You Again ('Brothers' book three)

Christmas Bonus 2016 ;)

Christmas Bonus 2016

*I expect everyone to respond to this message with their favorite gif or you're uninvited ;)))))*

I smiled contently at the message as I sent it, setting down my phone to continue setting up for our day of gingerbread making.

Almost instantly my phone buzzed with new messages.

*I'm already in this house, dipshit* - Mark

*You can't un-invite me from my own family event* - Alex

Alex was the first one to actually follow my directions and reply with a gif, one of Kristen Wiig freaking out as one of her well-known SNL characters.

*Alex gets bonus points for being first and for having a great gif, get on his level Ryder Boys* I quickly replied.

It was Christmas Eve, everyone was in town for the first time in what seemed like ages, so we were all meeting at the original Ryder House to make gingerbread houses and 'bond' or whatever.

Truth was, I was hella lonely without any of my siblings home this year. It was just me and the younger girls at Jane's house, and I was going crazy.

Alex and Carson were living in New Jersey, engaged but not yet married. James was in his final year at Northwestern. The twins were in Ann Arbor but never came home, they were 'too cool' for that. Mark was in Ann Arbor too and he actually came home sometimes, but no where near enough. Wesley was all the way in New York, leaving me completely alone. We were way over due for a good old Ryder get together.

Wesley replied next with a gif, which Alex instantly commented on.

I didn't pay attention to the next few messages, I was too busy sorting the candy into various bowls.

I went shopping yesterday with Alex and we bought a ridiculous amount of candy in addition to the gingerbread kits we had.

Everyone was staying here at the old house and we'd been up super late last night with Carson and Logan, but the two of them disappeared today to give us family time, yet all of my brothers hadn't even left their rooms yet.

"What can I do to help?" Wesley asked happily, jogging down the stairs as he pulled a sweater over his head. His hair was still wet and his eyes filled with sleep.

"Can you find the other leaf that goes in the kitchen table? I think it's in the back of the hall closet." I replied, starting to move the bowls of candy up to the counter so that the table was free.

"On it." Wesley nodded, heading over to the closet. "It's total bullshit that Alex gets dad's room."

"It's not actually. He's the oldest and he has his fiancé in town too." I replied with a laugh.

"Still bullshit." Wesley replied.

"What's bullshit?" Mark asked, appearing in the kitchen too.

"The fact that you didn't send a gif yet." I told him, turning back to my candy-sorting.

A moment later, my phone buzzed.

Mark had sent a gif of someone flipping off the camera.

"Happy?" He asked, walking up behind me.

"Yes actually, everyone's home." I replied with a smile.

"Loser." Mark muttered, taking a handful of M&Ms from one of the bowls.

"Mark!" I exclaimed, shoving his shoulder. "Don't be an ass!"

"Does he know how to be anything except an ass?" Michael laughed, jumping onto Mark's back as he walked into the kitchen too.