CHAPTER TWO | GREEN-EYED STRANGER
966 Words
Kasey walked around the mall for a while and stopped. She smiled. Like one insane she stared at the glass ceilings of the huge mall and voiced out her thoughts.
"You see? This is another reason to hate this season. Not only did you slap me in the face earlier today with the worst...you took what happens to be the most handsome creature I've ever seen in real life away from me! Thank you, Universe! Thank you!"
Kasey flipped the middle fingers of both hands to the air and cackled like one insane.
"It's alright baby. She's probably drunk. Poor woman. Now stop pointing. Crazy is contagious. Remember?" A mother whispered to her child a step away.
Kasey gazed at the child whose little right hand was pointed at her. She glanced at the mother's eyes. They were full of judgement and resentment.
"I'm not drunk or crazy either! You better lock that kid up at home while he or she is still innocent! The world is cruel. In twenty years, your kid could become me, because reality will f**k him or her up!" Kasey yelled at the mother and child.
People stared, a few whispered but she did not care. Life had never been kind to her and earlier that day, she believed life had done the worst. She decided to throw her principles out the window.
"Mind your language lady! And she's a girl!" The mother yelled back and began to walk away.
"I'm sorry but it's not my fault your kid's ugly! It's just the Universe kicking you in the balls!" Kasey yelled and she heard the kid cry from a distance.
"Wuss." She said under her breath.
"What're you looking at?!" She screamed at a salesgirl dressed in a cute elf costume, who stared at her from a photo booth.
Rage fed her bones and her blood boiled. She turned and collided with someone.
"Are you fucking..."
She paused at the sight of the human in front of her.
"Hello again weepy." The human said with a smile.
It was him. It was the handsome green-eyed man Kasey saw earlier. The Universe didn't hate her after all.
"Listen Mr Hankie. I have a name and it's not 'weepy'." Kasey said. He laughed.
"Score!" Kasey thought.
"Pot calling kettle black huh? Classic. I do have a name too ma'am and it's not Mr Hankie." he said.
Kasey laughed. They began to walk without a proper introduction.
"So, you hate Christmas?" The green-eyed man asked.
"Yes. I do."
"If you don't mind me asking, why do you hate it?"
"It's an overrated holiday that steals from your salary in the name of alms and decorations. Don't even get me started on the gifts! That's a whole other story!"
Kasey loved the smile on the handsome man's face, so she continued to preach her philosophy of Christmas.
"Humanity is cruel all year round except for one day, because of a myth of some fat guy in red who breaks into people's homes and steals cookies in exchange for gifts. I mean the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny are one thing, but a fat dude who lords over elf minions that work to the bone to provide gifts to a list, containing the name of every child on earth? Come on! How do parents sleep at night after telling these lies to their kids?"
The handsome being laughed so hard, the green of his eyes were made wet by tears only humour could conjure.
"You must think I'm the Grinch's wife or something." Kasey said.
"If you're the Grinch's wife, then I'm the Grinch in the flesh."
"Really? You don't look like a Grinch." Kasey asked.
"How can you tell?"
Kasey's eyes strolled from the baby blue sweater, hidden partially by an unbuttoned black denim jacket, to a pair of black jean pants buried in Timberland boots. The sleeves of his jacket were rolled up to elbow length.
Kasey stared at two long old scars on his arms. One on each hand. Bracelets made by chain links and strings of varied beads curled around his wrists. He looked like one with a free spirit.
"You just don't look like someone who's got anything against snow and ginger-bread." Kacey said.
"Firstly, I hate ginger and if it's any consolation, I'm not a fan of Christmas. A terrible memory of mine is attached to this season and I'm constantly reminded of it every year." The handsome green-eyed man said.
"I know I'm a stranger and we just met but can I ask what that memory is?" Kasey asked.
"You're quite bold, lady."
"I've decided to live a certain way from today. Some may call it the reckless way but I call it living. So, what's the memory?"
"Well I..."
Kasey and the green-eyed stranger had walked into a photoshoot and due to their conversation, they were completely unaware of a working industrial fan a few steps from where they stood.
A vintage scarf on Kasey's neck fell off and by the power of the industrial fan, the scarf glided to a distance.
"My grandma's scarf!!" Kasey screamed.
The green-eyed man chased the scarf for a while and so did Kasey.
The scarf landed on a round podium padded by a red carpet. The green-eyed stranger picked up the scarf and turned to Kasey who was already out of breath.
"I got it!"
Kasey ran up to the green-eyed stranger.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
The green-eyed stranger was about to place the scarf on Kasey's neck when she heard the whiny voice of another stranger.
"Are you guys going to do it or what?" A plump man with a trolley asked. His gaze fixed on Kasey and the green-eyed stranger.
"What is it this time, Universe?" Kasey thought.

- Writer
