Christmas morning finally arrived, and I had every intention on sleeping in. Even when Angela finally crawled out of bed at ten in the morning, I was determined to sleep in as long as possible. Sure I love Christmas, with the opening of presents, the hot coco that was sure to be made as soon as I felt like making it, and the beautiful sound of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra cd I'd bought last Christmas ushering music into the house. But as I layed there, I wanted nothing more than to slip back into my coma.
Angelas getting dressed didn't bother me as much as it did when she went got up for her morning classes this morning. Usually she'd be shaking me awake so I could tell her where the keys to the Civic out front were. And then she'd wake me again for a final kiss before setting out.
Instead, she slipped on her candy cane pajamas and a giant, green Christmas tree shirt I'd begged for her to wear for today, and slipped out of the room quietly...
As my return to the solace of sleep crawled over me once again, my bedroom door swung open. The hallway light hit my face and I was instantly awoken.
"There's a kid on the couch!" She whispered furiously.
"Let him sleep." I moaned. "He's Canadian." What that had to do with anything, I'll never know. But in my defense, I was half-asleep and wanting the other half desperately. And as I turned over and pulled the thick blanket over my head, she walked over, and shoved me off the bed completely.
"What?!" I yelled.
"There's a kid, in my house!" She whispered a little more angrily. Her voice was on the verge of yelling.
"First off, it's our house." I said, trying not to instigate an argument I wasn't equipped to deal with at the time. "Secondly, it's Christmas morning! Let him sleep!"
I pulled the blanket off the bed and wrenched my pillow down as well. Content with the plush carpet and it's cussion, I tucked myself into a small ball within the blanket and closed my eyes.
"So you're not going to tell me where he came from?"
"Nope. Wait til everone else is awake."
As if waiting to be cued, Emily appeared in the doorway, "There's some kid on the couch." She said, as if we hadn't been arguing about it seconds before.
"Alright!" I yelled, getting up off the floor and throwing the blanket on the bed. "Is Nick up?" I asked, hoping there'd be at least one other male figure awake. When I was alone with both the girls, I always felt like they were conspiring against me. Which at times they were. Especially if there was an argument between Angela and I going on.
"Yeah, he's making hot coco."
"What about Alan?"
"Who?" Emily asked. "Oh, the kid. Yeah, he's awake."
I sighed. Maybe staying awake til two in the morning to plant gifts wasn't the best idea for last night.
"Let me get dressed."
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I emerged from what had originally been my father's room, wearing my plaid pajamas and a smile as I thought of how to tell everyone that I had a brother. And as I entered the kitchen, Angela handed me a cup of hot coco, furthering my smile.
In the living room, Alan had Nick pinned to the edge of castle level on Soul Caliber II. I was kind of proud of him, seeing as I still haven't beaten him in that game. And when he got knocked off of the stage, followed by a howl in Nick's dismay, I laughed.
"At least they're getting along." I mused to myself.
Angela had been prodding at my mind, and I could feel it as she tried to pluck an answer too her question from my head. She knew it would have been easier to just ask the kid, but she wasn't good with new people. Hell, none of us were. At least when they appeared suddenly in our home.
"Morning little brother." I said casually, raising my hot cup to his victory.
"Morning!" He said, then turned away to finish Nick off with round two.
"Brother?" Angela whispered angrily at me. "You never told me you had a brother." I knew she was mad that I hadn't told her when she asked the first time. But I was determined to get the reaction from them that I wanted. And sure enough...
Nick's character was uppercutted off the stage, Emily was furiously looking back and forth between the two of us as Alan celebrated, and Angela was stricken with surprise and an almost giddy feeling building up in her. Every single one of us, was a single child. Except for me now, and since they were like family, they saw him as much a brother as I did. I could feel it.
"So who wants to open presents?" I asked before taking a sip coco. I couldn't help but laugh in the hot chocolate that burnt my lips.
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Wrapping paper littered the living room floor. The sounds of Faith Noel swam through the house, and everyone was smiling. This was why I loved Christmas. To me, it was impossible to be sad when around so many happy faces. The Christmas cheer was infectious as we all opened our presents... all except Alan.
He seemed content with just watching and laughing with the rest of us every time it was Nick's turn. His thick fingers and short nails just weren't a match for Emily and Angela's tight packaging. Even I had trouble. It was like trying to scratch away the plastic covering on a new DVD.
As we passed more and more gifts around, a great deal of knocking had interrupted us. And when Alan answered the door, he was greeted with a chorus of cheering, most of it confused. "I'm Michael's brother." He explained time after time as more and more of Nick and Angela's family poured into our house.
Nick's mom, dad, two uncles, three aunts, and all of their kids were here. Mrs. Nicole and her sister Esther stopped by as well, with both of Angela's little nieces, Kathlyn and Brianna. They both resembled their mother with their dirty blond hair and rosy cheeks.
We'd prepared for so many people, and once again, we were passing around gifts. Letting the kids unwrap their gifts first, we smiled and waited for their impatient workings to pay off. And cheering at their new toys and games, we celebrated.
Even Alan was having a good time, helping little Brianna unwrap her presents. Family...
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After everyone had left, Alan, Nick, and I went out to gather firewood for a bonfire. And with the nice, cool climate, it wasn't a very pressing issue to get it going. We'd piled bit's of rotted wood from my father's old collection, and dead branches that'd fallen from the trees in the forest.
Nick, thinking it would be a great idea, decided to stick a handful of fireworks under the teepee shaped edifice that we'd made. And what made the matter worse, was that while I poured deisol over it, I had asked them what smelt like gun powder.
Their reactions when I'd finally lit it, and was stoking it a little to spread the flame, were that of unbridled anticipation.
"What's wrong with you two?" I asked. And not a second later, a loud pop, followed by twenty more, sounded off. I nearly jumped out of my skin, making myself fall back in fear. And they were rolling on the ground when I finally got up.
"Yeah," I said a little annoyed by my inattention. "Real Christmasy."
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With the fire roaring, and the last of the CD in the radio playing, we relaxed at the feet of the fire. A long blanket that Emily had dragged out of the house was draped along the dry, cold grass.
I was lying back on it, listening to the music. Nick and Emily were snuggling closer to the fire. And Angela had finally started talking to Alan. He was a little afraid of her, with how she acted that morning, but he had good reason. I'm pretty sure she wasn't as friendly as she should have been when she saw him there, flipping through channels, half-awake on the couch.
"So you and Michael have the same dad."
"Yup." They were pretty deep in the conversation when I'd finally started listening. I'd started as soon as the music finally met it's end by the low battery power it had, and now they were all I had to listen too. "My mom had gotten in a fight with grandpa, and then that night, she flew me down to Louisiana, and I took a taxi here."
"Wow."
I stifled a chuckle as I listened.
"So, how do you like it here so far?" She asked. A question I wasn't particularly worried about. The way that boy smiled... I doubted he held any regret.
"I love it here. It's more open, there's actually room to breathe, and the little kids aren't around to bother me anymore." He said, shifting his weight back on his elbows to soak up some more of the flames heat.
I laughed a little, remembering how intrusive those little kids were. And then I remembered their blue eyes. Alan had green, just like I had. A trait that I'd love to get back one day. But that was impossible.
"Hey, butt out!" Angela yelled playfully, throwing a marshmallow at me.
"And what if I don't?" I asked, leaning forward ready to run.
She didn't need to answer. Instead, she shot up, and I bolted for the other side of the fire, where she tackled me into the grass.
We rolled around for a while as I tried to get out of her grip, and in that instant... life was perfect. A perfect end to another great year.