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A Christmas Romance ( Part 1 )
Author's note: I was in the Christmas mood when I wrote this! Its not finished but it will be and I will update by parts!
While I ran around the airport, trying to find my gate, I checked my phone at the texts from my mom that I was getting non-stop. Going to my mom’s for a month will be my Christmas present from dad (plus the new laptop that was unexpected). I needed a break from the hot weather, well hot for a girl born in New York, and I needed to get back to my roots of the city.
So my home of Houston, Texas will be behind me for a month as I spent the holidays with my mom for once. Every year since my parents got divorced when I was 10, I have spent my Christmas break with my dad and step-mom in Texas, as my mom spent it back in New York City with the rest of my family. Now being 15 and dad is finally letting me travel by myself, I will be homeschooled for the next month and knowing my mom, she will teach me for an hour and then she would probably let me go out in the city, discovering life at my own rate.
When I finally found my gate, I had about 10 minuets to make sure I had everything and I took the time to reply to mom saying I was about to get on the plane and I would call when I landed. I would be taking a taxi to mom’s apartment that was just big enough her and I. I have been doing this since I was 11. Mom is more laid back than my dad is. He finally let me find my own way to the airport and check in and do stuff that my mom has been letting me do for a long time.
When I boarded my plane, I took my seat which because the plane barley had anyone on it, I had an empty seat next to me. I looked out the window at the bare ground that I would be leaving soon and I had traded with the cold, dirty snow covered grown in the city. As the flight attendants made their ways around to make sure we were all set for take off, I put my carry-on bag under my seat and closed my eyes and dreamed of the ski hill that would soon lay under my snowboard as I drifted across the frozen heaven. Two hours till’ I was back in the beautiful state of New York.
***
A few minuets after I hailed a cab to my mom’s place, I called her saying I was only a few minuets away. The traffic would add about 20 minuets on to my trip but that gave me some time to recollect memories of the city. I wasn’t foreign to it. I had spent all of my childhood and the past five summers and spring breaks here. I had a lot of friends that still live here and I was very ready to see them. I pulled out my cell phone and texted my best friend since we were in kindergarten. I haven’t seen her since August and I now will finally get to see her again.
As my cab pulled up to my mom’s apartment, I paid the taxi driver and before all of my bags were out, my mom was running out the door and onto the side walk like she had just won and Extreme Home Makeover. I put my bags down on the sidewalk and gave her a hug.
“Ah Allie, I missed you so much. How was your flight? Wait I have to tell you something.” She pulled away from me and turned around as a tall, nice looking man, walked down the steps toward us. “Allie, this is Nick, my fiancé”, she said as she put out her hand to show me the beautiful ring that was on her finger.
“Oh mom it’s beautiful. Congratulations, I’m so happy for you”, I said as I tried to sound as warm and cheerful as I could, even though I was freezing cold and I just wanted to make a mad dash inside the nice warm apartment.
“And Allie I have one more surprise. Nick and I are getting married on the 25th. I’m so excited to show you your bridesmaid dress. It’s a beautiful red and it will be so beautiful on you. Let’s go inside hun. I bet you’re cold and tired and you want some hot chocolate.”
My mom is young, only 30. Her and my dad were teenage parents and they spend half of their time making sure I don’t make the same “mistake” as them. When they say “mistake”, I know they mean me, but I don’t let it get to me. I only have had one serious boyfriend and that was last year and we are no longer together, I don’t think I’m much of worry to them.
As I walked into the apartment that seemed all too familiar to me, I could smell peppermint and hot chocolate scents fill the air around me. Nick helped me take my bags to my room, mom ran to her room to bring out a plastic bag with a beautiful red, strapless dress that seemed just to be my size.
“So Als, what do you think?”
“I love it mom. It’s so beautiful. I’m so excited now. Can’t you tell?”
“Ya I can tell hun. Want some hot chocolate?”
“Sure”, I said as I took the hot cup of my favorite drink and sipped the cool foam. “Thanks. So mom, what are your plans for tonight?
“Well Nick and I are going out to eat in the city and we should be back around 11. How about you?”
“I’m probably going to Lily’s to hang out. I haven’t seen her in forever it seems.”
“Ya. Hey how about you go unpack and then we can go shopping at Trader Joe’s and get whatever you want to eat for the next month?”
“Ok.” I ran down the hall to the room that was the perfect size for me. I pulled the five bags up to around my bed and unpacked each bag one at a time.
About an hour later, I was ready to go. Dressed in a warm jacket and boots, I pulled on a cute winter hat and went around the block to a Trader Joe’s. As I walked the aisles, I would pull out my phone to often respond to Lily, telling her I would be done in an hour.
When we got to the front of the store, my mom paid for our groceries and we walked back to the apartment. We put the groceries away and I told my mom I was leaving for Lilly’s in about 10 min. She said ok and made sure I took my phone as I went out the door. I walked four blocks to my best friend Lily’s house. The beautiful old town house was so perfect for Manhattan.
I didn’t even get to the door and Lily came running out from her house right towards me. She hugged me and kept on saying how happy she was to see me. Right behind her was Ryan, her older brother.
“Hey little kid”, said Ryan.
“Hey I’m not so little anymore. 15 baby!” I said putting up a one and a five on my fingers.
“Come here, give me a hug. Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Ya. Houston is so lonely without you there. You guys need to come down and visit sometime.”
“Totally, how about we live with you”, said Lilly laughing at the idea of her mom even letting her leave the city by herself.
We walked inside their two story home, and then we headed up to “The Hang”. “The Hang”, is Lilly and Ryan’s private hangout place located in the back of Ryan’s closet. Ryan found this hidden door one day and he climbed trough and it reviled another room, a perfect spot for a hangout. It was the perfect spot to hang and more.
Once we got in The Hang, we turned on the TV and watched That’s 70’s Show. As we joked and caught up on the good times, Lilly kept getting texts from her boyfriend and long time friend of mine too.
“So Lil, are you coming to the wedding?”
“Ya. I’m so excited to go! Did you see your dress yet? So beautiful! I helped your mom pick it out, well because we are so close in size, I got to try it on and it is so nice!”
“I know! I looked at it and I feel in love.”
“Hey girls, I’m here too”, spoke Ryan.
“Sorry bro. Hey lets go downtown to Starbucks.”
Ryan and I were ok with that so we grabbed our jackets and walked down about 4 blocks to the closet Starbucks. We sat and drank our nice coffees and then walked back to Ryan and Lily’s.
Lily was a tall skinny blonde just like me. We had been mistaken for twins before but she’s a lot prettier than I am. Ryan is tall with brown hair, with some nice muscles and a six pack to complete the package. I never thought of liking him. He’s close to me but not that close.
“Aliie, can I stay at your house tonight?” asked Lily as she walked up to her room.
“Ya. I bet my mom will say it would be cool. Hold on let me call her.” As I got the phone out of my small purse, it started to ring. Dad. Not wanting to be mean I answered the call. “Hi dad.”
“Allison Rose Hart, why did you not call me after you landed?”
“Um…, I’m sorry dad. I was so excited to be back in the city, I kinda forgot to call. But I’m safe.”
“Well as long as you are okay, I’ll let it slid, but promise to call me sometime this week. Okay hun?”
“Yes dad. I promise. Okay I have to go. Love you and talk to you soon.” I hung up my phone and walked up to Ryan’s room. I sat on his bed and then I looked up to see what he was doing.
“Hey Allie, I have a question. Which shirt do you like better?” he said as he held up two shirts, one white and one red. “For the wedding?” I judge both shirts and then decided on the red collared shirt.
“I like the red one. It matched my dress”, I said with a smile. He smiled back. Before we could say anything else, Lily came down the hall and looked into the room.
“Allie, did you call your mom?”
“Hold on one sec.” I pulled out my phone from my pocket and I talked to my mom for about a total of probably three seconds before I hung up the phone. I yelled down the hall to Lily,”Hey she said yes.” Then looking at Ryan,” Hey Ryan, I should go now. I’ll be over tomorrow.” I gave him a hug and walked out the door with Lily by me.
Once we got to my house, we were cold and all we wanted to do was sit back some nice hot chocolate that my mom had left on the counter for us. I heated up too cups and we sat in the living room and we watched some TV. We talked all night until Ryan and my mom had gotten home around 11.
“Hey mom. How was dinner?”
“It was amazing. You would have loved the little cafe we were at. It was so cute and charming. You would had loved it. Oh hi Lily.”
“Hi Diane.”
“Hey Allie, pull out the sleeper sofa. Well I’m off to bed girls. Good night.”
“Good night mom. Love you.”
“Good night Diane.”
“So girls, now that your mom is in bed want to go out in the city?” asked Nick. “Allie I really don’t know you so how about us three, we go have some fun at a club. It would be fun.”
Of course Lily and I not wanting to miss out on anything fun, we agreed and we put on some dresses I had from my closet, then I stopped and I though of maybe instead of going clubbing at 11 at night, we should go and drive around the city. So I walked down stairs and Nick agreed right away. Clubbing had to wait for now.
Lily and I got into Nick’s car and we started off toward the beautiful lights. We jammed out to music all night until we got home. Nick turned out to be really cool and I was happy my mom was marring him.
Around noon, Lily and I had just finished the amazing breakfast that my mom had made for my first day back, so we decided to go shopping for wedding gifts for my mom in the city. We both took a shower, got dressed, and then we called up Ryan and Lily’s boyfriend to meet us near Time Square in an hour. As soon as we did that, we noticed that “around Time Square”, covers a lot of ground so we decided to pick them up in my mom’s new Toyota Highland.
After we picked up the guys, and after we finally found a parking spot, we headed into some very nice, though expensive stores. The prices were so high, we could barley afford a look at them. Though we did finally find a gift that was so perfect, I had to buy it for mom and Ryan.
When I was done gift shopping, we decided we all had enough money left that if combined all of it together, we could afford a pretty nice lunch. We had our mind set on this cute little café down the street, but it was closed. So we ran up about five blocks to another café that had great food and was open.
We got a table for four of us by the window with a view of the city that was so breath taking, I couldn’t speak. I sat next to Ryan and Lily was next to her boyfriend, James.
Ryan looked at me and we talked most of the lunch because the romance couple, Lily and James, made-out most of the lunch in the backroom. I loved talking to Ryan. He was nice and cool, fun though creative. He was so funny and he invited me to a huge party at one of his friend’s house. It was going to be a huge birthday bash, probably going to be on Super Sweet 16. It was going to be sweet.
Finally after lunch, we headed to The Hang. I could only spend a few minuets there because I had to get ready for the huge party I was going to that night. We watched some TV, Ryan and I watched some making-out from Lily and James, and we ate some chips. Normal for us.
I left as soon as Ryan left to go get ready for the killer party we were going to. I picked out a short black sparkly dress from my closet, with a cute pair of black heels. I wasn’t the type of girl to get all dressed up, but because it was going to be a huge party, I made an exception.
An hour I was ready, I told mom I was leaving and I left. I meet Ryan at the corner of my block in his car and we headed off. When we got to the party, you could hear the music blasting from three blocks away. I had no clue whose party it was, but I was ready to have some fun with Nick.
I was amazed how much somebody could had spent on a party, but if there was one that was bigger and better than anybody else’s, it was this one. I have having the time of my life. Ryan was so nice to me. He never left my side the whole night, except for once.
At every party, there has to be spin the bottle, at this one it was a huge wheel, about the size of the wall, with every girl’s name that was at the party on it. A man in a nice suit got the crowds attention. He pulled a small piece of paper out of a huge tub. Ryan’s name was on it. Ryan ran up on stage, laughing and smiling the entire time. The man then spoke into the microphone, saying that Ryan will spin the wheel and the name that the spinner landed on was the girl he would kiss.
There were a lot of names on the wheel so I didn’t worry about the spinner landing on my name. Ryan took the wheel in his hand and gave it a good spin. The wheel went round and round. When it started to slow down, I had no clue which name it would land on. About three spins later, the wheel landed on one name. Mine. The man spoke into the mic, saying my name over and over. Ryan played the card that he didn’t know me. I was so grateful for him. Ryan walked off the stage, kissed less. And headed strait toward me.
“Let’s go home”, he said with a smile. I smiled back. Once we got into his car, we spoke nothing of the spin the bottle game back there. We jammed out to music all the was home. Once we got to my house, he parked on the side of the road, and walked me up to my apartment.
“Tonight, was amazing Ryan. Thanks for inviting me to that sick party.”
“No problem Allie. It was acutely really fun. I was scared that taking a 15 year old to a 18 year olds birthday party would be a total downer”, he said with a smirk.
“Well I guess it wasn’t because it looked like you had fun.”
“I did Al’s and because we didn’t do this back at the party…” he leaned in and put his beautiful lips onto mine. They stayed there for a few seconds, and then he pulled away.
“Alright Allie, see you in the morning.” Ryan walked down the hall to the elevator; I waved at him before the doors closed on him. When I saw that the elevator was going down to the lobby, I pulled out my key from my clutch bag, walked inside, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
It was a Sunday. The worst day of the weekend for all kids. Ir didn’t matter what age you were, you still thought it was the worst day of the weekend. I woke up late and went down staris for a nice bowl of ceral and milk. Mom had already left for somewhere with Ryan and left me home alone to fend for myself. I took a shower, got dressed, and then headed over to Lily and Ryan’s. I couldn’t get the amazing kiss I got last night from Ryan out of my head. It was sweet and prescious and very perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better kisser to kiss me.
Once I got to Lily and Ryan’s, I went strait to The Hang where I found Lily and Ryan. I looked at Ryan in a flirty look, the same look that Ryan was giving me. Lily didn’t even notice the chemical romance that was happening in the same room that she was in between her brother and her best friend. Instead, she was busy doing homework. Lily and Ryan went to a nice school. A school that I wanted to go to. A school that was amazing and fun. But I was to be homeschooled for the next month. Great.
“Allie, so you are starting school tomorrow?” asked Lily.
“Ya. Home school! Fun right?”
“Dude Allie that sucks”, added Ryan.
“Yep. I wish I could go to your school.”
“Oh my God Allie. That is a perfect idea! Ryan wouldn’t that be so cool. Us three, tearing up that school, one step at a time.”
“Lily, you know how bad I would love to go there. Would my mom say yes?”
“Give it a try.” So I did. I pulled out my phone and called my mom. The talk went on for about three minuets. My mom said yes. I was going to the coolest school ever for the next month.
***
Monday is my least favorite day of the week. Though I’m going to a new school with my two best friends, what could go wrong? Everything. I got lost a million times trying to find at least one of my classes, I feel in the hallway four times, and I got caught for PDA my first day and all I was doing was holding Ryan’s hand and you could barley see our hands.
The chemistry I had been having with Ryan, is amazing. We try everyday to hide it from the rest of the world but someday it will come out. Though when? I don’t know but all I know now is I like Ryan and he likes me. I never thought I would like him like that. He was hot and nice, but he’s my best friend’s brother.
3…2…1…, the final bell rang. Kids poured out into the hallways and by the time I reached my car, the traffic to get out of school was about a mile long. I waited 20 minuets to get out of the schools parking lot. It would take me another 30 minuets to get home. The school was out side of the city so it took longer to get all the way back. I carpooled with Lily and Ryan in mom’s Highlander back to the city where the lights greeted us as we drove in.
Once we got to Lily and Ryan’s, I parked the car and went strait to the hang where I sat next to Ryan on the couch. I liked being with him. He made me feel safe and he left me happy.
Lily was getting is suspicious because we have been doing an awful lot together, though she never confronted Ryan nor I on the situation. I wanted to keep it that way but knowing Ryan, Lily, and I couldn’t keep a secrets, specially ones about each other. This horrible trait has led us to some trouble on the past.
Homework’s a drag, especially when you first go to a new school and all of the homework you have is to study for mid-terms next week. Lily was a genius and I was smart, though not a 4.0 student like Lily and Ryan were. With their mom being a doctor and their dad a fabulous lawyer, they had to be smart. Ryan wanted to a sports medicen doctor and Lily wanted to work with snowboards and skateboards, her two favorite sports in the world, and mine too!
After our study session, I went home for some family time. I didn’t want to leave Ryan and Lily’s but mom had some big Christmas thing planned and I wasn’t going to miss anything that had to do with Christmas nor my family. I drove strait home, well after I stopped at Starbucks for a coffee. I was excited for a hopefully fun night!
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