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"JJ, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!"
emery shouted up the stairs. she, john b, mara, and levi were sitting around the living room floor in front of the christmas tree, all resisting the urge to rip into the presents labeled with their names while amelia sat on the couch with her camera, pointing it at the teens in their coordinated red-and-black flannel pants and matching sweatshirts.
"i'm almost ready!" jj shouted back, emery groaning as she and mara shouched down in their spots.
"you've been almost ready for twenty minutes!" levi yelled, clearly agitated at the situation he was currently in. jj eventually rounded the corner at the top of the stairs, the boy sliding down the railing and running over to sit next to mara, the stevens girl between him and john b while emery was between john b and levi.
"okay- everyone ready?" amelia asked, raising her camera once again, all the kids nodding and grinning at the camera. the shudder clicked and the flash went off, amelia examining the photo closely. "alright, go ahead."
emery jumped up, grabbing the stockings from the entertainment center with the names of the five teens stitched into them, passing them around to her friends, all of them sitting in a circle.
"i'm so glad that milly isn't an almond mom like mine." mara said bluntly as she pulled a candy bar out of her stocking. "in my house, this would be an orange."
"where's your mom even at?" levi asked.
"aruba, maldives, hawaii, who knows." mara deadpanned. "all i know is i'd much rather spend christmas here."
"are everyone's stockings done?" jj asked loudly from behind the others, countless candies, a toothbrush, socks, and peppermint bark scattered across the floor around him.
"i think so." john b breathed, everyone stuffing their makeup, gum, gloves, surf wax, and candy into their stockings. so, stacking them up in a little pyramid against the entertainment center, everyone looking at amelia for their cue to dive into the pile of presents under the christmas tree.
"go!"
"love you!" john b exclaimed, turning and grabbing a large box with his name on the tag. he and jj were both tearing wrapping paper open like their lives depended on it, tossing it to the side. all of them knew it would eventually be picked up and thrown around like snowballs, but they didn't care at that moment.
