Separate And Ever Deadly

Chapter 8 - Is this it

December 24th 2005

"Fries, give me the red tinsel please!" Matt demanded while on the ladder.

I stuck my tongue out at him and gave him what he wanted.

It was Christmas Eve and we were decorating 'The biggest Christmas tree High Green has ever had!' (as Jamie had called it) in our house. It became my house too, my home, as I was spending half a year there.

Penny came and served us eggnog, which was more delicious than I had expected.

"It's a family thing. Drinking eggnog" Alex's father explained.

We soon finished, as sixteen hands (me, Penny, David - Alex's parents, Amy, Rick, Andy, Matt and Jamie) are better than two.

Christmas day

Everyone was dressed smartly. We all went to the kitchen and, surprisingly, when we turned back to the living room, there were tens of carefully wrapped boxes.

I started to jump up and down like a little child when I saw my name written on several of them.

I was never a patient person, so I started to shatter brutally the coloured wrapping papers.

My parents had sent me a new mp3 player along with a long letter in which they were telling me how much they missed and so on.

The Turners gave me an adorable red dress in which I immediately changed, making everyone to look at me.

"You are wonderful!" Amy admired me.

I could see Alex struggling with himself not to come next to me and give me a huge hug, but he preferred not to attract everybody's attention and stayed in a corner, staring mesmerized at me.

The monkeys offered me a sweater handmade by Jamie's grandmother with the Arctic Monkeys inscription. It was hilarious but I had to promise them to wear it the next day.

Alex wanted to give me a present himself, The Strokes' "Is this it" on vinyl, signed by all the band members, which was a treasure. I couldn't stop making weird noises while I was looking helpless at the thing lying in my hands. It was my favourite album ever! He also gave me a small red velvet box which I immediately opened. Inside, there was a necklace with a guitar pick.

"It was my first guitar pick." He explained. "I've always considered it my lucky one."

"Alex, I..."

I was speechless. He put the necklace around my neck and said silently "You don't need to say anything, Fries."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and placed an innocent kiss on his cheek.

And that was the day we became officially a couple in the eyes of everyone. Penny was the most excited one when she heard the news. She started to clap enthusiastically then hugged us.

"I knew it!" Was Alex's father's reaction.

"Of course, Mr Turner!" said Rick, Amy's boyfriend, sarcastically. "That's what he said about me and Amy too" He said silently, making everyone burst into a crazy laughter.

Everybody enjoyed my presents. Alex, in particular, was so amazed by the black turtleneck and blue anorak I gave him he ran in the bedroom and got changed in a second.

That night was wonderful, we danced and had fun until morning. A couple of family friends joined us and everything was perfect. I felt like I had a new family, but still missing my actual one.

So that was it. My life had a meaning again.