Christmas Break (1)

(Next day Christmas eve, 2PM)

"Alex are you dressed already?"

I yelled from my room "yeah mom!"

I turned back to my computer and I posted 1 of the 2 videos because I'll post the second one tomorrow. I woke up early so I can finish editing them I had spent the night before getting them recorded. I then got my shoes on and I got my black leather jacket with a hood from my chair and put it on over my white shirt and went down stairs.

My mom looked at me and nodded in approval she said "you look great, now go pick up Cora when you get back we're leaving" she went back to combing Birdies hair.

"Alright, I'll be back" I went out the front door and started walking to Cora's house feeling a little nervous because I haven't actually talked to her parents at all 'hope they aren't mad at me for dating their daughter, well her dad at least' I walk at comfortable pace enjoying the time before I get there.

(10 minutes later)

I stand in front of her house and sigh 'let's just get this over with' I walk down the path towards the front door and I knock and wait for someone to open it. It slowly opens revealing her dad standing at 5ft 8in, black hair, brown eyes, Yukio Hitomi works as a mechanic which is also how he met his wife but that is a story for another time, he's Glaring at me and for some reason has a katana strapped to his back.

He sarcastically says "oh, so you finally decided to visit us have you, please come in, have a seat"

I sigh knowing this would happen 'But is a katana really necessary' I walk in take my shoes off. Yukio closed the door and locked it probably trying to scare me I sit and wait for Cora and Yukio sits on the other couch across from me katana now in his lap still glaring at me.

We hear fast footsteps coming from the kitchen and before I know it there's an older version of Cora hugging me and light sobs coming from her and I hug her back. It's obviously Cora's mom standing at 5ft 6in, Claire Hitomi a retired soccer player who played in France, England, then retired after her time here in the US, she was like a second mother to me while growing up. When she calmed down she glared at her husband she spoke in English, with a light French accent, which has gotten better since I've met her "Yukio, you better stop you know you were so happy when Cora told you they were finally together, and you look ridiculous put that katana away."

He had a shocked expression on his face and he sputtered "No I-I But... He, I was not happy nope, not at all, whatever I'll be in the backyard!" he walks away mumbling to him self and I want to laugh but I stop myself from doing so.

Claire says "I'm sorry we didn't come to see you right when you woke up. I also wanted to come see you when Cora told us but we were already in Japan and spent all that money and we were there to see Yukio's -"

I said "hey, don't worry about it I understand I'm not mad at you, so don't beat yourself up over it" she nods and smiles she looks like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders.

Then Cora's little brother, Akira now 12 years old and looks just like his father but with blue eyes ran down stairs and tackled me to the floor Cora then walks in to the living room shaking her head saying "Akira please let him get up and dad needs to stop pretending he's upset, we all know he loves you like a son" she was wearing a black sweater, white shirt, her glasses, black jeans, and her black and white vans in her hand.

Akira gets up scratching the back of his head embarrassed "sorry"

I whistled in appreciation and said "Damn Cora, you look great and we kind of match"

Cora smiles brightly and Claire lightly slaps my shoulder "Alex, Language! Akira is here"

I laughed and said "sorry mom, couldn't help it"

Claire giggles and says "oh, calling me mom already"

"No I-I've always called you that you and my mom are a lot alike Always teasing us"

She nods and says "Oui, great minds think alike" Cora grabs my hand and pulls me to the front door and we put or shoes on and leave.

(Outside)

While we were walking back to my house Cora breaks the silence and says "see that wasn't so bad was it"

I smiled and said "it went exactly like I thought it would, ... except for the katana"

Cora giggles and says "dad is such a nerd collecting those things, he doesn't even know how to use them. When I told him we were dating he was so happy that I didn't date a 'bad boy' he said your the only one he trusts" we arrived at my house while we were talking and we just wait outside for everyone else leaning against the truck Cora hugging me for warmth to fight off the cold of winter in the Bay Area.

(Grandparents house)

By the time we get there it's almost 4PM so we are the last ones to arrive at the party. Which is basically a block party my grandparents threw every year for Christmas Eve but they haven't done it the past few years because my family would spend Christmas at the hospital with me. The street they live on is in a Latino community and it's closed off at both ends ,and there's a stage set up in front of the house and a DJ currently their playing Music ,and lots of people dancing in front of the stage to the left and right of the stage are many tables set up so people can sit and eat, and they get that food from the stand in my grandparents front yard behind the stage which is where we are walking to currently because we had to park down the street.

While we were walking many of the people instantly recognized me even though I was taller and looked slightly different and they would congratulate me as we walked by or say "that they prayed for my recovery" things like that and I would thank them. When we got inside we said hi to everyone individually and when me and Cora got to Ashley things got tense.

I said "hey, can we talk" she didn't say anything and I just walked towards the back yard and she followed so did Cora. There was nobody back there but us three none of us said anything for a couple of minutes.

Then I started to say something to break the awkward silence "Ashley-"

*SLAP*...