Lonely This Christmas by Krissie LaBaye Read Free Book Online

all go together? We can walk you two home first, then I’ll walk Judy home,” suggested Ian in the same subliminal manner he used when we wanted to get his own way at home.
    “Fine by me,” shrugged Kevin; who was secretly slightly disappointed that the vodka he’d poured into the fruit punch hadn’t delivered quite the fireworks he’d been hoping for. Still, everyone had had a great time it seemed, and who knows maybe he was somewhat responsible for the unusually chilled out teachers this evening.
    Clanking their heels along the ghostly school corridor, the foursome strolled down the staircase and out of the school building. They were met by the cold frost air of a December evening. Almost immediately the quartet began to shiver, but not one of them was wearing a coat. They took turns to complain about the cold night air, before agreeing that they should have listened to their parents. Judy in particular was minded to the conversation she’d had with her Mother before leaving home.
    “You’re not leaving hear without a coat, young lady,” insisted Judy’s Mother, Catherine, as she held out the purple and black checked woolen winter coat that she’d just bought for Judy. Catherine had picked out the coat herself, as a surprise for Judy; but although it was fine for trips out with the family, Judy didn’t want to wear it to the school disco.
    “Yes Mum, it is December, and yes it is freezing, but it’s just not cool to wear a coat when you’re going to a party; it’s what old people do,” protested Judy as she hurried to check her hair in the hallway mirror.
    “Well, don’t come crying to me if you catch a cold and have a nose like Rudolph this Christmas. It’ll be your own fault for not listening to your mother,” Catherine backed down as usual, which was just as well as Judy was already half way out of the front door.
    Catherine was used to backing down. After seventeen years of marriage to Judy’s dominating father Ronald, she knew that there was little point in digging her heels in. Anyway, most of the time she preferred to opt for the more harmonious option, which was to give in quickly. At least now, if Ronald saw that Judy had been out without a coat, she could truthfully tell him that she had tried to persuade their daughter to wear one. Of course, Catherine would still have to put up with her loud mouthed domineering husband telling her, ‘she was far too soft with everyone’, and that she should ‘put her foot down and stop being a doormat’; but she would bite her tongue and resist the urge to tell him that, ‘it was him that had turned her into a doormat in the first place’. Being drip-fed insults and put downs over the years had stripped her of any of the self confidence that he kept insisting she should display.
    By the time Elaine and Kevin had been dispatched at the end of their respective streets, Ian and Judy were frozen to the bone. With his arm around her shoulder, they both shivered constantly as they chatted about the forthcoming school holidays.
    “I don’t know what’s on, but do you fancy a trip to the cinema next week?” Ian asked, as though he were suddenly overcome with first night nerves.
    “Yes, I’d love to,” replied a bemused Judy. Was this the same Ian who had serenaded her in front of a large room filled with both friends and strangers? He sounded quite timid now, and she found this sudden change of demeanor rather appealing. Confidence was great, but she knew there was a fine line between confidence and arrogance. The fact that Ian appeared to have a gentle side, after all, set him apart from the other boys.
    As they reached her front door, Ian wrapped his arms around Judy and began to kiss her gently. Her instinct telling her that someone was watching them, Judy glanced to the window, to witness her mother spying through the gap in the floral living room curtains. When Catherine saw Judy had caught her, she darted away from the now twitching curtains.