Chapter two: Christmas Eve

Matt leaped out of bed and slammed his hand his "Snooze" button on the alarm clock, which was on the other side of the room. It was pretty much the only thing that could get him out of bed.

Ten minutes later, Matt once again leaped out of bed and punched the snooze button for the third time. " (groan) I need to get out of bed…" he finally dragged himself down stairs.

"Finally!" His mother threw up her hands. "It's 2:00! Go sit at the table and I'll get you lunch." She shook her head. He had a very kind mother; almost too kind. She really cut Matt too much slack.

"It's Christmas break, Mom… I should be able to sleep in!" he rubbed his messy hair.

"I know, that's why I let you sleep in." she shook her head as she made him a sandwich, a salad, and chocolate milk.

"Thanks mom." He smiled, bowed his head to pray, then devoured his sandwich like an animal.

"Matt… You need to go get your clothes on, we are going to have company for dinner, and they will be here in a couple hours." She walked over and petted his hair.

"Augh! Don't!" he pushed her hands away in annoyance. "I'll get dressed later." He stood up, chugged his chocolate milk, and walked into the living room to watch TV. Marie shook her head as she watched her son plop on the couch and turn on the television. Little did she know just how much was going to change in Matt in the very near future.

Yes, it was Christmas Eve night, and the family friends were coming over for dinner. The terrible thing about this situation was that Matt completely dreaded every Christmas Eve because of this certain company. Yes, the adults were fine and easy to handle, but they just happened to have four brats as children, and one of them had been in love with him since they first met. Even though he had tried for years to coop with June (the oldest who was in love with him), he just couldn't stomach being around her at all. Worse than that, she had three little brothers who all hated him and tried to kill him any chance they got.

It was five O'clock, and Matt was sitting on his bed, staring at his door that had been locked and bolted shut. Hopefully, it would stay that way. No… he knew his mom, he would have to come out sooner or later. Couldn't she tell how much torture he went through every time they came over?

"knock, knock!"

"No!" Matt stood up suddenly. Each pound on the door was a blow to the head. His heart started racing.

"Matthew! Come down stairs! They're here!"

"No!" he grabbed his hair. "I wont!"

"MATTHEW GET DOWN HERE!" she screamed. Yup, he had to do it!

Matt slowly finished buttoning up his shirt as he walked down the stairs. There was a sudden burst of excitement as soon as the door open. (well, not on Matt's part.) and the whole house filled with noise. He forced a smile upon seeing June who immediately hugged him as she exclaimed, "Ohh! Matt! I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Oh… yeah, sure has been a while…" he jerked himself away. "Merry Christmas."

After two hours, he could endure no more. Sixteen-year-old June had grown 12 times worse in her helpless insanity and he could bare no more. "I'm getting out of here." He grumbled to himself. "Hey mom?" he whispered in her ear as they all were sitting in the living room, talking.

"Yes, dear?"

"I'm feeling kinda sick… You might not see me for a little while." And before she could protest, he was off… gone… history… pretty much through the door and running at top speed.

About five minutes later, Matt stopped running to breathe. Suddenly, he realized, he was in an unknown neighborhood, and was so concentrated on getting away that he wasn't sure how he'd get back! "Uh, oh…" he scratched his head. Oh well! Any place was better than back there. Matt sat down on a curb and dropped his face in his hands. Just then, a car pulled up and rolled down the window.

"Are you alright?" a lady asked him, sounding concerned. "This isn't the way to spend Christmas eve!"

Matt smiled at her. "I'm fine, don't worry… the house was a little unbearable." He laughed to himself, glad to get away.

"I don't care what your story is," she said determinedly, "I wont have you spend your Christmas eve sitting out in the snow!" she parked her car (I guess she lived right there where he was sitting) and got out. "Now come on, dear."

She was an elderly lady, and Matt figured she just wanted a bit of company. She had some groceries, so he helped her bring them inside. They went inside the cozy, warm home and Matt put the food away in the fridge.

"Are you spending Christmas alone?" Matt asked, concerned.

"Oh no," she smiled at him and took his hand. "My daughter and granddaughter are staying here with me for Christmas. But that is so kind of you to ask!"

"Heh… sure… are they here right now?" It was getting a bit awkward for Matt.

"Yes, in the living room." She pointed through a doorway into the living room. "Terisa, dear! I'm here!" she called out.

"Coming mother!" a woman's voice rang from the other room. Matt looked up to see one of the women whom he had seen at his church last Sunday. She looked at him, a bit confused, but he just smiled.

"I found him sitting out on the curb in the snow, and you know what I told him?" the elderly lady pointed her finger at the woman. "I told him, no matter what the story, I wasn't going to leave him out in the cold on Christmas Eve."

"How very kind of you, mother." Terisa smiled and then turned to Matt. "Why don't you come in the living room and sit at the fire, you look awfully cold!" She put her hand on his back and led him out of the kitchen.

"Really, I'm alright…" Matt shrugged as he sat down on the couch next to the young woman. She looked at him with a very serious face.

"What were you doing out there? Are you running away? Or were you doing something wrong?"

"No, no!" he laughed. "Actually… well, you could say I kind of ran away." He looked down, feeling a little foolish.

"From what?" she moved the annoying hair that was hanging in front of his eyes.

"Well, uh…" he scratched his head. "There is a Christmas Eve party at my house…"

"Yes…"

"And well, Some of the people at the party don't like me…" he stopped to sneeze, chuckled a bit then said, " or more like… some people do like me, but I don't really like them."

"I see." She raised an eyebrow.

"I couldn't stand it any more! I almost died! I had to get out of there." He threw up his hands. "You don't know what that girl is like." His eyes went wide as he stared at the woman in front of him. "She hangs on you like a leech!"

"Oh really?" slowly guessing what Matt's situation was, a smile started on her face, and was quickly entertained with his dramatic expressions.

"Oh yeah!" Matt put ridiculously huge hand motions into his story as he waved his hands all around. "She follows me and, and…"

"Mom?" A girl about Matt's age was standing there watching them with a very perplexed look on her face. "Who the heck is that?" Her mother chuckled and Matt, very embarrassed, stood up quickly and stared at her.

"Matt?" she raised her eyebrows. "It's Matt, isn't it?"

Oh no, It was the pretty girl he had met last Sunday! Great, this was the worst day of his life.

"Y'know…" Matt looked side to side. "I really shouldn't bother you guys…"

"No, no! Your company is welcome!" Terisa smiled and pulled on Matt's arm making him sit down. Inez, the girl who was there, crossed her arms.

"What's going on?"

Her Grandmother quickly entered the room and told her the entire story of Matt's "rescue".

"Ah, I see…" she shook her head. "Well, it's kinda nice to have come company for a change on a Christmas Eve." She smiled and sat down on the other side of Matt. "But mom, he is soaking wet from the snow, we've got to get him dry before he gets sick!"

"You're absolutely right!" her grandmother shot up her finger. "Why don't you get him some of your father's clothes, Inez?" she offered. Inez hesitated for a moment, then recovered with a smile.

"Alright, hang on a sec." She stood up and went out of the room. Matt looked around. This was the most embarrassing situation of his life; even worse then singing on Sunday in front of all those people. He tried to speak up in some kind of defense, but before any words came out, Terisa just shook her head and said,

"It's alright. Your company really brightened up our Christmas Eve." A few moments later, Inez returned with a button-up shirt and some pants of her fathers.

"Here, you can change into these." She handed them to him and smiled. After he had finished changing he handed his wet clothes to her and she put them in the dryer. Matt shook his head.

"Look, I'm really sorry about bothering you guys…"

"No…" she smiled and put her hand on her shoulder. "You were an answer to prayer."

Matt looked up at her, a bit confused.

"You see, this is our first Christmas since Dad died." She looked down. Matt's eyes widened.

"Your Dad… died?" he felt horrible, especially since he was, at that moment, wearing her father's clothes.

"Yes…" she looked up at him again. "It's hard not having him on Christmas." A tear escaped but she held the rest back. Matt didn't know what to say, so he reached out his arms and gave her a hug. What else could he do? Inez stared crying, which made him feel even more awkward, but he remained a gentleman. After a few moments, she stepped back. "Thank you…" a small smile appeared on his face. "It's kinda funny." She wiped her eyes.

"What?"

"My grandmother doesn't take to teenage boys, it's surprising she likes you so much."

Matt shrugged. "I suppose I just sort of have this charisma that everyone likes." He winked.

"Oh brother." She shook her head. "You seem so familiar!" she put her hands on her hips.

"Perhaps cause we met last Sunday?" he suggested sarcastically.

"No… I mean…"

"Yes?"

"Oh I don't know!" she threw up her hands.

"Matt? Inez? Where are you?" the Grandmother called from the other room.

"Come on." Inez led Matt back into the living room.

The rest of the night, Matt got to know the Family. He actually ended up having the time of his life. All of the girls really liked Matt, especially Inez, of course, and the night led to dinner, pie, and then the family picture in from of the tree.

"No, no…" he shook his head. "I refuse to be on your family picture."

"It doesn't have to be a 'family picture'!" the grandmother crossed her arms. "It's a Christmas picture! And I say if you aren't in the picture, I'm not in the picture!"

"Alright, alright." He laughed and helped set up the camera with a timer. Once getting it in place, they all took about five pictures; two nice ones, two silly ones, and one very silly one of their grandmother kissing Matt on the cheek. (He tried not to mind that one so much, but it was kind of hard.)

Just after the last picture was taken, Matt's cell phone started ringing. "Uh oh…" he remembered. Oops, I have my own family back at home! "Hang on…" he said as he flipped open his phone. After a few minutes or "Yes Mom…" and "Yes Ma'am." Matt hung up the phone and said, "Time to head home… they're missing me." He shrugged and guiltily smiled. After several Goodbye's and Thank you's, Matt walked out the door. Inez followed him.

Matt turned around and looked at her. "Thanks for the best Christmas Eve that I can remember." He smiled.

"No, thank you!" she put her hand on his shoulder. (He was back in his now dry clothing). Before anything else happened, Matt gave her another nice warm hug.

"I know what it's like to lose a father." He whispered. "Only, that was several years ago." Inez stepped back in surprise and looked at him in the eyes with a concerned face. Matt only winked and walked down the steps into the falling snow.

"See you next Sunday?" He shouted across to her.

"Yeah!" she called back and waved to him. Matt then disappeared into the distance.

Without waiting another second, Inez bolted into the house, ran upstairs into her room, and screamed into her pillow. After that, she started to journal about it for a bit, but was so anxious that journal writing just wouldn't do. She grabbed her phone and called her best friend, Jackie, whom she knew would be excited, jealous, and unable to comprehend it either. Inez was right, as soon as she told the news, Jackie screamed…. For a very long time, and then asked if she got any pictures.

As for our poor, dear Matt, he went home to the crazy household he had left several hours before. Even through all the ruckus, he couldn't get his mind off his time with Inez.

…

Finally, another Chapter. R&R!