I just wanted to say thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed the story, it means to much to me :D sorry this chapter took so long to put up, I've just been real busy :P I'm going to try to get another up before the end of the week, but no promises.
Alright, R+R!
Saturday, November 26th
29 more days until Christmas
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree. On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
I scowled and shut the radio off. Ugh, only two days after Thanksgiving and already the Christmas music is getting to me. The Twelve Days of Christmas has got to be one of the worst songs yet. Have you ever noticed how carolers seem less and less sure of the days as they go on? It's because no one cares enough to make it to twelve. Hell, I don't even know what the twelfth day is.
"Hey, I was listening to that!" Seth complained, and reached over from the passenger seat to turn it back on. I smacked his hand away.
"My car, my rules," I told him, "Rule number one: I get control of the radio. Which includes no Christmas music." Seth scowled but nodded, aware of his defeat.
"You're gonna hafta make a turn on your next left," Jacob called from the seat behind me. Grimacing, I clenched the steering wheel tighter. Why did I get stuck driving them all?
"Jake, I've been to the bloodsucker's house before," I scolded him, "But thanks anyway. Next time I need a back seat driver, I'll be sure to give you the job."
"Burn," Paul snickered, sitting next to Jacob.
"Yeah yeah, whatever," muttered Jake, and there was no doubt that he was rolling his eyes. "Just trying to help."
A couple minutes of glorious silence later, we drove into the driveway of the Cullen's house. Eddie Cullen was there to greet us at the door. "Good evening," he mumbled and gave a curt nod, gazing at each of us. I looked around awkwardly, trying to hide any bad thoughts about him in my head. Not bad ones like how I think he's a parasite and is about as useful as a mosquito, but I try to block the thoughts I have about him creeping me out. Because in truth, he does creep me out. A lot. His golden orbs that they call eyes seem to gaze past your skin and into your soul, knowing your every thought and plan. I'd hate to be his prey.
He led us into the dining room, where already Emily and Sam were seated at the table along with the rest of the family. It's amazing how nice of a dining room they have for a family that doesn't even- you know- eat. It seems pointless to me, but to each their own, and whatnot.
Sam gave us the alpha-nod (which is basically just a guy nod with the alpha look of complete seriousness and boredom). "Sit," he said easily, but we all sat down right then. Jake took a seat next to little Renesmee, who was sitting next to her mother, Bella Cullen. That bitch.
Shit, I forgot the Edward guy could read minds. I sit down next to Jacob and Paul and gaze at Eddie, thinking over and over again Bella Swan's a bitch, Bella Cullen's a bitch. I swear I saw the guy roll his eyes.
At the head of the table, Esme Cullen smiled at us. It wasn't an Emily or Nessie smile; not like the smiles they give, that make me want to knock them out. It's a genuine smile, a simple and friendly smile. For a bloodsucker, Esme's uncommonly kind. Sometimes it's a little much; it only makes me cautious for what's to come. "I'm so glad you guys were able to come," she was telling everyone, "When Renesmee told us the Secret Santa idea, we all thought it was the nicest idea."
Across the table, the blonde bimbo vampire, Rosalie Hale, snorted. Of course everyone chose to ignore her, but it basically just proved my theory of not all the Cullens obviously liked the idea of this Christmas thing. I'm sure Blondie hates it just as much as us wolves do. It's kind of sad to think about, but if she wasn't a vampire, I actually think I would be able to sort of get along with her.
Within the next two minutes Quil and Embry showed up, then Jared, then Collin and Brady, and then the others. The big dining room table turned out to be useful for one thing: fitting all these people around the table. When everyone showed up and was seated, Carlisle (the head vamp) passed around sheets of paper and pencils.
"So you're going to put your name on the paper, then I'll pass around a hat and you can add your name into it. Then once it's full each of us will go around and pick a name from the hat," he explained to us, as if it was rocket science. Then the petite vampire with the pixie-styled haircut raised her hand high in the air and waved it around for emphasis, like a third grader trying to ask his teacher if he can go to the bathroom. "Yes Alice?" the dinosaur vampire nodded in her direction, and she dropped her arm to her side.
"Maybe we should each also add a bullet note or two about what we like next to our name," she proposed, with her self-assured tone that made me want to strangle her, "That way if the person doesn't really know the other person they have to get gifts for, it could spark up some ideas."
It was a stupid idea, but of course Carlisle agreed to it. So when I got my piece of paper and pencil, I clearly wrote out on it "Leah Clearwater". I hesitated, not knowing what to write for what I like. What do I like? What I /don't/ like is easy, but actually listing my likes is pretty hard. "Vampires dead," was the first thing I came up with, but because I felt like I needed to add another I also put down "not being a vampire." If I get lucky, one of the vamps will grab my name and read it. Ha.
Carlisle left and came back with a beat up Yankee's hat and passed it around the table, so each of us could place our name into it. It's funny, I would've thought when they said hat they would've come out with an old man hat or something. Anyway, I neatly folded my name up into a little square and dropped it in the baseball cap. When it reached Carlisle again, he picked a name out of the hat, and then passed it around the table again.
When the cap reached me, there were about five papers left. I chose a random one and opened it up, trying to be careful that neither of the guys next to me could read it. There in sloppy but eligible cursive was the name "Rosalie Hale". Great, I got Malibu Barbie.
Next to her name in the same curvy handwriting was what she likes. She seemed to have done blunt ideas likes mine, because apparently she likes "blood", "Emmett" and "beauty". I couldn't have gotten the most opposite person than me, unless I would've gotten… well, any of the vampire girls are opposite than me (plus Emily, for that matter).
Though, maybe there's a plus side to her. I'm sure I can think of something stupid and funny enough to give. Remembering the dog bowls she use to give Jacob, I add a little side note in my head to make the gifts more creative than stuff like that.
I stuff the piece of paper in my pocket and looks over at Paul, who's grimacing. "Get anyone good?" I raised my eyebrows at him. He quickly shoves the name in his pocket, as if looking at it burned his eyes.
"Nope, not really," he said a little quickly, "Just someone boring. You?" he looked back at me. I shrugged.
"Someone alright. It'll be fun to mess with it," I smirked, and he smirked back.
"Have I ever told you I like the way you think, Clearwater?"
"Paul, you don't even know what I'm thinking," I rolled my eyes at him. He shrugged.
"All I know is it's coming from you, so it must be devious. Therefore I'm bound to like it," he grinned wide, which made me laugh for some reason.
"Whatever you say," I pat his shoulder and turned over at Jake. "You, what'd you get?"
"Isn't the whole point of Secret Santa that whoever you chose you remain, I don't know, a secret?" he smirked at me.
"I don't know," I smirked back, "If it all was suppose to be a secret, I don't think inviting a mind reader to join us was a smart idea."
"I heard that," Edward spoke from across the table, which made Jake and I randomly start laughing.
Got to love the holiday season, huh?