RANDOM - Don't pretend you ever forgot about me. Part III

I was to see her again tonight.

It was midwinter's eve. There would be a festival. She would probably be there all dressed up. I decided that I would honor the occasion as well. I opted for a more proper attire than my usual casual affair.

I told myself I wasn't doing it for her. It was midwinter's eve. It was for the occasion.

I arrived early and I leaned against the door frame. She wasn't inside and nor was anyone else of consequential importance. I didn't particularly feel like mingling with the widows and grandmothers who would all tell me that my hair was styled too radically for their taste. Besides, I would be able to see everyone who came in this way.

It wasn't until several people arrived that she showed up. By then my breath was coming out in white puffs--a sharp contrast to the dark night sky. She came into the light of the stairs and looked at me curiously.

"Hey," I called out to her.

"Hey," she said. She was attired simply. She wasn't dressed up in the slightest. I could tell that she had just bathed for her hair was still wet. She must have simply rushed here in whatever she picked off the bed. It was ironic--we had switched roles.

She smiled at me again. There was a something that flashed in the smile--uneasiness? I couldn't be sure. She had rushed inside and lost herself in the crowd.

Still no acknowledgment.

It couldn't be. She must have just wanted to get inside before she was missed. She had been late. Yes, that must have been it.

I exhaled a white plume, marveling at the strange patterns my breath made against the inky sky. It was cold here, and I no longer had any reason to wait outside. I glared haughtily at no one, posing for whoever might have been in the darkness. I almost felt ridiculous, but shook the feeling from me and headed into the cheery warmth of the festival.