The Sister Of Popular

Chapter Thirty-One

"Lexi! It's time to wake up!"

I groaned, half-asleep, and buried my face back into my pillow, trying to ignore my mum. I really couldn't be bothered to wake up and face another day of God knows what.

"Lexi!" My mum started stomping up the stairs. I then heard her talking about how I was going to miss out on something, but then, I didn't really have anything on my social agenda so I was fine staying in bed. I went back to the blissful world of sleep, and stayed in my bed for a few more minutes.

"Alexis! Of all days to choose to not wake up, you choose this one?"

Waking up once again from footsteps running across the landing and conversation between Aiden and Levi, I tried to hold in frustration at the name Alexis. This was irritating me to hell and back. Turning over, I tried to wait for more peace and quiet. Until my mother started shouting again.

"Alexis!"

"My name," I said, unable to stand it anymore. Alexis was definitely one of my pet peeves. "is not Alexis!" I fell back onto the pillow, but a minute later, my mum walked in again, and opened the curtains.

"Lexi, haven't you noticed what day it is today?" My mum asked cheerfully, sounding much less like the sobbing mother I had had recently. "It's Christmas!"

"Wait," I drawled, sitting up. "What?"

"Christmas!" My mum rejoiced, and then burst out into a very out-of-tune cover of Merry Christmas Everyone.

Laughing at her, I let the realisation settle in.

It was Christmas.

There was no time to be sad.

This was the happiest time of year, and I was going to make the most of it.

Nothing was going to bring me down.

I thought about yesterday and all the drama that happened, and gazing out of the window, I wasn't really sure how to feel. Levi had declared he wanted me to die and not an hour later confess everything that had happened, and I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with him. There was no way we were best friends, that was for sure. I just didn't know. Then there was the Thomas thing, and that awkward kiss, and the pills and life and...

Was it going to get better?

I glanced at my mother, tearing my sight away from the frosty winter weather.

"Yes," I said to myself, and then got out of bed and grabbed my crutches. Even if it wasn't everyday, it was Christmas. My favourite time of the year (well, joint with my birthday), and it was like a rule that you couldn't be a jerk on Christmas. It was just so twinkly and friendly and happy and cheery and everything that wasn't really me, but I loved it.

I hummed along to my Mum's tuneless singing, and after putting my one-size-too-small Christmas jumper on over my pyjamas, I went downstairs and into the living room, where Levi and Aiden were already sitting. Levi gave me a curt nod, and I smiled back.

Yeah, things weren't exactly perfect.

"Merry Christmas, Lexi," Aiden said, and he nudged Levi to say the same, which Levi did, but very quietly.

"Merry Christmas," I smiled, and flopped onto a chair next to Aiden, putting my crutches down next to me. We were seated by a warm fireplace, which sent out an aura of comfort and homeliness, and surprisingly, there was a few wrapped presents under the Christmas tree. Aiden and Levi had waited for me to open the presents, and even after all the events of the month, our Christmas celebrations were no less than they had already been.