing for her was to have a hot chocolate made by her mother with chocolate cookies while warming her feet in the fireplace of the living room

I even dreamed of this time in school, and this was sometimes a reason for tugging on his teachers, especially Miss Steele, his math teacher, hated distractions in his classes

- Can someone explain to me what the result of the equation is? - She asks when she finishes writing on the board

There was even a reasonable amount of people who were attentive to classes, at least six people raised their hands, but when Miss Steele saw that again Lizzy was distracted, did not want to miss that opportunity

- Lizzy Stewart, could you explain to me the value of this equation?

Annabelle, Lizzy’s best friend, a redhead with straight hair, bangs that went up to eye level and freckles on her face nudges her friend’s shoulder to realize her distraction

- What was it? - Lizzy asks scared after getting out of trance

She is a little embarrassed when she realizes that exactly all the students in the room were glued to her, looks directly at Miss Steele and sees how furious she seemed to be

The teacher was a very sensual woman, had brown hair and so

like her best friend Annabelle, also liked to wear bangs at the time of

eyes, had slim body like a model, with little breasts, but her

eyes were blue as the ocean

I wanted to be able to have a little game of waist and get out of that situation, but unfortunately shyness did not allow her to do that, so the best thing to do was to concentrate and try to find a way to solve that equation, the main problem was the fact that she was always terrible at math

- Being totally sincere teacher, I don’t know the answer, but I believe Annabelle knows - It was the best answer Lizzy could give at that time

- Don’t throw that bomb at me - Annabelle whispers

Miss Steele takes a long breath and lowers her head, looks at other students and asks for the answer to one of them, who hits first

Lizzy’s forte was never mathematical, especially when it came to Bhaskara’s equation, but in matters of the area of humans was considered one of the best in class, for her everything was a matter of point of view

The signal rang and she could start thanking under the week off that the school gave because of Christmas, closes her notebook and her case, takes the red bag that was hanging on the chair and keeps its materials

Put the backpack on his back and do a high five with Annabelle, they used to do it when one day was going to school

- Before you leave, I need to talk to you - Miss Steele talks after Lizzy passes by your desk

- I wait for you in the hallway then - Annabelle speaks shrugging and leaving the room

As Lizzy approaches her desk, Miss Steele raises her head and takes off her black glasses, bends them and puts them on the table, Lizzy believed it was far worse to face the math teacher than her own mother

— Lizzy, I don’t want you to see me as your enemy, but as your math teacher. What I’m doing here is my job, you’re going out for the weekly vacation, but when I get back I’m gonna have to make up for it

She takes a paper folder and takes Lizzy’s report card from the inside, gives it to the student to analyze, her grades in exact subjects were below average except for physics

— I noticed that it’s been a couple of weeks since you’ve been very distracted, is it because of the holidays? - Miss Steele asks leaning her elbow on the table and fists clenched in the face

- Why do you think that is?

— Believe me, I already had 14 years and I know how festive dates cheer us up, make us more comfortable, gives that good eagerness to find family. If it’s because of that, I’m not mad at you, but I just wish on the way back you’d be more dedicated - Miss Steele talks by putting on her glasses

- Will I still have to make the recovery? - Lizzy asks hopeful by the teacher’s answer

- It’s for your sake, it’s this or repeat of year - Miss Steele replies shrugging

Lizzy could not imagine how terrible it would be to repeat from school year, did not even like to imagine what your mother would do if this news fell on your ears, is that saying, ods evils, the worst

- See you next week then - Lizzy sighs

Out of the room and Annabelle was storing some things in the closet, was not so far from the classroom door, just ten steps away, walks to her friend and touches her left shoulder

- As much as I suck at math I never needed backup - Lizzy bufa

- Apparently this teacher is heavy - Annabelle says closing her closet

- Heavy bar? I’ll have to come back first to take recovery classes, that’s it or fail a year

- Knowing Pauline, I know she would be furious if you failed

They start to walk, the corridor was empty, for a last day of school things worked that way, nothing better than knowing that they were free to stay a while without attending that place

- Did you get your Christmas present? - Annabelle asks

- Not yet, my mother said it was a surprise. Have you?

Annabelle takes out a pamphlet from her pocket and delivers it to Lizzy, it was the launch of the new Galaxy S, the most modern cell phone from Samsung, sometimes found it a little strange that Annabelle did not care much about Apple products, it was the dream of consumption of many people

- Your cow showing off - Lizzy talks by returning the pamphlet to Annabelle

- Let’s go to the store now to make the withdrawal, want to go with us?

Lizzy takes her cell phone out of her pocket and sees that it was still two o'clock in the afternoon, keeps her cell phone in her pocket and shrugs, as if that was a yes

The best thing about living in Massachusetts was the snow that gave a bigger Christmas mood, Lizzy was never a person who liked heat, hated when he needed to travel to his grandmother’s house in California, it seems that the city was made of mormaço

As soon as they passed by the school exit only saw the white streets and few people under that cold, were certainly very excited about the Christmas mood inside their homes, warm

- Where’s your mother Belle? - Lizzy asks

I looked around and saw no sign of Maeves or her car, the hope was to go inside a warm and comfortable car

- We’ll meet her at the store - Annabelle replies

- Fuck, this store is like, 20 minutes walk - Lizzy complains

- There’s no way we can go by car, you know it’s dangerous for him to get stuck in the snow with this storm - Annabelle replies

- If you want I can call my father and ask him to take us there

- Wow, your dad’s home and he can come get you and then I’m the show-off cow?

Annabelle never got to know her father, he died when she was two years old in a serious car accident, and since that day Miss Maeves never married, sometimes dating, but it’s not something that is very long lasting, then Annabelle didn’t know much about the role of a father figure

The path between the store was silent, Lizzy did not know if she had offended Annabelle by calling her Cow Showdown, but when these things happened Annabelle was mature enough to settle things with a conversation

They were without snow shoes, so during the course sometimes slipped, the luck was that one helped the other not to fall and stand again

Lizzy remembered the time she broke her arm while trying to ice skate, must have been about seven years old, thought it was foolish of her to ask for something dangerous and risky for her age

Even worse was her father who supported her in this crazy idea

- Look, I’m sorry if I hurt you by calling you a show cow - Lizzy talks because she couldn’t take that silence anymore

- I was not offended by his words, I know it was a joke, I was just sad, because I have no father, sometimes I forget this fact, but when I remember, I see how painful it is

Lizzy considered her father the best she could have in life, did everything to see her daughter happy, no matter what, on weekdays unfortunately can not provide all her attention to the family, but the weekend is reserved for the three

Lizzy did not pay attention to the passage of time and when she realized was inside the Samsung store and there was Maeves at the door waiting for both, Annabelle runs to her mother and gives her a kiss, did it every time they met again

- I invited Lizzy to come with us - Annabelle says

- I would get bored at home even until my mother arrives - Lizzy says shrugging

- Good that you give a color opinion to Annabelle - Maeves speaks at last

Annabelle’s favorite color was pink, Maeves tried to change it in her, as she was growing up and considered pink a very childish color, although Lizzy thought that color preference had nothing to do with the person’s age

A salesman walks up to them, had Asian ancestry, his hair was black and smooth and his eyes slightly pulled, on his badge was written Edward

- Welcome to the Samsung store, my name is Edward and I’m here to help you choose the best device, are behind mobile phone, headsets, tablets, notebooks, TV?

- We want to see the new cell phone of the S line - Maeves responds

- Come with me - Josh responds smiling

Lizzy begins to notice how the lady Maeves was dressed, very elegant for a cold day with her red scarf, her fur overcoat and her thin black pantyhose, did not understand how it was not feeling cold and the magnificent black high-heeled boots

Anyone who looked at that beautiful slender redhead would hardly say she was almost 45

Lizzy understood Josh’s happiness, the phones of the S line were the most expensive in that store, if they really were to buy for sure he would get a beautiful commission, knew it because his mother was a seller in a perfume store

- Do you have any color preference? - Josh asks without looking back

- Rosa - Annabelle answers before Maeves says anything

- We want to see the showcase - Maeves disguises

As soon as they arrive in the mobile phone window Josh passes behind her and removes all available colors and takes to the counter that was just ahead, were large phones, the impression that Lizzy had was that they would break just by looking

- We have S22 and S22+ - Josh talks by arranging his cell phones on the counter

- What is the price? - Maeves asks

- $850.00, went on sale, was for $1418 - Josh talks opening the store’s system on his mobile

- I wouldn’t have the courage to buy such an expensive cell phone - Lizzy whispers to Annabelle in her ear

- But it’s my Christmas present, mama said she spent the whole year saving money - annabelle whispers back

- I will take, what are the colors available? - Maeves asks

- Violet, green, white, rose and black - Josh replies

- I found this wonderful violet - Maeves talks taking the phone

- But I said I want the rose mother - Annabelle retorts

Maeves takes her daughter’s hands and moves away from both Josh and Lizzy, squats near her daughter, because that boot made her taller than she already was, who did not know her could even say she was angry, but only tried to enter into a deal with her daughter

- My love, are you sure you want the rose? I saw the violet and it’s much more beautiful - Maeves explains

- Since before we entered I said I wanted the rose

- Don’t you even want to take a look at the other colors? - Maeves asks patient

Annabelle is thoughtful, sometimes the mother could even be right, choosing the usual one hour ends up getting boring, nods, takes his mother’s hand and smiles, both go to the showcase again

- I would like to compare rose with violet - Annabelle says to Josh

Josh takes both phones and delivers in Annabelle’s hand, takes advantage and keeps the other three devices left in the window again, Annabelle looks at the details of each phone, and this time his mother was right, the violet was much more beautiful

- Really you’re right mom, I’ll want the violet - Annabelle decides and Maeves smiles

Lizzy gets a little confused at that moment, knew that Maeves had a good line, but Annabelle was hard-headed, wanted to learn the trick that Maeves used to convince with sweet words

- Can I gift wrap? - Josh asks storing the chosen cell phone in the box

- Please, it’s a special gift - Maeves replies

- You’re not buying anything for your other daughter? - Josh asks referring to Lizzy

Maeves strange Josh’s speech, turns and remembers that Lizzy was following in his purchase, laughs at the situation that had happened at that time

- She’s not my daughter, she’s just following us - Maeves replies

- But inside my heart she’s the sister I never had - Annabelle says

Lizzy was an only child just like Annabelle, so she knew how important this phrase was to be said

For a long time he wanted to have a brother, and his parents wanted a son man, it was their dream to have a couple, until one day in a routine examination his mother discovered that he had polycystic ovaries, which could only become pregnant again after he did the treatment, but it was very expensive, so they decided to bury the dream of having a second child

- What is the payment method? - Josh asks

- It will be in the money - Maeves replies

He takes the wallet that was inside his red bag and removes a cake of notes that were stuck in an elastic band

Josh removes the elastic and begins to count the money and returns 210 dollars

Take a purple gift paper, put the cell phone box on top and make the folds that were customary to do, after it finishes put a piece of transparent tape so the wrapping does not fall apart and glue a red tape on top

- Here it is, have a merry Christmas - He talks delivering the box to Annabelle

- Also - Maeves responds kindly

Lizzy takes her cell phone out of her pocket and sees that it was just four o'clock in the afternoon, unfortunately her mother would only arrive after six o'clock to give her her Christmas gift, she still had two hours to get bored at home

- What time does your mother return from duty? - Annabelle asks

- Because of the holiday rush, it’s coming after six - Lizzy shrugs

- Want to go to my house? We’ll watch movies in the afternoon and then my mom will take you home - Annabelle suggests

- Really? - Lizzy asks Maeves

- Yes, you will be very welcome in my house - She answers at last

Maeves had parked his car a few meters from the store, apparently it would be difficult to get out of the snow, enters through the front door and the girls go in the back seat, starts the car and takes a slight run until you get out of place, had the impression that the snow might even have melted with the heat of the tire

- Eager to receive your gift? - Annabelle asks

- And a lot, but I’m not so worried about what I’ll win, my mother always gets it right - Lizzy replies shrugging

- I can say that mine too

- What are we going to do for the afternoon?

- I wanted to eat something really tasty while watching movies, I was thinking about watching Let the snow fall, the movie that Netflix made based on John Green’s book

- It can be, it goes with this holiday season and I just love John Green’s books - Lizzy says excited