Vlogmas: a YouTube Christmas Special [YouTube]

Day 24

On the twenty-fourth day of Christmas, YouTube gave to me:

Merry Christmas, Everybody (Dan Howell, Phil Lester, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Chris Kendall, Jimmy Hill, Louise Pentland, PJ Liguori, Jack Howard, Tanya Burr, Jim Chapman, Zoe Sugg, Alfie Deyes, Joe Sugg, Caspar Lee, Marcus Butler, Niomi Smart, Benjamin Cook, Charlie McDonnell, Emily Diana Ruth, Dean Dobbs, Bethan Leadley, Evan Edinger, Dodie Clark, Myles Wheeler, Hazel Hayes, wirrow, Christian Novelli, Felix Kjellberg, Marzia Bisognin [danisnotonfire, AmazingPhil, ItsWayPastMyBedtime, crabstickz, jimmy0010, Sprinkleofglitter, kickthepj, JackHoward/OMFGitsJackandDean,TanyaBurr, JimChapman, Zoella, PointlessBlog, ThatcherJoe, dicasp, MarcusButler, NiomiSmart, ninebrassmonkeys, charlieissocoollike, emilieofnewgloom, DeanDobbs/OMFGitsJackandDean, MusicalBethan, EvanEdinger, doddleoddle, itsamemyleo, ChewingSand, wirrowland, touchtheskyfilms, PewDiePie, CutiePieMarzia] *takes a deep breath*)

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You've never been more ready. You've got your worst Christmas jumper on, festive candles are burning in all the right places, tasty nibbles are arranged on plates in the dining room and kitchen, a hot cocoa station is ready and waiting for its first visitor, the decorations are primed, Christmas music is playing in the background, the gifts are under the tree, you even started a fire in the fireplace. Now all that's left is to perch on the edge of the sofa and wait for guests to start arriving. You can hear Heidi upstairs in her bedroom, banging about as she rushes to get her last-minute presents wrapped in time for the party. As for Ezra, he won't be showing until tomorrow, as he's with his family celebrating Hanukkah. The three of you are going to have a tiny Housemates-mas before you and Heidi ship off to your respective families. You're excited for it, but right now you're preoccupied with the massive undertaking you saddled yourself with in throwing this unexpectedly huge Christmas Eve ugly jumper party. Way more people had RSVP'd than you'd expected - kind of like Dan and Phil, you hadn't realised how many friends you actually had until you sat down to count up the numbers so you could buy food.

You run your finger around the rim of your glass of mulled wine absently, jiggling your leg as you stare at the carpet and wait for the buzzer to trill. When it finally does, you jump so high in the air that you nearly spill your drink on the carpet. "Guests!" you mumble under your breath like a crazy person, straightening your hair and going in circles as you try to find your way to the door - evidently the buzzer has the magical ability to wipe your memory of the layout of your house.

After a rather lot of bumbling, you manage to make it to the door and open it to see Dan and Phil's cheerful faces. "Merry Christmas!" they cheer in unison. Phil holds out a stack of packages wrapped in Dan and Phil wrapping paper. "We come bearing gifts," he states, bouncing the boxes on the tips of his fingers. You quickly take them from him before they tumble to the ground.

"Come on in, you're the first ones." You lead them inside, shutting the door behind with your foot. "D'you want some mulled wine or cocoa?"

Dan and Phil are about to answer when the buzzer goes off again. "Oh," you mutter. "You know where my room is, just toss your coats and things on my bed. These can go under the tree." You more or less shove the presents back into Phil's arms and hurry back down the hall. "Make yourselves at home!" you call over your shoulder.

Guests arrive quickly after that, one after another keeping you scuttling back and forth from the lounge to the front door. At last, the final two - Felix and Marzia - are shepherded into your home. You close the door, taking a deep breath, and trail after the two into the main room. You smile to see and hear the happy clamour of all your friends gathered together under your roof, chattering and laughing in the gentle glow from the fire and the tree.

You make your way around the room, ensuring that all your guests feel comfortable and welcome. Dan, PJ, and Evan have discovered the tiny card table in the corner where Heidi had begun her traditional Christmas puzzle - she always starts a new one the first of December but unfailingly loses the patience to finish it before New Year's. Fortunately for her, the lads have sportingly taken up the challenge. A whole slew of others - Louise, Jack, Ben, Phil, Hazel, and Dean - are grouped together bantering while Louise vlogs. You don't interrupt, but Jack catches your eye and tips his head ever so slightly in acknowledgement. Zoe, Niomi, and Emily sit on the couch discussing the finer points of their favourite blogs. Carrie Fletcher is on the edge of one of the armrests, listening in and sipping her tea, chiming in every now and again. Jimmy, Dodie, Bethan, and Chris are listening to Felix tell a story, and every so often a roar of laughter fills their corner of the room. Marzia is telling the same anecdote from her point of view to Alfie, Tanya, and Jim. Caspar, Joe, and Marcus ransack the goodie platters while wirrow, Dean, and Charlie josh around near the hot cocoa station. Heidi, like you, sort of floats from group to group socialising and spreading her signature brand of sparkle.