A/N: My goal is to post four chapters today. So here is chapter one of Dec. 26
Disclaimer: Please don't arrest me! I swear I don't own Degrassi or any of its characters!
It's that time of year again, the time to give thanks. No, it's not Canadian Thanksgiving but American Thanksgiving and like always the Johnson household is celebrating it. Alex and I decided to come home for Thanksgiving this year and we're bringing Beth and Sage with us. Well more like Alex is bringing Sage with her since Beth was going to come home anyway to spend time with her family.
A few hours after the Salex shouting match that ensued in the apartment Alex came back. To my knowledge Alex and Sage talked a little bit about the future but mostly they just had make-up sex. That's the bad thing about the apartment, the walls aren't that thick. That's exactly how I had envisioned my Friday night going, getting to hear my sister have make-up sex with her girlfriend while I was trying to spend time with MY girlfriend. Yeah, it was a great Friday night.
Right now I'm at home in my room playing on my guitar. Mom is preparing Thanksgiving dinner. I believe Alex and Sage are down there helping her. The dinner tonight is going to be kind of big. Beth and her family will be here and Paige is going to be here. Paige decided to come home for a little bit because she hasn't been back in such a long time. Brian is probably watching a football game. Who knows where Major is, which now that I think about it, that's not a good thing.
"Major!" I call out.
"What?" he yells.
"Come here please!"
Major walks into my room. Major is becoming a big boy and quite a handful. He's going through the terrible twos which means he has a lot of temper tantrums and he thinks everything is his. The other day Major and I got into a "mine" fight. He took my cell phone and wouldn't give it back. Then we got into an argument about whose cell phone it really was. Let's just say this argument consisted of me yelling "No Major, it's my cell phone!" Eventually Brian ended the argument by taking away my cell phone from the both of us.
"Hi Major," I greet him.
"Hi!" he says happily. "Nom nom."
Whenever Major says "nom nom" it means he's hungry.
"Dinner is almost ready," I tell him. "Do you want to go downstairs?"
Major nods his head. "Mhm," he answers.
Major has his hands up in the air, which means he wants me to pick him up. I put my guitar down on my bed. I roll my eyes at Major but pick him up anyway.
"You're getting too big for this," I tell him. "Can you say 'spoiled'?"
"Spoiled," Major repeats.
"Yes, yes you are."
I carry Major downstairs to the kitchen. Mom is putting the finishes touches on the turkey while it looks like Sage is frosting the cake. Alex is doing nothing, as usual.
"Mama! Mama!" Major cries out. "Nom nom!"
Mom turns her head and looks over at us. She smiles at Major and kisses him on the cheek.
"Food's almost ready sweetie," she tells him. Mom turns her attention to me. "Jordan, will you tell your father to get Major ready? You need to get ready as well, seeing as our guests are almost here."
"Sure thing," I tell her. "Come on Alex."
"I'm ok where I am right now," Alex says in a monotone voice.
"Alex sweetie, you're not doing anything right now so you might as well go and get ready," Mom says.
"But I am ready," Alex says.
Mom looks Alex up and down. Alex is wearing a t-shirt and some basketball shorts.
"We're having company over," Mom tells her. "I'm going to need you to do a little better than that."
Alex rolls her eyes and groan. "Fine," she says. Alex gets up from her seat and walks over to me.
"Awex, Awex!" Major calls out Alex's name.
Major is reaching out to Alex. I gladly hand him over to her.
"Hey buddy," Alex says. "How are you?"
Major gives Alex a thumbs up. Alex holds out her hand.
"High—five," she says.
Major happily slaps Alex's hand with his own hand. I roll my eyes at the two. I head upstairs with Alex and Major behind me. Alex goes into Brian's office telling him that Mom said he has to get ready and get Major ready. I walk into my room while Alex walks into hers.
I've decided to look my best, yet comfortable, for this dinner. I put on my nicest pair of jeans and a black button down shirt with a skinny red tie. I grab my really white pair of Adidas and put those on as well. I grab my Bath and Body Works body spray, Sea Island Cotton, and spray some over my body. I look good and I smell good. Everything is all good.
I exit my room into the hallway. Alex leaves her room at the same time. Alex is wearing a simple black dress. Alex looks at me.
"Really?" she asks. "I have to dress nicely and you get to wear jeans?"
I shrug my shoulders. "Mom doesn't expect much from me when it comes to fashion."
Alex rolls her eyes. "Whatever."
Brian walks out of his bedroom with Major following behind him. Wow, these two look handsome. Brian is wearing black suit pants with dark red button down shirt. He looks nice except for his shoes. For some reason in his mind it's ok to wear flip flops to dinner. Moving on, Major looks like a little man. He's wearing black corduroy pants with a long sleeve white collared dress shirt and a red V neck sweater over the shirt. Major is also wearing flip flops.
"Mom is not going to be ok with the flip flops," I tell Brian. "Major will get away with it because he's only two but you're a grown man."
"Exactly," Brian says. "I'm a grown man, therefore I can wear whatever kind of shoes I want to dinner."
Alex and I look at each other.
"Ha ha!" we both start laughing. We continue laughing at Brian.
"Alright girls, keep laughing," he says. "Just remember who helps you pay for everything."
Brian picks up Major and they head downstairs. Alex and my laughter have subsided.
"How long you think he's going to last down there?" she asks.
"As soon as Mom sees his feet she'll send him back upstairs," I tell her. "He won't even put up a fight."
"Ok, we'll see."
Alex and I go downstairs into the dining room. Brian is setting up the table. I think he is purposely avoiding the kitchen. Major is in his high chair playing with his toy dinosaurs.
"Rawr rawr," Major says, pretending one of his toys is about to attack the other.
Alex and I go into the kitchen. Mom and Sage are looking at the spread of food. I must say that it looks really good. We have some turkey, yams, corn, corn on the cob, rolls, stuffing, mash potatoes, and of course we have three sweet potato pies and one cake. You're probably wondering why there are three pies. Well Brian gets his own pie, Alex gets her own pie, and the other pie is for everyone else. I'm not big on pie anyway so it doesn't bother me.
Mom and Sage look up from the spread and at us. Mom is smiling at us.
"Well girls you clean up well," she says. "Alex you look very lovely in that dress."
Alex smiles widely. "Thanks Mom."
Mom looks over at me and sighs. "Well Jordan, I love you."
I open my arms. "Hey, I'm wearing my NICE pair of jeans. No holes, no rips, and no stains. Plus look at my shoes." I lift up my foot into the air. "Look at how white this shoe is."
"It's ok Jordan," Mom says. "After all this time I know what to expect from you."
I can hear Alex laughing. Alex has her hand over her mouth trying to cover it but I can tell.
"Well I think I look nice," I tell them.
Mom approaches me and puts her hand on my cheek. "And that's all that matters honey,' she says.
She's walking out of the kitchen into the dining room. Woman tells me to dress up and I do. I can never win in this house.
"You do look nice," Sage tells Alex.
"Thank you," Alex says.
And now the kissing has begun. I can't wait for my own girlfriend to get here so we can have our own PDA. Ok, they've stopped kissing now.
"I have to go get dressed but I'll be right back," Sage tells Alex.
"Alrighty, I'll save you a seat," Alex says.
Sage walks out of the kitchen and upstairs. Alex and I walk into the dining room.
"Brian, you outdid yourself with the table this year," Mom tells Brian.
"Yes, yes I did," he says. "Thank you."
Mom is smiling, looking at the table. Then she looks at Brian. Brian just made a mistake by walking from behind the table where his feet were covered. Mom has zeroed in on the flip flops. She's shaking her head.
"You're not wearing those flip flops," Mom tells him.
"Oh come on Felicia!" Brian exclaims. "It's not like anyone is going to see my feet underneath the table."
Mom is shaking her head. "If you have to wear heels then you have to wear nice shoes."
"No one said you have to wear heels," Brian points out.
Mom crosses her arms. She's giving him that look. It's the same look Beth gives me that says if I don't do what she says then no sex for me. Oh great now I'm thinking about my parents having sex.
Brian sighs angrily. "Fine, I'll go change my footwear."
Mom smiles. "Thank you!"
Ding dong!
"Door bell!" Major yells.
"I'll get it," I tell everyone.
I walk over to the front door and open it. It's the Perez's!
"Welcome!" I greet them in my announcer voice.
I open the door wider and move out of the way so everyone can come in. Mr. and Mrs. Perez take off their jackets. They're both nicely dressed, Mr. Perez in a suit with a tie and Mrs. Perez in a lovely dark blue sweater dress. Simón is wearing khaki twill pants and a long sleeve blue/multi striped button shirt. They all look very nice.
"Y'all look very nice," I tell them.
"Oh gracias Jordan," Mrs. Perez thanks me.
"Here, I'll take your coats."
Mr. and Mrs. Perez and Simón hand me their coats. I put the coats in the coat closet.
"Will you take my coat as well?" I hear Beth ask me.
I turn around and smile at her. As always my girlfriend is looking fabulous. Beth is wearing a tank top dress. The top is a vintage pink lace tank top and the skirt is black.
"I would love to take your coat," I tell her.
Beth hands me her coat and I place it in the closet with the others. Beth and I share a greeting kiss. I walk the Perez's to the dining room where my mom is already is already sitting with Major.
"Felicia, this setting is muy bonita," Mrs. Perez tells my mom.
"Gracias Carina," Mom thanks Mrs. Perez.
Ding dong!
There's the doorbell again.
"I'll get it," I tell everyone.
I walk to the door and open it. Hey, it's Paige.
"Hi Paige," I greet her.
"Hi hon," Paige greets me back.
We share a hug as she walks into the house. I take Paige's coat. Paige is wearing one of her own designs. I can't really describe it. All I can say is that she looks really nice in it.
"You look nice Paige," I tell her. "As always."
Paige smiles widely at me. "Thank hon," she says. "I like that you added a skinny tie to your attire today."
"Yeah, I'm trying to be fancy since it is Thanksgiving dinner and all."
Paige laughs. "Of course hon."
I walk Paige to the dinner room where everyone else is. This time Alex and Sage are also at the table. Alex looks up at Paige and smiles.
"Hello Paige," Alex greets her. "You look nice."
"Thanks hon," Paige says. "So do you. Hi Sage."
"Hello Paige," Sage says. Oo that greeting didn't even seem fake or forced. Maybe we are getting somewhere.
"Alright who's ready for dinner?" Brian asks as he walks into the dining room, wearing dress shoes this time.
"Nom nom!" Major yells.
Well according to Major it is time for dinner.
Dinner:
So far dinner has gone very smoothly, of course I would think it would go smoothly since there are adults here. I mean we're all adults, except for Major, but since our parents are here I don't think any drama will ensue.
"So Paige where's Riley?" Beth asks.
I can see Alex gripping her fork. I roll my eyes, completely ridiculous.
"She couldn't get the time off to come," Paige says. "She really wanted to though. She said she wanted to experience an American Thanksgiving first hand. But they need her more than they need me right now so she had to stay."
"Oh what a shame," Alex says sarcastically.
"How is the movie going?" Mom asks Paige.
"It's good," Paige answers. "So much hard work but it's really fulfilling. I can't wait to see the finishing product."
"And you're working on your line at the same time right?"
Paige is nodding her head. "Yep. Just because I'm working on a movie doesn't mean I can forget aboot my line. I actually have some news. Right now I'm in negotiations to work with Forever 21 to lunch a line exclusively with them."
"No way!" Beth says excitedly. "Paige that's great!"
"Yeah Paigey," Alex agrees. "That's great news."
"Yay!" Major cheers. He probably has no idea what he is cheering about.
"I'm so excited," Paige says. "Forever 21 is so popular and knowing that girls all over the world will be wearing my clothes is a dream come true for me."
"Congratulations Paige," Mom says. "Your parents must be very proud of you."
Paige is nodding her head. "After I told my mother she decided to call every single relative she knows."
"Does this mean you'll be moving back to L.A. after you're done with the movie?" Sage asks.
Paige is shaking her head. "Actually I've decided that when the movie is over I'd like to move back home to Toronto. I've had my experience living away from home and meeting new people but I miss T.O. I miss being near family and friends." Paige looks over at Alex and smiles.
"Does Riley know aboot your decision?" Alex asks.
"We haven't talked aboot it yet but I'm sure she'll be very supportive of my decision," Paige says.
I raise my glass up in the air. "Here's to Paige and her future endeavors."
Everyone raises their glasses, Major raises his sippy cup. "To Paige," everyone says.
"To Paige," I hear Sage mutter.
We clink our glasses together and take a drink. I look over at Sage, who doesn't seem too happy. Oh wait, if Alex decided to go to school in Toronto and Sage goes to New York that means Alex and Paige will be closer together with Sage hours away and not able to do anything. Hmm, well I guess when April rolls around things will become more interesting.