I Can't Be Without You

"Oh my GOD! Rainbow toe socks!" I exclaimed opening Matts Christmas present. So Matt was right, he only spent about 5 dollars on my present. I loved it, just like I said I would.Every one laughed at me when I got over excited about toe socks. "Hey! It's an awesome present, okay?" I put the socks off to the side and moved onto Marque and Jazz's present. They both watched me, excited grins on their faces. I opened the present faster to see what they were so excited about. I unwrapped the neat present and nearly attack-hugged the Baxter siblings. It was a Heil microphone. It was silver and red and looked amazing. I had one, but it ended up exploding on me. Airin looked at the microphone and frowned slightly.

"She already has that one." Airin said. I saw Marque and Jazz's face fall into a slight depressing stare at the floor. I narrowed my eyes at Airin.

"My old one 'sploded. Don't judge it." I said almost menacingly at Airin. I turned to Marque and Jazz and smiled. "I love it. Thank you! But how did you afford it?"

"We saved our paycheques from work." Jazz said. I smiled and thanked them repetedly.

Everyone seemed satisfied with their presents, and the day was great overall. I didn't, however, recieve a present from Airin, and he didn't normally forget anyone in his family. I shrugged it off thinking he forgot to grab it. I wasn't that worried about it.

The group of teenagers and Keith were sitting in the 'Jaulby Band Room' as Marque called it. Keith had picked up a guitar and had started playing something. Jazz was mesmerized at Keith's playing.

"Does every one in your family play an instrument of some kind?" Jazz flung her arms up, starting to become fed up that most of the Jaulby's were talented.

"Well..dad plays guitar...mom plays piano...Umm...I think uncle Brady plays saxaphone..." Airin started.

"Okay! Okay! Your family is talented!" Jazz frowned, putting her face in her hands. "Fucking talented people..." she muttered. Jazz couldn't play an instrument very well. She played the egg shaker, and that was about it.

"Hey, let's not have to have a hostile situation! I dont want any of that!" Keith said turning off the guitar amp.

"I wouldn't of gotten hostile!" Jazz said defensively.

"He's kidding Jazz." Airin said.

"Oh...well then!." Jazz huffed and pouted, leaning back against her chair. "Be that way." There was scattered laughter. Marque looked contemplative, and then he looked out the small window in the basement. It was snowing.

"Dudes...we should go outside!" He said.

"Why? It's cold and icky out there!" Keith said. He wasn't a fan of snow.

"Oh, just put your big girl panties on and deal with it Keith!" I said, getting up to get my boots and coat on. Marque, Jazz, and after a while, Keith got his stuff on.

"I'll be out in a few seconds." Airin said, staying downstairs. The rest of us went outside, our parents telling us numerous times to be careful and to not get 'run over by speedy vehicles on the road' as my dad put it.
As soon as Keith got outside, he started complaining about the cold. It's then when Jazz, Marque and I all picked up handfuls of snow and started throwing it at him. Keith tried to duck behind the cars in the drive way, but failed when Jazz launched a massive snowball at Keith.

"Oh, that is IT!" Keitn said, picking up a rather large snowball that he had caught from earlier. He heaved it at Jazz, who dove into a snowback on the front lawn. The snowball hit Marque right in the face, and he looked utterly shocked.

"Hey! No throwing that at him!" Everyone turned to see Airin standing in sheltered part of the drive way, wearing a large puffy coat and a toque that represented a penguin, which Marque gave him for Christmas. Every one paused, and exchanged glances.

"GET HIM!" Marque yelled out, throwing a massive snowball at him. We all pelted Airin with the snow and he flailed his arms around trying to protect his face. After we had flung snowballs at him, my phone started to ring in my pocket. I took my gloves off and waved my arms to not throw any snowballs at me. I answered the call.

"Hello?" I asked, my fingers frozen, teeth chattering.

"Sounds like you need someone to warm you up." Josh said. He sounded just as cold as I did.

"As do you!" I chattered into the phone. The cold was starting to get to me.

"Well, turn around and then maybe I can give you some body heat." I was utterly confused.

"What are you talking about?" I asked as I turned around. And sure enough, Josh was there, leaning against his car. He hung up his phone. It took me a few seconds to shut my phone. "Oh my God! What are you doing home?" Josh walked towards me and embraced me in a hug. This hug felt different. It felt more intimate than any other one that we had before. I didn't want to let go of Josh for two reasons. One, I was cold. Two, I never, ever wanted to let him go. He was too special to me to lose.

"Thank Airin for this." Josh whispered in my ear. I let go of Josh periodically and looked at Airin. Airin was smiling widely.

"Merry Christmas Jaws." Airin said. I smiled at Airin and then turned back to Josh who hugged me once again.

"I love you Jaws." Josh said, kissing the top of my head. I felt my face starting to burn. I smiled into Josh's jacket-protected chest, and for the first time in a long while, everything was starting to fall into place.

"I love you Josh."