Hey guys sorry for the super long wait! I really am absolutely horrified that I took so long, but I had real trouble writing not this chapter, but the one after this, and I wanted to have that finished before this was posted!
AND GUYS 103 REVIEWS IN 5 CHAPTERS AND A PROLOGUE! THAT'S SO COOL I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH!!!!!!!! REALLY YOU'RE AWESOME!!! :D
So Abbie got a mention as a sister in the last chapter, but Sonny has seven siblings, so I had to name at least one more. And that was inspired by our #Sarahissix conversation on twitter. :P
Chapter 6
"We were meant to be, supposed to be but we lost it. All of our memories so close to me just fade away. All this time you were pretending, so much for my happy ending."
My Happy Ending- Avril Lavinge
I spent that night awake, not waiting like my younger siblings to hear Rudolph's hooves on the roof, but thinking about Chad.
Who the hell reacts like that?
Oh right, yeah, Chad does.
It was typical boy behaviour, running away, I guess. And I should know, hadn't I lived my life like that for years?
I think, total, I slept about four hours that night, so when my youngest sister, Sarah, aged six, ran into my room and started jumping on my bed at seven in the morning, I wasn't in the best mood.
"Merry Christmas, Sonny!" she screeched as I rubbed my eyes trying to ignore the pounding headache and lack of focus, "Come on, we have to see what Santa brought us!"
I grimaced as I realised the remains of last night's makeup was probably now all smudged on my cheeks.
I tried to put a brave face on for my family, smiling at my younger siblings who were so excited to see what Santa had brought them, and thanking my parents for the new camera they got me.
But there in the back of my mind was the niggling voice, taunting me. Chad didn't even care. The whole thing had been for nothing. I had wasted all that time, spent all that money, and it had no effect on him whatsoever.
I sat in silence through mass, my mind still on other things. Was today going to be awkward? Would Chad just avoid me or run away from me like he did the night before? Would he acknowledge the change, or would he act like nothing happened?
I think, deep down, that was my fear. That he would pretend like nothing had changed because in the end that was why I did the makeover. I wanted things to be different, even if he didn't admit his undying love for me (as if) I still wanted to know he saw the effort I put in.
So I stood, present in hand at his door, with my family (all ten of us), silently praying for a miracle (it's Christmas, I can hope for a miracle).
"Hello, come on in," I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, when Mrs. Cooper, wearing her trademark pearls, opened the door.
I leaned in for the hug she offered as I stepped into the house. All the Christmas lights were on, and I could smell the turkey cooking in the kitchen. Just like every year, a tradition.
"Merry Christmas, Mrs. C," I greeted as she smiled at me, taking in my skirt and heels. I hadn't seen her the night before, and this was the first time she the 'new' me.
"You look beautiful Allison, Merry Christmas," she said, smiling wryly. It was kind of like she had known this was coming… Weird.
Then to my horror, as Chad walked into the hall smiling at me, present in hand, she turned and addressed him.
"Doesn't she look beautiful Chad?" she asked, innocently, smiling at him and then turning to me. He paused in the doorway to the kitchen, biting his lip, and avoiding both our eyes.
Gee thanks Mrs. C, now he won't even look at me.
He glanced at me and my breath caught, my heart quickening. He held my gaze, and even with everyone around us, and the distance between us, I got lost in his eyes. Like we were the only people there. Another cliché.
"Yeah, she looks amazing."
Oh god. I swear I'm beginning to lose the plot. I could have sworn he just said I look…
He was still staring at me, and it was my turn to avoid his eyes.
I was vaguely aware of everyone moving off towards the kitchen, past Chad, who only moved to let them through and didn't follow them (now we really were the only two people there).
"Merry Christmas," I whispered, and moved towards him. Since we were twelve we had both bought each other presents, so our families didn't have to. I held out the gift to him, barely looking at him. This was so awkward, a foreign concept with me and Chad. We weren't saying anything, and the quiet was highlighted by the laughter that drifted from the living room through the kitchen.
I felt the present slip from my grasp as Chad took it and he held out his to me.
"Merry Christmas, Sonny," he stressed my name, like he was telling me he had in fact noticed the change. In a way I was glad, that he had seen the difference, of course, but then I didn't really want us to not be friends anymore, to have this coming between us.
"Thanks," I murmured, taking the gift.
We stood there for a second, silent.
"Well, you going to open it Munroe?" he grinned down at me cheekily, and I smiled for the first time since the night before. I looked down at the present in my hands. It was perfectly square and really hard. A box of some sort.
I carefully peeled back the selotape, and pulled it out. It was blue, and plain. I turned it over in my hands, and I heard something rattle.
I carefully opened the lid, glancing at Chad once, to see him watching me intently, his own present still in his left hand, unopened. This was so unlike Chad. He normally ripped his own gifts open, and if people opened theirs too slowly, he offered to do it for them.
I gasped as looked down into the box. There, lying in a rich velvet cushion, was a necklace and earrings, perfect round pearls, exactly like his mom's.
"Chad," I breathed it out, staring at the jewellery. It was beautiful, and by no exaggeration, it must have cost him a fortune.
"I'm going to be paying my mom back for the next twelve years, but she said you'd like them," he whispered.
They were amazing, stunning, and I felt like crying in happiness. I looked up at him, smiling.
"Thank you so much Chad," I said, touching the necklace lightly, "will you put it on for me?"
He nodded and I carefully removed the necklace for the box, holding it lightly because it was something precious. Heck, anything would have been treasured, as long as it came from Chad.
I handed it to him, careful not to touch his hand. I didn't want to, I couldn't, if I felt those sparks I would crack. The present already made me want to kiss him, but any contact and I was afraid I would have to kiss him, square on the lips.
"Come into the light," he insisted and I moved to stand in the doorway to the kitchen, and turned my back to him. I picked up my hair, and moved it away so that he could close the clasp more easily.
And then suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, as I felt his warm breath on my skin.
This was worse than contact, dear God, I thought I was going to faint. He reached around me, and I felt the pearls on my skin. I could hear him fumble with the clasp. I was painfully aware of how close we were, his body only inches from mine, his hands almost grazing the back of my neck. It was like all my senses were heightened, just by him being there. I shivered, as he fixed the necklace and it dropped down heavily around my neck. I turned back to him, and he looked down at me smiling.
"Breathtaking," he whispered, and I wasn't sure if he was talking about the necklace, or me.
I glanced away from him, just for a moment, and I almost cursed when I saw what was above us.
"What?" Chad said, still speaking under his breath, like he was afraid of someone hearing us.
I pointed upwards, and I watched his eyes travel from my face and to the mistletoe hanging from the doorframe.
His blue eyes widened slightly, and I watched as he looked back down at me. He looked like he was wondering did I want him to kiss me.
Of course I did. I felt like screaming at him, as he paused.
And suddenly, his hands were on my waist, pulling me closer. I inhaled sharply, and trained my eyes on his. He was watching me, as if he was afraid I was going to pull away. And then to my surprise he was leaning in, and I could feel his breath on my lips, making me shiver again.
I didn't exactly dream my first kiss to be in Chad's kitchen, where anyone could walk in on us, but that didn't matter.
I didn't care, because as long as my first kiss was with Chad it was going to be perfect. I was preparing myself for it, for the kiss I had been waiting for (dreaming of), and Chad's lips were inches from mine, when I felt his arms tense up around my waist, and he pulled away slightly.
We looked at each other silence for a few seconds, and I could feel it, the tension in the air. Why had he pulled away?
"I'm sorry Sonny," he said, and his hands dropped from my waist. I could feel it, an almost emptiness the minute they were gone.
"I have a girlfriend, Sonny. I couldn't do that to Callie," he whispered, taking a step back. I just stared at him, and bit my lip before, turning and walking towards the living room, and my family, and his, begging myself not to cry until I was alone again.
OMG THEY ALMOST KISSED!!!!! What was I thinking…. Ha Abbie was mad when she read this (thanks again to her for betaing!) She wanted them to proper kiss… :(
Questions:
Did you want them to kiss?
What did you think of Chad's present to Sonny?
What do you think he got Callie?
Did you like this chapter?
Thanks again for the awesome reviews guys! This story goes no where without them!
