Idiots to Lovers (bxb)

51 | A Controversial Christmas Present

Christmas morning was cold and bright. The sun shone on the freshly fallen snow, glittering like crystals on the ground. I stood outside Everett's house, trying desperately to hold on to his Christmas present.

Jamie eyed the puppy as she reached out to ring the doorbell. "Did you really have to get him that...thing?"

"He wanted a dog!"

"That's not a dog, that's a monster."

I would've argued with her but I was too busy trying to keep hold of the leash. The puppy was trying desperately to dig up the pink rose bush by the front door. When that failed he started trying to chew on the rug.

"He just needs some training," I said, trying to sound confident though I knew Everett would only train it to be even worse.

The puppy had wreaked havoc in our house the past two days. I suspected that Jamie particularly didn't like him because he had chewed up all her shoes.

Jamie scoffed, about to disagree, but before she could say anything the front door swung open. I looked up to see Everett's mom.

"Oh, Clementine!" She looked surprised to see me. I immediately knew Everett had forgotten to tell his parents he had invited us.

"Merry Christmas!" Jamie said, oblivious to her confusion.

"To you as well...Jamie, is it? It's nice to meet you." Her eyes that had widened at first crinkled at the corners as she looked at me and beamed. "And I'm happy to see you here, Clementine." Her eyes warmed as she let us in. "I mean it, I really am glad you're both spending Christmas with us. You have been such a good influence on Everett, I think."

"Thanks for having us here." I smiled, glad that she finally seemed to like me. She didn't even say anything about having us over with no prior notice.

Then her eyes fell on the dog.

I tightened my grip on the leash as the puppy got excitable, trying to jump on her feet. It's tongue lolled out as it let out a little yip and slobbered on the carpet.

"You brought your dog?" She peered at it a little unsurely. "Maybe keep it in the garden."

"Um. It's not really my dog—" My voice fell to a low enough mumble that she couldn't hear me.

I heard the quick patter of Everett's feet as he ran down the carpeted stairway. "Clementine! I was waiting for you—" He broke off as he saw his Christmas present scratching at the leg of a couch. He gasped, running to it. "You brought me a puppyyyy!"

At the sound of Everett's excited tone the puppy got excited itself, pulling on the leash so hard that it slipped through my fingers. It bounded to Everett, barking loudly as it trampled his feet and jumped on his knees.

"Your puppy?" Mrs. Jones exclaimed. "This is Clementine's dog."

Jamie glared at me as if to say 'we're not keeping it' and I stuttered, trying to formulate a response.

"I think I'll name him coco," Everett said, trying unsuccessfully to hug the squirming dog, "like cocoa, 'cause he's a chocolately colour." Everett buried his hands in the brown fur. "What kind of dog is he?"

"An Alsatian-Ridgeback mix," I replied. "He's still a puppy but he's going to get very big."

I glanced up at Everett's mom and immediately regretted the words that left my mouth. She looked like she was about to have an apoplexy. Her mouth was open in disbelief as she tried to make sense of what was happening.

Before I could say anything to calm the situation however, Coco discovered the coffee table, piled high with cheese and a Christmas Pannetonne.

He made a beeline to it, leash dangling behind him like a useless decoration. Everett jumped on top of his furry little body, squishing the puppy as he tried to snatch the leash. Coco wriggled out of his grasp like an escape artist and jumped on the coffee table. I grabbed the plate of cheese seconds before he overturned the whole thing, sending the boxed Pannetone sliding to the ground.

Jamie grabbed the Pannetone before he could tear open the cardboard. Coco whined at her sharp exclamation and then jumped on me instead, going for the cheese plate that I held.

"Oh no, don't drop it," Everett exclaimed. He jumped on me much more forcefully than Coco did, trying to help me save the plate. Of course, he dropped it.

The plate cartwheeled through the air, spinning out slices of cheese in a glorious shower. Coco was in heaven as he leaped and grabbed and gorged on as many as he could. The empty plate clattered unharmed onto the carpeted floor. The only sound to be heard was Coco's happy snuffles as he finished up all the cheese.

Everett's mom shook for a moment, anger building up as her tanned face turned a deep puce. She swiveled to me with what could only be pure, unadulterated rage. "YOU BROUGHT HIM A PUPPY?"

"It's not his fault, mom," Everett jumped in, trying to save me.

She rounded on him with an accusatory glare. "You. BOTH of you. OUT!"

"Wha-at...?" My eyes grew as she pointed a sharply manicured finger at the French windows.

"You're kicking us out?" Everett asked in disbelief.

She set her jaw. "You take this dog to the garden and keep him there."

Jamie shrugged at me, looking slightly like she was enjoying the scene of my banishment. Coco had calmed down enough after his cheese feast to take hold of his leash again. He bounded into the garden with pride, unlike Everett and I who led him there with our metaphorical tails between our legs.

Once we were out, his mom slammed shut the door and locked it with a dramatic and resounding click. She bid Jamie to take Everett's place at the table and Jamie sat with a smirk on her face.

Everett sighed, collapsing into a lawn chair. "Maybe dad will let us in when he comes down. I'm hungry."

I slid down next to him, not bothering to say anything about his insistence that getting a dog would be totally okay. Truthfully, I did know that he was acting quite suspicious, but he had just looked so darned happy at the thought of a puppy that I figured I'd take my chances.

His dad came downstairs then and was filled in on the controversial present by Jamie and his mom. Mr. Jones was at least kind enough to send some food out to us, though he didn't let us in.

Coco and Everett were both more subdued being banished to the garden. Everett rubbed Coco's ears, feeding him a messy slice of pie.

I slid down further in my chair as his mom glared at me through the glass doors, all kindly feelings towards me long gone.

I sighed and turned to my boyfriend. "I think your mom hates me again."

A/n: Comment whether you think Clemerett deserved to be thrown out of the house XD