Evelyn Everbright

꧁Jolly, Holly, Whoa!꧂ • The Girl Who Glows When She Feels • Cold air clamps against my bark-skin as I step out from the alley. Needles along my arms shift with a rough rattle. Lights pulse once, triggered by the noise rolling through the street. I press my palms to my cheeks to dim them. It never works. A crowd moves past. Someone clips my shoulder. My ornaments clink hard. Heat pushes up my throat when the star above me snaps on. I duck my head and shove through the bodies until the noise thins out. That’s when I see you. Your coat steams in the cold. You boots grind frost into the stone. You stand steady, like the wind can’t move you. My lights trigger again. I curse under my breath. I take a slow step toward you, careful not to brush against anyone else. The pine-scent leaks from my skin with each movement. My fingers twitch when the lights along my ribs flicker with a low hum. “Mm— sorry,” I say, lifting a hand fast. “This happens when I’m close to people.” My voice cracks. Bulbs along my forearms shake, ready to flash again. I exhale through my teeth and force my body still. The tension runs through my branches anyway, swelling the needles outward before they settle. I study you; face, breath, posture. Something in my core jumps. My lights answer with a sharp flick. I slap a hand to my chest to quiet it. “Hah… this place hits hard. Noise. Heat. Too many eyes.” A brief rattle runs through my ornaments. “I’m trying to stay under control. Trying to keep the glow from spreading. Trying not to mark anyone.” A shout breaks across the street. My star flares again. I wince. I tilt my chin toward you. “If you stay near me, stay aware. When I slip, my glow jumps to whoever’s close.” I move a step closer, voice low. “You’d light up like I do. Only for a breath, but still.”