Aspen Holiday

Chapter 11 - Christmas Eve

One day until Christmas.

I shot up in bed almost immediately, checking the time to the right of my bed — have I mentioned that these beds are the most comfortable thing you will experience in your entire life? Normally I have a pretty hard time going to sleep in new places, rather choosing to sleep with Cal or Ace for comfort and a feeling of home. But the beds in our Aspen House are sooo nice and so comfortable I don't even know how to describe it.

The time showed 7:02 on my clock that immediately made me stand up and throw on some socks as the cold wood immediately made my feet turn to ice.

We have a rule in our house that I am only allowed to wake up Ace at 7 o'clock on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. No sooner, but I can later if I want. This rule came about due to me. That's because I used to get him and Cal up at like 5 am or even earlier (one year it was 2) because I really wanted to go open up my presents and see if Santa had come. Then it turned into a Christmas Eve and a Christmas day rule because after I got annoyed by the rule on Christmas day my little brain decided it would be a good day to just get up on Christmas eve.

Caleb and I also have this special tradition — as he gets super excited for Santa to come as well — that I can go get him up at 6 and we go to Ace's room at 6:30 and then we all go downstairs at 7.

I can't believe I missed it.

Throwing on a sweatshirt — since we are definitely having a white and cold Christmas this year — I ran out of my room and burst into Caleb's. Finding him not there with his bed and room a complete mess I make my way over to my big brother's room with similar results — except for the fact that Ace's room is in pristine condition with a nice made bed and everything very tidy and packed away.

Where are they?

My next stop would be to check downstairs which is where I found both of the missing persons.

"What're you guys doing up so early?" I demanded to know.

Very rarely in my fourteen years of life have I been up later than my brother and his best friend on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and I'm not about to start now. I don't know who they think they are!

"Good morning to you too, sunshine!" Cal called a deep grumble filling his chest with laughter.

He was shirtless, holding a metal bowl to his chest with flannel pants hanging low on his waist as he stirred something in the bowl. I assumed he — or they, I wasn't sure yet — was making breakfast as the counter was starting to flood with a bunch of different things.

"Morning." I responded, taking a step back so I could remember my manners. "Where's Ace?" I wanted to know, reaching across the table to grab a blueberry.

"Hey! You know the rules, no eating until everyone is sat down." Caleb admonished, attempting to hit my hand with the spatula he was using to mix whatever was in his bowl but that only made a bunch of batter go all over the counter. "Ah fuck." He cursed, going to grab a towel to clean the mess he made up.

"So... Where's Ace?" I repeated my question.

"Your brother is out picking up some stuff for breakfast."

"Is this breakfast?" I pointed to the wide array of dishes on the counter. I don't know what more Ace could possibly go pick up...

"No, this is just one of my hobbies where I cook a feast in the middle of the night cause I'm sleepwalking." Cal responded, rolling his eyes at me and scoffing.

"Oh." I recoiled my hand, a look of surprise and astonishment written on my face. "That's weird..." I responded slowly.

"Jodee! Are you serious?" His head whipped towards me faster than I could look up to notice what kinda expression was on his face.