Timeless Delusions

Hal goes xmas shopping with her friends and is magnetized to a gorgeous watch that she buys. This is a little more chill than the other chapters.

After finally giving up finding parking in the crowded mall, Hallie gave in and did valet. The little chat with her parents had turned into something much longer than she wanted, and now Hallie�s friends were impatiently text messaging and calling wondering where the hell she was. She finally walked up to the Pinkberry, their initial meeting place and spotted where her friends were sitting. When she sat down, they looked at her oddly for a second wondering why some weird girl was sitting with them, and then they found out who it was and went nuts.

�What did you do!?� Kristin exclaimed.

�I cut my hair. What do you girls think?� Hallie said spinning around.

Kristin, Julia, and Abby were still too shell-shocked to answer. Kristin snatched Hallie�s hat from her head to survey the damage.

�I think you look hot!� Abby finally proclaimed.

�Where did you get it done?� Kristin asked.

�I did it myself.�

�You cut your own hair? I could never do something like that.� Julia said stroking her own long brown hair.

All of her friends hair went down to their backs, she realized how odd she looked standing with the rest of them. Or maybe she just stood out now. Not like she didn�t before.

�What made you do that?� Kristin asked.

�Oh I don�t know, I thought I�d need a new look for the La Perla fashion show I�m modeling in next week,� Hallie stated casually.

�What?�, all three girls cried out in unison.

�I just went in the store and they asked me to model for them, can you believe it?�

�But you are only like 5�4, you can�t model!� Julia exclaimed with a hint of envy in her voice which Hallie was expecting from her.

�Well you are all invited and you can come see me. There are only three invites so it�s perfect,� Hallie said.

�What about David? Won�t he want to see you in it?� Kristen cocked a perfectly plucked eyebrow suspiciously.

�David is�busy,� Hallie hadn�t even told him about it yet, and after the whole argument with her parents she really needed time to cool off before she spoke to him again.

�It�s next week? I�ll be busy that day,� Julia said turning up her nose up.

�You�re going to be busy all day?� Abby questioned Julia.

�Yeah I have some things I have to do. Sorry I can�t make it,� Julia shrugged.

Hallie rolled her eyes. Whatever she didn�t need some jealous b***h there anyway.

�Well congrats Hal that�s awesome. I don�t care how formal we have to act, we�ll be screaming for you,� Abby beamed proudly.

�Aren�t we here to shop?� Julia asked licking the last bit of Green Tea ice cream off her spoon.

�Let�s go I haven�t even started shopping for anyone yet,� Hallie stood up gathering her purse.

The girls entered Bloomingdales discussing what they were going to buy everyone, and how it was kind of stupid that they were all shopping together even though they still needed to shop for each other.

�How is everything with David?� Abby asked curiously.

�I�ll tell you later,� Hallie whispered. She didn�t want anyone besides Abby knowing about the current status of her turbulent relationship, especially when she didn�t know how to feel with him tattling on her to his parents and all. But do we ever know what�s going on in a guy�s mind? Usually a certain guess is safe, but it wasn�t always that simple.

Julia and Kristin strayed from buying presents for others and began poking through the clothing racks for themselves.

�Hey do you two mind if Hallie and I go to the Home D�cor section? We kind of need to shop for our parents and stuff,� Abby said watching how hopeless the two girls were when they got around cute clothes.

�Yeah sure,� Kristin said not looking away from a little black cocktail dress.

Hallie and Abby went up the next floor quickly deciding on buying bath accessories for their mothers and cool little kitchen grills for their dads, although she was unsure her parents deserved any presents after what they said to her, especially her father. After they purchased everything they needed, including a few seasonal holiday candles for the house, they walked around the rest of the mall discussing they�re individual plans for Christmas.

�Well after Thanksgiving I really don�t want to hold another holiday event,� Hallie said decidedly.

�I totally understand, but you do cook some of the best food around,� Abby said.

�What do you care? You�re leaving me on Christmas!�

Abby always went back home to Connecticut for the holidays, maybe Hallie could climb inside her suitcase so she wouldn�t have to deal with David�s insane family or hers.

�So what is the deal with you and David? Or should I say you and Christian?� Abby teased.

�There is no me and Christian! Are you crazy? Well, David told his parents all about Christian staying over at our house, so that went well once it got back to my parents,� Hallie muttered sarcastically.

�He was probably just upset,� Abby pointed out.

�Yeah you�re probably right. My dad had a fit though, he even said he�d kill Christian if he ever saw him again.�

�That�s no surprise. Other than that are you and David alright?�

�Well, we were together last night actually, and I couldn�t even tell him I loved him. I just couldn�t bring myself to say it, and then when I finally did, I�m pretty sure it was because I was thinking about Christian,� Hallie recalled.

Abby raised her eyebrows in silence trying to figure out what that meant.

�Do you love him?� Abby asked uncertainly.

�No! It was just a one-night mistake like I told you. I don�t know why I thought of him��

�With one night-stands you don�t usually think about the other person after the night is over,� Abby laughed with Hallie glaring at her in return.

�But I understand, you two have history,� Abby said appeasing her.

�I met up with him again,� Hallie admitted.

�You what!?�

�Not for sex or anything like that, he was at the cemetery mourning his parents. I just came to see if he was okay because his friend was worried about him.�

�And?� Abby demanded for more.

�And nothing, well we did a long walk, and talked about all kinds of things, just catching up. I have to admit�it was really nice, and nothing happened,� Hallie concluded proudly.

�I�m surprised nothing happened. Are you sure you didn�t want it to?�

�Will you stop! Of course I didn�t want it to. He told me I should pursue my cooking some more. He was just�very thoughtful I don�t know, and even got this information about a cooking competition for me.�

�Really?� Abby asked surprised. �He seems so closed-up, like he�d be hard to talk to,�

Hallie shook her head, thinking how untrue that was, at least with her anyway.

�I really need to find something for David,� Hallie said changing the subject.

Abby got the hint that the Christian conversation was over. �Well what exactly are you looking for?�

�I don�t know last year I got him a Nintendo Wii, but I�m not getting anything like that again, our relationship has suffered enough.�

�Yeah that was a bad idea. You should get something special, something heartfelt,� Abby said trying to think of ideas.

Hallie stood in the dead center of the mall and looked around for a store that had heartfelt non-video game gifts. Like magic her eye suddenly came across the Tourneau watch store. She couldn�t think up anything more heartfelt than a gorgeous watch for David, even if he was a tattle-tale.

�There we go,� Abby said following her friend into the store.

�Welcome to our store Ms. May I help you with anything?� a gangly but well dressed girl asked.

�I will just browse for now thanks,� Hallie answered. She just wanted to see what she was working with before hearing any sale pitches.

Several twinkling items caught her eye, the girls stared in awe at the level of craftsmanship. There were classic watches, sport watches, watches for diving, a whole array to make her head spin on which one David would like best.

Hallie balanced her shopping bags and continued to make a full round of the store. Before she got to the end the strangest feeling came over her, like a sensation of heaviness and weightlessness at the same time. She dropped her shopping bags to the floor and feeling drawn in by something she walked towards the front of the store. She passed glass counters filled with exquisite pens and cuff links, then came upon the most extraordinary watch she�d ever seen, standing alone in a glass case. How could she have missed it before?

Hallie jumped when the sales associate approached her side.

�That is our limited edition Gotham collection with aurora chrome. Beautiful isn�t it?� the woman said dreamily.

�Yes, it was like I was drawn right to it,� Hallie said realizing she sounded crazy.

The watch was numbered with Roman numerals surrounded by a bright silver stainless steel case and bracelet. The middle was royal blue, bluer than any tropical water she�d ever seen and it was aligned with a sapphire coating. The combination of the silver and royal blue made the piece so eye-catching, not to mention how intricately designed it was. It was so complex almost like a living thing, moving with time like a beating heart that would never stop. She couldn�t take her eyes off it.

�How much is this?� Hallie asked even though she pretty much decided she had to have it no matter what.

�Four thousand dollars Ms.�

Abby raised her eyebrows at Hallie. �Do you think David will like that? I have never seen you spend that much on him.�

Hallie blinked at the mention of David�s name. Somehow she wasn�t even thinking if David would like it, she was still so enthralled with the beauty and strange feeling the watch gave her. She just wanted to kiss it, and hold it in her hands.

Having no sleep the night before was never a good thing.

�Could I please see it out of the case?� Hallie asked hypnotized.

The store associate took the key off around her neck and unlocked the case, placing the watch in Hallie�s hands like it was a new born.

The cold touch of the steel sent a slight chill up her arms. She placed the watch on the down before she started rubbing it against her face like a freak.

�I�ll take it!,� Hallie exclaimed happily fetching out her credit card. Revenge on daddy could be so sweet.

�

After the two girls looked around at the holiday lights and bought a few more little trinkets, they decided Kristin and Julia would be fine on their own and both headed home in Hallie�s car.

Once they were inside the house they lugged their shopping bags up to the living room and flopped down on the sofa out of breath as if what they just did was so laborious. Shopping, especially around Christmas was work in itself.

�Now all I have to do is go shopping for you and my sister,� Abby sighed.

�All I have to do is get something for Kristin, Julia, you, and�� Hallie�s voice trailed off.

�And who else?�

�No one, I think that�s it.�

�I can�t believe you bought that watch for David,� Abby said still shocked at the price of her friends purchase. Abby wasn�t close to being broke but she knew the value of a dollar as much as the next person.

�I know I hope he likes it,� Hallie said light-headedly from lack of sleep.

�Well I know it�s only ten o clock but I�m off to bed. Are you staying down here a while?� Abby said getting up and stretching.

�I�ll be going soon, I�m just going to organize all of my presents I bought.�

�Sounds good. Well you�re hair looks great, don�t listen to Julia she�s just jealous,�

�Thank you� Hallie laughed tiredly. �Night b***h.�

Abby shook her head and retreated back to her room.

Hallie didn�t know why the hell she wasn�t doing the same thing, she was sure if she went to sleep she wouldn�t wake up for a hundred years which sounded nice, but she just wanted to look at that incredible watch one last time. After all, she spent more than she ever spent on present in her whole life. She dug through the tissue paper in Tourneau bag and lifted open the case, revealing the silver work of art, then set it on the kitchen counter overwhelmed once more.

Feeling parched from her shopping extravaganza she decided to make a batch of her yummy hot cranberry cider to sip while she admired her purchase. She took out some cranberry cocktail from the fridge pouring it into an empty pitcher and mixing it with some apple juice. She fetched a sauce pan and combined honey and butter, letting it cook while she peeled a few oranges. After combining everything and heating up the concoction in her favorite mug, she curled up at the bay window facing the stormy beach outside.

Sipping the warm drink she felt so lucky to have such an amazing view, and mentally pictured how good a Christmas tree would look inside the house once she got it. From across the room she eyed the watch for the millionth time, and wondered why she had the reaction she did to it, why she was just so obsessed with it.

She looked out the window forlornly at the ocean, as if her long lost husband was out at sea never to return, and for some reason that�s what it felt like. In her sleepless dementia she saw Christian�s face ripple across the waves, smiling like he only did when he was with her. Filled with sadness, tears began streaming down her cheeks faster than the falling rain outside. Why couldn�t she say �I love you� David, but with Christian she had to bite her tongue to keep from saying it? Wiping away the moisture from her face she got a hold of herself and set her drink aside, thinking that she should have added vodka to it.

His face still gazed at her from outside, so confident as he looked at her, like he knew she was his. She flicked a button that closed the automatic blinds, so it would end her lovely hallucination. After putting the watch back in it�s case she drowsily made her way up to bed hoping she�d have her sanity back when she woke up. The best part about being locked in a tower was that you could sleep forever and no one would notice.

Author's Note

I might take out the whole cutting her hair chapter lol so you might wanna ignore the first part. For those who have been reading do you think thats a good idea? I'll still leave the argument with her parents but I like her with long hair lol. I dunno about the end of this chapter I think my character cries too damn much haha but tell me if u like it.

Reviews

[Sapphire Balasquez]

I do think the hair thing is kind of a page filler, you made it a little too important for it not being what this chapter is really about. The watch was well explained though, very good visual.

[ShadowWolf]

This moves forward ands end leaving one to wonder who she really will give the watch.

[thecoolone52]

it was a good chapter... the hair thing is up to you....... its kinda like a page filler... you know what i mean? I liked the chapter though its another long chapter i enjoyed it.

[MorganLyn]

hahah I was rightt!!! lol. :D
its up to you, but I think it all flows.. the hair cut, her cryin, blah blah blubber blubber Christian vs. David. Its all very smoothly put together like you're just recording something that really happened. Great work as always. I thought it was funny how they told eachother good night.. lol. it reminded me of my friends. :D
I am curious though as to what the whole watch deal is.. I guess I'll have to keep annoyin my dad with me being online to find out :)
(thanks for my earlier review) :)