S'Agapo

It was Thanksgiving Day. Apollo was at Cathy's house because I didn't ask him if he wanted to come with me to Tom and Uncle Joey's house. Currently, I was standing in my uncle's kitchen, basting the turkey. As I slid it back into the oven, Tom came into the room. "Hey! Why are you making so much food? There's only the three of us. No one else in our family is going to be here, so calm down with the food!"

I blinked at him and stood up. Then I started whining. "But, I wanna!" I couldn't help it, cooking for others was such a high for me; Apollo too, I just never admitted it.

Tom stared at me and then backed out of the kitchen. I grinned. "Now for the mashed potatoes..."

We all sat around the dinner table and Uncle Joey grinned at the feast I had prepared. "You're insane."

I was ecstatic. "In the best way."

Tom stared at me. "It's so...beautiful...is it edible?"

I hit him over the head. "Well, duh!"

Uncle Joey stood up. Tom and I clapped.

After he cut the turkey we all three dug in. Tom started talking about the football game (we were eating after they watched it). "I can't believe he passed the ball! What a retard! Am I right, Laurel?"

"Yeah, totally."

"And that foul was absolutely ridiculous!"

I nodded. "The whole game was completely bogus."

"Exactly!" I started on my string bean casserole.

This went on for about five minutes. Finally, Uncle Joey figured it out. "You have no idea what he's talking about do you?"

I stopped eating and looked up. I grinned. "No clue." Tom stared at me.

"You're kidding."

I shook my head. "I have absolutely no idea what you were just talking about. How could I be watching a football game when I was in the kitchen making dinner? Slow boy you've got here, Uncle Joey. Are you sure you didn't drop him on his head when he was little?"

"Well, there was that one time..."

"Dad!"

"I kid, I kid."

Tom turned to me, watching me shovel mashed potatoes into my face.

"You bluff well."

"Um, have you not seen the way I act at school? That's total bull, my friend. Total bull."

Uncle Joey grinned. "Well of course it is. Unless you've got a split personality in there."

I tapped my fork thoughtfully against my lip. "There's a good chance of that."

Tom sighed. "I think I'm going to puke this was so good."

"So you're going to puke?" I pretended to be insulted.

"No I mean I ate too much."

"Well, there is such a thing as leftovers, stupid."

"You're taking half of them home, I'm just telling you."

"No way, dude. I can't stand leftovers. I'm picky. I get that from my mama."

Uncle Joey clapped his hands together. "Okay, present time!"

That's right. On thanksgiving, we give each other presents. My family rocks! Well, at least my uncle Joey does.

I burped. Tom grimaced. "Jesus, no wonder you don't have a boyfriend."

I sighed. "Sweetheart, this is how you scare the boys away." I smiled sleepily forced myself up onto the couch, where I promptly collapsed in tryptophan heaven.

"Hey, hey, no coma-ing until we are done with the present giving!" Uncle Joey sat on me.

"Damn it! I know you aren't obese or anything but please! I'm too tiny! You'll crush me!"

"Then get up and give me my present!!"

Uncle Joey started bouncing.

"Kyaa!" I yanked myself off the couch. "Tom, your father is pure evil!"

He grinned. "Yeah, well, dear cousin, you had better give us our presents or he'll sit on you again. And he will crush you this time. "

"Guh." I crawled to the wooden chair and threw two bags at each of them.

Tom opened his first. "What on earth are these?"

I grinned. "They are manly sweatbands. You two need to get out more, get some exercise after all that food!"

"I'll show you exercise!" Both of them sat up and started chasing me around the house. I ran to open the door and attempt to run outside, but ran into something rather hard instead. I fell to the grass and sat up laughing until I was breathless. Tom pulled to a stop in the doorway, a fire poker in his hands. I wiped the tears from my face and opened my eyes to look straight at Jake.

I couldn't resist.

I moved my hands in circular motions in front of his face and said in a deep voice: "This is not Laurel, you are experiencing a strange Tryptophan dream...you are asleep, you are on the couch at home, ready to watch some more football, even though it's over for tonight because you have TiVo-ed it and you cannot wait to fall asleep with apple pie all over your face. This is a dream. Now go home. Go home...go home...home...ome...meeee."

I echoed the last word. Jake stared at me with a raised eyebrow. Tom and Uncle Joey both stared at me, and then the three of us (Jake excluded) burst out laughing. I cleared my throat and stood up. "Okay, guys, you can open the other present now. Bye Jake!" I waved and went back inside. As soon as I sat down on the carpet, Jake came into the room, followed by Tom and Uncle Joey. I flexed my hands. "May I have my presents please?"

Uncle Joey gave me a large box. I grinned and opened the wrapping paper. I opened the box. I opened the box in the box. I opened the box in the box...in the box...in the box. By the time I got to the final box I was insanely clawing at the wrapping paper.

Too exhausted to go on, "Gimme already! Why'd you do this to me?" I collapsed on the floor.

Uncle Joey stared at me. "You look like a cat."

"Nyah." I stuck out my tongue and sat up, managed to open the final box.

My high was automatically gone.

"Oh my...Uncle Joey. I can't believe it. You actually found them." He grinned.

Tom looked at me. "That's from me too, you only get one present this year."

I nodded, still transfixed. They had lost these so long ago, and now... "Yeah, whatever. Thank you so much! Oh yeah, you need your real presents. You didn't open the second bag!"

"Oh, yeah." Tom collapsed next to me. He opened the box, and he lit up. I smiled. "I knew you've been wanting it for so long, so here you go."

"I...I love you!" He looked like he was going to cry.

Uncle Joey looked in the box. "What the hell is it?"

"A PSP and that Katamari game he's been eyeballing." I grinned. Tom grabbed me and hugged me.

Jake jumped on the wagon and hugged me too. "I love you so much!"

This was uncomfortable. "Why are you hugging me Jake?"

"Because I get fifty percent of whatever you give Tom!"

I stared. Tom grinned cheerily, releasing me. "It's true."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Hey, Uncle, open your present too!"

"Oh, I already did. I like it a lot." He kissed me on the cheek.

"What is it?"

Tom stood up and looked in Uncle's box. "Oh My God...It's the first season of 'Sex And the City.' Dear God dad, you're not watching it in front of me."

"But why not? It's so funny!"

"God no."

I smiled. "Okay, guys I have to get home and make sure Cathy and Apollo aren't making out on my couch."

"And if they are?"

I stood up and posed. "Easy. I'll spray them with a fire hose and scream, 'Simma' down now!"

Tom snorted. "You're so corny."

I cursied. "Why thank you!"

When I got home, I collapsed on the couch and fell asleep, my father and mother's wedding rings tied around my neck by a silver chain.