THE RULES OF MISTLETOE

Chapter 4 - Loathe the Holidays

Elisa Muse

I decided to unpack and settle in one of the bedrooms of the pool house. Indeed, Mother was right. The renovations have made the place look completely different. It was cozy, modern, and homey. I liked it despite all the memories the place held.

I took a shower and put on pajamas. I decided to skip dinner because I was tired and had jetlag. I needed to sleep. I sent Mom a message, and she was unhappy about it, but I needed to rest and put my mind at ease. Also, I would have to chase all the memories and demons I held of this place.

Maybe staying here was not a good idea, but where would I have stayed?

I sighed and jumped into bed. Thankfully, I was too tired to care and fell asleep almost instantly. Somewhere in the middle of my REM cycle, I heard noise downstairs. Who was there? I jumped out of bed, returned to it, and pretended to be asleep. The pool house was near the pool and far from the main house. Why did I ever choose to stay in this place?

"Shh... man..." I heard Eddie's voice and then a giggle...

Wait, Colette was with him?

"We shouldn't have snuck out to drink..." Amanda slurred, and I rolled my eyes. All of them were f*****g drunk and barging into my sacred space, disturbing my slumber.

"Let's leave him here..." Colette slurred, and Eddie chuckled.

"Ellie is going to be pissed..." He said in a singsong voice.

"Ellie is not going to find out we left him here..." Colette giggled,

What are they leaving? I had no idea, but they were being noisy as f**k.

"Alright, see ya tomorrow..." Eddie said,

"Night, man..." another slurred voice replied, and I squinted my eyebrows. Whatever these fuckers were up to, I knew now for a fact I would be pissed.

Stomping feet and crashing things and vases... were the sounds that dominated the scene. Someone was in there, and he or she was f*****g drunk and f*****g annoying. When I felt the door knob twist, I f*****g regretted not locking my door.

I took a deep breath, and when the door opened, the darkness within my room prevented me from focusing on the figure standing on the threshold. He was tall, his shoulders broad, his scent enticing, but I could not distinguish his features. I closed my eyes. Could they have been out drinking with Noah and brought him in here?

The idea seemed possible, and I wouldn't say I liked that my body reacted this way. My heart kept beating hard, and then he sighed. Mumbling some incoherences, he stomped away and walked into the other room.

"What the f**k?" I sighed and cuddled into my bed. Tomorrow, I need to have an earnest conversation with Mom...

The following morning, I woke up, showered, and wore cozy clothes to face the day. I headed towards the main house and walked into the arms kitchen. "Morning..." I greeted Mom, Aunt Esthela, and Grams.

"Good morning, sweetie..." Mom said.

"Mom, who else is staying in the pool house?" I asked. She beat some eggs while Grams shredded potatoes to make hash browns.

"How is your jet lag? Feeling better?" Mom asked, and I nodded. I could tell she was a bit pissed off. She was rooting for me to go out and get drunk with Eddie and company.

I yawned and nodded. "Better, although my beauty sleep was interrupted around three in the morning..." I sighed, and Grams chuckled.

"Sweetie, you are complaining like an old lady... When I was your age, I went out, had fun, danced, flirted, kissed strangers..." She said, and I sighed.

"Grams, I am sure you had a blast, and I did for a while..." I sighed.

"No, you never did! You were so young when you, kids, decided to get engaged!" she almost yelled, making me cringe, "That engagement was more because you wanted to please your father than because you wanted the weasel..." she continued,

"He was your first boyfriend, your only boyfriend. I doubt he was even good at kissing or in bed!" Grams kept going... while I shook my head. No, Noah and I never went beyond some heavy making out, but I had a no-s*x-until-marriage policy, so I would never know what I would feel like to be with the man you always loved.

Tears welled in my eyes. Grams was being brutal... none of it was a lie, but it hurt so much, so deeply, that I wanted to run and hide.

"Do you know what I see when I see you?" Grams softened her voice,

"Beauty, intelligence, kindness, a beautiful heart, and potential..." she held my hand tightly, warming my heart. She was being brutal, but I needed to hear that. I forgot my essence in pleasing Noah, my father, his parents, and everyone around me.

"I know, Grams..." I sighed.

"You promise me that you will try... to have fun, to loosen up... to live a little..." Grams sighed, "To stand under as much mistletoe as there is, to kiss strangers, to get lost in the fun of the holidays, to focus on yourself and let loose...I would love to see you skate on that frozen lake again," Grams patted my cheek, and I nodded. It was a harmless promise, right?

"OK, I will try..." I sighed, feeling defeated; there was nothing I would not give this woman. She was my role model and my hero. Her story was one of love, resilience, and passion. I wished mine were close to hers.

"Besides... you will be turning 26 next year... you need to find a man, and fast... those loins are getting dried up, and I want a grandkid..." I was sipping my coffee and almost choked on whatever my mother spewed.

"Whose loins are we talking about?" A groggy voice walked in. It was unfamiliar, and I stiffened. Can this morning be even more embarrassing?

"Hers..." the three female voices said in chorus, making me wish the earth opened up and swallowed me.

The baritone voice chuckled.

"Eva, Eleanore, and Esther... you girls must behave..." He called them by name, and they all swooned.

"If you were born in my time, I would have tapped you, kid..." Grams said, while Mom and Aunt Esther nodded. I stood there rooted to my soul, not wanting to turn around.

"Who is tapping what?" Eddie walked in.

"What's up, Leon?" He greeted the guy in the kitchen, and I took a deep breath. You have to be f*****g kidding me... Did Eddie invite Leon Vedder to spend the holidays with us? Leon Vedder, the vocalist of Abbott Red, is a super famous, sexy guy and playboy.

"I hope you are tapping the French girl!" Grams said, and I choked.

"Grams!" Eddie and I yelled simultaneously, and then, on instinct, I turned around to face my brother. But next to him, my eyes landed on a pair of mesmerizing blue ones. He was even more handsome in person... f**k! Snap out of this... You are done and over, guys... besides you are wearing your little fluffy penguin slippers.

"Ellie, this is Leon, my best friend... and your roommate for the next three weeks..." Eddie said, and I gasped.

"About that... Mom? Can we settle for other sleeping arrangements?" I said in a pleading voice,

"Yes, Eleanore, she snores like a drunkard..." Leon barged into my conversation with my mother.

"Excuse me?" I said with an attitude,

"You are excused..." he chuckled, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sorry, honey, but everyone is settled, and you picked the place." She sighed while I bit my lower lip.

"You know what?" I paused, "I didn't think it would be this hard..." I muttered, and she took a deep breath.

"I am sorry, honey... I was surprised when you said you would stay there..." Mom said,

"You'll get over it..." Grams said, and I sighed.

"Bonjour!" a disheveled Colette walked in... every lazy step followed by Eddie's piercing gaze.

"Yeah, he is tapping that..." Grams said, and I gasped. I swear she is getting worse with every year accumulated.

Suddenly, the kitchen was packed with people, breakfast was served, and my mother was spreading activities. "Alright, so we need to finish the decorations. Eddie, Colette... would you set the Nativity Scene outside the house?" Mom asked while they looked at each other, and I swear Colette blushed. They then nodded at Mom's request.

"Amanda, will you run to the supermarket to fetch some things we need for tonight's dinner?" Mom asked, handing her a list and her card. Amanda nodded.

"Take Peyton with you, will ya?" her mother, Aunt Esther, asked, and she nodded.

"You, creep, are coming with me to the supermarket..." She said, and he grunted. I swear, other than groans and grunts, I have never heard him say a proper sentence.

"Ellie..." Mom paused. I chose your favorite for you." She beamed. "Christmas Tree duty..." she said, and I sighed.

"Daddy?" I always went along with Dad to pick our tree. He shook his head.

"Sorry, sweetie, Uncle and I are on outside lights duty..." he sighed, and then I looked around, confused.

"Leon... would you?" Mom said, and he nodded.

"Anything for you, Eleanore..." he said in a charming voice while I grunted. I swear to God, my mother was doing this on purpose. If the holidays had been ruined for me five years ago, she would have made me loathe them even more.

"Whatever... We will leave in two hours..." I said, standing up.

"Bitter much?" Leon chucked while Eddie slapped him and shook his head. Leon shrugged his shoulders, and I turned around, leaving the place.

This was a f*****g nightmare, and little did I know things were about to get worse.