The Relationship Status: The Big Day (2)

Jennifer

It's Christmas Eve and stores are getting busier. So, there's no point in going shopping for anyone. I just hope I have something good enough for everyone. Meanwhile, Stephanie cleaned herself up a little bit more. She finally pulled herself together again. She still goes into a daze once in a while and might have a couple of tears in eyes. But once she blinks it off, she's fine! She told me about last night and she scared herself about almost losing Donnie because of a job interview and I gave her a look. I mean, wouldn't that automatically tell her no? She loves Donnie the way she loves her mother, but in a different way, you know?
Today, when she came over to help me with last minute gift wrapping. She wore a long, red argyle sweater with black leggings and white, Converse high tops and her big, poofy blonde hair bouncing up and down as she walked. I left my door open since I was expecting her to come over, and I could see Donnie drooling when she walked by. Gross.
I'm waiting for her over here with a flowy, red dress with a high ponytail, plus black flats and Jordan isn't giving me crap. I'm starting to get a little annoyed at him, too actually...
Stephanie bounded to the door while I was getting the gifts set up for the boys, "Hey, Jennifer!"
I smiled and said, "Hey, Stephanie! Ready to get started?"
She replied with, "Sure!" I always had a stash of the best wrapping paper I'd ever own in my closet next to the door where you walked in. And I already had my top six laying out for her to choose. She looked at them and chose the first one with the snowflakes on it. I passed her the tape and we had a slight awkward silence. I wanted to talk to her about something. Anything. But I think my brain took it too seriously:
"So, have you made your decision yet?" I swear, it just slipped out!
She keeps looking at the present she's wrapping and says, "Well, nothing's made me want to leave Boston, yet. So, not quite." I breath a sigh of relief. If we can just try our best to make her feel good until January, Donnie's in the clear! And Donnie still doesn't know about her offer... I feel bad for the poor idiot sometimes; Even if he was a little sketchy when it came to staring at Stephanie...
As soon as we finished wrapping the boys' gifts, Donnie came running in and exclaimed, "Stephanie, come with me! Hurry!"
"What's going on, Donnie?!" Stephanie worried. He didn't say, but he grabbed her hand they raced out of my kitchen. I watched the go down the hall and to the elevator, hearing their feet thud against the ugly, red carpeting. Meanwhile, Jordan came in and noticed a plate of chocolate chip cookies sitting on my kitchen counter.
He sneaks over to the cookies and says, "Oooh! Don't mind if I do..." He takes the whole dish and crunches them into his mouth so loudly, that crumbs fly everywhere. I think one hit me in the eye... Then, he goes over to the fridge and chugs down the rest of my milk that I bought the other day.
I get a little annoyed, "Jordan! I just bought that milk!"
He stops drinking the last bit and smirks, "Oops... I'm sorry, Jennifer. I think I might have some more in my apartment if you come with me." What's going on? I just wanted my half gallon of milk back...
We walk in his apartment and I see the biggest and best homemade fort I've ever seen, sitting in the living room! All of the cushions from his couches, all of his blankets were made up of the fort. And it looked so cozy! One blanket was used as a door and he led me inside where I saw cookies for us to share. I ate one; It was all soft and chocolatey and warm. And as I was having a glass of milk to wash it down, Jordan flicked a switch behind him and fairy lights lit up across the fort,I going me an even cozier feeling! And then I got a cold chill, because I knew he was trying to bring back a memory from middle school when we went to his house and we'd make a fort in his living. And then, his mom would make cookies and milk and give them to us from the fort!
Jordan looked at me with his big brown eyes and said, "So, do you like it?"
I looked around one more time to take it all in, looked him in the eyes, and said, "I love it!" The cute thing blushed! I didn't know he still did that! I kissed him in the fort, and then we just sat there smiling for a little bit.
Then, he remembered something, "Ooh! I almost forgot! I wanna get the movie-!" He accidentally stood straight up inside the fort and all of the pillows and blankets came crashing down onto us (Well, mostly Jordan...). As the blankets and cushions fell down, Jordan squinted his eyes shut and pursed his lips! We just stayed there suffocating in cushions, but we laughed.
After figured out how to get out of the demolished fort, Jordan had so much static on his hair that it looked all frizzy and more of an Afro-like shape. I couldn't even touch it, or I'd get shocked. Trust me, I already tried...
My hair looked pretty big, and Jordan laughed a little and pointed, "Jennifer... Your hair looks bigger than mine!" I looked into the mirror and he was right- I looked like I was in the dead 70's!
I laughed at myself and said, "Maybe we should consider disco-dancing classes or something!" He laughed in agreement and he took my hand and twirled me around and dipped me! We looked into each other's eyes and giggled. I could feel my face get warm as I realized I was still at a 45 degree angle toward the ground, since Jordan was holding me up from my back. I could feel how warm his hand felt up against it. He brought me back up from the ground, and we kissed as he still held onto me.
After we kissed he whispered in my ear, "I'll go get the movie..." And for some reason, I got a cold chill when he let go of me.

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We finally had our Christmas Day dinner. It went ok, but Jordan and Joey ended up having a mashed potato fight. Let's just say it went everywhere; In Jordan's hair, in my hair, in Donnie's mouth (Don't ask.), and all over Stephanie. Joey had it all over his face. The worst part, is that Joey made a bowl-shape mold out of Jordan's poofy hair, and he put big blobs of potatoes in it. Like, Jordan's hair was a bowl of mashed potatoes (Duh!). He instantly freaked out and ran straight to the bathroom. I just heard him gargle yelling under the water faucet of the sink. I ran after him trying to help him clean up, but he didn't even let me touch him! He said he was "fine", but he was blowing out steam like Thomas the Train. I could hear Donnie yelling at Joey, to where it was blood curdling! Next thing I know, Stephanie is bawling her eyes out, and she's running out the door. The only thing I knew to do, was to run after her! But Instead, I asked Donnie what happened.
"Well, I was screaming as hard as I could at Joey, and I think it scared her!" Donnie said, all down in the dumps. I decided not to answer him, but to go find Stephanie. She was probably just curled up on her couch anyway! I go in, and she's hysterically crying. I just go sit beside her, and I wrap my arm around her. The only thing that comes into my head, is her decision to leave or stay. I was going to ask her about it, but I figured it's not a good time for it. I ended up only saying two words:
"What happened?" She just looked at me with bloodshot eyes. She just sighed, and she answered all at once.
"When Donnie yelled like that, it reminded me of our breakup! I just got a flashback instantly, to him yelling at me all angry. I felt scared then. I honestly feel scared now. It's not something I wanted back from him!!" She yelled. She started punching the pillow she had laying on her couch. I just grabbed her and I hugged her, not knowing what to say! She just started crying harder. Sobbing cut in and out of her cries. Just when she started to calm down, I look up and I see Donnie leaning in the door frame silently crying, with his blonde hair swooped to the side, covering his squinted up eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Stephanie!" He said. She just looked up with an alarm of panic. I could tell something was about to happen. Instead, Jordan came in from behind Donnie, and he sat on the couch next to me giving me a hint, of a "let's go". After we left, I heard Stephanie's door close. I heard Donnie and Stephanie crying together. I'm not sure what happened, but I think Jordan did. He just wouldn't tell me!
It was kinda a rough Christmas, but at least we did a gift exchange before all of this went down. Stephanie gave Donnie a pair of Adidas sneakers, he gave her some special chocolates or something, I gave Jordan a special letter that he'll have to read later, and he gave me a special necklace that I lost a while ago. I got so excited that I pounded into Jordan, knocking him back on the couch and I kissed him all over his face, like they do in cartoons!
I just hope that Steph and Donnie are ok...