Badly Wrapped Gift of Love ((Ingy))

[Aaron Byers H4]

"Now where could that rat be?" Aaron said questionably putting his hand up to his chin, deep in thought. The twelve year old boy stood in the middle of the busy common room which had been decorated with Holiday spirit. Aaron could hear his mother’s voice inside his head. "Aaron you need to keep better track of your pet." Shaking his head away from the voice he looked around the common room. His blue eyes searched every corner, but still no sign for any brown hair rat. "Ralf you’re going to be staying in that cage if you keep doing this!" he mumbled under his breath while lifting a pillow off from the couch. The girl that was sitting down at the other end stared at Aaron before returning back to her book. "Have you seen a rat that’s probably only 25 cementers in length and has two buck teeth?" he asked brushing his blond bangs away from his face. The older girl looked up from her book shaking her head but jumped hearing a shriek from the other end of the common room. Grinning, Aaron moved in the direction of the girly shrill noticing another girl pointing to a rat that was eating some sweets. Picking up Ralf Aaron winked at the girl before saying thanks. Lifting the rat up in the air as he headed up the stairs to the dorm room he eyed the rat. "You think I'm supposed to wrap this present all by myself? If I have too than you do too. Your tale has to have some worth for making bows."

Setting the rat down on the bed, Aaron got on his hands and knees pulling out a white cardboard box from under the bed. Setting it down on the bed next to the rat, he than opened up the trunk taking some brightly colored wrapping paper along with some other junk. Sitting down on the bed Indian style, Aaron stared at the mess in front of him. He had already given presents to Sita and Gavin, but he couldn’t find Ingy. So that day Aaron cleared his busy girl watching schedule to find his best friend. Ralf was beginning to sniff at everything as Aaron pulled some paper off from the roll. It was a shinny red color that sparkled under the light. An older student had helped him wrap a present that was for Lenora with the color paper. Since Lenora was a girl, and Ingy was a girl, wouldn’t it be best to use this particular paper? Well, actually Ingy was a girl, but she liked boy things, then what did that make her? Shrugging at the thought, Aaron hummed an annoying song under her breath while trying to cover the whole cardboard box. It took him at least seven tries to only get some parts of it colored until he was out of paper. Aaron than wrapped it with some kind of paper with Santa Clause on it before putting an ugly plaid bow on it. “Perfect! Its so repulsive she’ll love it!”

Happy with his work, Aaron throw away all the mess before heading out of the common room. Ralf probably would get out again, but all he had to do was listening to the sounds of screaming from any girl who saw the rat. Aaron made his way toward the Student Lounge stopping occasionally to talk to any pretty girl. Pushing open the door, he entered the room looking around. Spotting familiar blond hair and smile he walked up to Ingy setting the present down in front of her while taking a seat down in front of her. “I think Santa Elves this year did a bad job of wrapping presents,” he said joking with a grin on his face. “I’ve been looking for you all over the place! Well…Open it before I start to grow a gray beard,”

[Ingrid Lewis H4]

Ingrid had felt a little bit better. She had talked with Sita and she wasn't in a bubble any longer with her parents. It was as if she were the same old Ingy, but she couldn't seem to get that bubbly disposition back. Oh, well, one step at a time. Ingrid pulled on a skirt and slipped her tan boots on, they didn't have a heel but they had fuzzy stuff inside them. She also pulled on a light jacket over her shirt and made sure her belt was in perfect position. Her blonde hair was brushed silky smooth and her face spotless of any chocolate. No one would know she had already eaten all the candy her parents had sent her. They also had sent her a new jacket, some books, and a few other random things. Ingrid loved them all, and cherished each gift. She could always use new books, she was going through them all rather quickly. With no one to hang out with anymore...

Well, whether or not she had anything else to do, Ingrid headed toward the Student Lounge with a book in her hand. She hugged the book to her chest as she walked down the corridors. She had yet to give her friends their presents, but she didn't know when or if she could. She had been so distant lately, she didn't know if they would forgive her. Besides, would they even want her gifts? She shoved it from her mind and pushed open the door to the Student Lounge. Quickly, Ingrid made her way to an empty armchair and opened up her book. She started to read, the words engulfing her. It was then she heard music and she looked up. It was a lullaby she had heard awhile ago. Ingrid listened for awhile and then returned to her book. She had been reading for about twenty or so minutes when the Student Lounge door opened and Aaron Byers interuppted her peace.

He thrust a gift at her and then started to talk. Ingrid smiled softly and then began to open it. "Oh, Aaron, what a pretty bow." She remarked as she threw it at him and continued to open it. When she got to the actual gift, she looked at him. She had gotten even more candy and bunch of gag jokes from Zonkos. She smiled and touched the candies, "Thanks." She said. Although it wasn't expensive, it was probably the best gift she had gotten all Christmas. "I don't have your gift with me at the moment..."

[Aaron Byers H4]

Aaron rested his elbow on the arm of the catch with his head placed in his hand. Ingrid was still opening the present and taking what seemed like forever. Closing his eyes, Aaron pretend to snore, his nasal sounds filled he small section of the room. The noise was rather annoying and made people look their way. Jumping as Ingrid threw the bow at him, he caught it in his hands. Staring at the ugly piece of material he stuck it on his head. Turning to grin at Ingrid as he saw that she liked the present he shrugged as his friend said she didn’t get anything for him. Flipping his right hand in that girly way he shrugged his shoulder again. “Don’t worry about. You know how to owl, and we do stay in the same common room,” he reassured her as a gust of wind blew by from someone walking by. The bow fell off his head landing on the ground. Jumping up and leaning down to pick it up, he placed it once again on the top of his head. “Do I make a fashion statement?” he asked putting his hand on his hip and making a weird face.

Grinning at his goofy move he took a seat back down on the couch his blue eyes staring at the gift. “I didn’t know what to get you, so I got you something that was still part of us from last year.” Remember their jokester ways in their first year he shook the thought away from his mind. He was still the same, but Ingrid had changed ever since she got sick. Things hadn’t been the same, but Aaron went on in life knowing that his best friend would find her way back. “Do you wanna play some wizarding chess or we can try out some of the jokes in that book?” he said pointing to the clear plastic book still in her lap.

[Ingrid Lewis H4]

Ingrid smiled a toothy smile as Aaron placed the bow on his head. She opened the candies and put one in her mouth before offering the box to Aaron, although he probably didn't need any sugar. He seemed to be calmer than usual, perhaps he had grown up a little since the last time they had spoken. Ingrid shrugged to herself and brought the box back to her before closing it and setting it on the table in front of her. As Aaron reassured her about getting her gift to him, Ingrid smiled again. "Or I can just.. not give it to you and keep it to myself." Her eyes finally sparkled for the first time in weeks. For once she didn't feel as if everyone was angry at her. The bow was then blown off Aaron's head and he dove for it. He placed it back on his head and then asked her if he made a good fashion statement. Ingrid giggled, "Aaron, you're the epitome of fashion, my friend. You could wear a frog on your head and in two weeks it would be all the rage in Paris." She nibbled on the licorice wand she had pulled out of the box and kept her eyes on her friend.

"Oh, it's lovely, really. I don't know how much I'll get out of these pranks, but I'm sure Janine and I can think up something to do to Kirsty at home. And the candies are good, you can never go wrong with candies." She smiled at him before taking another bite of her licorice wand. They were quite a moment and then Aaron suggested playing a game of wizards chess or pulling some pranks. She bit her lip in thought. If they played wizards chess, they could really talk. If they pulled pranks they could get caught. It was hard to choose. Finally, she squinted her eyes shut and said, "Which prank?" She opened her eyes again and took out the book, before getting up and sitting beside Aaron. Perhaps pulling a prank would turn her back into her old self. Perhaps it would make her feel like herself again. Like Ingy. It was completely in the hands of Aaron, even if he didn't know it.

[Aaron Byers H4]

Aaron put his hands once again his hips walking to the other side of his room trying to impersonate a supper model. "Oh! Look at how pretty I am! I feel so pretty gliding!” Aaron shrieked in his best girly voice. Grinning as it put a smile on his Ingrid’s face, he felt happy that he was making her happy again. His grin then turned into a toothy one when Ingrid said he could have some candy. Jumping up into her lip he dug into the white box. “Now that would be great darling…how many calories are in each one? You know, I’m looking after my figure anyway.” Shrugging at his words, Aaron took a bag of acid pops out jumping out of his friends lap. He grinned even more as Ingrid said that his fashion was the biggest rave in Paris. “Now that’s why everyone asks for my autograph! Especially the ladies,” he said with a wink. Aaron wondered if Ingrid would ever get tired of his very, bold flirtatious side. So far nothing had happened. “Frogs were so last year. The newest rave is rat’s purses with a little fridge that holds about anything.” Aaron nodded his head at the invention. He should really become an inventor. “Does that sound Paris to you darling?” he asked pretending to flip a boa over his shoulder.

Scooting over to make more room on the couch for Ingrid as she asked the prank they should pull. Aaron took the book out of her hands sticking his tongue out at her, “Let a man pick the prank.” Flipping through the pages he stared at the pictures wondering which one seemed to cause the most chaos. That was one of the main reasons why Aaron loved picture books. One, he was to lazy to read, and two the pictures told the stories. You could make up things that happened that you thought was better for an interesting story with pictures in it. The only time Aaron ever really read was during class and for pranks. Not even seeing a prank that looked interesting he handed the book back to his friend. “Actually, the girl should pick. Those pranks are for amateurs and were not amateurs but pros.”

[Ingrid Lewis H4]

“He feels pretty, oh so pretty. He feels pretty and witty and bright! And he pities any girl that isn’t him tonight!” Ingrid sang as Aaron made comments about how pretty he was. She laughed and bounced in her seat as Aaron paraded up and down like a supermodel. She was about to say something when Aaron jumped into her lap and asked her how many calories are in each piece of candy. Ingrid shrugged while wiggling underneath his weight, “Only about three thousand or so per piece. Nothing that will do any damage to your wonderful figure.” Ingrid smiled and wiggled again. Aaron finally jumped out of her lap and started talking about things being in fashion. She leaned back into the couch, feeling a bit tired. She still managed a smile, though, and she shook her head when he asked if that sounded like Paris to her. “It sounds like Rome.” Ingrid watched Aaron a moment and then closed her eyes .

He then told her to let a man pick the prank. Ingrid smiled a bright smile and opened her eyes, “Good idea, Aaron. Do you see any of those around here?” She pretended to look around with bright and wondrous eyes before rolling them and paying attention to the book. Aaron flipped through it and after awhile, said the girl should pick. Ingrid breathed in deeply, wondering if he did this on purpose. She knew the decision would be difficult for her which was why she asked him which one he wanted to do. Ingrid took the book from him and set it in her lap, she looked over at Aaron and held his gaze a moment before closing her eyes and flipping to a random page in the book. “This one. What does it say?” she asked without opening her eyes.