Afterglow ❃ l.m.j

• chapter thirty four •

"Merry Christmas Eve!" I cheered happily, jumping onto my brother's bed. Alex's room smelled like a wet gym sock that you left on the floor to dry. I did my best to power through it though as I held his present in my hands. It was almost one in the afternoon and he was the only one that wasn't awake.

My younger brother sucked his teeth, attempting to pull his covers up to his ears but they were trapped under my knees. He squinted an eye towards me.

"Get out of my room." He grumbled.

"I have a present for you!"

"I don't care. I'm sleeping, get out."

I scowled. I reached out to pinch his ear. His skin turned red under my fingers as his shoulders hunched up to his chin.

"Ow, fuck, Lauren, get out of my room!"

"Alexander, watch your mouth or so help me god!" My mother chastised from the kitchen.

"Sorry, ma." He grumbled quieter this time, shooting daggers at me. He clutched his ear in defense. "Dude, get out, Christmas isn't until tomorrow. Why do you always wanna do this one present on Christmas Eve thing?"

"Because it's cute and we're a family." I quipped, moving to get off of him, but not without stepping on his leg.

He groaned. He moved a hand from under the covers to grab my ankle, damn near making me trip. I looked back at him angrily.

"Stop, you dipshit, I'm just trying to be nice! It's fucking Christmas Eve!"

"Well don't wake me up next time. And get out of my room, I'm going back to bed. And how come mom doesn't yell at you for cussing?"

"Because I'm the fucking favorite." I whispered, sticking my tongue out at him. Instead of verbally responding, he snatched his covers back.

I held the stupid red box I gift wrapped to my chest and trudged out of his room. The ungrateful little shit. He was the last person in the house I had a present for. Everyone else actually woke up early and got theirs. Taylor watched her charm bracelet glisten in the light as she held it up on FaceTime for her friends to see.

I watched as mom and Papi conversed over his gift; a watch that gave an old timey feel. The arms of it were a brown leather but the face was black with a blue background and the time in Roman numerals. I picked it more so for the style than functionality, which I figured was more up Papi's alley anyway. He smiled, tapping at the glass that separated him and the numbers. She fixed her glasses onto her face and took the watch into her hands. Even with her spectacles, she was squinting.

"Lauren, how do you fix the time on this thing? It still says 3:00." She fiddled with a button on the side before flipping it over. "It should be one now."

I smiled, rubbing a hand over the flyaways of my ponytail. I leaned over Papi with a rub to his shoulder to grab the watch. He pat my hand affectionately.

After a few moments and a vague remembrance of what the clerk at the store explained, I got the time situated. I handed it back to my grandfather.

"1:37." I confirmed, pointing at the Roman numerals. He held the watch a bit far from his face before nodding in finality and mumbling a thank you in Spanish. I leaned down to give him a hug. Then smoothed past him and my mom into the kitchen. "What are we going to eat?"

"There's food in the fridge from last night. I'm not cooking, we're going over to your Aunt Betty's and I already made my share."

I furrowed my eyebrows, looking at the ounces of Tupperware. "Made what?"

My mom never answered me, instead rushing to a phone that was ringing at peak volume through the house. I rolled my eyes, pushing bowls and containers aside. I stood to my full height, looking around the kitchen again. A bundle of yellow plantains sat on the counter.

Maduros? Don't mind if I do.

As I washed my hands and prepared to cut them, Alex finally slumped into the room. I cut my eyes at him and focused on my handiwork.

"Look who finally knows how to leave his room."

"Leave me alone, Lauren." He mumbled. Mom walked back into the kitchen and he was instantly attached to her hip, laying a kiss on her cheek. "Good morning, ma."

"It's one in the afternoon, Alexander, don't good morning me."

Taylor walked in just then, ignoring our brother's goofy grin at mom as he asked how her day was. My sister peered over my shoulder.

"What are you making?"

I felt my ponytail swish over my shoulder as I placed the heat on the left burner and plopped down the pan.

"Maduros."

Taylor typed away at her phone, looking from her screen to the stove. "Ooh... Can you make me some?"

"What?" I asked jokingly.

"Please! Mom says she's not cooking because—"

"We're going to Aunt Betty's, I know."

"Gross, we're going to Aunt Betty's? I hate going over there." Alex butt in. Mom was beside him, typing away on her phone too. Or trying, by the looks of it. "Mom, do I have to go?"

"We go every year, what do you mean do you have to go?" I cut in, making a face.

Mom looked at us from over her glasses. "We always go to see my sister on Christmas Eve, and we're going this year, no exceptions. And Alex, you especially have no choice seeing as you didn't get to go last year."

He groaned. "Ma, I sprained my ankle."

"Yeah, playing basketball outside in the winter. Who is stupid enough to do that?" My sister snorted.

My brother reached a hand out to tap her phone, almost causing it to fall from her hands. Taylor looked up with eyes ready to kill, and my mother jumped the gun on the both of them. The kitchen seemed so much smaller when three irritated voices began to fill it. I half entertained myself with it and half tuned it out. Per usual, Taylor was getting her head chewed off despite Alex starting the fight. I rolled my eyes at the usual semantics of the Jauregui household, even on a holiday.

My mom's voice roared over everyone else's as she pulled the final word.

"We are leaving to your Aunt Betty's at 7 PM - and I mean everyone, even you Papi - and I don't want to hear another word about it." My grandfather sucked his teeth at the sound of his nickname. I bit back a laugh. "Now everyone get out of the damn kitchen. This house is too big for all of you to decide you need to be in one room at once, go to your rooms."

Everyone except Papi and I slithered out of the kitchen. When they were well out of earshot, we gave each other a look. Me, an ear splitting smile, and him, an all knowing wink. Today was going to be interesting to say the least.