Crush Culture {{Harry Lewis - W2S}}

✮ FIFTY THREE ✮

Mila's pov

Family parties were never a thing Mila looked forward to.

Being in the middle group of cousins was frustrating, too young to sit with the aunties and too old to play outside with the kids.

The whole experience was just awkward.

"Cheer up love, it's Christmas" her Auntie Janett had told her once Mila had finally made her way downstairs, a two-hour nap still running through her system, "quick walk to Han's and you can get on the drink"

Mila had to laugh. Nobody would be able to suspect the sixty-seven years her Auntie Janett had under her belt, apart from the few wrinkles over her face and the blue jeans she'd had since 1992, Jan looked fresh into her fifty's, but sure did act like she was still twenty.

"Best get there before your mam, there'll be nowt left" Janett giggled, her shoulders going up and down and she walked out the door.

"Oi, don't start" Mila's mother warned, a small smile on her face as she held April's small mittened hand, "you'll be the one carrying me home"

"Will I fuck"

"Jan!" Louis jokingly covered Elliot's ears, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

"Oh, give over"

If it wasn't obvious by the Chrismas lights and cars all the way down the street that there was a party going on, it was definitely obvious because of the music booming from the windows.

However, despite sounding a lot like the parties she'd gone to, it was anything but a normal party. It was the definition of a family party.

Children running up and down the stairs, adults shouting to hear each other over the others who were also shouting, all the way down to her auntie Han's husband, Mila's uncle David, already asleep in his chair. Their grandson Freddy climbing across his lap.

Mila quickly made a bee-line to the kitchen, knowing that's where the alcohol would be, keeping her head down to not catch anybody's attention; she'd need at least two drinks in her to stomach the conversation's she'd surely have to have tonight.

Mainly: where have you been? Why didn't you come back sooner? Have you been to see our Jack yet?

All questions she could do without.

As suspected the kitchen counters were full to the brim with different bottles and cans, the missing labels and misshapen bottles told Mila all she had to know about where they came from. One of her elder cousins had excited the family when he got a job at a factory where they made the alcohol, and they were ecstatic to find out he could take the rejects home.

Quickly pouring, and downing, a few shots of vodka Mila sighed, resting her hands against the counter with her head down.

Nine o'clock on Christmas Eve, this time last year she was cuddled up with Lucy on the couch, arguing over whether to watch the Grinch or Elf.

So much had changed.

If anybody had told her last year that she'd be back in Middlesbrough, celebrating Christmas the way she had as a child with her family, she would have scoffed and shaken her head. It seemed so far removed from her ideas at the time.

The party was a tradition for their family, not a normal one at all but perfectly normal to them. Christmas Eve was usually a time to be at home in bed, sneaking downstairs to not wake the children then making sure everything looked perfect for the next morning. But for Mila's family, it was the opposite.

Up until the early hours of Christmas morning, shuffling the kids to bed before they could see the badly hidden presents then waking up midday with a hangover.

It represented them quite well, she thought.

Slowly she turned, picking up her drink, listening to the music flowing under the door, thankful for nobody else being in the kitchen with her. Mila found herself walking to the back door, pulling it open and sitting on the back step, sipping her strong drink.

Only a few days ago was she sat on her own back door steps...well, what used to be her own. With Lucy at her side. It seemed like a lifetime ago, so much had changed.

Nothing would ever be the same, and she was okay with that.

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Written: 14 March 2021
Published: 20 March 2021
Writers block go burrr
Also the alcohol factory thing is my cousins acc job and he gets to take bottles :,) thats the dream