"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S already Christmas."
Ella glanced at Sebastian, who was sitting at their living room table, staring intensely out of the window like any philosophical thought could ever enter his head when he couldn't even finish the forty piece puzzle in front of him. Their mother had made them clean the whole day, guests arriving for dinner at their place within a couple of minutes. The scent of her cooking was wafting through the place, the spices of her childhood always something comforting. For the first time in years their Christmas dinner was going to be spent with people outside of their family as well. Usually it was only the three of them, but her mother hadn't protested when Ella had suggested the idea of bringing her friends along, Sebastian immediately piping up that Faiza would love to come by as well.
"The more the merrier," her mother had said, a small smile on her lips.
She had glanced only briefly at the empty chair at their table, but her expression hadn't faltered. If Ella could describe strength in one word, she'd only think of her mother. Now Faiza was helping her in the kitchen, Ella having been chased out long ago after having almost burned it down. She wasn't bad at cooking, but with how quick Faiza and her mother were at it she hadn't been helping much.
"I can," Ella replied," it feels like I've been at school forever. Thank God it's finally time for the holidays."
"I will have you know being a grown-up sucks," Sebastian said, pointing a puzzle piece at her," I don't even have any time off now I'm at college. We're just supposed to study during Christmas, can you believe that?"
"You're making a puzzle," Ella remarked.
"I said we were supposed to, not that I'm doing it."
Their bell rang then and she jumped up, a smile already on her lips. Levi, Will and Alex were standing politely at the door, obviously having pushed Levi forward in case their mother would answer and he had to represent them. She didn't know why they hadn't chosen the obvious option, Will, but it was cute nonetheless. The cold wind had kissed their cheeks red, all of them wrapped warmly in a scarf and gloves, Levi clearly begrudged at the fact they had been put on as he subtly tried to pull it looser.
The perpetrator of it all was found behind them, Will's father smiling pleasantly as he offered her a hand. Every time she saw him it surprised her again how much he and Will looked alike, Levi immediately letting go of his scarf.
"It's nice to meet you again," he said," I leave my boys in your good care."
"You're sure you don't want to come in?" Ella said," my mother wouldn't mind."
"Oh, I couldn't intrude like that," he answered warmly," I have a gathering with some old friends tonight, but thank you for the invite."
"I still find it really strange to envision you and Clarkson going to school together," Alex said, shaking his head," I mean, you're so put together and Clarkson is... well, Clarkson."
"Believe me," Will's father laughed," I wasn't so put together back then, but then again, Bas was a completely different person as well. We both changed a lot at St Joseph, but the main reason we even became friends to begin with is through my best friend."
"Theo, right?" Will said," is he coming tonight?"
His father swallowed, looking down at his hands for a brief moment before he flashed them a smile again.
"No," he said," we lost contact, unfortunately. I've tried to get a hold of him for years, but I don't think he's in the country anymore." He playfully shooed the boys in then. "Anyway, that's enough of my stories. It's cold, go in, enjoy your night."
Will looked over his shoulder before he closed the door, smiling at his father. "I'm sure he's going to contact you soon, Dad."
His father breathed out, mirroring Will's expression.
"I think so too."
"Do you want to come in and greet my mother?" Ella asked.
"I'm so sorry," Will's father said, glancing at his watch," but I'm quite late, actually. Is it alright if I say hello when I come to pick up the boys tonight?"
"Of course," Ella said," she'd love to meet you."
With that Will's father was off, all of them heading towards the living room. The boys anxiously straightened their backs and fixed their hair before going in the kitchen to greet her mother, Will and Alex afterwards joining Sebastian with his puzzle. Will genuinely tried to help, Alex on the other hand simply pushing mismatched pieces together by force to make whatever picture he had in his mind. Mia and Elisabeth rang the bell ten minutes later, Ava arriving last with a box of chocolates, pecking her mother goodbye at the door before she went in.
"What is that supposed to be?" she frowned, staring over Sebastian's shoulder.
"You wouldn't get it," Alex said," you need an artistic eye to see what we're making here."
"Alex," Elisabeth said slowly," I think no one would get it."
"You can't even draw a stick figure," Ava said, pointing at him, before moving on to Will," and you - You know what, you're doing great, sweetheart."
Will beamed at her, Ava moving on to where Ella, Levi and Mia were sitting on the couch.
"Jason and I often study together," Mia said," or watch a movie when we're both at home together."
"So you study with older brothers?" Levi asked, intrigued," what else?"
"Sebastian and I fight," Ella supplied.
"We already fought though," Levi pondered," but I didn't know he was my brother then, so does it count?"
"Are you trying to find activities to do with Kai?" Ava asked, sitting down in the chair opposite them.
"Just talking together is fine too," Mia said," you don't need to particularly do something together. As long as you're comfortable, Levi, it's fine."
"I'm almost never comfortable," Levi deadpanned," there's a lot of mild bitterness in me."
"That's fine too," Ava chuckled.
Ella squeezed Levi's hand, smiling up at him. "I'm glad you and Kai are becoming closer."
"So am I," Levi murmured back.
"By the way," Mia said, glancing at Ava," Vinh told me to say hi to you."
"Oh my," Ava said, placing a hand on her heart as a sly smirk crept up on her lips," and why is that?"
"Please," Levi said," don't let this be some weird love triangle, I already find the duos too hard to keep up with."
"All of it makes me so confused," Mia agreed," I'm used to things being simple."
"Right!" Levi nodded, clearly having found a kindred spirit," you have your priorities in order."
Mia looked so touched by Levi's random approval that Ava laughed at how cute it all was, but they didn't have long to ponder on the newfound friendship as they were all called to the table. As soon as they were all seated, Ella's mother took her place at the head of the table, glancing around at all of them.
"I'm glad you could all come by today," she said," I feel like both Sebastian's as Ella's life has changed so much lately, it's nice to be able to talk more to the people who have found a place in their new ones."
Will looked emotional, Alex pretending that he was okay even though he was clearly blinking the tears away. The others however were, obviously, fine. Faiza raised her cider-filled glass to clink and after that they all began to eat, Christmas songs quietly playing in the background as cinnamon candles flickered in the warm room. A look outside of the window to their left showed a navy-soaked sky, stars winking through it every now and then.
Will and Faiza were talking about the best way to take care of plants, Levi telling the summarized version of his life story to her mother as Sebastian and Alex discussed whether the moon was real. Meanwhile Ava and Mia were talking about living with Clarkson, Elisabeth chuckling as she turned to Ella.
"Do you hear this?" she said.
"I'm not saying I don't believe the moon is real," Sebastian said at the same time," but if it wasn't, I wouldn't be surprised."
"Dude," Alex said," there's not a single critical thought in my head. The government could announce the moon wasn't real and I wouldn't even rebel, I'd just accept it."
"Don't downplay yourself, man," Sebastian said," I know you would be head of the rebellion."
"Yeah," Alex grinned," that's right I would."
"So," Will asked Faiza," how do you know your plant's feelings?"
"You can see it in the leaves," Faiza said," the way they bow their heads or rise them."
"In the leaves," Will murmured to himself as he wrote notes on the napkin in front of him.
"So, tell me," Ava said to Mia," is it really not a clever ploy to promote Adidas to us? Because I have to admit, it's working. I've seen those tracksuits so many times I'm being brainwashed into buying one myself."
Ella turned away from the chaos, glancing over at Levi then.
"Yeah," her boyfriend finished," so that's how I think I turned out to have less joy than is required to be able to be a morning person."
"That is a lot," her mother nodded," you are strong to be able to have been through all that. I am sorry."
"It's fine," Levi waved it off," I wouldn't have learned to fight if it weren't for all this and honestly, Sebastian said if we had met in another life and I'd been weak, he'd have beaten me up. Glad I missed out on that."
"Sebastian said what?"
"Look!" Elisabeth exclaimed, pointing towards the window," the first snow!"
"Mamá," Ella said immediately, turning towards her mother.
"Alright," her mother sighed," you can go outside for a minute."
With that all of them had rushed outside, the cold strangely pleasant after the blanket of warmth they had been enveloped into. Ella glanced up at the snowflakes whirling out of the sky, looking back at Levi then with a smile. Right as she did so he stole a kiss, a gasp leaving her lips as he smirked mischievously at her. The adoration in his eyes was more silver-dusted than the snow, his hands on her face like he was never planning on letting go.
"Guys!" Alex yelled then," oh my God, you won't believe this!"
"What is it?" Elisabeth asked, peeping over his shoulder at whatever he was looking at, before her own eyes went wide.
"St Joseph has burned down," Alex breathed.
"What?"
"Where are we going to go?"
"How did that even happen?"
At that moment a car stopped by the house, Ella blinking as she saw Will's father jumping out. As soon as he saw the boys there though a relieved sigh left his lips, his hand on his heart.
"Jesus Christ," he said," I had heard the news and was afraid you had something to do with it, but you're all here."
"I'm not even mad," Alex said," I would've thought that too."
How was she going to go to a high school which had burned down? More importantly, where were they going to put all those delinquents? Which school would even accept them?
"Time to get inside," her mother called out," before you get sick."
Suddenly Will's father snapped his gaze towards the front door, his whole world seeming to stop as he looked at her mother.
"Gabriela?" he said, so quietly it seemed like he thought the image of her would shatter if he talked any louder.
It was for the first time ever that Ella had seen her mother so taken aback, no quick replies ready on her tongue as she looked at Will's father.
"Chase?" she whispered.
"What's going on?" Alex frowned.
"I can't believe it," Chase said, taking a step forward," I can't believe i'm seeing you here. How are you? How's Mateo?"
Both Ella and Sebastian froze at the same time, Will's mouth falling open as he connected the dots. It was Ella's mother who spoke first though, the air tinged with grief as cold as ice.
"Mateo's dead."