Irised

Chapter Twenty-Four

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My nose is scrunched up as I stare into the depths of my closet. Sighing, I grab yoga pants and a sweatshirt. It’s Christmas morning for goodness sake’s. It’s just my family. Heck, I don’t even want to be up right now. If I have to be up, I’m most definitely going to be comfortable.

I throw my wet hair into a high messy bun on my head and get dressed. I open the door to the hall to see Ryker leaning against the doorframe to his room, clicking away on his phone. Our parents have this absurd rule that we all have to go down together, as a family on Christmas morning.

While all our presents are wrapped (as Santa was done away with long ago), we still have to wait for each other and both our parents to wake up before descending the staircase.

It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.

Here’s my theory: We should either act like a family, or not. None of this “pretending” crap that happens every so often when my mother feels guilty. Because, the fact of the matter is, we’re pretty darn dysfunctional. We eat dinner together because my mom feels guilty and makes us. We have to wait for my parents on Christmas morning, because my mom feels guilty and makes us. We have to have family conversations about how our lives are going, because my mom feels guilty and makes us.

If everything we do in this family to act like a family is out of guilt, then why the heck don’t we throw in the towel already?!

Ryker looks up and scoffs at my outfit ,”You’re going to want to change before noon.”

I raise an eyebrow while shoving my hands in the kangaroo pocket on the front of my sweatshirt, “Why?”

He holds up his phone in response and says, “I’m going to the movies then. You were requested to join us.”

I shake my head, “No thanks.”

It’s his turn to lift his eyebrows, “We’re going to see Les Mis.”

I promptly squeal like a little girl, “Oh my gosh! That’s out?! Okay, I’m going!”

Les Mis was my favorite musical, and I had been waiting for months for the movie to come out! I guess I hadn’t realized it was today that it was starting.

Ryker’s face holds a smug look as he taps on his phone again. “I thought so.”

A good ten minutes later our parents arrive on the scene and tell us we can proceed downstairs. Muttering and rolling my eyes I follow Ryker into the living room. I settle on the floor, sitting cross legged. I lean up against the fireplace behind me and sigh.

“Who wants to hand out presents this year?” My mom asks in a fakely happy tone.

Ryker and I both shake our heads at the exact same time. Mom looks disappointed.

“Come on guys,” she practically whines, begging us to go along with this morning. Her eyes are already pink with frustration. I think that might be a new record.

I pick a cuticle on my thumb waiting for the eruption, but surprisingly it doesn’t come. Yet.

“Rae, Ryker did it last year. I think that makes it your turn!”

I look up from my bleeding finger to see my mother’s outstretched hand with a gift in it. I scowl and get off my rear end. I knew she would win in the long run, and it just took time to argue with her.

I begin picking up boxes from underneath the blatantly artificial tree and chucking them at people’s heads. It sort of became a game for me. The “Throw It So Fast Their Reflexes Suck and It Hits Them in the Head” game.