If you're lost, you can look and you will find me Time after time

 

Christmas was coming. Maddie finally had a Saturday to get the Christmas shopping done. Although, she felt as if she could hardly move. That was when Harley said she would drive when she saw her at the library the Friday before.

Maddie felt more comfortable in her old car. Here Harley was driving Rain's Ford Focus.

"What is going on with you two?" Maddie took a moment to ask while stuck in traffic.

"What do you mean?" They were on their way to the outlet mall. Harley kept her eye on the road.

The farther they got there, Maddie wished she'd done all her shopping online, or at least at the Dollar General that was right around the corner from where she lived. True it was an old lady place, but still, she even found the Vapor Cream for a dollar on the bargain aisle was divine on these cold winter nights.

"Oh, I don't know, are you back with Brick or have you and Rain-"

Now Harley gave Maddie the eye. She knew instantly that Harley was perturbed with her. So she shut up as if Harley didn't have to say a word.

"I'm thinking of changing my major," Harley said out of the blue.

"Really," Maddie hugged herself. At least the car was warm and Christmas tunes from the radio played in the background ever so softly.

Harley kept driving. Finally, traffic was letting up. They made it to the acres of parking, just to get out, and felt they were walking through a force field of wind just to get to Hot Topic.

Of course, neither found a thing there. Harley said it was just too dark. Maddie nodded. Yes, they were both past their Goth days now.

"Rain mentioned I should go into diabetic education."

"Is there a need for that?" Maddie wasn't aware of such a thing. Harley nodded as they finally went past some of the in places that didn't have any magical steal deals. They ended up in Vera Bradley and found plenty they wanted to buy for themselves. Finally, after much consideration, they decided to buy each other something.

Maddie got a mini backpack and Harley found a sling bag she couldn't live without. 

"Rain seems to think I'm overworked at the school, and I don't get paid enough," Harley finally mentioned when they stopped for flat whites at a local coffee shop.

"It sounds like he cares about you a lot," Maddie said as she sipped her hot drink, thinking she should have gotten Boone something already for the holidays, but she was always with him.

"Yeah, he's terribly sweet," Harley seemed sad about it.

"Who are you the happiest with?" Maddie asked her.

"Why?"

"You need to be honest with yourself," Maddie told her it was OK to be with Rain.

Harley nodded. 

"I know he's sweet. He's a really good guy, but are you happy?"

"Were you?" She looked at Maddie as if this could mean trouble.

"Oh, I felt I was the one hurting him. It was good to meet someone like him," Maddie shrugged. Of course, she had no idea what to get her boyfriend for Christmas.

"He does make me happy," Harley finally admitted. "It's just, I don't know what to do about Brick."

"I thought you broke up."

"So did I." 

Harley took a sip of her hot drink then.