These Lines Were Never Established

Hayley yawned as she woke up the next morning. Looking around the bed was empty. With Tito in hand she shimmied down the side of the bed and began heading down stairs.

“No! No!” She could hear her dad laughing as he spoke. “That goes there….no I’m not sure! But that’s where I think it should go!” He laughed.

Wandering down the stairs she listened closely as her father and uncles seemed to argue a bit, laughter in their voices as they did so.

“Because! I’m going over board!” Travis threw his arms up at the idea. “I planned and I planned too much and I’m sticking too it! Blame Jo!” He pointed at the woman untangling lights the boys hand managed to tangle right out of the box. “She helped me over plan.”

“Yup sure did!” Jolene chirped happily at the idea. She always over did Holidays and she was going to do it for Hayley this time and not just herself!

“You suck.” Andy grumbled at her darkly holding onto the top end of the real tree in the middle of the living room. It wasn’t a big tree but he was still getting poked by pine needles.

“And I’m good at it too!” She smirked listening to all the boys choke on their own spit or something they were drinking. “Besides that’s not even the main tree!” She chirped going back to untangling her lights.

“What do you mean… not the… main … tree…?” Jim whispered slowly looking from Jolene’s evil smirk to Travis’s sheepish one.

“Um… I’m going to cut the big one down with Hayley.” Travis whispered softly.

“We’ve already moved two!” Andy gasped at him looking at the other tree by the kitchen archway with no lights or ornaments on it. “We’re going to move a bigger one?” Travis nodded weakly. “How much bigger?”

Travis laughed nervously as he glanced at the space between the glass back door and long wall that the second story looked over like a loft. The corner was ready for a massive tree, one Travis and Jolene had picked out earlier that day.

Giving a nervously laugh he turned to his friends eyeing the spot.

“You gotta be kidding me…” Erik groaned hanging his head while holding the trunk of the small tree. “Crap…” He drew it out as Travis laughed nervously.

“Jolene you’re a horribly horrible influence.” Special grumbled wrapped up in lights with Tommy next to him trying to untangle them. How they tangled up lights as soon as they were out the box was a confusing situation.

“I know. Now, you two.” She pointed sternly. “Other side of the stairs by the door! The stand is there.” She laughed pointing at it.

Huffing, the two men moved towards it grumbling at the idea of having to move a bigger tree into the huge house and decorate it too.

Hayley looked at all the lights lit up on the floor as they checked and untangled them. Glittery balls lingered across every flat surface in boxes with clear lids. Holding onto the railings halfway down the stairs she glanced around at everyone.

Giggling at Tommy and Special tangled together in the string of glittering lights and Jolene talking with Travis as she untangled others while he took more things out of bags. Empty bags were every where and all the furniture was moved around in odd places.

“Wha iz it?” Hayley whispered to Tito. The tiger looked up at her from the step down from her and shrugged.

“I don’t know.” He whispered. “It’s pretty though.” He grumbled grabbing the bars as well looking around at everyone. Hayley nodded with a giggle.

Everyone looked up at the giggle.

“Did you have a nice nap?” Special asked looking at the little girl behind the bars.

“Uh-huh. Yew sark’el…” She giggled at him. Special laughed as well with everyone else.

“Yes, yes I do.” He laughed as well.

“Wha do?” She gasped grabbing Tito and moving down the stairs more towards all the sparkles and glitter.

“It’s Christmas!” Jolene cheered. Laughing she dropped the lights and rushed to the girl picking her up. Spinning her around she giggled as Hayley laughed. “Do you know what Christmas is?!” Jo gasped at her happily.

“Uh-huh!” Hayley cheered back. Travis sighed a breath of relief. Atleast he didn’t have to explain that to her. “Eye w’ike Kiss-mas!” She giggled happily. Hugging onto Jolene she grinned at everyone.

“We’re going to cut down the big Christmas tree later.” Travis stated, earning groans from his friends. “You wanna do that?” Travis asked looking at her. She nodded quickly at him

Hayley clung to Debbie’s neck watching as Travis and Robert began cutting the tree down. Her large hazel eyes focusing on the movements they made and the way the large tree began to sway. They’d been cutting it for quite some time now.

“Alright everybody move!” Travis yelled as the tree began to fall. Both he and Robert ran for it to the safety with the others.

As the tree slowly began to fall everyone watched it go. The air rushing threw the pine needles and branches and then it hit with a thundering smack and swish into the snow covered ground. Cheering they all clapped at the sight of what was going to be the main Christmas tree.

“You know I hate you right Travis?” Andy called from somewhere in the branches carrying the tree since ‘they shouldn’t drag it! It’ll rip off branches.’ According to Debbie and Jolene.

“Yeah, I kinda hate myself.” Travis laughed. “Who’s leading?” He yelled, laughter in his voice as he looked around seeing nothing but pine needles.

“I am!” Robert laughed back at the group.

“Thank god!” Half the group laughed knowing if someone else was leading they were going to be lead around in circles or into a brick wall.

It took an hour to maneuver the massive tree into the house and into place. It stood tall and proud in the corner, the top of it reaching over the second floor balcony with ease as everyone marveled at it.

“Well, if I do nothing else in life atleast I know I can get the biggest tree known to man into Travis’s house.” Tommy grumbled looking at the sap covering him, like the rest of the guys. “By the way, next year, you’re on your own.” He laughed.

“Dude, we need ladders to decorate this whole tree.” Erik laughed eyeing it. The group nodded.

“Hell,” Andy’s head lurched forward, cutting his statement off. Jolene glared at him as Hayley watched her Uncle confused. “Heck.” He stated glaring at the woman. “We need a cherry picker to decorate this tree.”

The room groaned at the idea.

“State getting the ladders boys. Us girls are going to start on a massive dinner for you.” Debbie smiled bouncing Hayley in her arms as she went to the kitchen.

“But I want Hayley to help decorate…”Travis whispered.

“Start from the top and work you’re way down when you get closer to the bottom she can help.” Debbie called.

“Works for me.” Travis shrugged eyeing the tree.

“Alright boys, ladder time!” Jolene clapped heading towards the tree.

“Or…” Travis pointed smiling.

“No or Pastrana!” Jolene barked glaring at him. “Ladders.” With grumbles and swears under their breaths the boys headed to the garage to get the mention ladders.

“Dude,” Jim laughed as they gathered all the ladders they could find.

“So what was or?” Special prodded at his cousin. Travis looked up startled by the question, so focused on what else he had to do for the massive looming holiday approaching he’d forgotten about the others.

“Oh a pulley system.” Travis nodded setting down a smaller ladder. “Hook someone up to it from above the tree use Tommy as the counter balance,” The large man’s mouth dropped open. “And have Tommy move towards the tree to lower someone or away to raise them.”

“I like it.” Special nodded with Greg, Jim, and Andy.

“Thanks guys.” Tommy grumbled crossing his arms.

“What? You’ll stand somewhere for a while eating and drinking beer till we tell you to slowly moved forwards or backwards!” Andy laughed at him. Tommy paused. “You would barely have to do anything!”

“I like it!” Tommy smiled nodding at the idea of doing nothing. Travis waved a hand.

“Jo’ll kill ya’ll if she see’s ya tryin’ anyfing but a ladda.” Hubert stated simply. The guys looked around. “You want that ov’a ya heads?” The garage grew silent. “’sides how ya’ll gonna do the whole dang tree? Ya got one pully and one counta weight, straight line up-n-down.” With that Hubert grabbed a big ladder and went inside.

“Damn Tennessee redneck!” They yelled at him for ruining their plan.

“I hate when he’s right.” Erik laughed picking up and ladder as well. “Hate it.” He laughed again. The others nodded agreeing.