My Godfather is Who?

Chapter 10

Stella

It's crazy to think this Christmas I won't be pinning up stockings with my dad or wrapping presents with my mom. Instead I'm out in the woods behind Alex's house looking for the right tree. So far I've managed to break a few balls, but luckily they weren't anything special to Alex, or at least as far as he said. He's a festive guy, hanging wreaths and wearing Santa hats. It looks like this year Alex's annual Christmas party will have three new guests: Me, Noah, and Hayley, who is finally getting over the fact that THE Alex Reed is my Godfather. I'm finally seeing the full band in one room as well as, Ms. Mays and Austin Sanders. It sounds like a perfect plan, but also another thing of Alex's for me to screw up. That's what the stuck ups tell me at school...that I'm an emo bitch who screws everything up...

The decorations go up fast and pretty soon I'm outside helping Hayley with her snowball attack on Noah. We run around and laugh. He comes up from behind and stuffs snow down my coat. "NOAH I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!!!" I yell, running after him. I run and jump on his back. We fall into the snow. Hayley tumbles down, not too far behind. We laugh until it feels impossible to laugh any harder. "So...." Hayley says after a long pause. She doesn't like things to get quiet for long. "So...." Noah repeats. "Christmas Eve tomorrow!" I say sitting up. They stare at me like I'm crazy. "Does that make today Christmas Adam?" Hayley asks like an innocent child. Although if you heard the kind of language she uses you'd know she's far from an innocent anything. Noah and I just stare at her. "You know like Adam and Eve?! Come on you guys have no imagination!" she says laying back down. "You guys I mad ehot chocolate and don't worry it's not spiked!" Alex calls. His poor neighbors....experiencing his drunken parties. On either side of him are older folks. On the left is a couple in their early eighties, the wife, Mrs. Crook things Alex is an angel, but her husband reminds her that Lucifer was once an angel. On the right there's the widowed Ms. Bush, who agrees with Mr. Crook. We rush inside and each grab a mug. For once he seems like a sort of guardian to me.

*The Next Day* Stella

Pretty soon everyone's here. The band members plus a few of their friends, Austin, Ms. Mays...I mean Ally, Noah, and Hayley. Someone has brought alcohol, which means Alex's probably going to drink a lot and I'll have a hung over Godfather tomorrow. It's a full house. Hayley has abandoned Noah and I to talk to drunk Band members. "So...." Noah says sipping eggnog and leaning against the wall. "Cool party." he says awkwardly. I guess doesn't really know what to do. He already met Austin when they accidentally ran into each other, one going in and the other out of the kitchen. Suddenly Hayley is wide eyed in front of me, starring above my head. "Earth to Hayley, What's wrong?" I say. She points up. My eyes follow her finger until I'm starring up at a leafy substance above my head. Mistletoe. It's too late to move. Noah has seen and so has Steve Johnson, the drummer. "Awwww look who gets the first kiss!" he calls. Everyone's eyes are on us I feel the color drain from my face. Noah leans in and kisses me. At first it's just a small peck but then he leans closer and does it again, but his lips linger just a little longer. He pulls away and looks at me. Just as he was pulling away Alex and Ally were coming in the room. Alex got the picture, even if he wasn't there to see or hear everything. The mistletoe and Noah's closeness were enough. I looked around people were cheering and laughing. I looked at Noah. His face was as red as Rudolph's nose. I looked at Hayley, she had a huge grin on her face. Despite my legs feeling like jelly I ran upstairs and locked myself in my room.

Alex

Ally and I were alone in the kitchen talking about random things that popped into our minds. I'm just waiting for the drinking games. We decided to go back out to the living room with the others. As we were heading out my eyes found Hayley's bright orange hair and not too far from that was Stella and Noah. Noah was inches away from her and there was mistletoe above their heads. Easiest puzzle in history to solve. Stella's face went red. I didn't know what to think. Should I be concerned because I'm her Godfather and I'm supposed to be protective when it comes to boys or should I join the laughing and cheering and act as if it were nothing? It's not like I walked in on them doing anything like the time my dad walked in on me and this blonde....never mind. Stella ran upstairs like the speed of light. Noah and Hayley just stood there. I left Ally's side and rushed up after her.

I knocked several times, called her name, and pleaded that she opened up, but Stella wouldn't so much as answer.

Stella

I didn't know what to think or feel. Alex begged for me to let him in, but I ignored it. If Noah were 'just a guy friend' I would've punched him in the arm and laughed it off and forgot about it, but I didn't want to laugh it off. I didn't want to forget. I wanted it to happen again, but yet I didn't. I didn't want to look at Noah again, because I knew I'd think of the kiss. It was driving me crazy. I felt like destroying everything and building it back up, just to knock it down again. I felt like watching the blood drain from my body and for all of my tears to drown me. Why does this hurt? Maybe because I know that all of the good things in my life come right before the bad. I know that if I could get close to Noah in that way that we'd get hurt. I know that if I play it off like nothing I'll only want to be with him more. It hurts. Mom, Dad, make it stop. I pleaded into my pillow.

After everyone left I let Alex in, but I told him I didn't want to talk about it. He understood. He held me in my bed and stroked my hair until I fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning to what I thought was Alex playing his song 'Careless Christmas'. I closed my eyes to enjoy the soft music and buried my head in his chest. That's when it hit me. How is Alex downstairs playing that song if he's up here with me? I sat up quickly to look and see who I was laying on. It was Alex. Then who...? I carefully climbed out of bed successfully not waking him up and crept down stairs.

At the piano sat the last person I need to see right now. Noah. He was humming along as he played. I decided to pretend I hadn't noticed and go back upstairs. I screamed as the carpet came closer and closer to my face. The music stopped and feet padded over to my side quickly. Noah helped me up. "You okay?" he said. We shared a knowing look as I nodded. "What are you still doing here?" I ask. "Alex said Hayley and I could stay and maybe help talk to you, but you went straight to bed." he said. "Where's Hayley?" I asked, avoiding eye contact. "Alex's room. I slept down here." he said trying to make it known they weren't up there together. I nodded again and ran up without another word. Hayley was wrapped up in one of Alex's hoodies. Figures.

"Hayley, Hayley wake up!" I say, shaking her. "Hmmmm Alex." she mumbles giggling. I snap my fingers in her ear. She opens her eyes. "OMG OMG OMG WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?!" she yells. "Shhhh Alex might here that!" I scold her. "And take his hoodie off, he has a girlfriend." I add. "Fuck!" Hayley mutters. She looks up as if she's just noticed me. "But girl, what was that?!" she says frantically. We discuss our theory of the whole 'just a friend ' verses 'Holy Crap do I like him?!?'

Over all it's the craziest Christmas I've ever had. We exchange gifts and sing along to Adam playing screamo Christmas Carols on his phone. I was expecting Hayley and Noah to want to spend Christmas with their families, but Hayley's dad was working and Noah just didn't want to be at home. What could be so bad about home...? Despite being the weirdest Christmas, I have to admit it might classify as the best. I can worry about Noah and me later for now I'll just enjoy what I have and what I am sure of.