Wishing For Something More

Chapter 15: Merry Christmas, Flower

*Hunter's POV*

I look to the coffee table to see what time it is. 8 a.m. It's officially Christmas. "MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!" I yell, awaking everyone. "God, man, shut up!" Jared retorts. Sydney's eyes flutter open with pure joy. Clearly, she loves Christmas. "No, Syd, don't you dare!"- "Sydney don't you think about it!" Jared and Leila both scream at the same time. "IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME! HALLELUJAH! JESUS! ALLAH! MESSIAH! THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL DAY!" Sydney screeches in a sing-song voice. "Jared, come help me in the kitchen, Babe." Hailey says, pulling him with her. Leila heads to her room to get dressed for the day.

"I have a question!" Sydney exclaims. "Shoot." I say. "So, who do you have a crush on?" She asks. I ponder whether to give her a fake answer or just to not tell her. "Can't tell you that, Flower. Well, unless you tell me yours. Also, is that a hint of jealousy I hear?" I ask, laughing. "NO! I just want to know, since I'm a great matchmaker. I don't like anyone, by the way, Hunter." She says while blushing. "Quit flirting and come get some breakfast." Jared yells from the kitchen with an apron on that says, "Kiss me for food". Hailey commits and kisses him.

After we eat breakfast, we each go to our rooms to prepare ourselves for the day. I throw on, per usual, my leather jacket and I'm done. I watch TV in my room until I hear the front door open. "MOM! DAD!" Leila squeals. My parents finally decided to turn up. "Hunter!" Someone yells, calling me downstairs. I come down and my parents each hand me a present. My mom gave me a pair of ripped jeans and my dad gave me a signed football. "Thanks guys!" I say. "Mom, would it be okay if I had Jack over?" Leila asks. I smirk at her, trying not to laugh. She throws me a cold glare. "Sure, honey." My mom beams, "The more the merrier. Dinner--well in between lunch and dinner will be ready in 20 minutes, so tell everyone to get seated."

Sydney comes downstairs in a red, fluffy Santa dress with a red headband on. "You're really embracing the Christmas spirit, huh?" I ask. "DUH! It's my favorite holiday." She shouts. "You are so cute." I blurt. She blushes and makes her way to the seat next to mine.

"Hello, Sydney! I've missed seeing you so often." My father says. "I'm always around." She smiles. My mother passed out plates and begins to serve them. "So, you're Jared Tanner? My son, here, always spoke about you. 'The Star Quarterback he wishes to be'." "Yep. That's me." Jared chuckles as the front door opens. "Hello Daniels family!" Jack yells. "Jack!" Leila yells, jumping out of her seat to greet him. "Can they just date already?" I whisper to Sydney. "Funny. That's what Leila says to me about us. Also, she has a boyfriend." Sydney says, nonchalantly. WHAT?!? "Since when?" I ask. "Remember the MC at the café you guys forced me to perform at? Yeah, well, his name is Jordan and he's 19." She says. "Um- Can I confess something?" Jack says to Leila. Sydney and I both give each other shocked glances. "Oh no! He's going to be humiliated." Sydney whispers. "Lei, you see the most amazing person I have ever met. You are my best friend and I love you. I'm in love with you. What do you say?" Jack says, kneeling on the ground. "I thought I was his best friend. Not gonna lie, I'm a bit offended." Sydney scoffs, sarcastically. "Let's be real. I'm your best friend, Flower." I say. "Maybe.." She says, blushing.

"Jack... I'd be lying if I said I didn't have feelings for you.. But I'd also be lying if I didn't tell you I'm dating Jordan and I have strong feelings for him. I'm sorry, Jack." Leila says. Jack eyes begin to brim with tears. "I feel so bad." Sydney mutters. "It's fine." He says, his voice sounding like he's about to cry. He runs out of the house and Leila doesn't follow him. "What the hell, Leila?" I speak up. "I didn't think that he would ever like me back. But the time he does, I'm dating someone and that wouldn't be fair to Jack or Jordan.. May I be excused?" Leila blurts. My mother simply nods.

"I knew that boy liked her. I could have told her. Mother's instinct." My mother says. "Let's just eat, honey." My father comforts. We eat in utter silence. "I'll clean the dishes, Mrs. As a thank you." Jared says. "What a gentleman, this 'Star' is!" My mother exclaims.

"C'mon, Flower. Present Time!" I say, taking her to my room. "I'll go first!" She says, so animatedly. I unwrap her beautifully wrapped present to reveal a glasses case. "Flower.. You didn't." I say, laughing. She giggle as I open the case. Surely, as suspected, there are a pair of black-rimmed glasses. "Take your contacts out. Please?" Sydney says, practically on her hands and knees begging me. "The things I do for you." I mutter as I head to the bathroom. I very carefully take them out and put the glasses on. I still look attractive, as always, but a little unusual.

I walk out to see Sydney has her phone out and begins to take photos, probably for blackmail, so I take them off. "Flower, quit taking photos. I'm blind without my glasses." I say. "Fine! Put them on so I can at least see." She admits in defeat. I put them back on. "Aww! You look so cute!" She gushed. I give her a look of pure disgust, "Um- you mean hot?" She shakes her head.

"Okay, my turn. I didn't wrap this, so turn around and close your eyes." I place the necklace around her neck. She opens her eyes, looks down, and gasps. "This has to be worth over $1,000. HUNTER!" She envelopes me in a hug, "Thank you, Hunt." I smile.

"Your parents are so welcoming. Christmases here must always be so amazing." She says, laying with me on my bed. "I think I'm ready to tell you something..." I say, almost a whisper. She turns to face me, sitting up. I clear my throat and begin, "When I was 6, my mom disappeared. One night, she just left and never came back. To this day, I have no clue where she went." I pause. "But.. Your mom-" "She's not my real mom. Let me continue. My dad always had to work late. We were so poor. I was always home alone, since we couldn't afford a babysitter. One night, he came home later than usual. Drunk out of his mind. That was the first night he hit me. The abuse progressed. He blamed me for mom leaving us. 'Maybe if you weren't such a bad boy'." Sydney begins to rub my back and wipe my tears away. "I went to school one day, and finally, a teacher noticed my number of bruises. I went home that night and got the beating of my life. The school called Family Protective Services or whatever, and he found out that he was going to be investigated the next day and probably go to jail. The next morning, I found my father, laying on the ground, dead. Alcohol and Drug overdose. Do you know what that does to a ten-year-old kid? They believe it's their fault. Luckily, after a yeast of fostering, the Daniels adopted me. I owe everything to them. I just wish I knew where my mother was so I could yell at her for leaving me with such a horrible man." I finish. Sydney pulls me to her and hugs me so tight. "I-I am so sorry that happened to you, Hunter. Never again will I complain about my family." She says, apologizing. It's not her fault.

"C'mon. Let's get out of here." I say, wiping the last remaining tear. "Where are we going?" My Flower asks. "You'll see." I take her to see the Annual Tree Lighting, which is where at 10 p.m the tree will light for all of the town to see. She huddles up on the ground next to me for warmth. "Seriously though, you look amazing in glasses." She states.

"Excuse me? You two have got to be the cutest couple I have ever seen." AB old lady tells us. "Oh- we- we aren't dating." Sydney stutters. "She wishes we were, but she's too scared to ask me out. I'm quite the catch." I say, jokingly. The old woman, confused by us, returns to her knitting. "Hunt, what did I say about pointless flirting?" She warns. "It's not pointless..." I mumble where she can't hear. "5... 4... 3... 2... 1... 0." The tree lights you. "You know what.. Screw it." I look at Sydney and her turn her towards me. I look from her eyes to her lips. Clueless, she has no idea what I'm about to do. I smile at her and then lean in, and begin to kiss her, enjoying every second of it. Abruptly, she backs away. "Hunter.. I can't," and she runs off.

Crap! I'm so insensitive. She just broke up with Tyler. As much as I don't regret that amazing kiss, I should have asked her first. Clearly, she doesn't feel the same way about me as I do about her. I need to fix this. "Merry Christmas, Flower." I whisper.

(A/N: The photo at the top is Hunter in glasses. Okay I don't know about you, but Hunter is my little bean and he's so precious and I feel so bad for him. He's been through so much, but he's still so strong. 💕💕💕 Who is your favorite character? Mines still Jared though.)