Rich Girl | Ashton Irwin

Christmas

Around town, tinsel was everywhere, christmas trees are in every house and there was a constant smell of ginger. It was one of my favourite times of the years, but also one of the saddest. Christmas never felt the same without my dad, my mum was out, shopping, then she'd be staying in town over night. So we had the house to ourselves.

I had bought everyone presents,including Ashton. We were really close at this point, we always went out after school, getting ice cream or just even going to a park and feeding the ducks. We went out for a lot of meals. Yesterday, christmas eve eve, he took me to this cute diner across the lake. We went on these cable carts and I was so frightened. I was cuddled up to him the whole time. I told myself I wouldn't get attached to him. But I have. He will get hurt in the end. I know he will. Maybe we need to have a chat.

I was wrapping presents with my brothers and my sisters, then there was a knock on the front door. Mars went to open it, it was Ashton. Mars let him in and he stood in the doorway.

"Hey." I said jumping up. He walked from the foor way and along the corridor to the stairs.

"What's up?" I ask. All he did was come in and he didn't say a word.

"Nothing, but my grandad's sick and I just needed to get away and my feet brought me here." His grandfather and him were like bestfriends. They did everything together. As Ashton's father wasn't there, his grandad stepped in place as a father for him, Lauren and Harry. I didn't say anything I just hugged him. Christmas was supposed to be a happy time not a time for sad and sorrow.

I release from the hug and take him upstairs. I take him to my room and we sit. We sit on the floor. I look under my bed and see an old box full of all my old pictures. I grab the box and pull it out.

"What are you doing?" He asks. I open the lid of the box and get the first scrapbook out.
It had a pink fluffy cover and my name on it. I opened it and the first picture was me and my dad on our birthday. It was my eighth birthday, we had cake around our mouths and our clothes were covered. I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was the funniest day ever.

All my family was there, all my brothers and my sisters. My Aunt and all my cousins and a couple of my friends from primary school, including Melody. We were in the front garden, I look across the road in the picture and I see a little version of Ashton.

"Is that you?" I ask, he looks and nods. He smiles.

"Yeah, I was at the house across, I was visiting a friend but he was at the party. I'm pretty sure I came across and said hello." I smile, I remember now. His caramel curls and his hazel eyes. God.

"Look at us now!" I joke, he smiles. Good to see him smiling.

It got late and we decided to watch some films. The Grinch of course was playing and we had snuggled up on the living room. The second one, right in the back of the house, so we were alone. My brother Jase had come in to make sure we were okay, Ashton was a sleep by now and I just let him sleep. I slipped out of his grip to finish up wrapping, I left the presents to the boys, not my smartest idea.

"Mercury," my brother said. I looked at him.

"Yeah."

"Do you like Ashton." Did I? Maybe, sure he was very attractive with his curls, and his jawline. His body! Maybe I did. But he sure didn't like me back.

"You do, look at the smile on your face!" he teased, I was indeed smiling. Like a goofball.

"Well, all I know is that he likes you." I shake my head.

"No, way Jase. He's..he's Ashton. He wouldn't like a brat like me!" I say, still smiling.

"No Mercury. You were a brat. Were you're not now. Ashton's changed you." He said. Maybe he had. I did feel myself changing. For the good atleast.

-

I sat in the front room, watching Gossip Girl while finishing up wrapping the presents. I finished placing the names on the printed paper and I slipped them under the tree. I saw a small box with my name on it, with a handwriting I didn't recognise.

I left it and went into the kitchen and grabbing a quick snack. I hadn't eaten since Ashton had arrived. I swept up as the tinsel as fallen and was making a bit of a mess. I made myself busy and I woke up again. I cleaned around the house, I then decided to make a cake.

I got all the ingredients out and the equipment. I then started to make the cake. I was half way through whisking the mix when I heard steps coming down the stairs. I turned down the whisk so it would be quieter.

Lunah stuck her head through the kitchen door.

"Hey girl." My sister said. I smiled and continued to whisk. She came beside me and didn't say anything.

"How are you?" She asked.

"Good, you?" My sisters and I weren't close. We were two different generations. Of course it was sad because I never got that sister relationship. Those sister talks about periods and sex and everything.

"That boy, he's awfully handsome." She says. I giggle.

"Yeah, that's Ashton." I say, still smiling.

"So that's the boy Jase has been going on about." I laugh. Jase had been going on a bit About Ashton.

"Well, he did buy you a present." She realises what she had said and smacked her hand over her mouth.

"This is all a dream." She says to me, doing a funny dance. I laugh again and kind of let it slip out my mind.

It was only fair. I bought him one.

Christmas is the time for giving and that's exactly what I did.