Love at First Fight

Chapter 19

Before I knew it, it was the day before Christmas break. 

"Gooooooood morninggggggg!" Cole sang as he walked up to me and Miles at our lockers. 

"Someone's chipper this morning." I pointed out, closing my locker and leaning up against it.

"That's because it's almost Christmas time! And we're seven hours away from no school for two weeks!" he said excitedly. 

I just smiled widely as Lucas walked up, "Hey princess. What's up?" he asked.

I shrugged, "Just waiting for Cole to start singing Christmas carols. I think we're only a few minutes away." I said, making him laugh. 

Just then, Jackson walked by with Rebecca, Dylan, Bree, and Peyton. He looked between Lucas and me and gave me a smirk, "Hey princess, Hunter. You ready for next week?" he asked. 

Lucas tensed up, but didn't say anything, "Worry about your own guys, Jackson." I said. 

He just smirked and kept walking away. I looked up at Lucas and saw him staring after Jackson, "Calm down. He's just trying to get to you." I said. 

"I know." Lucas said, turning back to face me.

"Yeah well it's working from what I'm seeing." I said, pushing off the lockers and heading down the hall to head to class. 

Lucas caught up to me, "So, when does the family get in?" he asked, changing the subject. 

"Oh! Yes! When do I get to meet all of the other Montgomery's?" Cole asked excitedly. 

"Cole Montgomery is my dad's last name. This is my mom's side they don't have the same last name as me. But they get in tomorrow afternoon." I said.

"And when do we get to meet them?" Lucas asked with Cole nodding along vigorously.

I smiled, "We're all having dinner together tomorrow night, we rented out a private room at a restaurant, but I'm taking a few of my cousins that are about our age around town on Sunday, and they really want to meet you guys if you're free? And then we're all having a New Years party in the ballroom of the hotel most of them are staying at and you're all invited." I said. 

They smiled and nodded. The rest of the day was surprisingly quiet. No one tried to start a fight at lunch, and no one yelled things out to me in the hallway, so I was able to go home and start my vacation on a good note. 

That whole night was spent just helping my mom get ready for when everyone was coming in the next day. My grandparents and my Aunt Siobhan and Uncle Eamon would be staying with us, and my two cousins, Brendan and Fiona as well. Everyone else was staying at a hotel about twenty minutes away. 

I went to sleep excited to see everyone, it had been about seven months since I'd left Ireland and I didn't get to talk to them as much as I'd wanted because of the time difference and all of our busy schedules.

The next day we met everyone outside the airport and had a quick hugging session and mini reunion before everyone got in the vans they'd rented to go to the hotel, and I took Brendan and Fiona in my car while my parents took my grandparents and aunt and uncle in the bigger SUV.

"Ariel you look so good!" Fiona gushed from the backseat as I drove. 

I just smiled widely, "Thank you Fi." I said. 

Brendan spoke up, "You do look really happy." he pointed out. 

I smiled, "I am." I said simply. 

I pulled into the driveway a bit later and helped them unpack. Fiona would be sharing my room with me, and Brendan was in the small guest room right next to mine. We got ready for dinner and headed to the restaurant a little while later.