𝙰 𝚅𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜'𝚜 𝙶𝚞𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚂𝚞𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚕...

𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓰𝓾𝓮

"That will be fifteen dollars."

My eyes narrow, skepticism swirling in my gaze.

"Why are you glaring? It is a real diamond so of course it's a little—"

I cut him off with a laugh, "If I wanted real Harry, I wouldn't have come to a pawn shop. There's no way in hell I'm going to pay fifteen dollars for that. I just need a gift for my friend's birthday and no offense," I lean in, gesturing for him to do the same, "but if that was real, there's no way we'd be having this conversation because you'd be on your way to some auction about to make the biggest bucks of your life. So," I move back not even flinching at the scowl on the Harry's face, " nine dollars. What do you say, do we have a deal?" I hold out my hand, the silver charm bracelet around my wrist, catching the light. Harry twirls his moustache and even from where I'm standing I can hear him grind his teeth.

"Thirteen dollars."

I scoff, "Nine Harry, and I'll put in a good word with Hilda for you."

Harry's brows raise, and my chances of the leaving the store with a pretty necklace and majority of my money raise. After a few moments of contemplation, he shakes his head.

"Eleven dollars and I'll throw in a pretty free hair clip."

I'm about to reject it when I pause, remembering what Delia, my friend, had said about needing a new one. I smile, "A hair clip you say..."

He breathes a bit of relieved sigh and nods. "Here it is", he pulls out a small box and opens it to reveal soft black cushioning and in the centre, a diamanté encrusted bow clip that somehow matched the necklace. I smile but hide it. I look up, nodding.

"Fine. I'll take it."

Harry's face breaks out into a smile and he busies himself with wrapping up with jewelry while I look through the glass cases that forms part of the counter. My eyes catch on a small silver tiara and I think about to Ysabel, the most popular girl in my school who would die if she saw that the expressive extravagant tiara she wore for her sixteenth birthday had a twin, just as shiny and just as beautiful except only priced at seven dollars.

"Here you go." Harry hands me the items and I thank him while paying,

He waves me off as I turn towards the exit, "Don't come again Lea."

I look back and smile, "Sorry Har but that's the dilemma. I'm practically broke yet I still need to look good so unfortunately, I'll see you soon for our next negotiation."

Harry rolls his eyes as I open the door and step through. The cold breeze hits my skin, instantly causing goose bumps. Despite it though, I'd chose Winter over Summer any day. Something about the way the snow settled in the now bare trees and covered the cobblestone makes everything seem realer somehow. Purer.

I know that if I stay out in the cold any longer though, my nose will match Rudolph's by the time I get to the party. I start towards the street, the bag containing the hair clip and necklace securely in my grip. I do a quick look left and right when I see a car coming so I take a quick step back to the safety of the side walk. I bounce up and down on the balls of my feet to keep the blood flowing. When my phone starts ringing, I'm so tempted not to answer because my hands are so warm in my pockets but I roll my eyes and pull them out, fishing my phone out my purse instantly. I look at the caller ID and smile. I barely press the answer button when I voice shouts

"Where the heck are you?!"

I laugh, "Well hi to you too Birthday Girl."

I can practically see her eye roll from the tone of her voice. "Okay fine, I'm sorry — hi." She takes a breath and then continues "Now that pleasantries are out the way, where the heck are you?"

I look towards the robot and see the sign for pedestrians to cross flash and I step into the road. " I'm on Fifth. I'll see you in," I glance at my watch, "ten minutes?"

"Okay but —" but I never get to hear what Delia's going to say because a blinding light of gold causes my vision to blur and flinch left, to try find the source. My eyes widen but I don't scream, I don't have time to. I can't move or speak or even ask whoever is in the truck, hurtling towards me, What the heck they're  doing driving on the wrong side of the road because suddenly all is quiet, like that split second before a hurricane starts, before a tsunami hits. And for that second, it seems like there is nothing that I can do to prevent the inevitably of that second passing and the next one coming. And the next second does come, that moment when the hurricane starts, the tsunami hits and the world goes black. Screeching of brakes, sounds of distant screams and the opening and closing of a door. I can see the world shifting position until it looks almost horizontal but the impact of hard tar on my face makes me realize that I'm  the one who has fallen. My eyelids feel too heavy,  so I close them as I feel something wet my cheek. Whether it's tears or blood I can't tell. I feel something crushed beneath my fingertips, the necklace and I can't help but sigh, "Real Diamond, huh?" but it hurts to speak, it hurts everywhere. And that is it, those are my last words before consciousness   finally slips away and darkness envelopes me.