I'd Rather Not Talk About It: Christmas

Shuffling back and forth outside of the dorm in sweatpants and pink Uggs, a certain pinkette couldn't seem to work up the nerve to knock on the door.

"You can do this Aelita. I mean what's the worse that could happen? He says no and tells the whole school... That's what could happen." The teenage girl muttered to herself trying to work up the courage to do what she had been planning since November. "He is a nice person, I won't have to worry about that."

Stopping in her tracks, the pinkette decided to be brave. Afterall she defeated monsters and saved the world more times than she could count. She could handle this. It was a just a simple question.

Squaring her shoulders as if she was about to go to war and taking a deep breath through her nose, she raised her fist and finally knocked on the door. Something she had been trying to work up the courage to do for over twenty minutes.

The door opened to reveal a yawning older man in his usual red sweatsuit and headband. "Stones? What are you doing here? I thought you were spending Christmas with Ishiyama?"

Swallowing the shorter girl gathered her thoughts before answering, "I was, but I backed out at the last minute. Jim, I was thinking, no hoping, that I could spend the holidays here with you."

Digging her toe into the ground Aelita waited impatiently for her gym teacher to give his answer.

"Why would you want to spend your Christmas here with me instead of with your best friend Aelita?" Jim asked not with malice but with curiosity.

"I love Yumi. I love all of my friends. And I really, really like spending time with them. But the holidays are hard for me and they don't understand that because they have their families. Which is great and amazing. But I sometimes like spending time with someone where if I say, 'I'd rather not talk about it', then thats enough."

Her older, father like figure just stood there for a few seconds trying to process what he was hearing. Not able to find words to express what he was feeling in his heart, he decided actions would be better. Reaching out he wrapped his arms around the slim girl and brought her close to his chest.

"'I'd rather not talk about it', will always be enough for me Aelita." He said quietly before ushering her inside his living quarters.

Since Jim was technically a teacher, he had a bigger dorm than the students, more like a studio. He had a a smalll living room with a TV, his own bathroom, and a bedroom off to the corner. It wasn't a lot but it felt homey to Aelita. Like what she imagined visiting her favorite uncle's house would feel like.

"Have a seat, I have to get something."

Nodding, the pinkette removed her snow boots before having a seat on the loveseat in the corner.

Jim came back a few seconds later with a wrapped gift in his hands. The pinkette stared up at the older man curiously without saying anything.

"I may have been hoping that you changed your mind about going with the Ishiyamas." He replied rubbing the back of his neck in a sheepish way. "It's not a lot, but in case you stayed I wanted you to have something to open."

"You, I.." Not able to form words, she just reached out and accepted the gift.

Excitedly, but carefully she unwrapped the gift. In the box were two things she'd only seen but never used.

"You got me a pink taser and pepper spray, Jim?"

"Well, yeah." He laughed feeling the tension leave his body since she didn't seem to hate the gifts. "I don't know what you guys sneak out every night to do."

Whipping her head up she stared slack jawed that he knew they left campus every night, but didn't bust them.

"Yes, I know little one." He laughed joyfully almost in a fatherly way. "And I know that you and your rag tag team aren't bad kids. So whatever you guys are going off to do must be really important to risk getting into so much trouble. But no matter what you do, I want you to be safe Stones. I want to be able to sleep at night knowing that wherever you are, you'll be protected."

"Awww Jim!" Smiling graatefully Aelita stood up and wrapped Jim in a hug. "Thank you so much. It's nice to know that somebody in the world cares about me."

"You're welcome." He smiled until he replayed what she'd said back in his head. "But I'm not the only one that cares about you. Your friends do."

"I know they do. But sometimes I think they feel obligated to care for me." She explained vaguely."You don't have to care for me, you don't have to worry about me or my safety outside of being my teacher. But you do and that's extraordinary. Something I'd rather talk about."

Aelita's phone beeped interrupting the moment. "I also may have gotten you a gift.

"What is it?"

Not answering the pinkette stood up and opened the dorm door. In the doorway was Dianna, Jim's well know crush.

"Hi Jim." The dark haired woman smiled waving.

"Hi Dianna." The gym teacher responded nervously. "What brings you here?"

"Aelita mentioned to me that we would both be spending Christmas alone. She casually suggested that we could maybe go out to dinner together? Like a date. She insisted on her though." The waitress replied.

"Ohh did she now?" Jim answered smilingy brightly.

"Yep. You have quite the daughter Jim."

Aelita and Jim shared a look before trying to explain the situation.

"Ohh you two aren't father and daughter? Could've fooled me." Dianna smiled cheekily planting an idea in Jim's head.

"I will go out tonight only if you join us Aelita. You may not be my daughter but you're somebody I'd rather not talk about, but to. I hope that's alright Dianna?"

"Oh I wouldn't have it any other way." She laughed leaning against the doorway. "Grab your coat kiddo and let's be outty."

Smiling the pinkette followed behind the two. The joy she felt on this Christmas was something she would definitely rather talk about.