Smiley and Sunshine

62.

Omg so many new friends!
OG peeps, welcome back!
All your love for this story make my day.

Also, if you're Jeff Dunham fans... I gotchu. If not, ignore the jingle. 
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"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear." – Buddy, Elf

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Countdown until Christmas: 9 days

"Grandma got run over by a reindeer..." Clap, clap, clap.

Emerson continued with the next line, "Walking home from our house Christmas eve..."

Glen was so obviously clueless so it went back to Francis again, "You can say there's no such thing as Santa..."

"Shut the fuck uppp," Dakota groaned, lifting his leg and kicking the back of the teen's seat. He had been behaving nicely thus far in the car ride, but after three Christmas songs that were so horribly off-key sung by his brothers... enough was enough.

"Dakota. Don't start. They're just having fun." Austin's gaze darted to the rearview mirror. He could see Kota slouched in the third row of the car and sitting beside him was no other than Sunshine.

"You can't honestly say you want to listen to this shit." Dakota scoffed with an eyeroll.

Francis twisted his back so he could look at his brother. Kind understanding was written on his face. "It's okay to admit you're jelly of my talents, Dicky."

Dakota gave a harsh, unamused laugh and kicked the teen's chair again.

As a form of reprimand for probably being a 'meanie', he felt his little sister bravely poke his arm with a single finger but he ignored her, pointedly looking away from her.

"Francis," Austin warned, not thrilled about his language choice. "Seriously, can you guys get along for once?" It was rhetorical. Because obviously, the two could not.

"Don't take it personally, Austin," Emerson said from the passenger seat. He was the quickest to call shot gun this evening. "Dakota lives to disappoint."

"Fuck off, Emerson," Dakota hissed, whipping his head to the front as his back went rigid, as Austin now reprimanded Emerson. At this rate, every sibling was going to be in trouble by the end of the night.

Well maybe not. Glen and Hayes were looking liked they much rather be anywhere else at the moment than squished in a car with fired-up brothers.

Kota could still feel the stare of his little sister, but he now avoided her gaze by glaring down at his phone. He assumed she must have heard the hurt that slipped unintentionally into his voice. A moment of weakness that he'd rather not have had.

Live to disappoint.

Say how you really feel, why don't you.

Sonny probably didn't even realize he hit a nerve with his offhanded comment.

But then a message popped up at the top of Dakota's phone screen. He apparently didn't give his brother enough credit for awareness. Emerson sent him a text already.

Emerson: Sorry, dude. Didn't mean that.

Whatever.

Dakota swiped out of the messaging app without bothering with a reply.

"That's enough," the eldest brother now barked. "No more talking until we get there."

"Ooh, the Quiet game." Sonny poked fun at his brother's idea of punishment.