How I Fell in Love (#3 How I Fell in Love Trilogy)

Christmas Blues

"I want a hippopotamus for Christmas, only a hippopotamus will do," Sophie sung quietly under her breath. "No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses, I only like-" 

"HIPPOPOTAMUSES!" Dex screamed from behind her. Sophie leaped in the air and almost crashed into the Christmas tree. Dex caught her arm and pulled her back. 

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!" Sophie glared. 

Dex laughed. "And you shouldn't be peeking at the Christmas presents."

Sophie stuck out her tongue at him. Dex returned the gesture. 

It was nice to have people who weren't involved in her love fiasco around, even if it was only because it was the Foster's turn to host Christmas. 

Dex retracted his tongue. "You should join the rest of the family. We're playing Pictionary right now, and it's not looking good for my team. We could use your help." 

Sophie glanced over into the other room and watched as the triplets scored yet another point. Mr. Dizznee was groaning in exasperation, while it looked like Sophie's father was having a mental breakdown.

"What are the stakes?" 

"First in line for dinner." Dex responded. 

Oh. No wonder they're taking this so seriously. 

"Everyone knows the triplets have weird psychic powers! Why did you guys make the reward first in line for dinner?" Sophie demanded. This affected her too.  

The triplets were famous for their "buffet massacres" as Dex liked to refer to is as. Once they arrive at the food table (especially if they got to serve themselves), anyone hoping to find salvageable food is quite the optimistic fool. 

Not that they take everything (they take only 95%, Dex did the math one time after they stole from him his favorite pull-apart cinnamon roll monkey bread), they just make it so all the food remaining looks extremely picked over and gross. 

"Yahtzee!" Rex shouted. 

"That's not even what you say," Sophie's dad whimpered.  The triplets exchanged high fives and fist bumps. 

"Look who gets to eat first loser!" Bex crowed at Dex, miming taking a large bite of what Sophie assumed to be pull-apart cinnamon monkey bread. 

"Oh no you don't!" Dex growled. The triplets began to taunt him. Sophie covered a laugh and hurried out of the way. The only thing the triplets were more well known for besides the "buffet massacre" was their cruelty and unusual war tactics.  

Sophie made her way back to the Christmas tree, which was situated in front of the window that revealed a pretty view of their street. Lights twinkled cheerily from most of the houses, except for Keefe's house and the house on the corner. Sophie couldn't see Keefe's house at the moment, but she guessed it remained in the same gloomy state as it had sat in for the last 24 days of December. 

"I wish you were here." Sophie mumbled. At least pretending like he was here made her feel less lonely. Sophie glanced around to make sure Dex hadn't sneaked up on her again. 

"Maybe you could've beat the triplets at Pictionary," The mental picture of Keefe creaming the triplets at Pictionary was laughable. 

"Dinner time!" Sophie's mom called, summoning everyone into the dining room. Sophie watched with amusement as her father and Mr. Dizznee explained to their wives about the new dinner order. Her aunt's face went from cheery to aghast in the span of five seconds. Sophie's mom flicked both Mr. Dizznee and her husband on the arm before shrugging helplessly. Rules are rules.