The Circle of Friends

V - The Holidays-2

Sarah paused and took a deep breath. “I really owe her a big apology.”

“She’s coming to my house for dinner,” said Jason as he opened his door. “Call her later tonight.”

Sarah nodded and slowly got into her vehicle. Filled with new concerns for Lori, he started the engine and accelerated quickly out of the parking lot. He hoped dinner with his parents would make Lori feel she had a family who cared.

Lori arrived at his house shortly after five-thirty, her hair still damp from swimming. She was in much higher spirits after a good practice. As usual, Jason’s mother made a fuss over Lori. She had really taken to Jason’s girlfriend and her sweet nature. Lori downplayed the attention, but it was obvious she really liked his mother as well. Jason’s father tended to be gruff with unfamiliar people, but after several visits, Lori had worn him down with her charm.

After dinner, they retreated to his room and challenged one another to a video game. Sitting on the floor in front of Jason’s television, they battled in the virtual world for almost thirty minutes before a knock at the door broke their concentration.

“Come in!” called Jason, his eyes still on the TV screen.

The door opened slowly and Matt poked in his head. “Hey!” he said. “Sorry, didn’t want to interrupt anything.”

“Hey, man!” said Jason, looking up at his friend.

That was all the distraction Lori required. In one quick move, she won the game. Jason moaned and threw his arms around her, pinning Lori to the ground.

“You’re crushing me!” she cried through her laughter.

Jason helped Lori to her feet before grabbing Matt’s hand.

“What you got there?” he asked, noticing the disc in Matt’s other hand.

“That football game for the PC you wanted to borrow,” said Matt, holding up the disc. “I was going to load it for you.”

“Great!”

Jason strolled to his computer and turned on the unit. Lori sat in the middle of his bed and watched them with interest. Matt smiled at her, his eyes wide with curiosity.

“You doing okay?” he asked while the game loaded.

“I’m fine,” she said, quite ready for everyone to forget the incident.

“Well, as vicious as Sarah can be, I’d never want to get into a verbal war with Heather! She’s tough. And Sarah pissed her off today. Heather really went to bat for you.”

Lori moaned. “Now those two will be at it.”

Matt shrugged. “Only if Sarah won’t let it go. I’m sure Heather’s forgotten about it already!”

“It’s done!” cried Jason, punching commands on the keyboard.

They spent the next fifteen minutes going through the game, making sure it played correctly. Lori admired how easily Jason and Matt got along. There seemed to be no effort required. Perhaps it was mutual respect or simply familiarity. They had known one another for a very long time.

Matt bid them goodnight and Jason sat on the bed, one arm behind Lori. Reaching for her right hand and leaned over and kissed her neck.

“Listen,” he began, “if you want to talk about today, I’ll listen.”

Lori shook her head. “I’d rather forget about it. It doesn’t really matter.”

Jason regarded her suspiciously. “It mattered today or you wouldn’t have said what you did.”

Lori took a deep breath, wanting that conversation forgotten. “It’s just baggage I have to deal with and I don’t like the way it makes me feel. I don’t want to talk about it or think about it anymore.”

He rubbed her hand, concerned by her unwillingness to talk. “You don’t trust easily, do you?” he asked. “That’s okay. I’ll still be here when you do.”

Giving her another kiss, Jason got to his feet. “I was gonna get something to drink. Want a diet soda?” he asked.

“Sure,” she answered.

Jason stepped out of the room and Lori pulled her knees to her chest. She wished she felt comfortable divulging her feelings, especially to the person who held her heart so dearly. Perhaps that would come with time.

Jason sent her home early with a forewarning that Sarah might call later. She mentally prepared herself for one more round on the subject before she could put it to rest. It was not the first time Sarah had hurt her feelings and she rarely apologized for her sarcastic remarks. Usually she would let it blow over by pretending nothing ever happened. Lori knew she was guilty of encouraging that behavior by never calling her friend to task, but she disliked confrontation.

As she pulled into her driveway, she noticed Sarah’s Celica parked by the front door. Sarah however, was nowhere to be seen. Her mother’s car rested in the garage and Lori concluded that she had let Sarah in the house.

A light burned in the kitchen but no one awaited her in the room. Lori glanced down the hall and noticed the light in her mother’s office. She decided to put away her books first. Mounting the steps, she glanced up and saw Sarah sitting at the top of the staircase.

“Hey,” she said, grabbing the railing to ascend the steps.

“Hi,” answered Sarah, rising to her feet.

She stepped aside to let Lori pass. Strolling into her room, Lori flicked on the lights and moved to her computer desk. Sarah hovered in the doorway and watched Lori empty her book bag. When she had finished, Lori turned expectantly to face Sarah.

Sarah crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “Jason tell you I talked to him?” she finally asked.

“He told me you might call,” answered Lori, her voice neutral.

Glancing at her feet, Sarah slowly nodded. She looked up and Lori thought she detected a trace of remorse on her face. Taking a deep breath, Sarah finally spoke.

“I guess I kinda pushed too far today,” she said slowly. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, Lori. I’m sorry.”

Lori sank wearily into her chair. “Sarah, just forget about it. I’m through thinking about the situation.”

Sarah shifted nervously. She had obviously expected more resistance and did not know how to respond.

“That’s it?” she asked. “Am I forgiven?”

“Yes,” said Lori. “I’d like to think our friendship is more important.”

“It is,” Sarah answered, stepping into the room. “Actually, you’ve got some real friends at that table, too.”

“You mean Heather?”

Sarah grimaced. “Oh yeah!” she said uncomfortably, leaving Lori to only imagine what Heather had said about the whole exchange. “Not just her, though. Matt, Chris, everyone. They all think the world of you. Especially Jason.”

“What did he say to you today?” asked Lori curiously.

“Not just today. It’s every day. It’s the way he treats you, the way he looks at you. It’s like you’re the only person in his world!”

“Sarah!” cried Lori with genuine surprise. “Are you jealous?”

“I have always been jealous of you!” answered Sarah in a rare moment of candor. “I know you don’t get the attention you want from your parents, but you’ve got everything else! A great car, an entire floor to yourself, anything you wanted. And now you’ve got this terrific guy that totally lavishes love and affection on you and who’ll do anything for you. I’m jealous because you’ve got such a complete life.”

Lori felt touched by her words. “Oh, Sarah,” she said, rising to hug her friend. “That is the sweetest thing you’ve ever told me!”

Sarah appeared confused but returned her embrace. “Well! The worst and the best in the same day. I’m good!”

Laughing, Lori grasped her friend’s hands; thankful the whole thing could now be forgotten. “Do you really see all that in Jason?” she asked shyly.

“Yes! You are so special to him! I’ve never had a guy treat me that nice. And you know what?” asked Sarah. “You deserve it!”

By the time Sarah went home, Lori felt a thousand times better. Her only concern lay in the impervious wall she had thrown up earlier with Jason. He had been quite willing to listen and yet she did not trust enough to share her feelings. He deserved her confidence, and Lori promised herself that she would work on that issue.

The night of the Christmas party arrived amidst a bustle of activity. A company came in to decorate the house and caterers were supplying the food and drink. All that was required of Lori was to program a mix of music and videos for her party. Her parents would have Christmas music playing downstairs, but she wanted music her guests would enjoy. There were certainly enough forms of entertainment in the game room to keep them amused otherwise.

Lori had spent the greatest portion of her spare time selecting Christmas gifts. She possessed so many new friends this year and Jason’s gifts were at the top of her list. No one understood better than she material things could never take the place of love, but she wanted to express her affection by every means possible. Jason’s gifts would come from her heart.

The two biggest gifts would be a complete surprise to Jason. His BMW had come with a terrific stereo, but years of use had started to wear on the speakers. Lori arranged a deal with a local car stereo shop. Jason could select a stereo, no matter what the cost, and have it installed. For Jason’s other big gift, she purchased a genuine Florida State jacket. His mother had been touched by her choice and told her what size to purchase, promising to keep it a secret. She planned on holding the jacket for him to open last.

By Friday afternoon, everyone appeared prepared for a fancy party. They were forewarned their attire needed to be sharp and conduct proper. Jason further enforced this rule with the boys by adding that they needed to remain upright for this gathering. Her parents would not tolerate a wild party upstairs while they were trying to entertain friends and influential guests in their home.

Lori was dressed and ready by six-thirty that night. She selected a red, long sleeved dress with a simple design made elegant by the shimmer in the fabric. She did not need to dress so fancy for her friends, but her selection would please her parents. She even styled her hair, pulling the sides atop her head with red ribbon.

When she came downstairs, she was startled to hear someone whistle at her. Glancing into the great room, Lori noticed her father admiring his daughter.

“Who are you?” he asked, stepping into the entryway. “I have a daughter that lives in jeans and swimsuits. Is she still up there?”

“Oh, stop!” she cried, slowly descending the stairs. He held out his hand and assisted Lori the last few steps. Raising her hand to his lips, he gave her a kiss on the back of her hand.

“You look wonderful!” he said, holding her at arm’s length. “Look at you! You’ve got your hair up all pretty and everything. You look positively…adult!”

“Oh, Daddy, don’t make such a fuss,” she said, examining her father’s appearance. “You look great, too!”

“Well, thank you, Hon.”

Still holding his daughter’s hand, Phil led her into the great room. The entire chamber sparkled with silver, right down to the candles. The fifteen-foot tree glowed with shimmering tinsel and white lights. It was a hard contrast to the game room upstairs, which had been decorated entirely in crimson red. Crystal bowls filled with food were spread throughout the room and the main dishes covered the dining room table in the next room. Lori knew her friends would find a comparable feast waiting for them upstairs.

“What time is that young man of yours arriving?” her father asked as he poured himself a drink.

“Seven-thirty,” she answered proudly. He would be her first guest tonight!

Jason arrived just ahead of his parents. There were already fifteen guests present with many more on the way. The house buzzed with conversation and Christmas music, and a delicious mixture of food and cinnamon filled the air. One of the caterers had volunteered to greet guests, and she welcomed Jason and took his coat. He had stopped by earlier that the day and no longer felt overwhelmed by all of the sparkle and glitter. He knew their friends would be impressed with the decorations upstairs when they arrived.