Antagonym

Chapter 16

I loved the holidays. I really did, but if there was some thing I absolutely despised, it was the people. I mean, this might come as a shock to some; but I, the human who spends most of her time watching and sometimes participating knocking people on their asses, am not a huge fan of my fellow humans. That is precisely the reason I hated the holidays at times. Especially when I was the one that had to make grocery runs on Christmas Eve. Isn't that what husbands are supposed to be for?

I'm sorry, I couldn't say that with a straight face. My brother wouldn't go to the grocery store on Christmas Eve over his dead body. He may be domestic as fuck but even he has his limits.

"I don't understand how Sylvia can run out of asparagus when Finn went to the grocery store two days ago," Sebastian groaned while plopping the large bundle of the green vegetable into the top of the cart, most likely having to punch an old woman to get his hands it. There's perks to having a larger best friend.

Not that beating up old women was one of them.

But you get the point.

Sebastian was from Kentucky and despite the fact that we didn't have classes, we still had practices and games. It sucked that he couldn't go home for Christmas, but he always spent it with my family. He really only visited his family in the summer. Seb had two sisters, one that had just graduated college at Stanford last year and one going to Rensselaer next year. Talk about a smart family. I suppose that's why Sebastian is going to college to become a surgeon, but that goal might not happen if he gets drafted. A physicians assistant is one thing, a surgeon is a whole other. Medical school just took a lot of time and Sebastian wasn't sure if he had that time yet.

Axel left for Boston yesterday, planing to take full advantage of our three days off. He left after our morning practice yesterday and planned on returning by our afternoon practice the day after Christmas. Axel had tried to get Beck to come with him, but we both knew he wouldn't. I don't blame him, I wouldn't want to leave my brother either.

It was horrible. I couldn't imagine what Aras must be going through. Beck had told me it could be any day now, and that was terrifying. Both of them were incredibly strong for being able to function on a day to day basis with the weight of that on their shoulders. It made me incredibly thankful for my makeshift family, who by the grace of some being had all managed to stay healthy.

"We live on vegetables and chicken. I'm sure you can understand their predicament," I scoffed, only slightly sarcastic. For the top of her class, Sylvia was not the best planner, especially when it came to amounts of food. "I just want to get out of here without throwing any elbows."

"Well Sylvia gave us a whole list so I wouldn't hold my breath," Sebastian muttered. "Remember when being under 21 was enough to force Finn to go out? Now we have to make the liquor store run too. I mean who the fuck buys two bottles on three hundred dollar wine?"

"Apparently Marcassin Estate Chardonnay is a tradition from their first dinner with their parents, so if they want to blow six hundred for everyone to have a glass once a year, than so be it. They can afford it." I shrugged in an attempt to hold back a fake pompous accent.

"I feel poor drinking it," Seb said bluntly while pushing the cart through the produce section, stopping at certain sections for me to pick up things on the list. "But I feel fancy as fuck buying it in front of all the other plebs then getting in your Aston Martin."

"You've never bought it before. We were twenty last year."

"Let me imagine it."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at Sebastian, snatching the list with Sylvia's perfect and compacted handwriting on it. I was jealous of her print; mine looked like I was having a seizure while writing. "This bitch wants thirteen lobsters." I swear to god Christmas is a ten thousand dollar event for thirteen people, five of which were children. "You're right. We are plebeians."