Better Off

18

The days fly by, and before I know it the holidays are right around the corner. The next thing I know, it's already Thanksgiving break. It's busy at my house, the way it always is this time of year. It's a tradition in my family to have a big Thanksgiving dinner, our house filled with relatives. My dad's brother will be coming this year with his family, along with my grandparents and my mother's two sisters.

As much as I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas, I find that I unusually dread them this year, too. Because, even though I'll be surrounded by my family, I know that the one person I really want to be with can't come over. That's the sucky part about having a boyfriend you know your parents would hate. You can't do any of the normal couple things, like celebrate Christmas at your house.

Plus, it hurts me to think that Thorne will be relatively alone during the major holidays. Sure, he'll be with his friends. But it's different. He should be with his family, but he doesn't have that in his life.

"Mia!" There's a loud knock on my door, startling me. I'm sitting on my bed, curled up with Thorne's sweatshirt, unable to stop myself from thinking about him. Before I respond, my door opens to reveal my mother. "Your aunt Stephanie just got here with Olivia and Brynn." Mom is talking about her sister and her two daughters. "Come downstairs and say hi."

"Coming," I tell her, pulling myself out of the bed. Today is Thanksgiving, so I'm supposed to be on my best behavior and look presentable for my family. I leave my hair down, but I don't bother wearing something nice. I just pull Thorne's over-sized sweatshirt over my head, leaving on my jeans.

Before I know it, the rest of my family appears. I say hi to my grandparents, my grandmother giving me a big red-lipped kiss on the cheek and leaving behind a lipstick print that I rush to wipe off. My dad's brother, Bryan, makes a bunch of dad jokes that I awkwardly laugh at. My cousin Brynn complains about everything in her midst, and my mom's other sister, Karen, rants on and on about her daughter, Julie, as usual. Julie brags about this guy that she's been going out with, not-so-subtly asking if I'm seeing anyone. I lie and say no, wishing I could tell the truth while knowing that I can't.

I wander into my room around ten, the rest of my family (the relatives that are going to stay the night) talking in the den. I pull my phone out, deciding that if I can't see Thorne, I might as well check on him.

He answers on the first ring, which makes me smile. "Hey," I say, wondering what he's up to.

"Hey, Sunshine," he answers nonchalantly. "Your family dinner done yet?"

"Yeah, it—" I stop short, raising an eyebrow. "Wait. How'd you know I was having a family dinner?"

Thorne laughs on the other end at the same time I hear something ping against my window. "Look outside, Sunshine."

I cross my room suspiciously, drawing my curtains and looking out the window. Sure enough, there's Thorne, standing in my backyard and waving up at me. I can feel myself start to panic immediately, my heart seizing in my chest. If my parents caught him here, they'd never let me see him again. He means too much to me to let that happen.