Jordan and I are both in the library doing our history project. This our last week of school before we get out for Thanksgiving and I'm counting down the days. Everyone has decided we would go to Jordan's house, which is crazy because I don't know how he'll fit everyone at a table. Maybe we'll have Thanksgiving outside or something. That would be weird. A Thanksgiving outside. I'm pulled from my thoughts when Jordan sits back down at the table.
"Did you know they charge twenty five cents to print something in here?" He asks.
"Yeah. Maybe if you came to the library more often you would know that too." I smirk.
"Whatever. Whether I knew it or not, that's still a ridiculous price." He snorts.
I roll my eyes. "Anyways, how is Daniel doing?"
"He's pretty bummed out about having to live with his dad. He still doesn't know why he has to, other than the reason his father wants to build a relationship with him and Naomi." He says.
"Are they going to be at your house for Thanksgiving?" I ask.
He slaps his hand against his forehead. "I forgot all about the fact his dad would have to come and his mom. That's going to be extremely awkward."
"Maybe it won't. They've been communicating every since he came back." I try and soothe him.
"Only because it has something to do with Daniel and Naomi. What if they can't be civilized or something? This is going to be a disaster. I know it." He drops his head into his arms.
I grab his arms, causing him to lift his head back up. He stares at me, waiting to hear what I have to say.
"I'm sure everything will be okay. They won't even have to sit by each other or communicate. She'll have your mom, Troy's mom, and Ryan's mom to talk to; and your dad will have Troy's dad, Ryan's dad, and your dad." I say.
"As if. Our parents don't exactly like him, Midget. I mean, they would be polite to him and make him feel welcome, just because it's the nice thing to do, but Troy and Ryan on the other hand would want to punch him in the face the whole time." He says.
"Well, we'll just have to make sure that they won't do that. We'll have you, Jake, and my brother to stop them if they do." I tell him.
"Wait, Matt is coming home for Thanksgiving?" He asks.
"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't he?" I raise an eyebrow.
Jordan smiles excited, "This is great. He might be able to give me some pointers for the championship game."
"Who says you guys are going to even make it to the championship game?" I smirk.
He laughs, "Good one, Midget. We're undefeated. Just remember that."
I roll my eyes at his cockiness. I start to tell Jordan what to write down, so that later on we can type our page up. We're doing a persuasive speech. We're going up against Ryan and some girl named Samantha. Our persuasive speech is about should uniforms be mandatory for students. Mr. Buttule told us we had to be for the uniforms being mandatory for students, even though we're against it. It's much harder to write your speech about something you don't even believe in.
The bell rings and we both gather our stuff together. We throw away our drinks and food we brought in here on our way out so the librarian won't fuss us out whenever we come back. Instead of having lunch in the cafeteria, we came in here and had it so that we could work on our project a little.
"I was thinking we could do a PowerPoint instead of just reading it off a paper. It would be much more interesting." Jordan suggests.
I nod my head, "I'm cool with that. I can come over today after your practice and we can work on it."
"Alright, I'll call you when I'm out of practice and let you know when to come over." He says.
We both enter our Spanish class together. I regret not taking all two of my Spanish classes as soon as I got into high school. I don't really like taking Spanish this year. I sit down in my regular seat that is next to Stephen and Jake. Wherever we chose to sit at the beginning of the year is where we're stuck at. Originally, I wasn't sitting here, but when Stephen needed extra help with his work; my teacher moved me beside him to help him out. She won't let move anymore. Trust me, I've tried. Especially after we broke up.
Stephen comes in with his bright smile as always and takes his seat next to me. He unpacks all the stuff he will need for this class before he turns to talk to me.
"How's your day going, Abby?" He asks with a smile.
"Great so far. Yours?" I ask.
He shrugs, "Honestly, I'm ready for Thanksgiving break. I feel like my brain is about to fry with the amount of tests we've been doing lately."
I groan in agreement, "I know what you mean. That four page essay we had to write in English was a killer. The book wasn't even interesting and you know how much I love to read."
He laughs, "Yeah, I know. Just about the whole time we dated you talked about some book you read. Imagine if all the books disappeared in the world. I don't know how you would make it."
I laugh, "Neither do I."
Our teacher finally tells us it's time to get to work and for the rest of the class, Stephen and I don't talk. It's nice to just have a civil conversation with him without things being so awkward. He truly is a good friend and I wish we could hang out more, but I know that won't be possible with me dating Jordan.
I finish my last class of the day, which is p.e. I walk down the steps of the front school, but don't get far because Alyssa grabs me by my arm sleeve.
"So, I heard you were going to Jordan's house for Thanksgiving." She says.
"Yeah, I wish you could come. Do you really have to go out of town?" I ask.
She nods her head, "Yeah. I wish I could come to, but my grandparents haven't seen me in ages. I really miss them and they miss me."
I nod my head in understanding. "I don't even know what I'm going to wear."
"Let's go shopping. I could use a few cute dresses." She smiles.
*****
Alyssa and I are roaming around the mall, going in and out of stores. We've been in three stores already and haven't found any dresses that look cute. I think I'm more frustrated than her because she seems perfectly fine with not having a dress yet, while I'm on the verge of pulling my hair out.
"Will you calm down? We'll find a dress." She smiles.
"I can't help it. I'm worried about what will happen at his house. There's going to be a lot of tension there." I sigh.
She raises an eyebrow, "So by finding a cute dress it will erase some of the tension?"
"No... It's just that... Well, I just don't like shopping. It's annoying." I say.
She laughs, "Come on. Let's go into this store and if we can't find anything, we'll leave and you can borrow a dress from me."
I nod my head and we go into a store called The Hottest Styles. I've been in here before, but would always walk out whenever Virginia and her barbies would come in. They always made me feel like I couldn't wear what they wore. If it weren't for Alyssa, I probably would still think that.
A sales associate walks over to us. She has on this red tight dress and high heels. How does she stand up all day in them. Her red lipstick goes along with her dress and her smile is bright and friendly.
"How can I help you two young ladies?" She asks.
Alyssa speaks for us, "My friend and I are looking for some dresses to wear for Thanksgiving. Think you could help us out with that?"
The woman's smile becomes bigger. "Well, of course. My name is Charlotte by the way. Just follow me."
We follow Charlotte deeper into the store. I've never gotten this far, but wish I would have. There are a lot of cute clothes in here. Stuff that fits my personality. I must have stopped walking because Alyssa pulls me by the arm. Charlotte stops in a section with a bunch of dresses. Why didn't we come here first?
"So which one of you will I help out first?" Charlotte asks.
"Her," Alyssa says, "It's going to take me longer since I'm buying three dresses."
Charlotte smiles at me, "Well, then, shall we?"
Charlotte goes around picking out dresses and comparing them to me. She hands me four dresses before she lets me go into the dressing room to try them on. I try all of them on, but decide on the black long sleeve laced skater dress. The sleeves are laced and the rest of the dress is a solid silk black fabric. I walk out of the dressing room with the dress on and look at Alyssa for her approval.
"Wow, Abby. That dress is just wow. You should definitely get it." She smiles.
"I think I will then." I smile before going back into the dressing room.
I take the dress off and then put back on my clothes I had on before. I walk out and sit where Alyssa was sitting and patiently wait for her to pick her dresses. It takes a lot longer than I thought and by the time she comes out in the sixth dress for her second choice, I just start to agree on anything. She finally decides to put me out of my torture and we leave the store. My stomach growls a little and we decide to stop by the food court to get something to eat before we leave.
"Daniel is working today!" She smiles excitedly.
She runs over to the pizza place and goes up to the counter. He smiles a bright smile when he sees her and it makes me happy to know my best friend has found someone who truly likes her. Seeing them all coupled up makes me think of Jordan, so I send him a quick text letting him know I miss him.
Alyssa comes to the table with two large slices of pizza in her hand. Daniel takes a break and comes sit with us while we eat our pizza. Daniel is such a sweetheart. I find it hard to believe that he would hang around Jordan, Ryan, and Troy. Especially Troy. He reminds me of Jake for some reason.
"So have you moved in with your dad, yet?" Alyssa asks.
Daniel shakes his head, "No, not yet. I'm moving in on Sunday. I'm really dreading it though."
"Just try to get along with your dad. It won't be good for Naomi to be around you two if all you guys are going to do is fuss with each other." Alyssa says.
He sighs, "I know. I'm going to try my best, but I can't promise anything."
He turns to me, "So, Abby, I heard you were spending Thanksgiving with us." He smiles, changing the subject.
"Yup. I'm a little nervous about meeting Jordan's family members. From what he tells me, his uncle Greg is a sight to see when drunk." I laugh lightly.
Daniel breaks out into a fit of laughter. "Oh my God. He told you about uncle Greg? Just wait until you meet him. You're going to laugh non stop. Last Thanksgiving he tried to show us how to skateboard. It was hilarious because he couldn't even get on the board without falling."
I laugh and so does Alyssa. It eases me to know that Thanksgiving might not turn out to be as bad as I think it will. If uncle Greg is there, it surely won't be that bad. He'll be able to keep everyone's spirit up. As we finish our pizza, Daniel says goodbye to us because he has to get back to work. He kisses Alyssa goodbye and gives me a little hug before getting back to work. We leave the mall and head our separate ways to our homes.
*****
The days fly by and before I know it's Thanksgiving. I'm looking at myself in the mirror. I look so much taller in these black heels and I feel like it's a little too much. In any minute we will be leaving to go to Jordan's house.
I hear a knock on my door and go over to it to open it. I expect to see Jake, but instead my brother is standing there with a huge smile and open arms. A huge grin takes over my features and I embrace him in a long hug.
He laughs, "I miss you, too, but don't squeeze the life out of me."
I laugh and pull away from him. "I'm sorry. I'm just excited to see you. You look great by the way."
"And so do you. I never thought I would see you in a dress much less in heels. Who is this girl and what has she done with my sister?" He jokes.
"I guess I've changed a little since you last seen me." Have I really?
He smiles, "Nothing is wrong with changing. As long as it is for the good. Dad told me you have a new boyfriend and you made the softball team. Why didn't I hear this from you?"
He gives me a playful glare and my cheeks heat up a little. "I guess I've been busy. I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing, Abby. I understand. I'm just kidding with you, but I would like for you to call me every once in a while." He smiles.
I smile back, "Of course."
"Well, let's get downstairs. I told dad, I would come up here and get you." He says.
I grab my purse and phone and head downstairs along with Matt. Jake is downstairs already with my mom and dad. He's dressed similar to my brother. Blue Ralph Lauren button down, white slim straight cord shorts, and his blue Ralph Lauren shoes. His hair is pushed up off his head and he looks better than he has been looking these past few weeks.
"You look great, Abby." He smiles and hugs me.
"You do, too." I smile and hug him back.
We all compliment each other and make sure we have everything before we leave. Dad made three pumpkin pies to take over to Jordan's house. It's one of my favorite desserts that he makes and I can't wait to dig in and get some. Dad, mom, Jake, and me ride in a car together and Matt takes his car over to Jordan's house.
When we arrive, we all get out and walk up to the front door together. My dad knocks on the door and within a few seconds, Mrs. Collins comes to the door with a bright smile.
"Please, come in." She says, excited.
We all enter into the house and she introduces herself to my mom, my dad, Matt, and Jake. When she gets to me, she hugs me and tells me she's happy to see me again. My mom and her go into the kitchen to place the pies somewhere. We hear laughter and the TV coming from the living room. Matt, my dad, and Jake head for the living room and I follow them, not wanting to be the only one just standing around.
When I get there, I see a whole bunch of people, who I assume to be Jordan's family. Jordan is sitting on the couch beside two other guys who look to be around his age, watching a football game. He turns around when the blonde headed one taps him on the shoulder and points in my direction. He gets up and walks over to my dad, Matt, Jake, and me.
"Hey, guys. I didn't know you guys had arrived. We're just watching the game until the food gets done, so you guys can make yourself comfortable somewhere. Good luck finding a seat though." He laughs lightly.
Jake and my dad say hey to him before they find somewhere on the floor to make themselves comfortable. Matt turns to Jordan and I know he's about to go protective big brother on him.
"What's up, Matt?" Jordan says.
"Nothing much. Is it okay if I talk to you for a moment." He gives him a friendly smile, but I know the truth behind that smile.
"Matt, really?" I say.
"What? I just want to talk to him. This is a conversation between two men." He wraps his arm around Jordan's shoulder and leads him somewhere else.
I make my way over to where Jordan was sitting and sit in between the two guys. Move it, you lose it. The blonde headed one looks at me and it starts to make me uncomfortable. I finally turn my head and look at him.
"What?" I ask.
He smiles, "Nothing. You're just different from any girl that I've seen Jordan with. He usually doesn't go for your kind."
"Is there something wrong with my kind?" I ask, feeling a little offended.
He shakes his head and smiles, "Not at all. I think your kind is what he needs. I'm his cousin, Jeremy, by the way."
"Abby. Who are all these people?" I ask.
"Oh, well, sitting beside you is Chase. He's my brother and also Jordan's cousin. Over there is my mom and dad. Their names are Misty and Tony. Over there is uncle Greg and his wife Mia. Their two daughters, Riley and America. Riley is fourteen and America is sixteen. Those are our grandparents. We call them Mimsy and Pawpaw." He tells me.
"Wow, everyone seems nice here." I say.
"We are. We're one big happy family. I can't wait for Troy, Daniel, and Ryan to get here. That's when things get really exciting." He smiles.
"What he means by exciting is, a whole bunch of arm wrestling. He gets beat every year." Chase says.
I laugh a little and Jeremy looks a little embarrassed. "I've been working out, so this year I'm definitely going to win."
"Whatever. Me, I prefer to play twenty one. America, Ryan, and Jordan join me every year. We use cash, so I always end up leaving richer than I came." He smiles.
"What's twenty one?" I ask.
"Did she seriously just ask that question?" Jeremy asks.
I start to thump him upside the head, but I don't think Jordan's family members would appreciate me beating up on him. He's asking for it though.
"It's kind of hard to explain. When we start to play you can watch us and if you think you want to play, I'll let you." He says.
I nod my head. Ryan, Troy, and Daniel arrive about five minutes later and we all head into the dining room. I sit in between Jordan and America. Jordan's parents put the three tables together to have room for everyone. Daniel's mom and dad are both here, but they haven't spoken to each other and Daniel hasn't spoken to his father either. We bless the food and then begin to eat. Jeremy starts the conversation for everyone and about fifteen minutes into eating, everyone is laughing so hard. I thought things would be awkward and no one would have a good time, but it's anything but that. After eating our main course, we go to dessert. Everyone praises my dad on the pies he made and I don't get to get seconds because there isn't any left. After we finish eating, we all go outside where chairs and tables are set up for us to hang out.
"So how long have you and Jordan been dating?" America comes up to me and says.
"Not long. About a month." I tell her.
She smiles a friendly smile, "I never thought I would see the day my cousin brings a girl home. I can tell he really likes you. He couldn't keep his eyes off of you the whole time at dinner."
I blush and look down, "Well, I really like him too."
She smiles and I follow her over to a table where I see Jordan, Chase, and Ryan sitting at. I take a seat beside Chase and sit across from Ryan. They seem to be playing the game he was telling me about earlier.
Jordan sighs in frustration, "I bust."
He throws the cards down, which makes Chase smirk. He definitely has that cocky smirk that I see on Jordan sometimes. Jordan stands up and America takes his place. I watch her and Chase play twenty one and he ends up beating her, too. By the time the game is over, I know how to play. Chase has gotten a total of fifty dollars and I plan on taking his money.
"Sure you want to play?" Chase asks with a smirk.
I nod my head, "Positive."
He lets me cut the cards and then he passes out the first set. I'm showing a seven and the card underneath is a three.
"Hit me." I say.
He throws down a queen and I decide to stay. He throws out two cards before deciding to stay himself.
"I have nineteen. What do you have?" He asks.
"Twenty." I smile.
He looks shocked before giving me a little smile. "Okay. That's five dollars that I owe you then."
"Go Midget." Jordan winks and smiles.
I laugh a little and focus back on the game. I lose the next time and the time after that. Then I end up winning and then he ends up winning. We go back and forth until the last three sets. I win all three and he ends up owing me ten dollars, which he pays to me. I get up and Ryan takes my place.
"Not bad for someone who hasn't played before." Chase says.
"Thank you." I smile.
Jordan pulls me over to him and I end up sitting on his lap. It takes me off guard and I almost trip and fall over my feet, but he catches me.
"Your family is here. I shouldn't be sitting on your lap." I smile, not really wanting to get up.
"I don't think they mind. They really like you. Especially Jeremy. He told me if we break up to send him your number. I told him I would send my fist flying to his face." He laughs.
I swat at his arm, "That isn't nice."
He shrugs before grabbing me by the neck and kissing me. The kiss is soft, sweet, and romantic. I'm sure we're only going this slow because of his family members, but I can't help but want more. He pulls back away from me and we end up watching the game. Ryan takes thirty dollars from Chase and he ends up with only ten dollars like me. I end up giving him the money back because I don't feel right taking it from him and they all look at me crazy, but he doesn't turn down the money.
Music begins to play and my brother comes and grabs me from Jordan. Had it been someone else, Jordan would have grabbed my arm and wouldn't have let me go, but I think that talk with Matt kind of shook him up. He still won't tell me what they talked about.
"So what did you and Jordan talk about?" I ask him.
"None of your business. I just gave him the talk that I've been practicing for a while now." He smiles.
I roll my eyes, "You didn't threaten him, did you?"
He shrugs, "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. He's a good guy though. I can tell he's really in love with you. The guy talked back to me when I suggested that if he had wrong intentions, he better break up with you. I was almost kind of scared when he responded with what he said, but I'm Matt. No one scares me. Not even my little sister's boyfriend."
"When are you going to bring a girl home?" I ask, jokingly.
"When pigs can fly." He smiles and I laugh.
Jake comes over to us and dances with me for the rest of the song and the next one. We talk about him and his parents. He told me that they called him a while ago and told him they had something they wanted to talk with him about. We're both kind of scared, but I plan to be with him when he goes to talk to them.
"May I step in?" Jordan comes over and says.
"She's all yours. I'm going to go call Alyssa and see how her Thanksgiving is going." Daniel tells me.
"Tell her I said hey." He nods his head before walking off.
The song Photograph by Ed Sheeran comes on. Jordan pulls me close and I rest my head on his chest. His scent is driving me crazy and I just find myself wanting to fall asleep in his arms. I think about when Stephen and I were on our date how this song came on. I make a mental note to tell him happy Thanksgiving later on.
"Today has actually been good. I thought it would be a total disaster." He says.
"Me too. I'm glad I could spend today with you." I smile.
"I love you, Abby." He says.
He's said the words a billion times to me, but this time seems different. The emotion behind his eyes is trying to tell me something, but I can't decipher it. I think he's trying to tell me I'm his everything. It's crazy how we haven't been dating that long, but I feel like I have loved him all my life.
"I love you, too." I say and mean.
After we dance, we go sit around a small fire that uncle Greg has set up. I sit beside Jordan's grandma and he sits on my other side. She looks at me and gives me a small smile. I return the smile and look at uncle Greg, who just started telling a story. He's a little tipsy, but not drunk. He's telling us about how last Thanksgiving he fell in the pool, but Troy really pushed him. We all laugh and Troy doesn't deny it or admit to it. Everyone goes around putting little inputs in about last Thanksgiving. Jordan is laughing so hard that the crinkle by his eyes are showing. They only show when he's laughing really hard which is rare.
Jeremy and Chase's dad brings out a guitar and begins to play familiar tunes. He plays I'm Yours by Jason Mraz and we all sing along. He also plays Open Arms by Journey and Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran. When he starts the next song that I don't know, I tell Jordan that I'm going to go use the bathroom. He gives me a head nod and I stand up, going inside the house. I hurry up and use the bathroom, wanting to get back to Jordan. When I'm walking out, I run into Jordan's grandma.
"Sorry." I apologize.
"No, forgive me. I came in here to look for you." She says.
She's giving me a sweet smile, so I'm sure it's nothing too sinister, but she could be like that grandma off of The Visit. The movie is really creepy. Not the time for that Abby.
"Um, about what?" I ask.
She hugs me and it takes me off guard. "Thank you. Jordan is so different from the last time I seen him. He used to be so hurt and not as loving as he is now."
What she says takes me off guard. She pulls away from me and wipes under her eyes. She gives me an appreciative smile and I smile back.
"Really, thank you. Since his parents died, he hasn't been quite the same. He treated girls any type of way and acted any type of way he wanted. Now that he's with you, he's different. He's in love and I'm so happy to see him in love." She smiles.
"You knew his parents?" I ask.
"Yes. We all knew them. My daughter was close to his mom. That's why she adopted him without a second thought. They were like sisters and she couldn't just let him stay in that foster home. He's like our very own, though. It's hard to believe he's adopted. He acts just like us." She laughs lightly.
I laugh a little, "Yeah. Him, Jeremy, and Chase could be mistaken for brothers based on their personalities."
"I agree. Just don't ever leave him. He needs you more than you can imagine. It's good to see young people in love. I see it in both of your eyes when you look at each other." She smiles.
I'm about to reply, but Jordan walks in. "I've been looking for you two. What are you guys doing?" He asks.
"Minding our own business. I'll see you later, Abby. By the way, welcome to the family. Everyone calls me Mismy, so you call me Mismy." She hugs me and kisses me on the cheek.
"Thank you, Mimsy." I smile.
She gives me a small smile before heading back outside. Jordan looks confused, but happy that his grandma likes me. He comes over to me and grabs my hand.
"Well, I think my whole family is in love with you." He smiles.
"How could they not be?" I smirk.
"Trust me, it's very hard not to be. I don't see how anyone could dislike you." He says.
We start to walk back outside and he holds my hand the whole time. His family sees this and so does mine. They smile at the public display of affection.
"Ask Virginia. I'm sure she can list all the reasons why she hates me." I laugh lightly.
He laughs along with me. Today couldn't have been better. It's honestly one of the best Thanksgiving I've ever had. I lean my head on Jordan's shoulder and he kisses the top of my head before whispering he loves me. ______________________________________
I think I am going to start making the chapters longer which means I won't update as regular. It won't take me a month to update, but it won't be weekly. I'll try my very best though. I just want the chapters to be good and not be rushed.
Anyways, don't forget to vote and comment what you think.
Creative_Mind23 â