“Aunt, I cannot possibly get any more decorations on this tree,” I cried, in answer to my aunt’s request.

“I agree with Daryl, Mrs Cole, I don’t think we can get any more on here,” Mitchell Andrews added. Mitchell was my aunt’s next-door neighbour, and because he often helped her with little jobs around the house and because his parents were friendly with my aunt, he and his family often came over to her house to decorate her tree and stay for a mince pie or two afterwards.

Unfortunately my family and me came over too. It’s a good thing my aunt has a big house. Anyway, we all decorate the tree and the house together and then on Christmas day she invites us all over for Christmas dinner. My aunt is a brilliant cook, and I look forward to it every year.

Mitchell and I used to be best friends when we were younger. Because my parents worked late I often used to go over to my aunt’s house. Mitchell and his family had just moved there when I was three years old and so we became friends. I would look forward to going over to my aunt’s house, just so I could see Mitchell.

But as we grew older I would stay at home more often, and our friendship faded. Now and then I would look for Mitchell whenever I stayed with my aunt over a weekend or so but he wouldn’t come out and I would sometimes see him with a girl. I didn’t feel anything, not then. A year or so passed and two Christmas dinners came and went. Mitchell was always quiet and I would end up chatting to his older brother, Timothy.

Timothy and I soon became good friends and I gave him my MSN address, my mobile number…Mitchell and I didn’t even have each others house phone number. Of course, we were pretty young, but I could have found out a way of communicating with him as we drifted apart; it might have helped save our friendship.

But then Timothy got a girlfriend and I never received calls or IMs from him. I started to get jealous, but not because I fancied him or anything. No, I was jealous because the girl got all the attention, and I got none. I was an only child, and I needed someone my age to talk to. I was dependant on Mitchell and Timothy for the attention, and they didn’t give it to me.

I decided that the Andrews family and me just couldn’t get along.

---

But now, two years on from that, Mitchell decided to try and speak to me, just as we were setting the tree in its place. I was unsure how to react at first, but then we got a conversation growing. There was so much about Mitchell that I didn’t know, and I realised I had missed his company more than I had thought.

Gradually Timothy joined in and made a joke. We all laughed, and then suddenly we were talking and laughing like we’d been friends all our lives.

We messed around with the baubles and lights, and we had a lot of fun. And then it was time for the tinsel. I picked some up, wrapped it around my shoulders and stuck a pose. Mitchell reached for a camera and took a photo. And then Timothy did the same. We did a little catwalk, wrapping the tinsel around ourselves in different ways and striking strange poses. I laughed so hard I was sure I would burst.

My parents, Mitchell and Timothy’s parents now and my aunt sat in the kitchen (they had gone in there once we had put most of the decorations on the tree), sipping coffee and munching mince pies, and all they could hear was a random burst of laughter now and then. Fortunately they didn’t come in, so we were free to mess around with the tinsel for as long as we wanted.

Finally we all collapsed on the floor, laughing.

“Well, I’m going to get a drink. Mitch, Daryl, you want one?”

“Ooh yeah, please,” I replied.

“Yeah,” Mitchell replied, slowly standing up. After a couple of minutes I did the same and I walked towards the tree, picking up a sparkly bauble that had fallen off. I placed it delicately on the tree. I then picked up the tinsel lying around the room, wrapping it around the tree. Mitchell just stood in the corner, watching me.

“You could help, you know,” I said, and then turned my back to him, putting the last bit of tinsel on the tree.

At least I thought it was the last…

I suddenly felt something bristly wrap around me and I was gently pulled backwards. I looked down and saw that golden tinsel had wrapped itself around me. I suddenly stopped and I felt my back hit something hard. I turned my head and stared into Mitchell’s chocolate brown eyes.

“What are you doing?” I asked. The tinsel was pulled tighter and I realised I was trapped. Mitchell didn’t answer. I noticed a small smirk was resting on his lips. And then his lips got closer and closer…

And then they were connected to mine.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

The tinsel that was enveloping me was released and it fell to the floor, so my hands were free to mess up Mitchell’s hair. His went around my waist, pulling me even closer to him. I felt a pleasant tingly feeling flow through me and despite the cold weather, I felt gloriously warm inside.

Finally we pulled away, gasping for breath.

“Wow,” I whispered.

Mitchell grinned. “So…how did you like that?”

“I liked it a lot.”

“Good.”

“So…why did you decide to kiss me?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Mistletoe?” I said, hoping that wasn’t the full reason.

“Do you see any mistletoe?”

“Well…no,” I admitted, reluctantly.

“Exactly.”

“So…”

“Well…I like you. In fact, I’m in love with you.”

“Excuse me?”

“Daryl…when we were little I really liked being with you and… I kinda had a crush on you. But when we drifted apart I thought that you didn’t like me anymore and I tried to take my mind of you. That’s why Lisa came over so often.” Lisa must have been the girl I had seen over at Mitchell's house. “My parents thought she was my first crush and you know how parents are…that’s why I never came out anymore. And when you and Timothy started becoming friends, well…I got jealous. I’ll admit it. I watched you when you came over. You seemed a really friendly person…I watched you put those little bird feeders every winter, plant flowers in your aunt’s garden, sit and write in that notebook of yours… I’ve been trying so hard to get over you. I even told your aunt.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. And she said to surprise you. Did it work?”

“You bet,” I said, pressing my lips to his once more.