12th

"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain." ― Bob Marley

Thankfully, whatever had caused me to feel so dreadful yesterday was only temporary and I return to school on Friday (though I wasn't as thankful about that aspect). A couple of people ask me how I'm feeling, but most hadn't even realised that I'd gone home.

The day drags on, as Fridays always do, when you're so close to the weekend that you can almost touch it. Almost. It's the same as every other day; I keep my head down and try to focus on my work. As usual, the only vaguely interesting thing that happens is that I collect my secret santa gift.

Today my present is wrapped and I decide to test my will power by making it stay that way until I get home, when I hastily tear off the garish paper to see a CD case.

It's got a white slip of paper in the front and back. On the front is the title 'Scarlett's Playlist.' written in flowing bright green ink. Along the bottom is a row of twinkling fairy lights doodled onto the paper in a rainbow of colours. I smile because this is the kind of thing that happens in films, not to plain, boring, quiet people like me.

I flip it over and see a list of tracks, all written in the same carefully formed handwriting I've seen in letters and notes across the past month in alternating green and red ink. My eyes scan across the words.

Scarlett's Playlist:

1) 30 days – nevershoutnever

2) Winter Song - Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson

3) How Long Will I Love You – Ellie Goulding

4) Hoping For Snow - The Vamps

5) She Moves In Her Own Way – The Kooks

6) Towers – Little Mix

7) Half A Heart – One Direction

8) Sweater Weather (acoustic) – The Neighbourhood

9) Let Her Go – Passenger

10) Next Year – Two Door Cinema Club

11) Somewhere Only We Know – Lily Allen

12) Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Frank Sinatra

13) This – Ed Sheeran

14) I Don't Wanna Love Somebody Else - A Great Big World

15) Beside You – 5 Seconds Of Summer

16) She Was The One - The Vamps

17) Fall For You - Secondhand Serenade

18) Kiss Me - The Fray

19) Back To December - Taylor Swift

Without hesitation, I take the CD (it's one of the silver ones you can buy from Tesco's and it bears the same title as the cover, this time written in Sharpie) and put it in the disk drive of my laptop. It soon loads up and the first song begins playing. I don't recognise it, but by the jingle bells that kick it off, I can tell it's Christmassy.

Then, a notification bubble pops up on the screen. I know it says 30 days but 24 days is close enough, right? Enjoy your playlist! X

I giggle then lie back on my bed, allowing the music to filter from my laptop and drift around the room, relaxing me entirely as I marvel at how well this anonymous person has chosen the songs.

I'm on track five, She Moves In Her Own Way, when I hear a brisk knock on my bedroom door. I quickly pause the track which, whether it's by coincidence or not I'm unsure, is also my ringtone. The door is pushed open as I glance up, still distracted by my special playlist.

My Mum is standing in my doorway, a hopeful and infectious smile on her face.

"You're not doing anything tomorrow, are you?" she asks. I shake my head. "Do you fancy going to town and doing some shopping? You know, maybe pick out some things you want for Christmas... get a coffee... whatever really."

"Oh, uh, yeah sure," I reply, guilty that I'm unable to bring any tone of excitement to my voice.

Maybe going out on Saturday won't be too bad, so long as I don't run into anyone from school. Somehow, considering the shopping centre is mere minutes from my school and it's nearing Christmas, aka the busiest shopping time all year, I reckon that's unlikely.

❄️

That night, I fall asleep with the CD playing. I've already transferred it to my iPod and my phone, prepared for the far too long bus journeys I'd no doubt be spending with it playing through my headphones.

The way every song seems so perfectly fitting makes me wonder even more who it could be giving me these gifts each day. Whoever it is, they know me a lot better than I initially thought.

i've been waiting to mention this mix (and 30 days) forever gahhhh

i realised how much 30 days applies to this book so i really recommend you listen to that, if not the whole playlist. i've made a mix on 8tracks of this playlist which will be in the external link. so i really think you should take a quick listen (hopefully there's a least a song or two that everybody can find that they like) (also if you're on mobile then you can go to my 8tracks: 'jennifer lawrence' and find it there)