Bitter Sweet Christmas

19: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

It was finally Christmas Eve. We were carrying on our family tradition tonight by inviting all our family over to sleep here so we're all together Christmas morning. We were all cleaning and taking mattresses out of the garage as my mom sat around on the phone.

"What are you plans for Christmas?" she asked, smiling. The person on the other end of the line spoke and my mom sighed. "Are you serious?"

"..."

"So because of some snow storm they only predicted. What if there is no storm. That's so stupid."

"..."

"Do you have any other family here?"

"..."

"Why don't you come over here? We're celebrating with my family here. They're all sleeping over and stuff for tomorrow."

"..."

"No, you're more than welcome. You're practically family." She hit the speaker button and placed the phone down as she cooked.

"A soon to be family." the mystery person laughed and my mother joined along.

"In that case you have to come over tonight. I need to spend Christmas with my future son-in-law." they both started laughing. That's when it hit me. She was talking to Logan's mom and that son-in-law was Logan. But no one was- oh. She was talking about me and- oh my gosh.

Out of nowhere I somehow managed to choke on air and burst into a coughing fit. I ran away before my mom noticed I had been eavesdropping as I covered my mouth to hold in the approaching coughs.

I hadn't even talked to Logan since that day which was only about 2 days ago. Yet things were a bit awkward between us. Neither of us bothered speaking to each other. He needed his space and I needed mine. The feeling was mutual.

I hadn't really thought about it but he was going to need an answer soon. So instead of helping, I threw myself onto my bed with earphones plugged and music blasting. Time for another headache.

**
"I'm pretty sure that's not how you do it." I said as my cousin took a bite of her burrito and continued to move her feet rapidly.

"Screw the rules." she said with yet another mouth full of carne asada and a hint of beans. I twisted my own in my hands, trying not to unwrap the napkin. For the past 15 minutes, my cousin Abby had been riding our exercise bike while eating food.

"I mean what's the point of exercising if you're going to eat while doing it?" I questioned.

"Shut up and eat your Mexican food." she waved her burrito, pointing it at me before taking another bite.

"For the millionth time, burritos aren't Mexican food!" I reminded her once again. "They don't even have burritos in Mexico!"

"And for the millionth time! I don't care." she shouted. "If I want to believe they are Mexican food, then I will believe they are Mexican food like churros and hard shelled tacos!" I groaned out of frustration with her stupidity. Our family was bound to be here any second and I was so lonely that I desperately came to Abby. That's how desperate you know I was- I, Charlotte Greene, came up to my most annoying cousin, Abby Vasquez. As if on cue, the doorbell rang and I sprinted toward the door with Abby stumbling behind me. I quickly opened the door ready to scream out one of their names when I saw the last 3 people I wanted to see- Michael, Amy and Logan. I greeted each of them awkwardly as I welcomed them in to the house. Abby had no idea who these people were so she sat there without introducing herself or bothering to shake their hands. She only walked into the kitchen to eat yet another burrito and went back to the bike. I rolled my eyes and shut the door behind me.