Like I said, motivate me for the next chapter, because it's gonna be a good one. ^-^

- Veg

I seriously hate the holidays.

Okay, scratch that- Halloween is acceptable, since I get an excuse to dress up like a freak. Other than that, holidays suck. Valentines day makes want to vomit. Thanksgiving equals me cooking, cleaning and wishing we were still in NY for the parade. I know this kid who dresses up as a leprechaun on St. Patrick's Day; it's fucking weird. I haven't even had a real Christmas in years. I seriously hate it all.

"Why don't you just come over my house next week?" Pat asks before taking a big gulp of coffee. "You know my family won't mind."

"You know I don't like...going places." I reply, glancing over at Logan sitting next to me, who was quietly staring out the window. Leave it to Pat to be the third wheel the only time Logan and I are together and I'm actually not completely spastic and stressed out. "Or...seeing people; or really just the holidays in general."

"You reject our invitation every year, Brooklyn. My mom's not gonna be too happy with you." He points out with a sigh. I try my hardest to shrug it off as I bring my familiar paper cup to my chapped lips. "No one should be alone on Christmas."

"I won't be," I retort. "I'll have the boys in the morning and Barbra the rest of the day." Logan turns his attention over toward me and raises an eyebrow.

"Barbra?" He questions, obviously confused.

"For the past three or four years, Brooklyn's Christmas has been Chinese takeout and some god-awful Barbra Streisand movies," Pat explains, rolling his eyes.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," I grumble, staring down at the steam rising out of my cup. "You guys probably already have a hundred people coming over, anyway."

"So, what's one more, then?"

"A hundred and one." I blandly state, Logan chuckling next to me.

"But he's right, Brooklyn." Logan interjects. "You shouldn't be alone. That would just suck." I just shrug.

"I kind of enjoy it. I never get time to myself." And this was true. I didn't really see it as Christmas; just as a day I can finally relax.

"Well, you know our place is always open," he innocently hints. "It's just gonna be the four of us with Mrs. Knight and Katie." I could tell that Pat was narrowing his eyes across the table without even glancing over at him. He's either jealous of our non-existent relationship of just feels like someone's about to replace him. Neither of them really make any sense.

It's been over two months. Two whole months, an Brooklyn's still the only thing on my mind. When Brooklyn and I made eye contact, I got this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. And I was tired of just sitting around, waiting for something to happen. It's not cute anymore; now I just sound like an idiot.

"Dude, you're in love," Carlos snorts, turning his attention back to his video game, otherwise known as his way of entertainment since it's not exactly warm enough for the pool in December. I groan and fall back into the couch.

"You really needed Carlos, of all people, to tell you that?" Katie mumbles, unraveling a string of Christmas lights for our tree. It's obviously scaled down from the enormous real one the Knights would get every year, but it's still a tree. "I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

"Yeah, well," I sigh, staring up at the ceiling. "I met a girl who makes me feel stupid." Carlos just mocks me with a loud, "Awwww!" I hear James and Kendall snicker from the kitchen while Jo scoffs in return.

"You really are pathetic," she plainly points out.

"I know," I groan, still focusing upward.

"Hey, don't make me ask her out a third time," James jokes. "Cause at this point, I will." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jo aggressively elbow him in the stomach. I smile to myself, wondering what I'd do without her at this point. It's always nice to have a sensible one around, and I know that couldn't always be Kendall.

"Please, you've caused enough trouble for those two as it is." She immediately replies, and I couldn't have agreed more. "That's the last thing we need right now."

"Yeah? Well, Brooklyn's probably the only girl I know who I haven't dated this month." The sad thing is he's not joking. "So, if Logan's gonna ask her out, it better be soon."

"It's not that simple," I mutter to the ceiling that I'm becoming very familiar with.

"Oh, really?" James rolls his eyes, then holds his phone up to his ear, pretending to talk to someone, obviously mocking me. "Hi, Brooklyn- it's Logan. You know, I've been madly in love with you for the past two and a half months." I'm surprised he was able to count it that fast. "But, I've been too much of a chicken to say anything. Be my girlfriend already, especially so my friends don't have to listen to my shit anymore?"

"Hey, hey!" Kendall says, covering his little sister's ears. In return, she rolls her eyes and squirms out of his grip. "There's a child here..."

"Yeah, cause I'd just love it if a guy asked me out that way," Jo mocks him, taking a seat next to her boyfriend.

"Well, if I was a girl, I wouldn't want to wait this long."

"James, you are a girl." Carlos snickers.

"Will you all just please shut up?" I finally snap. "I'm trying to think here..."

"Wait!" Jo immediately says with a huge grin spread across her face. "I have an idea!" And, mainly because it wasn't Carlos or James who said this, I knew it wouldn't be completely stupid and/or ridiculous.

December 20th, 2010, 7:34 PM. It's 55 degrees outside in LA right now and lightly raining. If still lived in New York, it would be below freezing and snowing.

"Brooklyn," Alex says, trying to roll out a large section of light brown dough. We were determined to make gingerbread men; I don't think they're turning out too well. "Are you gonna come to daddy's for Christmas?" He glares at the dough when a huge crack forms straight down the middle and sighs. I giggle, pat his head and try to fix it.

"Not this year, hun," I tell him, blankly staring across the counter. "You know your dad and I...aren't exactly on the best terms with each other." He sighs and takes another handful out of our bowl and hands it to his older brother, who intently stares down at it and tightly squeezes it in between his fingers. I just laugh and help Nick roll it out onto the counter.

"I wish mommy could be here..." I feel a huge lump forming in my throat and try my hardest to swallow it.

"Me too, Alex." I'm quickly cut off by my phone's loud ringtone. I quickly rinse my hands off to answer it. "Hello?"

"Alright, make a deal with me here," Logan's voice says on the other hand.

"Uh, what?" I ask, confusedly.

"For Saturday," he explains. "If you're gonna be alone on Christmas, let me take you out the night before." I groan and roll my eyes in reply, although I know he can't see me.

"But-"

"Great. I'll be there at 6 on Saturday."

"You suck, you know that?" I joke. I could sense him smiling on the other end.

"See you Saturday," he smugly adds in before hanging up.

"Who was that?" Alex asks, helping his brother press the cookie cutter into the flattened dough.

"You remember my friend Logan, right?" He immediately nods. How could he forget his instant best friend? "That was him."

"Is he your boyfriend?" I just laugh it off, remembering him asking this question last time.

"No, he's just my friend." I tell him, continuing to help with our baking.

"I think he should be your boyfriend." Alex plainly tells me. "He should be your boyfriend and then you guys can fall in love and get married."

"Where are you hearing this nonsense, Alex?" I ask, rolling my eyes.

"Maggie," he admits. I sigh- of course it was. "Last time she was here, she read me this story, and it was about finding real love or something like that."

"You mean true love?" I try my hardest to contain myself for my brothers' sake; but, knowing Maggie, she was probably reading him the not-so-kid-friendly modern translation of Romeo and Juliet for her lit analysis.

"Yeah, that."

"Don't listen to anything Maggie tells you. Her head's in the clouds."

"How can her head be in the clouds? She's short, like me..."

"That's not what-" I sigh and shake my head, remembering I was only conversing with a 7 year-old here. "Never mind."