Chapter 2

       I step back from the Christmas village I've taken at least two hours to set up in my family's living room, and that's just putting all the houses and decorations down. I always set up a platform to display the village so it doesn't occupy the coffee table or fire place.

       Even though I'm normally satisfied with the village once I have everything set up, something feels off this time. I set it up basically the same way since it's always what looked the best, yet I have the urge to keep rearranging it.

       The feeling that something's off won't leave my mind, so I do start rearranging it, trying to make it look even better. 

       A hand suddenly taps my shoulder, causing me to jump in surprise as I turn to see my mom standing there, her eyebrows furrowed in worry. "What's wrong?" I ask.

       "I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes," Mom says. "So really, I should be asking you what's wrong."

       I turn my focus back to the Christmas village, moving one of the houses to a different spot. "Nothing's wrong. I've just been focusing on this."

       "Yes, but it's normally easy to get your attention even when you're focusing on something," Mom says. "The only time it's not easy is when you're hyperfixating."

       "I'm not hyperfixating," I say. "I just want to finish decorating the village."

       "Nolan, you finished it a while ago. It looked fine, but then you started rearranging it. And not even rearranging it. I watched as you ended up moving things back to where they originally were. Is everything okay?"

       "I promise, I'm fine."

       "Alright." By the tone of Mom's voice, I can tell she doesn't believe me, but I don't know what else she wants me to say. I really am fine. I just want the get the Christmas village as perfect as it can be simply because Christmas is my favourite holiday and I really want to feel the Christmas spirit this year. "Just let me know if you need anything."

       "Okay." 

       As Mom walks off, I continue trying to arrange the Christmas village in a way that works for me, but it's taking quite some time. I don't even know why. I just doesn't look right to me. There isn't even a specific way it has to look. I can rearrange the houses and decor anyway I want and call it a day.

       Eventually, I have to stop when Mom comes back over and tells me that it looks great. I want to keep decorating, but she tells me I can't anymore and that I, apparently, need to take a break from it. I don't think I do, but Mom starts to put away the boxes and leftover decorations that I didn't touch.

       I sigh heavily before heading upstairs to my bedroom. Once I get inside, I close the door before flopping down on my bed. I've been trying to do whatever I can to take my mind off of that letter we got. These so-called sins have been running through my mind ever since. How come everyone else is so okay with letting theirs be revealed? Don't they realize it's not going to be something simple? It's going to be serious, life ruining, friendship breaking.

       Why did they have to wait until the winter holidays to try to ruin our lives? This is my favourite time of year and now it feels ruined. It feels like there's nothing to look forward to.

       A tapping sound comes from my window, so I get up and walk over, pushing the curtains aside to see Jerome crouched on the tree beside it. I smile softly as I open my window for him to come in. "You know, you can just come through the front door, right?"

       "Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" Jerome asks, climbing inside my bedroom. "Did you get a letter?"

       I furrow my eyebrows. "You mean apart from the one we got yesterday?"

       "I'll take that as a no," Jerome says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper. "This came for me today. It said exactly what my sin of envy is and that if I don't deliver a piece of the treasure to a specific location by midnight, my sin will be 'told to the world', whatever that means."

       "Oh," I say. "So... Are you still going to ignore it? The whole... threat thing?"

       "Yeah," Jerome says. "I'm not proud of what I did, but I have to own up to it. It was a stupid, envious thing. Besides, I can't let whoever is behind this control my life."

       If only it's that easy for me. I know I should also own up to what I did, if I'm right about what my sin is, but I can't. I'm too afraid to. I'll lose someone extremely important to me if I do.

       Jerome grabs my hand and leads me to my bed, sitting us both down on it. "When Joel tried out for the volleyball team back in October, I... tried convincing Dan to not let him try out," Jerome says. "Not because he's bad. He's a pretty good player, actually. But... I was jealous of him. Of you two. He was already dating you. I didn't want him to invade my space on the volleyball team."

       I don't reply. I honestly don't even know what to say. Jerome has always been a laidback person. I can't even imagine him doing something like that purely out of envy.

       "Are... Are you mad?" Jerome asks.

       I shake my head. "No. I'm not. It's fine."

       "But it's not fine. I hate that I even thought to do that."

       "You're owning up to it, though."

       "I'm only owning up to it because of this whole sin thing. If this whole thing didn't happen, I wouldn't tell anyone what I did."

       "Jerome," I say softly. "Everyone does something stupid they regret. You're not the only one."

        Jerome is silent for a bit before he says, "Are you talking about your sin?"

       I look down, not giving the slightest bit indication that it's what I'm talking about, though Jerome knows me well enough to know it is what I'm talking about.

       "Do you have an idea of what it is?" Jerome asks.

        "Yeah," I say in a quiet voice. "Yeah, I think it's... When you and I were painting sets for the school play. It was only us in the auditorium and..." I don't continue, but Jerome knows exactly what I'm referring to.

       "That?" Jerome asks. "Oh. Are you sure that's what it is?"

       "It's the only thing I can thing of. Jerome, if I'm right, I don't want anyone to know. I'm not you. I can't own up to it."

       "Hey," Jerome says, taking my hands in his. "Look, my guess is whoever is behind us is going to send us a letter one at a time to try to give some treasure to them. We'll wait and see exactly what your sin is, and if you're right... We'll figure it out."

       I nod as Jerome pulls me into a tight hug. I really hope I'm wrong. Please, say I'm wrong.

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nolan's sin is that he lusts over fictional characters because mood (i'm looking at you, thoma from genshin impact or as i like to call him: my love, my life, my will to live)