As the song came to an end, Alex and Paige stopped dancing, still silent and staring into each other's eyes. "I really like you Alex." Jessica confessed. "I really like you too. If I'm honest with you though, since I told you I've been overthinking us so much and I really don't want to mess this up by saying or doing the wrong thing." Alex told her. "Alex, you really don't need to worry, I mean I've liked you for months, and that's even through all of your controversial comments." Jessica replied, gently grabbing Alex's hand. "I know Jess, but I-" Alex started. Jessica shut him up with a kiss, holding his hand more firmly. "Come on love birds, it's getting late, Jess' mum will want her back soon." Paige said from the door. "Why do you always walk in during a moment?" Alex asked after he pulled away from the kiss. "Just lucky I guess, come on, Jo didn't drink tonight so she'll take you back Jess."
"I'll message you tomorrow okay?" Alex said as he stood with Jessica by the front door to her grandparent's house. "Okay." She replied, kissing his cheek before going inside. "Who was that?" David, Jessica's dad said as she closed the door. "Jesus dad, let me breathe." Jessica replied. "Who was that Jess?" he asked again. "Alex, he's like a brother to Paige, he wanted to walk me to the door." Jessica said, hoping he didn't see her kiss his cheek. "Why did you kiss his cheek then?" David asked. 'Shit." Jessica thought. "No I didn't" Jessica answered, trying to get around her dad to go to her room. "Jessica, you don't need to worry, he looks like a good guy, I just wanted to know why." Her dad replied, voice softened and less taunting. "He's my boyfriend, dad, but it's only been a few weeks so don't tell anyone, especially grandma. She'll invite him to the Boxing Day dip and our costumes are hella embarrassing this year." Jessica confessed. "Okay. What if someone already knows?" He asked. "Who knows?" Jessica replied. "Chloe." Jessica groaned and walked off to her room, hearing her dad shout faintly, "Chloe, you owe me £20."
The next day, after presents and dinner, Jessica's mum received a message from Rosie asking for the family to join them for some drinks and games. "Hey David, Rosie has invited us over for some drinks and games, do you think the kids would want to go?" Louise asked from the kitchen. "Who's Rosie?" David replied." "Paige's mum, I think Jessica said something about Paige having a little sister around Chloe and Sidney's age." She told him. "Why don't we ask them, I know Jessica won't have any objections." David said.
"Thanks again for having us, this Chloe, you've met Jess and over there is Sidney. Chloe and Sidney are twins, around Grace's age from what Jessica has told me." Louise said as she was greeted at the front door by Jane and Rosie. "Well that's great, Grace is always moaning about not having any kids her age to talk to on Christmas or holidays. There's Sam, my oldest, and Jo is the one at the table on her phone, she's Jane's. Alex and Paige are in the hot tub with Dan and Paul right now, we were just going to join them actually." Rosie replied. "I knew we would need swimwear mum, say thank you." Jessica told her. "Thank you Jess, do you have anywhere we can put these?" Louise asked, holding up a bag filled with bottles of beer and wine. "My kind of girl, pinot grigio. Good choice. I'll show you to the extra fridge." Jane said, leading Louise towards the secondary kitchen. "Jess, you're here. Merry Christmas!" Paige said as she came in from outside with some empty glasses. "Merry Christmas, where's Alex?" Jessica asked. "I'm right here pretty girl." Alex answered as he sauntered in, flexing in the mirror on his way. Jessica smiled at his words before helping him and Paige to grab some drinks.
After a few hours, the adults were in the living room, wearing their PJs and watchin bad Christmas rom-coms, while Sam, Alex, Jo, Paige and Jessica were playing cards against humanity in the games room. "Okay, the next one is, 'I drink to forget' blank." Jessica said. The others scrambled to find their funniest cards putting them down. "Alright, we have 'I drink to forget... alcoholism' okay, 'I drink to forget... the inevitable death of the universe', 'I drink to forget... Pac-Man uncontrollably guzzling cum'? And finally, 'I drink to forget... self-loathing'." Jessica read out all of the answers. "I have to pick self-loathing." She decided. "Yes! Victory is mine." Alex exclaimed, punching the air as he collected all of the old cards to start a new round. "No more, I'm done. But I think I saw a karaoke machine in the hallway cupboard, who's up for it?" Paige asked. "Not me, I'm joining the parents." Jo said, going downstairs.
"There I was again tonight forcing laughter, faking smiles. Same old tired, lonely place." Jessica sang. "Walls of insincerity, shifting eyes and vacancy vanished when I saw your face. All I can say is it was Enchanting to meet you." As Jessica finished the first few lines, Alex got up to dance with her and sing with her. "Your eyes whispered, 'have we met?' across the room, your silhouette starts to make its way to me." Jessica sang, not noticing Alex grabbing the other microphone. "The playful conversation starts, counter all your quick remarks like passing notes in secrecy. And it was enchanting to meet you." The two of them sang together. As the chorus began, Alex took Jessica's spare hand in his and began twirling her around.
A perfect end to a perfect day. Alex and Jessica staring longingly into each other's eyes, parents thoroughly drunk and everyone happy.
YOU ARE READING
Charms or Banjos?
RomanceJessica felt out of place at her new school when she started, everyone else had at least one friend from their old schools, but she had none. Though after making an unlikely friendship with the loud, sporty Alex in history, Jessica began making more...
