Secret Red

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Christmas Eve arrived sooner than expected, Alison was busy helping her mother prepared the food since afternoon. They were usually busy on each Christmas eve, preparing meals for their families and friends. However, this year, they would only be serving between them and a few of Alison's friends. The clock showed half past four in the evening when the doorbell rang. Standing by the door were Jason, Loraine and Layla.

"Hi! Wow you're so... Christmas-y" She looked at Loraine who was wearing a red sweater with jeans and topped with a Christmas themed headband. They stepped inside the house which smelled amazing.

"Well, isn't it nice to finally see you without your glasses. Gosh, smells so good! Now I'm famish." Layla declared taking in the fragrance of the roasted turkey. Her father was watching in the living room as her friends greeted him and Jason took a seat with him while Alison together with Loraine and Layla offered to help her mother with plating the dishes.

"Dinner is ready!" Her mother called out from the dining room and they all rushed to take their seat at the table.

"Are we waiting for anyone else?" Her mother asked looking at the empty seat with the table setting ready, when the doorbell rang.

"That's Corey." Alison replied walking towards the door and opened to see a smirking Corey in his Rudolf sweater and she can't help but chuckled at his Christmas spirit while he complimented her look without her glasses.

"Sorry I'm late, I just finished my family's Christmas dinner, ready for round two. Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Brooke." He took his seat beside Jason just in time to say grace. They ate together over a few corny jokes thrown by Corey, a little tease and jokes from everyone that filled the room with laughter. Once they finished dinner, they went to sit in the living room to play games together.

"What?!" Alison asked bursting out laughing together with everyone else at Corey.

"De hailhan his ha had ha hraer!" Corey tried to pronounce as clearly as he could while wearing the huge mouth piece that you would usually wear at a dentist to prevent your mouth from closing, playing the speak out game.

"The mailman? Is a... what?" Alison cackled with laughter again at Corey's frustration.

"Had ha hraer! Haaadd! Haaa! Hraaer!" Everyone was laughing, even Layla and her mother had tears at the corner of their eyes due to their endless laughter.

"Ha hive huh." Corey took out his mouthpiece.

"The mailman is a bad ball player." Corey corrected.

"Oh, that was a good one!" Her father commented in between his laughter. They continued a few more rounds, each taking a turn until they felt their cheeks burning from laughing too much and decided to wrap up the game.

"Your parents are totally cool." Corey said whilst they all sat together in the living room drinking hot chocolate after her parents had left them.

"Yeah, they are. Though, too cool that comes as embarrassing at times." She replied cupping her cup.

"It was nice. Dinner and family game nights. We've never had any of that." Loraine desponded glancing at Jason who messed up her hair lovingly.

"Yeah, same here. At least you got Jason." Layla pouted.

"At least we have each other, right? And you are all always welcome to come here anytime. Anyway, it's always too quiet with just the three of us." Alison said sincerely giving Layla and Loraine a hug.

"Thanks." Layla and Loraine replied at the same time. They finished their hot chocolate and finally ended the wonderful Christmas eve and went home.

The next morning, Alison went downstairs ready to open the Christmas gifts wrapped under the tree. She opened both presents from her parents. The first was a sapphire blue sweatshirt that she had asked a few months ago from her father, the other was a sleeveless lavender leotard from her mother.

"Thanks. Merry Christmas" She hugged both her parents.

"So, boys. What's going on with you and Jason?" Her father blurted out.

"What! Nothing. We're just friends." She answered as honestly as she could.

"Doesn't look like nothing to me. You both kept stealing glance like a mouse trying to steal a blob of cheese from a cat. I can see it in your eyes, the way you look at him. All I'm saying is that, he does seems like a nice kid but I still want you to be careful. Make sure that he really is as serious as you. Don't let him think of you merely as an amusement  or of the sort. Cause if he did, you won't even want to know what I'd do to him especially after everything you've went through. I don't want you to get hurt." Her father affirmed.

"Yes, dad. I know. Don't worry about me." She replied looking down, in truth, she does not know, has no idea what was going on between her and Jason. Somehow, she felt that there was something between them from the way he would stare deep into her ocean blue eyes, the way he touched her skin, the connection she felt when they talked or was it just in her head? She was too afraid to confront him, afraid that he did not actually feel the same way, afraid of her own feelings which was something that she had not felt before, afraid of getting hurt, afraid of her past, afraid of her secrets, afraid that she might hurt him. Yet she craves for him.

Why does my heart beats erratically when I see him? Why does my mind feel at ease when I'm with him? Why does my skin burn when we touch? Why does my hand yearn to touch his face?

The days passed until it was night of New Year's Eve. Layla had been dragging her to the New Year's Eve party.

"Gosh, you do know how crowded it would be, right?" She whined, Layla pulled her out of the car together with Shane towards the huge crowded park. There stood Rob with Loraine cuddling. After a fortnight of being left by Rob, apparently devastated Loraine more than they would have thought. Corey was a few feet away with his arms on a pretty brunette girl. Jason was standing with his eyes locked onto his phone.

"Ally! Layla!" Loraine called out, making Jason to lift his head up towards Alison and smirked. Instantly feeling butterflies in her stomach. Alison, keep yourself together! It was another hour till midnight, the place was already packed with people.

"Already made your resolutions?" Jason asked offering her a soda laying himself down on the grass beside her.

"No. I'm not ready for the new chapter, yet." She depressed, as Leah glimpsed through her thought. She felt teary knowing that this was the first new year she spent without Leah. They would usually make a list of resolutions for the new year together and checklist them as the year ended.

"Thinking of something?" He noticed.

"Just how the year had gone by. How's your year had gone?" She turned to him who was staring at the sky. She studied his facial features, he was indeed handsome with his angular face, sharp jawline. His dark brown hair was thick just as his eyebrows. His brown eyes and gracious Lord, those dimples on either side of his cheeks. It showed every time he smiled or smirked, like what he's doing right now.

"Don't drool over me, Ariel." He smirked noticing that she had been staring.

"Aren't you cocky?" She scoffed looking away trying to hide her burning cheeks.

"I think this year went great so far, considering I met a feisty red headed girl." He smirked raising his eyebrow as he continued to look at her.

"They're counting down already." He exclaimed standing up offering his hands out for her to reach while the crowd yelled out together counting down the second, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

"Happy new year, Ariel." He towered over her with his impressive six foot two inches height. Looked down to her beautiful face and claimed her lips, marking the new year as the fireworks filled the sky with colorful sparks. The kiss was brief yet meaningful, the way he kissed her was gentle and the way his hands caressed her cheeks was tender. They parted and looked up to the never-ending fireworks.

"It's amazing." She dazed looking at the burst of colors.

"Indeed." His eyes still lingered on her as she noticed and blushed at his comments, even though she realized how cheesy it sounded.

"There you are! Happy new year!" Layla and Shane wished both of them. She can only hope for the better in the new year.