Boyfriend for Christmas

"Drunk and grumbling all about how I can't sing
, but all you are is mean

. All you are is mean, and a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life-"

My forehead pressed against the frosty window as I mouthed along to the words, my warm breath gently fogging the window. Trees and snow, rocks and snow, snow and snow, this was all I saw beyond my vague reflection in the window. My hand was warm wrapped in Casey's. Casey O'Mally was a silly boy with silly dreams and a large, yet fleeting heart. His love was honest and true, and that is what mattered most to me.

A blistering cold wind chilled me to the bone, but a chorus of laughter from the back seat warmed my heart. Glancing in the side mirror, I noticed my two best friends since birth, Star and Nancy, leaning out the window to embrace the falling snow, giggling and squealing as Nancy's boyfriend, Steven, tried to pull them back in, hollering about how this trip won't be fun if they get sick early. Smiling to myself, I shut my eyes. This would be a wonderful getaway from reality, and this time I could spend it with someone who cared about me.



There was one other car parked outside of cabin thirty-eight. It was beautiful, as always. It was, I suppose you could describe it as, partially, built into the steep side of the mountain slope. Quickly, Star, Nancy, and I ran into the cabin, leaving Casey and Steven to deal with the luggage. We kicked our shoes off at the entrance and placed them on the shoe shelf. That was rule number one: no shoes inside. We learned it the hard way our first year to the cabin. We tracked in snow and mud, and no one wanted to clean it, but everyone complained.

Holding hands, we dashed through the living room toward the kitchen, then ran up the stairs where there were three bedrooms. One was the master with private bathroom and balcony, and the other two were small with a Jack and Jill bathroom. Star and Nancy quickly found their room. It was the only they always had; well at one point it was us.

Nancy and I grew up upon reaching high school and ended up with boyfriends; my relationships normally never lasted past finals to make it to the cabin trip. So instead of having Nancy and her boyfriend move out, I let her boyfriend take my spot and I stayed in the master bedroom with the people who came to have a good time and not to have sex.

Star didn't mind sharing the room with Nancy and her boyfriend, even if they were having sex right next to her. She was always a spiritual person and understood at a young age that sex was a natural and spiritual thing. She was always seeking a higher being and the greater meaning of life. When she was sixteen she swore off boys and being materialistic since they were distracting to her search. All Star needed was the minimum to survive and loved it. So she didn't care about sex, just the happiness of others so if sex made them happy, then by-gone she'd let them go at it. Nancy and I thought she was basically a nun without having to go all out holy.

I opened the other bedroom and saw there were suitcases stacked against the wall and smiled to myself. "James, Corie and Steegs are here," I replied, walking to the master bedroom and finding two suitcases, "There are two in the master too."

"Well whose are they? I hope they're not you-know-who's," Star asked popping her head in over my shoulder.

"We're not in Harry Potter, Star. You can say his name." Nancy stood behind us, arms folded across her chest.

Sighing I shook my head and smiled, "I don't know whose they are, but it doesn't matter. It's not like he'd decide to show up."

The three of us headed downstairs to the kitchen and then looked down the open stairs to the finished basement. Down in the basement were two more bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a large living room. The basement held room for fourteen more people: three in each bedroom and eight in the living room.

We could house a lot of people, twenty-four to be exact, but there were only sixteen of us who were consistent. The other spaces we had room for were for renting. Kids who wanted to go out and stay at a cabin rented the living room from us and that was used for damages and upkeep, groceries, and whatever Star wanted to spend it on. This was her grandparents' cabin before they passed. This year Star wasn't renting out to anyone; a unanimous decision to just spend time with the big sixteen was made just after Christmas last year when a few complaints were made about the renters getting in the way.

Taking the stairs, we investigated and saw a few suitcases.

"Where is everyone? Their shit's here. What a warming welcome, assholes," Star huffed, kicking a duct taped and patched up duffle-bag that looked like Max's.

Nancy laughed and waved us over. "Over here! Found them. They're down at the lake skating, those losers."

"Guess they couldn't wait. Lets help the guys and we'll join them." Smiling a little wider, I ran back upstairs just as Casey and Steven brought in the last of the luggage. I grabbed my two cases from Casey's hands, kissing him chastely before running upstairs and setting them down in my usual corner.

Opening my case with my shoes, I grabbed my ice skates. They were white leather, fur on the inside, and perfect as they could be for skates I've had since high school. As Casey made it upstairs and saw my smiling disposition, found his own black skates he wore when he played hockey. We raced down to the basement and out the back porch door onto the back deck, then down the wild, curving wooden path that lead to the lake dock.

"Hidey-ho! Is that you Amity?" Corie Elroy skated over, her red hair long and beautiful as always. A cry escaped her lips as her boyfriend Murello Steegs grabbed her from behind.

"¡Por fin! It took you long enough Cadooey," Steegs exclaimed. "What was the hold up?"

"Look Steegs, we've been over this many times. One, stop it. I stopped comprehending Spanish after middle school. Two, it's Cadieux." I laughed and shook my head, tying my laces. "There was a pile of snow blocking the mountain road so instead of turning around and taking the five hour detour, we dug out the snow for two."

"No way! You're kidding me. How deep was the pile?" Corie's eyes were wide in disbelief.

"Not that bad. Three yards deep, about one yard high," Casey said sitting down beside me and getting his shoes off. "I'm Casey."

"Casey! It's nice to finally put a face with a name. Oh my gosh, Star! Where's Nancy? I thought she was coming with you two?" Corie grinned and skated away from Casey over to where Star plopped down beside me while Steegs made introductions with Casey. Zack Bates came over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before turning to Casey and Steegs.

I tuned Steegs and Casey out while I tuned in on Star and Corie's conversation. "Hey boo! Missed you! Nancy and Steven couldn't wait any longer. So, who else is here?"

We rolled our eyes at Nancy and Steven. They needed to officially marry and have babies already.

"Well, Janie's here with Zack this year, but she's sleeping. She got sick from the altitude. Max and Mazie got here right after us, and then.... well...." Corie suddenly seemed uncomfortable, glancing at me quickly.

"Then what?" Star and I asked together.

Sighing, Corie pouted. "Don't be mad Amity, but he's here, and with a girl. Max and Mazie took them to the store to get groceries."

"What?!"



Casey and I skated around for a long while, well after everyone else left. By the time we made it up to the cabin, Nancy had just finished boiling a pot of hot water to make hot chocolate with for everyone. Everyone was in the kitchen, the radio was on, playing Something With Numbers. They were swaying to the beat, singing along to "Apple of the Eye."

We passed around the hot beverages, adding marshmallows to our own discretion. We moved from the kitchen to the front living room and sat around the couches, a few standing up, chatting, reminiscing and swaying to the music. Casey and Steegs, Zack, and Janie were hitting it off on one couch while Star, Yale Thomas, Bea McKinney, and James Hale swayed with the music and talked. Nancy, Corie, and I crowded onto one couch and began chatting about the recent news Corie had broken to me down at the dock.

"I can't believe him! I thought this was the big sixteen. What an ass," Nancy swore, clearly upset.

"Who's an ass?" someone asked just as the door flew open.

A swirl of wind and snow flew into the warm cabin, melting mid-air. Five figures quickly hustled in, kicking their shoes off at the door, large brown bags in everyone's arms. "Hey everyone! Sorry we're so late getting back. The snow caught us on our way back up here."

Max Corley managed to tug down his scarf so we could be greeted by his lopsided grin. Slowly everyone began to reveal their own faces: Grant Iles, Mazie Dean, Alexander Hart, some blond, which left the last to be Raleigh Frost.

There was something about Raleigh Frost in that moment, but I didn't know what it was as he bent down to let Nieve go and pat the snow off her white fur. Nieve quickly ran off and jumped on my lap, instantly kissing my face and cuddling for warmth. Was it triumph? Pride?

"Oh I'm so sorry! Daisy get off her! My dog's just really personable," the blonde said, quickly running over and scooping Nieve off my lap.

I sat dumbstruck to what had just happened. My eyes were wide, my lips slightly parted as I stared at Raleigh. Nieve was my puppy. I was her mother. That was my dog and that dog snatcher just changed her name.

I could pin point the feeling now. It was jealousy.