Fame and Misfortune (GirlxGirl)

Chapter 12

Ava

When Christmas arrived I wanted to kill myself. "Why do we have to go?" I groaned.

Daniel took my hand and pulled me out to the car like a child. "Because they're my family and you're apart of it now."

"Well, it doesn't feel like it with the way they treat me."

He started the car. "I can't control their actions, okay? I've spoken to them about it. I've told them you're the love of my life. They just don't listen."

"Well maybe they should get hearing aids then."

I wanted to call Lux. I wanted her to cheer me up with her dumb sense of humor and tell me I would be fine.

Daniel reached across the console and took my hand. "It's just a couple of hours."

"Yeah, a couple of very torturous hours that will make me go crazy and you'll have to send me to a mental institution. Then your parents will actually have a reason to call me insane."

He sighed. "When it's over, and we get home, I will do whatever you'd like," he said, lowering his voice.

"I'm not going to feel like having sex after dealing with your family all night."

"Then you can cash that in for tomorrow night."

When we arrived at his parent's house—practically a mansion—we walked up to the front door. It was a small gathering, unlike my family's Christmas dinner. The only people there were his parents, brother, brother's wife, and their eight year old son.

Daniel's mom answered the door and gave him a hug. I stood awkwardly to the side as she only focused her attention on him.

"Hi Rebecca."

She turned slightly in my direction. "Hi."

"Thank you for having us over."

She led the way inside the house, closing the door behind us.

"Daniel!" His brother, Jack, gave him a hug—ignoring my existence. "It's been forever, bro."

I gave his wife, Emma, a friendly smile but she pretended not to notice and looked onward. Where was Lux's dumb optimism when you needed it?

I stood beside Daniel, swearing not to leave his side the entire night while he made conversation with Jack and his wife. He tried to incorporate me a few times, but it backfired as they merely ignored me.

However, not too much later Grayson came running from up the stairs. The one thing I loved about Daniel's stupid family gatherings was rubbing in their faces how much that kid loved me. I'm sure Jack and Emma weren't too thrilled about it, but there was nothing they could do.

Grayson hugged around my legs tightly. "Ava!"

I chuckled and squeezed him back. "Hi Grayson."

"I miss you!" he continued to hug me.

"I missed you too, buddy."

I noticed Daniel smiling at me.

Grayson finally let go to show me his new toys he'd gotten that morning for Christmas. I crouched down to fake ooo's and ahh's while Jack and Emma threw me nasty glances. God bess that child.

+++

Lux

I threw back another shot of tequila. Maybe getting wasted, alone, at home wasn't the best of Christmas plans, but I couldn't care less.

Mikayla was performing with her group, Drew was with her fiancé's family, and Ava was with Daniel. What a great Christmas I was having. I suppose I could have called Tony Frazier and seen what he was up to. Yeah, that was a good idea.