The First Star- a Tara and Jeffrey Christmas

ABBIE turned on the windshield wipers, flicking away the steady sprinkle of fine snowflakes, and flipped on the headlights. It was two o’clock in the the afternoon but the gray sky caving in on them would soon make it seem like early evening.

Lexie glanced out the passenger window and then focused on the road ahead. “We shouldn’t have stayed so late at the party last night. We could have gotten an earlier start.”

“No matter. The roads are salted and plowed, and thanks to my dad’s care package, these wipers can handle anything.” Abbie grinned. “It was fun, though.”

“Yeah, it was.”

“We deserved to have some fun after finals, and it was nice to sleep in.”

She had to beg Lexie to leave their dorm room. Lexie used to be outgoing before that monster attacked her and then stalked her when she didn’t die. Now Lexie went no farther than her campus classes, returning quickly to the safety of the dorm where she studied, ate, slept, and then repeated the identical routine the next day.

They’d both received counseling, but college classes and adjusting to freshman life eventually took priority. Or perhaps she and Lexie avoided the subject. They didn’t talk about it to each other, either. Was it healthy? Heck no, but life had to move on. Otherwise the bastard won, and that would please him. Rot in jail where you belong!