The Coalition of Sierra J. Rubenstein

Liberation Part III: Christmas for Brat

    For Christmas this year, we decided to celebrate the day before and drive down just in time for Christmas morning breakfast. We still decorated our apartment for the holidays. We received a fake tree from Sierra's parents to decorate. My parents gave me some of my favorite ornaments to decorate and Sierra's mom donated the prized ornaments from their family to us. I noticed Christmas was going to be a problem with us when there was discrepancies with decorating the tree. All of my ornaments were designated to the back and sides. She moved all the ones I put front and center to the back when I left for class one day. Sierra said no one wanted to see any Harry Potter, Star Wars, Baseball, Football, and homemade ornaments that I made when I was a child. Her ornaments needed to be on display because they meant more since Angie wanted them. No offense, but her family ornaments that supposedly have been in their possession for years were cheaply made and came in bulk from Costco. So fucking precious, right? She did not listen to my opinion on decorations in our apartment and I just silently resented her.
    For gifts this year, I decided to go for completely personalized gifts for Sierra. She only wanted us to exchange two gifts each, but I know she would not follow her own rule. So I bought her four gifts. The first one was a couples gift. I put a picture of us at the Nationals party on a heart shaped key chain that broke down the middle. When you put the two halves together, the picture was completed and a loving sentence was spelled out on the other side. I would take the side with Sierra on it, and she would take mine. The next gift was a glass desk ornament. It was engraved with her name and some loving comments about her. That way she has something show her coworkers when she goes to work. I bought her a fuzzy pink robe for her. The real purpose was to get her from using my rob at night. The last thing I got her was a large amounts of Ferrier Rouché chocolates. I think I spelled it right, but it is the expensive candy with a wafer shell under the chocolate. That was her favorite kind of candy. On Sierra's side, she had no idea what to get me. I gave her ideas, but she would just forget. I told her I wanted this video game that came out almost a year ago. I told her I wanted to wait and get it so I did not have to pay the full price of $60. Instead of keeping it a secret like I told her, Sierra decided to announce that she got me the game and how much she paid for it. $80 was the price tag. Sierra thought she was being a good girlfriend by spending so much more money on me. She had the nerve to tell me it was the thought that counts, but why spend this extra money if I found it for $40 at another store? We actually got into a fight over this. I wanted her to return the game and pay the cheaper price, Sierra wanted to be proud and spend extra money she did not have to spend. I explained to her this happening as a result of telling me what you were getting me. Always surprise me even if I start guessing. Never give it away. That's why I never tell Sierra what I was getting her. We would freak out over the price tag. Sierra finally caved in and returned the game in exchange for the cheaper price tag. I do not remember the second gift she got me, but she did give me Reece products. Sierra knew I love my chocolate and peanut butter. Anyways, getting gifts for me and Sierra had been difficult for each other. We never knew exactly what we wanted, so we had nothing to ever say to people asking us what we wanted. This year, I told Sierra's parents I wanted gift cards for attire stores or food places. Sierra never gave my parents an answer. I asked Sierra if I could have used Buttercup as a present to her. You know she called me a cheap ass if I did that. Since she payed the fee to buy Buttercup, she saw that the dog was all hers. I questioned how Sierra could have gotten the dog without me adopting her. If she could have done it without me as a minor, then why call me down to adopt? You can see how her state of mind is going into the holidays.
    We exchanged our gifts before we went to Sierra's parents home. Everything was good at that point until we left to go into Baltimore. Remember I did not say anything about visiting Sierra's parents and staying Christmas Eve there. That is because Sierra once again sprung another surprise plan with her parents. This had been the only way to get me to go out with her family. Understandable that I did not like her family because they had been horrible to me. I knew, just from common sense, that shit was going to hit the fan. We were going to her parents with our new dog that sheds like crazy. Our dog is very clingy and has not been around other dogs that much. I did not know how Buttercup would react to Sierra's dog Noodles. He is less than half the size of Buttercup, but he was not neutered. This is the run down of what happened: Immediately as we got there, Noodles started going after Buttercup. He was going after her crotch with his vicious tongue and tried to hump her. Buttercup was becoming traumatized as she stayed by the front door shaking, whining, and scratching to get out. Sierra's dad was taking a spray bottle and squirting water at Noodles to keep him away from our dog. That water just stalled the horny dog. Buttercup would then just try and jump onto my lap just to get away from Noodles. I was the only one trying to separate the two dogs, so I think that is why Buttercup was running to me instead of Sierra. Sierra was just happy as can be ignoring the dogs and talking with her parents. Bonnie (her mom) was in a pissy mood and that lead to another fight with her parents. Her dad was getting mad at me because dogs were not allowed on the furniture even with her on my lap. I was worried about Buttercup and I was not having a good time there. Sierra was off in her own perfect world as she buried her face into social media. Not even Sierra wanted to be there, but we stayed. Sierra and I eventually took Buttercup outside for a walk. I chose this opportunity to chew Sierra out: "I think we should go to my parents house for the night. Your parents are fighting and Buttercup is being terrorized by your dog. She can't handle it here. She needs to go to my parents where she will be happier".
"What the fuck is your problem? I want to stay with my family for the holidays. Every time we come across the bridge, we always stay with your family and not mine!" Sierra fired back.
"What do you mean? We have seen my parents once in the past three and a half months (Thanksgiving). Meanwhile, we see your parents every week we come down to bowl".
"I don't care. I'm finally putting my foot down on this. Buttercup just needs to get over it".
"You have not been paying attention to our dog. She does not like it here. Your too busy on you fucking phone again to do something. We have been raising Buttercup much differently than how your parents do things. That has been a conflict going on if you have been paying attention".
"We have been spraying him with water. She just needs to fight back".
"She does not understand that! The water is not stopping your old ass dog. I want to take Buttercup to my parents since she knows their dogs and does well with breeds bigger than her".
"Your just going to fucking leave"?
"You can come with me, but I drove her in my car. If not, I will come pick you up tomorrow afternoon when it is time to go back home".
"Your an asshole. You are just going to leave me here"?
"If you just step up and help, I won't fucking leave Sierra".
That was pretty much how the argument went right before Sierra's dad showed up to see if we were ok. Sierra later decided to take more interest in Buttercup, but continued to be withdraw from everything. It was a pain in the neck to keep Buttercup off our air mattress that night. Christmas Day, I was up and ready early to drive back to my parents house. Sierra tried one last attempt to change up the plans again. She kept trying to convince me to stay longer for breakfast. I reminded her about the argument and how we made a promise to my parents a month in advance that we would be there Christmas Day for early breakfast. She tried again to get me to stay, but I stayed quiet and walked out the door with my stuff and Buttercup. Sierra came out stuffing her face with food as we drove off. We made it to my parents for breakfast where Sierra continued to eat.
    When it was time for presents, I noticed Sierra was unhappy. She was fine that morning, until I started opening my presents. Since Sierra did not give my parents anything to go on for gifts. Most of all Sierra's gifts were marked as a couple's gift. We received house hold items and utensils. They gave us stuff we used for the apartment. Sierra did not get any fancy gifts like her nice leather jacket last year. After Christmas, we had another fight. Sierra was making gifts a problem. She was very upset that her parents spent more on me compared to how much Sierra got from my parents. I called her out for acting like a child. They had no idea what to get her, neither did I. As her boyfriend, I had something to default on by buying personalized items in any desperate need. Sierra brought up how her parents spent over $100 in gift cards on me as my parents did not spend nearly as much. Since she was making this a scoreboard thing, I quickly reminded her that over the last two Christmas' together, her parents should be owing me fucking $200. I know my parents spent a lot on Sierra and my family is not the wealthiest. We are middle class for a reason and it is in part of my mom being able to save up. When I snipped back at Sierra on the money, she shut up real quick on everything. I expected another brooding out burst from Sierra when we got home or her to storm away after I was done driving. I think this was the first time in our history that she had nothing to continue with.
Another interesting thing around this time was Sierra working a breakfast with Santa event. I remember that I had a long week and need my rest on the weekend. I had a test coming up and a paper to work on. I get a call early in the morning from Sierra asking me to come in and help. It was her and two volunteer parents working the event. They hired a professional Santa and he bailed the last minute, so they needed a new Santa. I refused to come in on my weekend, I had things to do of my own. It was not until the third time Sierra called guilting me into coming in. I always felt uncomfortable to play a Santa outside of my family. I can not handle being placed in the situation where the kids pull my beard off and find out that I was not Santa. It kinda happened because the kids noticed I was a little too thin and had a beard under the white one. I never got paid nor received sex from Sierra like she promised. She never appreciated what I did for her that day.