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Chapter 9: This Christmas
After dinner Mikey sat out by the pool with Denise, dangling their feet in the water.
"So where's home?" He asked. She looked at him. "You said your parents couldn't come out with you."
"Right," she smiled. "North Carolina is home. What about you?"
"Maine," he said, "high school was in Minnesota."
"And who's the girl?" She asked. He looked at her. "Oh come on! You've been sending out 'I'm taken' signals all night."
"There actually isn't a girl," he said.
"Guy?" She tried.
"No," he said, "there was a girl. It's very over."
"Nothing's ever very over," she said.
"She ran away with my best friend," he said. She stared at him. "Oh no, I was cool with it, I mean, I guess. It's complicated."
"Try me," she said. "I know from complicated."
"Alright," he said, "you asked for it." She nodded. "When I was nine my parents died, and my older sister, Jaime's daughter, became my legal guardian, her husband, Jimmy, is Eva, the girl's, uncle." She nodded. "David, that's my best friend, his mom is her mom's best friend, and his uncle was one of my mom's best friends in high school. So we've all known each other for like a really long time. Anyway, when she was fourteen me and Eva got together, but then she fell in love with David and they were together for two years. Then he went to Paris for a year and wrote her a letter to break up with her. We had sex, me and Eva." She nodded. "We hooked up a few more times, but then she went to Paris and everything got weird and I told her that we couldn't ever be together and then she ran away with him."
"Wow," she said. "So, you're a martyr." He said. "You're seriously moping over a girl who you told to move on?"
"No, you don't know Eva," he said.
"I'll give you complicated," she said. "My high school boyfriend and I were in a band together and I wrote all our songs, but we said we co wrote them because you know true love forever," he laughed.
"He took the money and ran, huh?" He said.
"Yup," she nodded. "Josh is helping me get some control of them back, and hopefully I can record them first."
"You know this was a set up right?" He raised his eyebrows. "Julie's been bugging them to find me a girl."
"I sort of caught that," she said. "But I think you're kind of cute, so it's OK. Plus I'm totally attracted to emotionally damaged guys." He laughed. "And if the orphan thing wasn't scaring enough, you're hung up on an ex girlfriend. You're like the holy grail of baggage."
"You're kind of a bitch," he said.
"You learn to love it," she grinned.
TJ walked into the house and dropped his bag and then plopped on the couch. Eva was curled up in a chair with her sketch pad. It was nice having her home, even if things were still kind of tense.
"Should I cue the Brand New?" She said. He looked at her. "You've been decidedly emo."
"Thank you, I understood what you were saying." He nodded. "Stephanie kissed me and told me she was in love with me."
"Whoa," she stopped. "Why are you here and not in a backseat with her or something?" He looked at her. "You have been obsessed with Stephie since you were six and you two played after her parent's funeral! What's the problem?"
"I just broke up with Reese," he said. She rolled her eyes. "Oh what was that?"
"OK," she said, "you know we all think the world of Reese. She's a very nice girl."
"But," he said.
"But come on!" She groaned. "It's you and Stephanie! You're like Lucas and Peyton, it's meant to be." She stopped. "Wow, that's actually perfect! Reese can be Brooke."
"You watch too much TV," he shook his head. She looked at him. "Why are you still here?"
"Because it's Christmas," she shrugged. "And I want to make up for lost time. Did you know that Bella and Eddie were having sex?"
"No," he said, "and I didn't want to!" She sighed.
"I'm worried about her," she said. "Like since when is she all about Eddie? Isn't he supposed to be all about her? She's the one with all of the personality in the relationship."
"Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it," he shrugged, "Demon Bella will soon return and demand her time in the spot light. Regular Bella has been around for way too long." Eva laughed. "She was crying Evie. I made her cry."
"So, go back to school and tell her that you were wrong," she shrugged. He looked at her. "Unless you're really over her."
"I'm not," he said, "I just don't know if I could do it."
"When it's right," Eva said. "It's easy." He looked at her.
"And if it's not right?" He said. "Then I take the chance of losing Steph. That's the part I'm not sure about. I've seen what losing Mikey did to you."
Lizzie and Tony lay on the floor catching their breath. Lizzie giggled.
"What's funny?" He said.
"Nothing!" She kissed him. "I'm just happy." He nodded. "I don't want to go home."
"So don't," he said. "Spend Christmas here." She laughed.
"I can't," she said. "I have to sit there while my mom makes passive aggressive remarks about David." He laughed. "I love you Tony."
"I know," he said. "I love you too." His cell phone rang and he looked at it. "It's Connie."
"Oh," she whispered, sitting up.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey," Connie said, "I'm freaking out. I know you and Lizzie were hanging out, but Steph's busy and I can't talk to Reese!"
"No, it's OK," he said, "what's wrong?"
"I saw Donavan," she sighed, "he was here and he wants to have lunch and talk tomorrow."
"What's wrong?" Lizzie asked.
"She talked to Donavan," he said. Lizzie groaned and pulled her shirt on. "Cons, hold on. What are you doing?"
"We're going over there to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid," Lizzie said.
"Hold on," Tony said. "Me and Liz are coming over."
"OK," Connie said. "Thanks." Lizzie grabbed her phone and started texting.
"What are you doing?" Tony asked.
"Getting the others," she said simply.
Stephanie cleaned up in the auditorium after a little kid's production of The Nutcracker. It had been fun to watch and to guide the little snow flakes and sugar plums through the ballet. She picked up a pink rose that had obviously fallen out of one little girl's bouquet and smelled it. She looked up hearing the door open.
"Oh," David said, "um sorry, Mrs. Germaine said I could come in a play the new grand piano, I didn't," he stopped. "Hi Steph."
"Hi," she whispered, "play, whatever, I don't care." He looked at her.
"He told her to let go," he said. Stephanie looked at him. "Eva, two years ago, while we were in Paris."
"I know," she said. "He told me."
"So then, why are you so angry at me?" He asked.
"Because!" She sighed, "you're supposed to be his best friend, and you knew he loved her and," she stopped. "I'm not angry at you, it's just the situation sucks." David nodded.
"I see," he whispered. "Did you dance tonight?"
"No," she shook her head. "I'm not affiliated with a studio at the moment." He nodded and sat down at the beautiful black grand piano in the orchestra pit and very carefully began playing the theme from Swan Lake. She smiled. "That's not going to work."
"I've heard your brother brag about how good you were dancing Odette," he said. "I want to see." He started playing it again. She looked at him.
"Give me a minute," she walked back stage and went to the small box she kept back there. She pulled her toe shoes on and walked out on to the stage. "OK," she said straightening her back.
"OK," he nodded and began the theme. She danced the tragic motions of Odette, dying for her prince. After a few minutes her phone went off.
"Hold on," she said and walked over and picked it up. "I have to go. This was fun."
"Stephie," David said as she headed out. She turned and looked at him. "It's not worth trying to ignore. Trust me, I know."
"Whatever," she said.
TJ took a deep breath and knocked on Stephanie and Reese's door. Reese opened it.
"Hi," she said surprised.
"Hi," he said. "I was wondering if we could talk." She sighed and crossed her arms. "Reese, please?"
"Fine," she said, "come in."
"I need to know if you'd be OK with something," he said. She looked at him. "With me and Steph."
"With you and Steph what?" She smiled.
"Don't play dumb," he shook his head.
"Fine," she said. "I think that it would be hard."
"For you?" He said. She nodded. "Too hard?"
"I'm tougher than I let on, you know," she said.
"Yes, I know," he grinned. "But I'd hate to hurt you, more than I already have."
"I know how you two feel about each other," she whispered, "I was always scared of it. That's why I tried to get Aaron to stay, I thought it would let me keep you a little longer."
"Yeah, I've sort of put that together," he smiled. Both of their phones went off. They looked at the text from Lizzie. "Let's go." Reese nodded and grabbed her jacket.
Stephanie had gotten to Connie and Charlie's first and was sitting waiting when Reese and TJ walked. She was surprised to see them together.
"Hi," Reese said. Stephanie smiled. "I'm sorry."
"Me too," Steph said and hugged her. After they both looked at TJ.
"Steph," he said. "I really wanted to…"
"This isn't about me and you," Stephanie shook her head. "We're here for Connie." He sighed and nodded. Lizzie and Tony walked up. "What kept you?"
"Shut up," Tony said, they wall walked in and up to Connie's room.
"OK, guys, seriously?" Connie said. "I'm upset not suicidal!" They laughed. She stopped. "The three of you are in the same room?" She pointed at TJ, Reese and Steph.
"We love you that much," Reese said and sat down and hugged her. "Sorry we've been too caught up in our own shit to take care of you!"
"It's OK," Connie said. "We haven't all hung out in so long!"
"It's Christmas," Lizzie said, "we should watch It's A Wonderful Life or something." Reese looked at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You had sex!" She squeaked. "You and Tony totally did it! Oh thank God!"
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