Scars

What Happened on Christmas

Sydney, as usual, protested vocally and physically when I tried to take Ren with me to go to Sam's. But this time, my mom did as well.

Ren watched from her spot under the Christmas tree as my mom lectured me. "Family is important, Brianne. You can't just flounce off to Sam's every chance you get. What about Christmas here, huh? Are we not important enough for Ren and you? Oh I see. We embarrass you. Oh so you're embarrassed of your own..." I tried to say something, but she just kept firing.

Ren was playing with some 'Frozen' doll she had been begging for. She introduced it to the ragged pink teddy bear her father had gotten her before the joint custody. She acted as if my mother wasn't chewing me out right in front of her eyes.

When my mother finally took a breath, I took my chance to interrupt her. "I'm not embarrassed. Sam and I just got each other presents and I have to go give it to him."

"Oh so you have to go to his house. He can't come here? I mean how do I know you aren't sneaking off to go do something else? Huh?"

"Mom, all of my friends are going. We're all going together. It's this thing friends do when they're friends." My mother scowled at the pure sarcasm dripping in my tone. I knew I was in deep, but I continued anyway, as if by some screwed up reflex. "You're just bitter because I'm finally moving on. I mean, come on, mom. Did you think I was going to stay at home forever?" The words started pouring out and I knew even before I said it how wrong it was. "I've got to move on, mom. I'm eighteen in three days. Then I can finally leave here and live with Sam." Oh crap.

I was suddenly frantic at what I had just revealed to her. When I had woken up the next morning at the beach after Sam had asked me to move in, I decided to keep it a secret. I didn't feel better the next morning and I couldn't eat anything so I just asked Sam to cut the trip short and take me home. The trip was awful and I missed my baby. Telling my mom I was moving out was the last thing on my mind.

Both my mother and I froze. My dad looked up from his morning paper for once. Sydney's eyes grew wide as she was trying to steal Ren away from me. Ren just played with her dolls, clueless. My mother's eyes widened slowly as she took it all in. She took a step back away from me as she prepared to say something about it.

I was going to be eighteen soon and she couldn't keep me at home forever. I needed to get out soon or I might never.

"I can't believe you. You've only been dating for what? Six months?" She tried to continue but she just sighed and rubbed her temples. After a silence that seemed to last forever, she spoke again, "Go. Go to Sam's. Whatever. I don't care." She wouldn't look at me, but she had on the 'disapproving mother' face on in attempt to make me feel guilty. But I wasn't guilty.

I went to Ren and picked her up. She already had her backpack ready to take to Nick's afterwards, but I had to help her put some of the toys she still had out inside. I was out the door as quickly as I could go. My mind went into autopilot as I put Ren in her car seat, put the Sam's and George's presents in the back, and drove away from the house.

My mind swam the whole way from my house to my new, soon to be house. I didn't want to haul all the presents I had gotten everyone inside just yet, so I left them in the car. I took Ren from her seat and went inside. It was the first time I had been to Sam's place since he had asked me. I wondered for a moment if he had told his siblings yet.

The door was open when I came up to it, so I walked right in. Their dog, Sammy, flew across the floor to greet me. Ren hid behind me from the monstrous animal running around her.

I couldn't see Sam anywhere, but little Sam came running out after Sammy and she and Ren went to her room to play. I eventually gave up on waiting by the door. I mean, this was partly my house now too... right?

When I got into the living room, though, I found Kristie instead of Sam. "Hey, uh, you're like an hour early." I said to her, surprised that she's be here so early.

Kristie looked caught off guard. "Uh, um, yeah I was... I just had to... you know." She sighed and smiled, "Sorry I'm just surprised to see you this early as well." I was starting to get confused, but she continued on. "Uh, so I just came early because I had nothing else really to do and I thought maybe he could use a babysitter or something to watch little Sam so he could get a couple things done."

I was slightly suspicious now. "Well, it doesn't really look like you're watching Sam. She's playing with Ren in the other room."

Kristie looked slightly offended. "She heard you come in and went to go see you."

I tried to trip her up again. I wasn't sure what was really going on but I was going to find out. "But you said you were surprised to see me here early. You didn't know I was here until just a few moments ago."

Kristie tried to form words to defend herself. "Brin, that's not the point. Really, it's no big deal." But before she could finish what she was going to say next, Sam's voice came from down the hallway.

"Hey, Brin." Sam had an unusually large smile on his face. That started to worry me as well. He pulled me into a hug. "Merry Christmas." His lips caught me off guard with the fact that it was obvious he had brushed his teeth. It was anything but pleasant in this moment. I pulled away and cut it off.

It seemed like too long I was in that living room with Sam and Kristie. Sam kept trying to start conversation, unusually happy. I wondered what was making him so chipper. Honestly, I didn't really want to know.

Eventually, George came home with a different girl than last time attached to his side. I wondered what had happened to the blonde girl. After that, Cook showed up, followed by one of Sam's friends from High School. He introduced himself as Jeremy, but I didn't bother to try and remember. The two kids eventually came into the living room to play.

When Sam, because of his lack of cooking skill, was paying the pizza man at the door, Cook moved over to sit next to me. He had an apologetic look on his face as he spoke. "Please don't be angry but I kind of... uh... I kind of invited Nick."

// Hey, loves. So I have finally decided that there's going to be A SECOND BOOK yass. With that in mind, I'm going to try and wrap up this first book really super soon. You lovely people who have stuck with me this entire time are SO FRICKIN AMAZING I LOVE U GUYS. Please just hang in there with me these last few chapters until the good stuff starts up again.