Be Mine

"someday at Christmas time"

Last chapter, woohoo!! It feels a little odd and really good to finally be able to say that this project is completed. Thank you to each and every reader, I so appreciate you all, and I hope you liked the story!

This chapter's lyric is from "Someday at Christmas" by the Jackson 5.

Enjoy!

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SIMON POV

DEC 26

Holidays were simply the best.

It was Boxing Day, and everyone was coming over for a party at my house.

It had even been my parent's idea. They had approached me last week, saying they'd wanted this year's Christmas to be more "pleasant" for me than last year's had been. (I'd agreed wholeheartedly.) We'd invited my relatives and friends over for a holiday bash of sorts. I'd told them it was casual, and to bring along whoever, plus maybe some food, too; that sort of thing.

Luckily, we lived out of the heart of the city, so my house was more secluded, and larger in size. We had the whole place decked out for guests, and Nora had happily made a ton of sweets, which sat across every counter. With the way we'd been prepping for this all the time, I wished my parents had stuck to the "casual" party description that had been in each worded invite.

When I glanced out my window, I could see the sky darkening. Not unusual in December, but it meant I'd been up in my bedroom reading longer than I'd thought. I hurriedly yanked on a nicer pullover and shoes. I checked the clock on my phone - 6:53- and headed downstairs, seeking out Nora.

I found her on the couch, in a cute outfit and an exhilarating smile after finishing two years of braces. (Not that I would've ever told her any of that.) I pestered her until she got up with a laugh and tried to smack me. Dad halfheartedly yelling to behave in the background, I held on to my sister's wrist and gently pulled her over to the front door.

"You need to wait here in case anybody arrives."

"Sounds boring."

"Please? I'll be right back." Without waiting for a response, I dashed back upstairs and skated around my desk until I'd found what I had been looking for.

For Bram's holidays this year, I'd made him a playlist. And not just any playlist. It was a musical arrangement burned on to a CD, because Bram was old school like that. There were dozens of songs on it, all special tunes that we'd found together or that I knew he liked. I smiled down at my creation, and then the doorbell rang, and I hurried downstairs again, because my trust in Nora was a tad thin regarding this. I was feeling a little flustered and over-excited, but thankfully, it was just my grandparents.

We hugged hello, and I took their coats, easily falling into the usual rhythm of Christmas gatherings. My mom's parents were pretty chill. They slid Nora a twenty and asked me how school/friends/Bram/theater was. My father's parents, however, were more behind the times and mushy, a mothball-smelling pair that showered my sister and I with kisses and then found a recliner to nap in.

Nora disappeared from my line of vision, off to do something, as I got distracted helping Mom with snacks. I didn't even realize Bram was there until I bumped backwards into someone who laughed in response, sounding suspiciously like my boyfriend.

"When did you get here? I'm the worst," I moaned.

"Just two minutes ago," he assured me, eyeing the ridiculous bow-tie my mom had made me wear. I'd forgotten to have discarded it by now. Bram tugged at it and smiled. "Looks a little more helter-skelter and devil-may-care this way."