Whatever Comes (Demma Book 1)

The First Christmas

Dateline: Christmas Eve 1999

Time: 10:30 AM at The Watson Household

Emma's POV

Dan and I both got out of school yesterday, which means the winter break for us is in full swing! Mine and Dan's parents are preparing for a big Christmas Eve lunch, and I still didn't get Dan anything for Christmas! How could I be so stupid? I've been focusing WAY too much on school; I never had time to even think about a perfect gift for Dan! What can I do? Christmas is tomorrow, and Dan would be pissed if I didn't get anything for him! That would probably ruin our friendship forever! I suddenly thought of an idea that would for sure knock me on my back with Dan on top. I went downstairs to see Dan's Parents, Mum, Dad, Alex (my brother), and Dan in the kitchen. I went back upstairs, grabbed a notebook with nothing written on it, and ripped out a piece of paper attached to the notebook. I then decided to write a note to my parents saying that I'm going to the park on my own (Which, in reality, I'm going to the store to buy Dan his gift). I took a couple of dollars out of my piggy bank, placed it in the right pocket of my denim jeans, and grabbed my winter coat and gloves. As I started to put them on, I placed the note on the dining room table so that Alex, Dan, his, and my parents would assume that I would be gone for a little while. I headed out the door and started to walk towards the park, and I'm really lucky that I'm in this neighbourhood because there is a shortcut for me to get from my house to the street without my parents recognising me! I walked for a little while until I came across an intersection between the neighbouring road and my street. In front of it was a house full of brick blocking my parents' view of where I am. I sneaked past my house whilst hiding behind the brick house, and I made my way towards the neighbouring road. I walked on the sidewalk of the neighbouring road until I saw a jewellery couple of metres in front of me. I know it's a guy's job to go to a jewellery store to get girls some fancy necklaces or bracelets with I love you forever or Together Until We Die, but I want to break tradition and get Dan something from here. I walked into the store, and I saw a silver chain with the words No Other Love In The World Is Like The Love A Friend Has For Her Man. I instinctively thought this is the necklace I'm going to give to Dan. It only costs about £75, which is enough money to buy this lovely chain for him. I went to the cash register and decided to put the chain in a small box so that Dan would be in shock. I got out a white covered ring box from my parents' last birthday from my pocket, and I decided to put the chain in the box until Dan gets his gift on the Evening of Christmas Day. I want to give Dan his gift privately so that there is no speculation that a certain romance is happening between us because our parents don't even know we're together yet. I put back the box in my pocket as I walked home with my head in the clouds. I just realised that I'd been gone for about 15 minutes, and Christmas Eve Dinner will be ready in 45 minutes. I have time to get in my room and put on a dress that will look nice for even Dan to think I'm good looking no matter what I'm wearing! I walked towards the front door, and I opened it, letting myself inside my house. I went upstairs to my room and changed into my uniform for dinner (A nice Cardigan, a skirt, and a V-Neck T-Shirt). Not the best of choices to make Dan flip, but the Cardigan has to be an exception. I went downstairs quietly as 30 minutes later, we were in the kitchen telling Dad jokes, and it started to get a little off-topic thanks to Dad and Dan's Dad talking about politics. Oh, why does it always have to be politics, for goodness sake! Either way, Dan, Me, and Alex are already talking about stuff that our parents don't want to talk about, mine and Dan's relationship and How we met on the first day of school. Alex is so hilarious; he was voted as the funniest person in his school. Alex already has a crush on this blonde-haired girl named Courtney, and he's a bit shy of asking her out and keeping his and Courtney's relationship a secret, just like mine and Dan's. Fifteen minutes later, dinner was ready, and we started munching down all the turkey, potatoes, green beans, and many others on the table. Alex sleeps in a separate room across from mine as he comes in quite often to see if his big sister (me) is all right. Christmas Eve was great and also very stressful! I finally managed to get Dan his gift after spending the morning trying to think of a great gift for him. Tomorrow, I will surprise him with my gift to him in the evening on Christmas Day! I just hope he did the same for me.