Coolest Girl in Town

She snapped out of her thoughts and asked blearily, “Wait, is it time already?” “Another half-hour to go,” he replied. “Oh,” she muttered. “Then we should probably make our way over now.” They sauntered over to the backyard where the fireworks and firecrackers had been readied for the new year celebration. Alexander went about arranging them, laying down the lead-in wires as he said, “We’ll set them off as soon as the clock strikes midnight.” Elise hummed in response. Just then, seemingly by magic, Alexander produced a simple envelope and handed it to her, saying, “Here, it’s a gift for you.”

She stared at the envelope, which was bulging with what was presumably cash, and asked in astonishment, “F-For me?” With a trace of impatience, he shoved it into her hands. “Just take it, will you? I’ve never had to think about getting gifts for girls, and I won’t have you turning down my kind gesture.” She sputtered when she heard this, then caught herself and quickly accepted the envelope. She tested the weight of it and thought the amount was more than generous. “Haven’t you ever dated a girl before this?” she asked without thinking and instantly regretted it.

She wanted nothing more than to bite off her own tongue; the topic of exes was taboo in relationships, and she should have known better than to ask about it. Trying to save herself, she added, “Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t mean it that way.” To her surprise, Alexander answered nonchalantly, “Hmm… I did date a girl once, but that only lasted half a month.” He kept his reply brief and final. Judging from how unruffled he looked, it seemed as if his past relationship had no effect on him whatsoever. However, Elise could only dream of mirroring his calm demeanor.

way into her tone when she asked this. Alexander, too, was surprisingly oblivious to how pointed her question came off. “I don’t really remember,” he confessed plainly. Elise was clearly pleased with his answer, and the spike of jealousy she had

came the thundering boom as the fireworks shot upward and lit up the night sky with glorious technicolor. Elise

reached out and drew her into his arms, then muttered close to her ear, “Happy New Year.” After what felt like a long embrace, they released each other. “We should get some rest; plenty of visiting to do tomorrow.” With that, he took Elise by the hand and led her back into the house, whereupon they returned to their individual bedrooms. They slept soundly that

greeting the elders cheerily, “Happy New Year, Grandpa and Grandma!” Then, Stella came into the dining room with a tray of freshly made Berliners, which were doughnuts filled with sweet

and thanked Stella for it when her phone rang. She picked up the call and blanched when she heard what was said on the other line. Meanwhile, having just come downstairs, Alexander saw the look on her face and demanded urgently, “What’s wrong?” She put down

and offered, “I’ll drive you over; get in the car.” Not wanting to waste another minute, Elise

in resignation, and Mikayla’s mother was the only one who took her hand tearfully. “It’s okay; it doesn’t matter if you don’t remember us, as long as you’re back home safe and sound.” Mikayla bristled at the crying woman holding her hand. For some reason, she