Lights Up

Thanksgiving

What is this? An updating marathon?

Dia's POV

So I thought my first day of school this year would be the most nerve-wracking experience ever. Then I thought it would be auditions. Then the protest. But now I know for sure that this is it. Because my boyfriend, my BOYFRIEND, invited me to his house for Thanksgiving. And his entire extended family is going to be there. Yay.

Pip and I have been dating for about three weeks now. When we told our friends, there were various reactions, ranging from a "Congrats" from Evan while Connor pulled Pip aside and threatened him, to Jack screaming "FINALLY, MY SHIP HAS SAILED" at the top of his lungs in the middle of the cafeteria and Crutchie giving Frances twenty bucks under the table. Pretty much the reactions I was expecting.

I knock on the door to the Hamilton apartment before I can chicken out, and a moment later the door is opened by a little boy. And I mean little. He couldn't have been older than six. Must be one of Pip's brothers.

"HI!"

"Hi there. Is Phillip there?"

"Yeah, one second...PHIL! YOUR GIRLFRIEND'S HERE!"

There's a crash further in the apartment, and some yelling that sounds a lot like my clumsy boyfriend. Pip's brother turns back to me.

"I'm Will. I'm five. What's your name?"

Will stuck his hand out to shake mine, which I did, while trying not to laugh.

"I'm Dia. It's nice to meet you, Will."

Just then, Pip came around the corner. His face was red, like he'd been running, or quickly trying to pick up whatever he knocked over, which was more likely. He was still in the process of tying his hair up.

"Hey, Dia, come on in. Sorry about him."

"Oh no, he's fine. We've been having a very nice conversation, right Will?

Will nodded enthusiastically.

"I like her Phil."

Pip laughed at that, finishing his ponytail.

"I like her too, buddy. Now, why don't you go see if Angie will turn on a movie for you?"

Will ran off, probably to go watch his movie. Pip turned back to me, laughing.

"He's one of the more manageable ones, so be prepared."

"Gotcha."

I stepped inside the apartment. The walls were painted a light blue, and the hallway we were standing in was covered in framed photographs. Pip interrupted my thoughts a moment later.

"Hey, um, I was going to kiss you at the door, like I had this whole thing planned in my head, which sounds dumb, then um, then Will opened the door and that screwed everything up and-"

"Yes, you can kiss me, you dork. You don't have to ask every single time, I'm ok with it."

"Yeah, but like if you didn't want me to and I did anyway I don't want to make you uncomfortable or-"

In a sudden moment of bravery I didn't know I had, I leaned forward and connected my lips to his. We kissed for a few moments before Ms. Hamilton yelled from the kitchen, startling us both.
"Pip, honey, don't leave the poor girl standing in the hallway!"

He seemed to realize then that we were, in fact, standing awkwardly in the hallway.

"Yeah, um, you can drop your stuff in my room, and I think my mom has hot cocoa. No one else is here yet."