Last Christmas (Book 1 in the Christmas Series)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Look, Ken, just go to the fair, have some fun, let your hair down for once. Don't think about home, don't think about your parents. Ya know what, just don't think. The Christmas fair is supposed to be fun, the type of fun you don't get back home. Don't let my moron of a brother stop you from having fun," Ivy said, brushing her hair over her shoulder as she always did.

"I just don't want to ruin it for them. Niska and Joel are so excited about showing me the fair that if I have any reaction other than excitement they'll be disappointed. I don't want to go and lie to them the entire time we're there," I replied, slouching back in my desk and chair.

"Like I said, don't think. The fair is a once in a life time experience, take it from someone who knows. You won't be able to decide if you don't try everything whilst you have the chance. You've done Halloween, you've done bonfire night, so give the Christmas fair a chance or you'll wish you had when you had the opportunity. Go out with your friends and have some fun, you might as well."

"I suppose so. I've got nothing else to lose in the long run."

"Exactly. I've gotta run but let me know how it goes! I want all the details later on. Love ya, bye!"

With that, Ivy hung up. Sighing, I closed the lid of my laptop and spun around in my desk chair, using my feet to move the chair around. I had video called Ivy in the hope that she would be able to help me figure out what to do about the Christmas fair. Niska and Joel had invited me to the fair when it had opened up at the very start of December, but I hadn't been too excited to go. I had had enough Christmas to last a lifetime and even the idea of going to the fair was enough for me to come up with fifty-thousand excuses to get out of it. Having been through the same thing, I hoped Ivy would be able to help, and in a way, she had.

I had been so apprehensive about going and ruining it for them that I wanted any possible excuse to get out of it, I even tried getting extra chores. Talking to Ivy made me realise that I might never get another chance at experiencing a normal Christmas. I made the decision to leave in an attempt to figure out where I really belonged, but how could I do that if I didn't get the full experience? If I missed something because I was too hung up over something to try it then it was my fault. As much as I didn't want to go, I figure it was better to face it and try it then miss out on the experience altogether.

Ivy turned out to be a good source of comfort and help when I needed it, though I was trying not to overdo it. It was only when the situation demanded her help that I asked her for it. She had her own life to lead and I wasn't going to be a burden just because I couldn't figure out what to do on my own. Sometimes, I wished I had a sibling who was going through the same thing, who I could talk to without feeling like an inconvenience. All I had was Nick and he didn't understand what was going on. Plus, he was too young anyway, and annoying.

"Kenzie, are you ready? We're meeting Niska and Joel there and we'll be late if you don't hurry up!" Granny shouted up the stairs.

"Coming!" I yelled, grabbing my jacket and bag from my bed. I slipped my jacket on as I walked down the stairs, reaching the bottom step just as I swung my bag over my shoulder.

"Right, let's go! I want to get my teeth around the gingerbread and the mulled wine. Christmas is here, people!" Grandpa said, his loud, echoing laughter filling the hallway.

"Not for another twenty days, remember. Don't go too overboard, Nicky, we don't want to embarrass Kenzie," Granny said.

"I've already been embarrassed enough by you two, thank you very much."

"Fair enough," Grandpa said with a chuckle.

Still relatively apprehensive, Granny, Grandpa and I jumped in the car and headed for the Christmas fair. Despite it still being early into the month, on the drive I caught sight of several houses that already had their decorations up. Lights in the windows, light up statues in the gardens or on the roofs, Christmas trees just visible in the windows. At home, you could travel for hours and never see another house, another way or decorating. Everyone did it differently. Some were minimalistic with just a tree in the window, others were extravagant, over the top and rather intimidating.