All I've Ever Wanted

Chapter One - My parents love surprises

Chapter 1- My Parents Love Surprises

My parents have always been the kind of people who surprised my siblings and I out of the blue. Like about six years ago when I was nine they told us we were going to visit our cousins in the city but were staying in a hotel instead of at their house. Yeah, they woke us up at four in the morning and screamed “We’re going to Disneyworld!” Of course my older brother, Colin and I thought this was the most exciting thing in the world and we totally forgot about our cousins until we arrived and they surprised us again by saying “Surprise you’re cousins are here too!”

That surprise basically ruined the whole trip, considering we don’t like our cousins!

Then almost eight years ago my parents surprised us by saying “We’re having another baby!” and eight months later my younger brother Luke was born.

There was also the time about two years ago when my mom surprised me with a trip to New York and Colin a trip to Seattle to watch a football game with Dad.

My parents really like to surprise us so when they told me and my siblings to meet in the living room for a ‘family meeting’ (which we rarely and I mean pretty much never have) I knew they were about to surprise us with something.

Colin, Luke and I all plopped down on the couch, Luke sitting in-between me and Colin while my parents stood in front of us. To be honest I felt incredibly awkward sitting and having them stare down at me like they were about to tell me some heart breaking news like my dog Ardi had died, but I knew that couldn’t be true because I just saw him five minutes ago prancing down the hallway when I came downstairs.

“Well?” Colin asked impatiently. His light blonde hair that was similar to mine was messy considering he just woke up, and his blue eyes glanced between my parents as if he were extremely bored. Colin stretched his long legs out and placed them on the coffee table crossing them one over the other.

Luke noticed this and tried to copy him but his legs couldn’t reach the table so he crossed his arms over his chest frowning, his blue eyes narrowed at the ground. They were the same shade as mine and my brothers the only difference was his hair was darker and more of a dirty blonde like my dad’s.

Colin ruffled his hair and I sighed turning back to my parents. “We have a surprise!” Dad said excitedly.

“Of course you do,” Colin replied.

Dad ignored him and continued. “You all remember Ashton right?”

“Who’s that?” Luke asked looking between us all.

“You probably don’t remember him, Kid,” Colin said throwing an arm around him.

“What about him?” I asked not liking where this was going.

“Well, he needs a place to stay for the rest of the year so we offered to take him in,” Mom explained excitedly smiling at all of us.

She frowned when she saw our face expressions. Luke looking confused, Colin’s face read what-the-fuck, and mine was pure horror. “What?” I exclaimed.

“He’s moving into the spare bedroom, you know, like the bedroom across from your room, Alex,” she said to me.

Holy shit.

Ashton, my childhood crush and Colin’s best friend was moving in with us? I’ve had a crush on him ever since I was six, and then he moved away when I was ten and he was twelve. That had been a depressing day, I have to admit. Of course, I have never told anyone that except for my best friends Sarah and Grace; except somehow Colin found out about it and has been bugging me ever since, asshole.

Colin turned to me and raised his eye brows at me and I scoffed.

“Why aren’t you guys excited?” Mom asked with a frown. She’s always been a bit soft and a push over, I’m pretty sure that’s why Colin gets away with so much stuff. Me on the other hand I’m a complete angel… Ok, maybe not considering I just lied about being an angel but compared to Colin I am. I only get drunk once in a while (which means once every like two months) and I’ve never gotten detention or been grounded, so really if you compare me to Colin I really am an angel.

“Oh I’m pumped but I don’t think Alex–”

“Of course I’m excited,” I blurted out before he could finish his sentence. I really couldn’t stand the thought of my parents (mostly my mom) being sad that I didn’t like their surprise.

“Good,” Mom beamed clapping her hands together.

“When’s he coming?” Colin asked.

“Tomorrow night,” Mom smiled.

TOMORROW?! He’s coming tomorrow? They decided to tell us the day before! They should have told us a week or two ago to give me some time to prepare for this awkwardness. Well my awkwardness anyway since Ashton doesn’t like me but still! More time would have been a good idea!

“Alexis?” Mom used my full name which I particularly didn’t enjoy. She was giving me a worried motherly look. “Why do you look so pained?”

“I’m just… uh… so happy that Ashton’s coming back that it, um, hurts,” I explained placing a hand over my heart. What a load of bullshit that was.

Colin burst out laughing and Mom looked over at him confused. “You kids are so weird!” she paused to shake her head at us but she was smiling. “Anyway, he’ll be coming tomorrow night at around supper so make sure you’re presentable.”

“Yeah, Alex, make sure you look good,” Colin said.

“What are you talking about, Colin?” Luke asked him.

Colin just chuckled and ruffled his hair. “Nothing, buddy.”

“Shut up, Colin,” I muttered.

“Alex!” Mom scolded.

“Sorry,” I said holding my hands in a surrender gesture. “I’m going up stairs to get ready for school,” I told them as I stood up from the couch.

“Embarrassed?” Colin asked smirking at me.

I glared at him before running up the stairs and shutting my door behind me. I flopped down on my bed and stared at the roof. How much worse could my life get, like really? My childhood crush is coming back and he happens to be moving in with us.

This is going to be one hell of a year.