10- Santa's Back Up In The Hood
Title cred: Christmas In Hollywood by Hollywood Undead
Winter break rolls around fairly quickly, Jack had been counting the days since thanksgiving break and he said that it, for a fact, did not roll around quickly.
Hailey's house celebrates Christmas, with the whole tree, baked goods, music and all. I haven't celebrated Christmas since my parents died, and I'm not going to. It's not Christmas without them. Seriously. No Christmas for me and I like it that way. Jack knows that, because when he said 'fine, but I'm still getting you a present', I got really pissed off and didn't look at him until he promised he wouldn't get me anything. I have nothing against Christmas, they can have their Christmas, but I'm not going to.
The entire house smells like cinnamon, cookies and pine trees on this Christmas Eve. Everyone is prancing around in their oversized sweaters, eyeing up the presents under the tree. I, on the other hand, avoid the living room at all costs, ever since they put that tree up. Choosing to stay in my room just seems like a better option I guess, just wait it out. Hide under the covers until the monster is gone and I can come out again.
From beneath my covers I see a small light coming through the darkness and poke my head out to see Dana, Lindsey, Hailey and Jack standing in front of me, all smiling. I pull the covers back over my head thinking they'll go away--they don't.
"We love you, Alex" Hailey tries to convince me of something. To join Christmas with them I guess.
"You're part of our family now" Lindsey says with a soft voice.
"No I'm not" I snap back, still under the covers. "I don't deserve a family"
They all go silent, for what seems like years, but then Dana speaks up "Remember when I wasn't eating? And you figured it out right away? Then you brought snacks and sit there and eat them with me while we watched movies? The only thing you ever said to me was that I'm beautiful, and I love you for that"
"and the one time Keenan broke up with me" Lindsey adds with a laugh "and you listened to me cry for days in your bed with you. And you didn't even get angry when I spilled ice cream on you"
"don't forget when you calmed me down after I was ready to give up with everything" I can hear Hailey's smile.
"And you reminded me that I am worth more than I thought I was" I hear Jack choke on his tears a little bit and that sound brings my head out of the covers to look him in his watery eyes. "I'd probably be dead if you hadn't come along"
"We all love you, Alex" Hailey says again, and this time I believe it.
I wipe a tear away and force a big smile "Carry me?" I say to no one imparticular, but Jack jumps up anyways like he was born for this moment.
"Hell yeah" he cheers crouching at the foot of my bed and letting me hop in his back so he can take me downstairs Piggy back style. He throws me down into the couch and everyone plops down beside me in a fit of giggles while Hailey brings gifts over. She hands Dana and Lindsey each a gift from Jack; Dana a hair bow that goes with her blue eyes and Lindsey a Green Day CD. Jack gets one gift from Dana and Lindsey, they chipped in and bought him new guitar strings.
Then Hailey walks over to me, handing me two wrapped boxes, one from Dana and Lindsey and one from Jack. "I didn't get you guys anything..." I look down, ashamed. I don't deserve these presents.
"Remember when we were talking about all the amazing things you did?" Lindsey asks. "That was your gift to us, sweetie. It's worth way more than anything we got you, but you'll still like it"
I think about it for a moment before deciding to just open it. Dana and Lindsey's gift was wrapped in a polka dot wrapping paper, that I carefully ripped off, exposing a box that contained a blanket with Jack Skellington, from Nightmare Before Christmas on it. Jack present, which was not as neatly wrapped, is a framed picture of him and I. I remember when he took it, we were swinging on the swings in the park down by the river. The moment feels even more meaningful with the wooden frame boarding it's edges.
"I got you guys a present too" Hailey tells us "but you'll get it at dinner, for now a movie"
"Home Alone!" Jack shouts, bouncing in his seat, making the rest of the couch wiggle with him.
Hailey laughs "Of course, why would I think we'd watch anything else?" she puts in the movie then squeezes on the couch with all of us between Dana and I. I lean to my left and let my head fall on Jack's shoulder and I can hear him whispering along to the words as he pets my hair.
When the movie is over, it's just past seven and I am starving. Luckily, Hailey ushers us to the dining table. "And for your present" Hailey smiles, putting wine glasses in front of each of us, after we have all filled our plates with our dinners, then filling each glass with white wine.
"If anyone asks, this is purely for religious reasons" Hailey giggles as she takes her spot at the table. We all silently agree and dig in, and of course, drink our wine. I mean we're fifteen, sixteen and seventeen years old, allow us to have alcohol and we won't question you. Although, half the fun of alcohol at this age is trying not to get caught. Regardless, we drank it as we ate our turkey and mashed potatoes.
Let me tell you though, I did not realise how much of a light weight I am. Seriously I had two glasses (well three but Hailey only knows about the two), and I'm having trouble getting up the stairs. Jack has to help me to make sure I don't die or something, and we giggle the whole way up.
Once the door is closed I let my body fall to the floor and I pull Jack with me. Still giggling, I land on top of him in a straddle and look down at him through my hair. "Oopsiees sorry Jackie" I say in a drunken, giggly tone. I can't help but notice how beautiful he is, like damn. His eyes glisten like moonlight reflecting off water and his lips are like the soft waves that everyone knows can be dangerous but right now they're not. There so not-dangerous that I lean down and kiss them. I have to breathe out a laugh between us before I go to kiss him again, harder this time.
"You're cute when you're drunk" he tells me, words vibrating against my lips because he didn't bother to separate our lips fully, or I didn't let him. I just smile and push my lips against his again, letting my tongue slip into his mouth.
"Be my boyfriend" he demands softly. I kiss him again but he pulls away.
"Yes. Yes. Fine." I stumble out before going to kiss him again. Anything to kiss him again.
Best Christmas ever.
A/N
There hasn't been enough cute Jalex stuff so I'm trying to get them to do cute things. So expect more Jalex in the next few chapters.
~Danielle The Dragon
"I leave for two seconds and you guys start playing hot potato with a sheep heart" -my anatomy and physiology teacher
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