Remember Me

27

After leaving that morning (Reece made an amazing breakfast), I send Reece a text saying Merry Christmas Eve, along with my other friends.

Mel and I chill at home the whole day, watching some Christmas movies and layered in blankets by the fire. It's uneventful, but nice.

Elf is playing on the TV in front of us when I realize that it begins to snow. I grin and comment on it. Mel doesn't say anything.

"Mel?"

She snaps her head toward me and goes, "Huh? Oh, yeah. It's pretty."

I bite my lip. I think for a while before asking, "Are you sure everything's okay?"

She sighs and pauses the TV with the remote, turning to me seriously on the couch. I raise my eyebrows. Uh oh.

"Listen, there's someone who wants custody of you until you turn eighteen."

I furrow my eyebrows and confusion clouds my head. "What? Who?"

"Your aunt May."

My heart plummets out of my body and I gasp.

Fuck. No.

Aunt May moved to Russia when she was younger, while my mother stayed in America. Aunt May is insane, and when I was eight she came to our house one time and spanked me because I dropped a green bean.

"Absolutely." The fuck. "Not."

She stays silent for a while, then sighs a huge breath of relief. "Oh, thank god. I thought you were gonna leave me."

My heart swells and I feel like crying. "No way. Aunt May is crazy, and couldn't care about me in a million years. If she comes to get me, I'm swinging, and that's that."

We're enveloped in sweet silence and I eventually close my eyes. This Christmas Eve will come to a nice close on the couch, feeling warm inside. That's good.

—

Christmas might as well be my favorite day of the whole entire year.

I woke up on the couch to the white light shining through the curtains of the living room, the TV volume low but playing a Christmas movie, and the smell of cinnamon buns filling the air. I happily roll off of the couch and my fluffy socks hit the floor as I go into the kitchen.

Mel is happily icing the buns and smiles as I sit down. "Merry Christmas, girl!"

I laugh and say back, "Merry Christmas, Mel," with a huge smile on my face.

"Okay, bucket list for the day. Open gifts, go downtown and find the best cup of hot cocoa, go to the rich neighborhoods and see the decorations."

I smugly smile. I wonder if that has to do with Jordan and Stacey's dad. "Sounds like a plan," I say.

She claps her hands together and licks the tips of her manicured fingers, then pushing the pan of cinnamon buns towards me. I eagerly take one and quickly shove my face with it.

After breakfast, I open gifts (which mainly consist of gift cards and clothes that I wanted) and give Mel her gift that I bought her. It's a Pisces mug, since she loves astrology like me. She loved it.

The rest of the day flies by and while we're out on our long journey throughout the day, we make a short stop at Jordan and Stacey's.

It's past seven, so it's fairly dark, and their house is lit up beautifully. That's right, bitches. I helped with that.

We pull into their extremely large driveway and Mel quickly gets out. "I'll just be one second."

Before I could even get out, she's at their door. Interesting.

If I knew we were coming, I would've brought their present, duh.

She finally comes back and starts the car. I pause and look right at her for a long time.

"Huh?"

I giggle. "Your lipstick is smudged."

—

It's late. Frick.

I stare at the present laying on my bed and try to move to pick it up. I wiggle my toes a little. I'm stalling.

"Fuck it."

I grab the poorly wrapped box and trudge down the stairs, yelling I'll be right back, grabbing a coat and walking out the front door.

Shivering as soon as I walk out, I shut the door behind me and yelp as I almost slip on the ice on the porch. Jesus, who let ice on this property?

I walk over to his porch and take a deep breath before bringing my hand back. I push my fist forward to knock, and the door swings open.

I shriek as Reece appears in the doorway, a present in his own hands. He sees me and his eyes widen.

"Hi," I say to him.

He chuckles and looks at the present in my hand, then the one in his. We both went outside at the same time to give each other gifts.

Once we're about a foot away, I shove the box into his chest and smile up at him.

"Sorry the wrapping sucks."

He softly smiles down at me and takes my present in his hands and shoves his into my hands. "Me too."

I chuckle and just stand there like a lovestruck idiot staring at him. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Ivy."

"Who is it?!" Alfred screams from inside of the house.

I brace myself to hear Reece say something like "nobody" or "just the neighbor," but impact never comes.

"It's Ivy," he says into the house.

I like him so much.

I hear Alfred rushing up to the door, and I put on a smile. My favorite angry British ever. Ello gov'na!

"Hi," I say instead.

He looks between me and him, and for the first time ever, he smiles. "Merry Christmas, Ms. Ivy."

I grin. "Merry Christmas, Alfred." Looking down at my present, I say, "I'll see you later, Reece."

"See you, Ivy."

I turn around and walk down the steps, hearing the door shut behind me. I eagerly walk to my house and into the kitchen. I rip open the Christmas wrapping paper and see a small box. I open it.

Inside is a picture frame. On the inside is a selfie of Reece looking gorgeous and me passed out on his back.

My face heats up and I stare at it. I look like a corpse. Cute.

Reece's smile looks good, though. As usual.

I happily go up to my bedroom and place it right next to my bed. I lay in bed and Mel comes in to say a quick goodnight.

I cover my face with the covers and breathe easily.

Then, a thought crosses my mind and my heart skips a beat.

I have a physics assignment due by midnight.