Chapter 8
Christmas Morning
Kayla and Bradin woke up to everyone outside on the deck and swimming in the ocean. "What time is it?" Kayla said rubbing her eyes and shading them from the sun. "It's 11:30." Her Aunt answered. "Have a nice night?" Her Uncle asked looking at the two. They smiled. "You should get home Brae, spend time with your family." She smiled. "Ok I'll call you a little later." He smiled, kissed her lightly, and then walked home. Kayla ran upstairs and put her bathing suit on and went out and hung out with her cousins on the beach. They were lying out on their towels and just talking and laughing together. "So how long have you and Bradin been together?" her cousin Heather asked. They always talked about boys. "We've been together since the 14th of September." Exactly one week of being in Playa Linda and she remembered it perfectly. "He's a cute kid." She smiled. "Yeah, I love him." Kayla smiled as she saw him go out to the picnic table with his family. "Yeah Kay, I want a boyfriend just like him." Her little cousin Kelly said. "Lucas is pretty cute." Alex cut in. "Lucas likes you Ally." She laughed. "Really? I always thought he was into Callie. She's such a sweetheart." Alex said. "Yeah but I don't think it would be a good idea to tell Lucas because you live so far away." Kayla said. "Yeah I know it really sucks." She frowned. All of a sudden hands covered her eyes. "Guess who?" said an annoyingly familiar voice. "Tanner, why do you have to ruin Christmas!" Kayla said angrily. "Just came to say it cutie." He smiled. "Merry Christmas Tanner." She said. "Wanted to give you this," he said handing her a bracelet, "I don't understand why we can't be friends." He said. "Because, you hate Bradin, you always beat up Lucas, and you make fun of Callie, give me one good reason." She said. "Because I like you." He said giving her the puppy dog look. "Isn't that what you said to Erika? I've heard it before Tanner now please just go." She said. He finally left. "He was cute!" Heather said. "Why did you tell him to go away?" Melissa asked. "Because he's an asshole, I don't want any of you to be near him." She said. "We don't have to be it looks like he likes you." They said ooing like a little kid. "No, he just wants to get Bradin jealous and mad." She said. She looked at the bracelet and went to throw it in the water. "She looked at it one more time. "It's a good bracelet, anyone want it?" She asked. "I'll take it!" Jen said. "Here, have it, and wear it, but I don't want to see it again ok?" She said handing it to her. "Ok." She said then they went back to their towels. Meanwhile, Bradin's family got done eating and went inside. "Kayla!" Her mother yelled. "Yeah mom?" She asked. "We're going to open our presents now!" She said. "Ok!" and she ran inside. She got a lot of clothes, an I Pod mini, hair accessories, makeup, earrings, and some cd's. "Thanks! I got everything I wanted!" She said excitedly. She went outside to join her cousins again. They were all getting pretty tan. "It's great that you live on the beach! You're never going to be pale." Her friend Alex said and they all laughed. "Guys! Can you bury me?" Her cousin Bobby yelled. "Yeah, we're comin'" They yelled. They dug a hole as deep as they could. "So how are the shore houses?" Kayla asked as she got down to the wet sand. "They haven't changed at all. But, it's not the same without you." Her cousin Kristin said. "I know I miss those houses, they were my whole life, so was MP." She smiled sadly. "Don't worry I'm sure you'll be back to visit." Her cousin Dawn said. "Oh crap I forgot to give something to you!" Alex said as she ran inside. She came back out holding a tape in her hand and a note. "Look at it later, I'll put it on the deck." She ran and put it down. "Ok Bobby, your hole is done!" She said. Bobby ran over and jumped in it. They filled in the hole with Bobby in it. "Alright dude, see ya later!" Kelly said as they put a bucket over his head. "Awe come on guys! Don't leave me here!" He said in the bucket and they ran into the water to get the sand off. They laid back down on their towels and laughed as they watched Jake take the bucket off his head and dig him out. "Ok let's go in I'm turning pink." Melissa said. They all went and rinsed off at the hose, and dried off. They put their clothes on over it and went in. "Want me to show you guys around?" Kayla asked. "Yeah, that would be awesome!" They all said. Kayla threw her jeans and tank top on over her bathing suit and put her flip-flops on and waited for everyone to come out. "Nothing will be open because it's Christmas, but we can still just walk around." She said. And she showed them Playa Linda. "Wow this is so cool, it's like the Jersey Shore only you live here all the time instead of just the summers like you did in Jersey!" Alex said. "Yeah, but it really makes me miss it." She said, and they kept walking. When she was done giving them the grand tour, they went back to the house. "Let's watch a movie!" They yelled. "Oh my god we have to watch a movie with snow in it!" Kayla said. They all looked at her like she was crazy. "Well…it doesn't snow in Southern California?" She said reassuring everyone that she wasn't having a heat stroke. They all laughed. "Ok, let's watch Miracle on 34th Street!" Melissa said popping the tape in. They all watched the movie. At the end Kayla was crying. They all looked at her like she was crazy but then Alex came over and sat down next to her. "You even miss the snow." She said. "Yes, and New York City trips whenever we want, and the tree lighting there, and theatres, and basketball games…" She was sobbing so hard into Alex's shoulder and Alex was crying too. Then all of them started to cry. They knew she missed home, but they never really thought about it, and they realized how much they missed her as well. "And driving into RW to get coffee and see a movie, and going to the mall and buying matching clothes, and swapping clothes, and doing each others make-up, and hair…" Heather added. "And sitting on the beach of the lake up in Kinnelon, and our Kinnelon friends, and hanging out with my friends from my old town, and my old town, and buying cds and burning them for each other as soon as we got home…" Her cousin Melissa remembered. "And heading up to NYS (New York State), and torturing Anthony, and yelling at Anthony when he touched you cause' he's a creep, and swimming in our pool, and taking us shopping…" added her cousin Katie. "Guys I don't think this is making her feel better." Her friend Alex said looking at her. "No it's fine, it's fun remembering all the fun memories." She smiled. "And I realized that we will see each other soon too." She smiled feeling better. "Alright guys what do you want to do?" She said. "It's 5 o' clock so I think we won't have a lot of time before dinner." Heather said. "No but we can always go out and get Ice Cream afterwards." Kayla smiled. They all just sat around and talked, listened to music, danced, and had a good time just relaxing. "Kids! Dinner!" yelled Kayla's mom from the dining room. They all sat down to eat. When they got done they went outside and got ice cream and watched the ocean as the family pulled out the guitars. They were all singing and having a good time, but by midnight they were all asleep. But, Kayla wasn't. While she was having a lot of fun with her family, she was dying to see what was on the tape that her friend Alex brought. She popped it in and turned the volume down real low so only she could hear it. As soon as it went on, she knew. "Hey J, we all really, really, really, really," her friend Kate said, " she gets it." Her friend Nicole interrupted. "We miss you sooooo much!" said her friend Sam. "I miss you too." She said to the T.V. "Well we just really needed you to see us and we had to tell you some way. School hasn't changed, but feelings for you have. Observe…" said her friend Kate. "Kay, I never told you this, but I've liked you since 7th grade." Said Ed. "And now that you're gone I regret not telling you." He said turning red. "Kay, I've liked you since fourth grade, I'm sorry for all of the mean things I said and I'm sorry I hurt you." Said Matt. "Kay, we really never believed Heather, we just wanted to, you know, like, gossip, you know what it will do to you. We miss you." Said a group of kids that used to go to her school. "Kay, we really miss you and we hope you come back soon!" said all the kids and more in the video. Take Your Sweet Time by Jesse McCartney (lets just pretend here lol) came on and the movie went off. Kay was in tears, of all the years Ed, you never told me? She said. She had a crush on him since 7th grade too. She just never said anything. She ran outside and cried. Meanwhile, Bradin was up thinking about his parents and feeling ok, because, he knew it wasn't going to change anything. But he heard crying outside, it sounded like… "Kayla!" He said running up to her and hugging her. "What's wrong?" He asked. "Ally, gave me a tape of people back home and that was upsetting enough, then a boy that I had a crush on since 7th grade told me he like me too. We never said anything. I don't like him anymore but you know. I didn't know I was so loud." She said calming down in his arms. "You weren't but my house was quiet and I was awake still, so, I heard you." He said hugging her. "Why are you up so late?" She asked looking into his green eyes. "I was thinking about my parents." He sighed. "Oh, I'm sorry." She said. "No it's ok, I realized that I miss them but it can't bring them back, so I just smile because that's what they would want me to do, right?" He said looking a little unsure of himself. "Exactly right. Of all the people that have died in my life, they always liked to make me happy, so for me to be upset, would just make them upset too. It's the best of a bad situation." She smiled. " Ok, are you feeling better?" He asked her. "I'm fine, I think we should both get to sleep." She said. "Yeah, see you tomorrow." He smiled and kissed her. They both headed into the house. As Kayla walked in she heard her name being called. Her little cousin was calling her. "Kay?" She asked. "Yeah Jules?" " Where were you?" She asked. "I was outside. I couldn't sleep." She asked. "Did you see Bradin?" She asked. "Yeah." She smiled. " Good night hon." She smiled. "Good night Kay." She smiled back. She headed upstairs and went to sleep. This has been the best Christmas ever she thought as she drifted off to sleep.