Boy Next Door||Axl Heck

Christmas

   Christmas was my dad's favorite holiday. He always put up an elaborate light show that the whole neighborhood loved. My mom made cookies and we passed them around the whole neighborhood.

  This Christmas my dad was in the hospital with no sign of getting better and my mom was in Florida with her friends.

   It was Christmas Eve Eve and I was spending my time making cookies and watching Christmas movies, trying to pretend everything was okay.

   Axl and I hadn't talked since we broke up. Honestly I was suprised he lasted as long as he did being "tied down". The night of the game Axl and I talked on the phone for a few hours, both of us expressing our feelings about the relationship and ultimately deciding to break up.

   As I frosted the last batch of sugar cookies, I debated giving the Hecks a box of my cookies.

  We did every year and it would be weird not to, right? And it wasnt like me and Axl were on bad terms. We werent on any terms to be quite honest.

  I decided Frankie would miss them if I didnt bring a box so before I could change my mind I put on my coat and headed out the door.

  "Kenzie! What a surprise! Come in come in." Frankie said happily as she opened the door.

   I didnt want to stay long for fear of running into Axl but I had missed Frankie so I let myself be dragged to the kitchen table to eat my cookies and gossip with Frankie.

  "Yes I know and I've been trying to get Mike to help around the house but you know how it is." Frankie was explaining how she had been chosen for a solo in the Church's Christmas Service and needed extra help around the house.

  "Well I know this is a little weird but, it's just me at home right now so if you wanted to you could have your Christmas at my house?" I said, for selfish reasons, I wanted to have a family at Christmas.

   "Oh are you sure? I dont want to indtrude." Frankie said as she grabbed another cookie.

   "No I insist. You'd be doing me a favor. I dont even have a tree this year." I tried to make it sound lighthearted, but Frankie knew how lonely I was.

  She grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. I had been without a mother figure for so long I let myself cry at the small gesture.

  "Oh sweetie." Frankie held me as I cried. She didnt say anything, but she didnt need to, holding me was enough. I let myself cry out everything I had been holding in all year. Rick, my mom, Axl, but most of all my dad.

    I went to bed that night feeling surprisingly better than I had in weeks. The Hecks had agreed to have their Christmas at my house, and I was looking forward to having a real family for once.

***

   I woke up that morning to the sound of yelling and hammering. Confused, I hopped out of bed to see what in God's name was happening.

   When I looked out the living room window, I saw Axl and Mike in my front yard with a ladder and a tool box, clearly arguing about something.

  "Uh can I help you guys?" I said, peeking out my front door.

  They stopped arguing at my words, turning to look at each other. They seemed shocked I came outside, as if it wasnt my house.

   I came further outside to look at what they had been yelling about. I was shocked to see an elaborate display of Christmas lights pinned to my house. They had even put the Santa and reindeer on my roof.

   "Guys-" I said, my voice breaking. Clearly Frankie had said something about me being alone for Christmas, and I guess it had been pretty obvious with no Halloween display, or Thanksgiving, and now Christmas that my dad wasnt getting better.Still, I was touched they had thought to do this.

  I pulled them both into a hug, not caring that I hadn't spoken to Axl in a while.

  "Hey no problem." Mike said, patting me on the head. He wasnt one for emotions.

   "And we, erm, heard you dont have a tree so we got you this." Axl pointed to a sparce looking Christmas tree behind us.

  "It was all they had left." Mike said, picking it up to show me.

  "Its great I love it." I said, leading them into the house.

  We decorated the tree together, joking and laughing. I felt genuinely happy. I guess Christmas does that to you.

  When we finished, Mike excused himself to put his tools away, I knew he wanted to watch the game that was on but I didnt say anything.

  It was just me and Axl, but it didnt feel as awkward now. I was glad, we had been best friends for a long time and I still needed him in my life.

  "Hey Axl? Thank you." I told him, touching his hand.

   "Yeah it was no problem. I kinda missed the light show so uh." He scratched his head awkwardly. "I'm so I'm guessing your mom isn't gonna get you any presents this year and I wouldn't want this awesome tree to go to waste so uh... here."

  Axl reached into his pocket  handed me a small box that I could tell he wrapped himself. I took it from him and examined it.

  "I really appreciate all this Ax. Like seriously." I said, looking up at him.

  "Yeah no its whatever. Here I'll just-"  Axl reached for the gift and placed it under the tree. "Um well the games on so I better go."

  Axl was never one for emotions either. I let him go, content with how my Christmas was going.