Jenga

Chapter Twenty-Two- Remember December

It's almost here, that time of the month where you get lots of days off of school and the new year begins. Oh, but let's not forget that day where kids believe jolly 'ol St. Nick will break and enter in their house and leave some cheap gifts.

Otherwise known as Christmas.

Sorry for my rude judgement about him, Santa, but I just had a bad experience with him when I was 8. Ah, the days. That was the last time I left cookies on the table for someone.

"That wasn't Santa! It was our grandfather!" Max keeps telling me every Christmas when I bring this up. No. I don't believe it. I mean, Santa wasted all my hard work on sleeping in my bed 'till morning! Isn't that a little inconsiderate? I didn't even get a present.

Whatever, it's of the past. Right now I'm going over to Wisty's to plan the Christmas party we're holding. I'm not OK yet with her, but really, why is Max coming with me?

I ring the doorbell once, but there's no answer. I'm trying to push away the fact that her house is almost as big as Charlie's. But I can't push it away. I ring the doorbell again, this time harder, and there is an answer.

"Are you the mistress' friends?" a male's voice asks. It somehow sounds familiar.

"Sure," I say grumpily. Wisty never tells us anything. Especially me. No, especially Julia, because she's closer to her than to me. You know, I don't even know if Julia doesn't know anything about her. She could, and then its just me who knows nada.

Walking inside, I get even more ticked off; the interior even looks a bit like Charlie's.

Suddenly, a few kids run past me, stepping on my feel along the way. Wisty follows. Julia follows, and so does Arthur. When did they get here? Then Max follows, just for the fun of it, which makes no sense. Right after, two adults follow, who to me may be Wisty's parents.

Then I look at the butler who let us in. "It's always wild in a half-Jewish household."

My eyes widen, hearing this. Not only because I recognize the butler, but also because this is another thing I didn't know. So she's half-Jewish. No wonder Charlie's father is so fond of her. She's rich, too. I can't compete with that. I can't make myself seem as if I'm the better wife for Charlie. I can't do that. But . . . I have to try.

Anyway, going back to this butler . . .

"REYNIE! Why are you everywhere I am? Don't you have a life?!" I exclaim. Taking off his disguise, Reynie looks at me as if I'm some Thanksgiving dinner. Been through that already.

"Noa, pumpkin, I want you so badly, so badly that you can't even imagine it." What the? What is with those cheesy lines? And know I'm a pumpkin? I thought I was a darling. Reynie leans in and lifts up my chin, pressing me against the wall. He's smart; he knows I would have push him away. But now it's no use.

There are a bunch of people in this house, can't somebody do something? Guess not.

When Reynie's lips are almost touching mine, I shut my eyes and turn my head. Suddenly, though, as my eyes are shut, I hear a loud bang and I'm free of my lips being taken away.

Opening my eyes slowly, I see Charlie and Cyan standing right in front of me. Charlie's closer and has one of his sleeves rolled up. "Thank God that it was you who saved me," I say.

Charlie grins. "Anytime."

"You look good," I say to him, my heart racing when I say it. I don't even need to say it.

"So do you."

I hear Julia sigh heavily from right beside me. "No, no. That's not right. You have to greet each other with a kiss."