The best part of Catalpa’s winter festival was all the shops. My friends would make fun of me for spending all of my time and money there but I didn’t care. There was something about seeing those matching keychains, or those artisans who braved the cold that spoke to me. It’s weird that this time around, I passed all of them without a second glance.

Delancy, still holding onto his hand, dragged Eric off to a less crowded location and looked down at her feet. There was a moment of silence and she began to count the snowflakes that fell.

“So,” Eric said, “I guess we’re dating now?”

“I, well, I,” Delancy said, looking up at him confused. She wanted to say yes but she couldn’t. Not when he looked at her like that.

He let go of Delancy’s hand and she looked back to the ground, she never thought she would have to hold back tears in such a situation.

“Well then, please be kind to me,” Eric said while performing a 90 degrees bow. When Delancy didn’t say anything, he looked up to see her shocked face and let out a laugh.

“It’s not funny,” she said. “What took you so long to say it?”

Eric wiped his girlfriend’s tears and looked at her enduringly. “Because you didn’t even give me a chance. You dragged me off before I could say anything. We’re even now, right?”

“Meanie.”

“Look at you trying to be cute.”

“I like you, I really do, I’m sorry that it had to come out like that.”

“It’s alright.”

Eric moved Delancy’s hair out of her face and he was going to kiss her until the noticed the intense aura coming form down the road. Delancy noticed his stiffness and turned around to see her four friends peaking around the corner with their heads stacked one on top of the other.

The four friends saw Delancy dragging Eric by the hand and decided to follow them. Isaac and Asher made a bet on if they were going to kiss and Diego and Rei joined in. The four of them hid behind the corner and waited.

“Guys,” Delancy gritted out.

“Hi Del,” the four of them said as innocently as they could.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing, you?” At this point, they got up and stood side by side.

“Eric, I’ll see you later,” she told her boyfriend calmly before jerked her head to where her friends were and ran after them.

“Run!” Asher shouted and the four of the dispersed.

*

My favourite thing about the place was the food. I loved how even in such a cold place, I could find warm food and people. Despite being on a mountain at a famous winter festival which was known for the events and contests, I was looking forward to eating with my friends the most. Eating warm food in a cold place, a situation which was so similar yet so different to the one I experience every day.

Asher’s plans on going to get lunch with his friends were ruined when his latest girlfriend, Karen with the pretty eyes, found him. She grabbed him by the arms, her nails digging into his bicep as she dragged him away, not forgetting to glare at Rei and Delancy.

Karen continued to glare at everyone who made eye contact with her boyfriend, male or female, and finally released her vice like grip when they with her friends.

“Girls, this is my boyfriend, Asher.” She said his name with a purr, and Asher was shocked that that was even possible.

“Hey.” Asher gave a smile and a small wave.

Despite being dragged there, Karen continued her lunch with her friends without sparing him a second thought. Asher was picking at his Karen approved lunch, a pathetic salad with not enough dressing, when she got up and gave him a long kiss.

When they, more specifically Karen, broke apart, Asher was able to say his first words of the hour, “What was that for?” He was wiping his lips before a glare from his girlfriend stopped him.

“I’m getting something else. I’ll be back soon but I don’t want to be apart from you for so long. Toodles.” Karen and two of her friends left, leaving Asher alone with the other three.

“You play on Conrad’s basketball team right?” One of the girls asked.

“Yeah, why?” Asher asked, excited that the conversation was about something he knew about.

“My brother, Newton, went there. I think you played with him before, he said someone named Ash was going to make it big.”

“Newt! Captain Newt! Man I haven’t heard that name in forever. You’re cap’s sister. Wow, it’s an honour to meet you.” Asher shook her hand and started his ramblings, “Captain was an amazing player. Bet he still is. Man, he was both smart and athletic and here I am, barely able to pass calculus. Did you know that he was always trying to set someone on the team with you? Did that ever work?”

“Nope. A few tried as a way to get brownie points. Didn’t turn out very well when he found out. Her brother is on Harlowe’s team and her boyfriend plays for Silverleaf.”

“Your brother plays for Harlowe!” Asher stood up in excitement. “That’s my dream school.”

“Yeah. Miracle he got in really. Horrible at dribbling but he can shoot.”

“No way. Is your brother number 15?”

“Yeah, you know him.”

“I’ve always wanted to have a shoot off with him. Would it be rude for me to ask if I can meet your brother?”

“Slightly weird but okay. Just don’t compliment him too much, he already has an ego.” She wrote down her brother’s email address and made a mental note to warn her brother beforehand.

“What position does your boyfriend play?” Asher asked the third girl, not wanting to leave her out.

“Centre.”

Asher chatted happily and slightly a bit too excitedly with the three girls but their conversation was cut off by the return of his girlfriend and her two friends.

“I see you’re enjoying your time without me,” Karen said as she slammed her tray of food down.

“Yeah we were talking about basketball. I’m sorry but I never got your names.”

The three girls were going to reply but Karen dragged her boyfriend away her grip stronger than when she dragged him away from his friends. When they were alone in a quiet alley, she let go of him and pushed him towards the wall.

“Are you cheating on me?”

“What?” The word just slipped out of Asher’s mouth. “Where would you get that idea?”

“Then what were you really talking about?”

“Basketball.” Seeing that his girlfriend wasn’t believing him, Asher elaborated. “One of the girls is the younger sister of a former teammate, another’s older brother is my hero, and the other’s boyfriend goes to Isaac, Diego, and Delancy’s school.”

“Delancy, Delancy, Delancy. You’re always talking about Delancy aren’t you? And the other one, that Asian one.”

“They’re my friends. I’ve known them for more than half my life.”

“Even more reason for you to choose them over me when you’re cheating on me.”

“But I’m not!” Asher tried his best to keep his voice low. “Delancy has her own boyfriend and Rei hasn’t been interested in anyone for as long as I’ve known her. Why are you so worried? You’re my girlfriend.”

“Then why did you wipe my kiss off earlier? You didn’t even kiss me back.” Karen went from cute to angry in a snap.

“You kind of just came at me,” Asher defended himself.

“Hey, are you guys okay?” The couple turned to see Karen’s five friends at the end of the alleyway looking at them worried.

Karen grabbed Asher by his jacket’s collar and pulled him into another deep kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and went on her toes to get closer to him. When she was satisfied with how much his lips swelled up, Karen tossed him off and ran off to her friends.

“See you later babe.” She said in a tone that was not a goodbye but instead as a meeting. Now he definitely needed to meet her later.

*

Asher was checking his scars when Isaac bumped into him in the washroom. Quickly putting his jacket back on, Asher went on to scare his friend who was too lost in thought to notice him.

“Oh my, oh it’s just you Ash.”

“Hurt, it’s just me?” Ash held his chest.

“Sorry, I was just thinking. Why are you here?”

“I’m in a washroom. What do you think I’m doing?”

“Ah.”

“Clearly you’re thinking about something more important than me. What are you so lost in thought about? Is it a girl?” Asher didn’t notice Isaac’s temporary face drop and continued to talk, “A guy? Fries? Cookies? Do you have a new baking idea, recipe thing? Can I try them first this time?”

“Huh, uh, sure.”

The two headed back to Catalpa’s popular tourist village and they did their Secret Santa shopping together. Both of them were lost in thought in their own problems. Asher was hoping the claw marks would heal soon and Isaac wishing that his broken heart would be as healed.

They joked around and found the others sharing a pizza and fighting about double dipping in the ketchup before Asher ended the fight by triple dipping a handful of fries.

“Ash!”

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out,” he said, giving everyone a wink and tongue tick.

“Don’t eat all the fries,” Rei said, slapping his hand away.

“Come on Zero, all I had for lunch was a sad salad.” Asher gave Rei his best puppy dog face.

“Call me Zero again,” Rei warned, her hands reached down to the snow as she prepared to make a snowball.

“Rei, Rei, I promise I won’t. Guys, help me out here.” Asher looked around only to be faced with Delancy looking up at the sky, Diego shrugging, and Isaac hiding from Rei. “Fine.”

Their late lunch ended with Rei eating as much fries as she wanted, Asher patiently waiting for his turn, and all four of the friends teaming up against Delancy and the details about her first boyfriend.

“Our baby girl has all grown up,” Asher said. He and Isaac hugged onto each other and held back fake tears.

“So are you going to introduce us,” Diego asked.

“I can’t believe she actually got one.”

“Rei!”

“Sorry Del but you have to admit it’s, wow.”

“Woah, Delancy rendered Rei speechless,” Isaac said as he and Asher had the same over the top shocked expression.

“Is our baby girl going to introduce us to her first boyfriend?” Asher asked.

“We need to approve of him you know,” Isaac added on.

“You too Rei, we need to like your first boyfriend.”

“Like that’s ever going to happen. Ow. Rei?”

“Isa.”

“You did deserve it.”

“Diego?”

“Isaac.”

“Delancy,” she called her own name and raised her hand.

“Asher.” Asher joined in.

*

Night had finally greeted the city of Catalpa. The five friends gathered in the town below the mountain with one hand behind their back. They stared down their other four friends and waited for the countdown.

“Five, four, three, two, one, show!”

They brought the hand from their back out into the centre of the circle they formed and analysed the results. There were three palms and two back of the hands. The three who showed their palms linked hands and jumped around in joy. The two who showed the back of their hands slumped in defeat.

Rei and Diego headed to the marketplace to find the snacks. Diego found the drinks right away and added some snow in one of the drinks and accidentally added salt to another. When he was satisfied with the results he set off to find Rei.

Rei was down a few stalls getting the last of the food. She amazed herself with how she managed to balance everything. She was on her way back to where Diego was when her attention was stolen by the start of the fireworks. When she finally looked away, she saw Diego walk over to her with a determined look in his eyes.

Fireworks, those were and still are my fondest memories of Catalpa. How they rose, climbed, shone, and disappeared much like human memories. However, those fireworks also reminded me of one memory I don’t think I’ll ever forget.