Holidays in the Hood

“Yo! Leon! Where’s the remote?”

“On the end table.”

“Can you get it for me?”

“Get off your fat ass and get it yourself!”

“But Lee!”

“No butts!”

“But…what about Jay’s butt?”

“Well…that’s an exception.”

“Hey! What about mine?”

“Yours too, Charlie.”

Charlie grinned triumphantly and stuck his tongue out at his fellow band member, who scowled from under his sailor hat.

“She loves me more than you,” Charlie stated cockily.

Leon shook her head, her red waves bouncing, “That’s not true. I adore Johnny!”

Johnny smirked and adjusted his hat, “Then can you get me the remote?”

Leon frowned, “I’m trying to decorate the tree! Don’t be a lazy ass!”

“Yeah, George, don’t be a lazy ass,” Charlie mimicked.

Leon simply ignored them and continued taking the ornaments from out of the old cardboard box. They were ones she had cherished since she was a child, and now that the guys were practically her only family, they should get to see them and enjoy them too.

Just as she put up a snowflake on one of the branches, Leon felt someone smack her backside before chuckling darkly and walking away and out of reach.

She turned around and huffed, “Matt! Stop that!”

He shrugged, “Couldn’t help myself.”

Charlie rolled his eyes, “Fucking pussy snake.”

“You’re just jealous the ladies don’t like you,” Matt argued.

“Oh, the ladies love me. Isn’t that right, Lee?” Charlie asked, looking expectantly at Leon.

“My sister sure does,” she mumbled.

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” Leon said quickly, busying herself with hanging up more ornaments, including a small snowman and a red and green glittery ball. She didn’t want to let anything else slip more than it already had.

A girl with sleek, straight black hair skipped into the room and jumped onto the couch, seating herself by Johnny.

“Hey, Johnny-boy!”

“Hey, Ellie,” he laughed.

Ellie jumped up again, stealing Johnny’s hat and running over to Charlie, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Charlie looked down at the short girl, slightly surprised.

“Why, hello there,” he greeted.

Ellie smiled up at him, brushing her long bangs out of her face, “Save me from Johnny!”

With that she latched herself tighter onto Charlie and pushed her face into his chest, unsuccessfully trying to hide Johnny’s hat and keeping it from being stolen.

Well, more like taken back by its owner.

Leon shook her head, continuing to decorate the tree and ignore the three and their playing around. There was serious business that needed to be done yet. The tree wasn’t decorated, cookies weren’t made for Santa, and presents weren’t wrapped. And Christmas was in two days.

While Ellie tried to fight of Johnny and Charlie held her in an inappropriate manner, which was not uncommon, Dillon walked into the room. He stopped in the doorway to stare at Leon, who was bent over picking up more ribbon to wrap around the tree.

He whistled, “Damn, girl. We should have you set up our tree more often!”

Leon turned around, trying to hold a glare but failing. She laughed instead and stood up, smoothing out her low cut, green sweater.

“Or you guys could stop being lazy and do it yourselves. That means you too, Ellie.”

Ellie frowned, managing to escape Charlie and throwing Johnny’s hat across the room for him to fetch.

“You know I don’t do work!”

“And we’re perfectly okay with that. You don’t need to worry your pretty little head about doing anything,” Charlie said, putting an arm around the side of Ellie and resting his hand on her butt.

“Charlie, get your hand off her ass,” Leon scolded, sending Charlie a warning look.

Ellie shook her head, “No need, sis. He’s perfectly fine where he is!”

Dillon laughed, “You two ain’t nothing alike. You sure you all are sisters?”

Leon pulled up a small stool and got up on it, reaching up to put the star on the top of the tree. She gave Dillon a side glance.

“Sadly, yes, I’m sure.”

Ellie gasped, partially from fake shock and also from Charlie pinching her backside, “How dare you!”

Charlie chuckled, “You know you loved it.”

“Not you,” Ellie said, giving Charlie a wink, “my so-called sister!”

Leon shrugged and put the star on the tree, smiling at how the golden exterior glistened in the dim light from the standing lamp in the corner and also from the lights on the tree. She considered it a job well done.

“Jay! Come and see how good Leon made the tree look!” Matt yelled.

Johnny covered up his ears, “Your voice is so fucking loud!”

Matt stuck out his tongue and crossed his arms, displeased with everyone picking on him.

Leon walked over and patted him on the head, “There, there, Matt. I love you, loud voice and all.”

He smiled, satisfied with the redhead’s praise and Johnny scowled again.

“I already told you that I loved you, Johnny. That was your only chance,” Leon joked.

“What’s with the yell-oh hey! The tree looks fucking awesome!”

Leon giggled, “Thank you, Jay.”

Ellie sent her sister a knowing look, “Uh-huh.”

Leon narrowed her eyes at Ellie, who looked away innocently.

Jay looked between the two girls, “You two do not act like twins. Really. I still don’t believe you are.”

“Three years and you still don’t believe us?” Ellie pouted.

“I believe you!” Charlie exclaimed, squeezing Ellie in a hug.

Leon held a blank look, “I don’t believe it either.”

It was true, the twins looked hardly anything alike, and their personalities had quite a few differences. Leon had bright red, wavy hair with cool, gray eyes while Ellie had straight deep, black hair and light brown eyes. Leon was more sarcastic and not as easily amused, while Ellie was hyper and joked around a lot. The two girls shared their flirtatious ways, though, which was how they met the guys years ago when they were just 18.

“Twins…who would’ve thought we’d get so lucky?” Dillon said, throwing an arm around Leon and another around Ellie.

Leon chuckled, “You make us sound like your sex toys, Dil.”

Dillon simply wiggled his eyebrows, “You should be.”

Ellie giggled and Leon tried to hide the smile that threatened to show through. Johnny laughed and shook his head, grabbing the back of Dillon’s shirt and pulling him down on the couch beside him.

“Leave the poor girls alone!”

Dillon looked sad, “But they’re my little bunnies!”

Ellie stuck her fingers up imitating rabbit ears and Leon slapped her forehead and walked away, mumbling about how they were not, and never would be Playboy bunnies. It didn’t matter how much Dillon dreamt about it, it just wouldn’t happen.

“You know, I think I just realized what I want for Christmas,” Jay said, tapping his chin.

“And what’s that?” Leon asked, trying to hide her curiosity.

He smirked at her, “Twins dressed in skimpy little bunny outfits under my tree. Know where I could find some?”

Ellie grinned at her sister, who looked a tad flushed, “I think we could find some.”

Jay smiled mischievously, “Great. What do you want for Christmas, Lee?”

Leon bit her lip, “The usual, you know. Money, CDs, a puppy…”

…you.