Fallen Angels (UNEDITED)

LVI

all is calm
all is bright

The snow fell to the ground in a soft swaying motion like a tiny Russian ballet outside of the hotel window.

Untouched and pure, waiting for the excitement of Christmas morning to paint its blank canvas.

I had never been a big fan of Christmas and just saw it as a time my parents would prove their love for us in expensive gifts and trips, but it was a time that guaranteed I would be surrounded by the ones I loved the most.

Even if it was supposed to be the one day of the year everyone was meant to enjoy, it didn't stop my mother from tearing me down; whether it was for my choice of clothing or how much food I had on my plate.

This was year was different, this year I was no longer afraid to be myself.

"Av, are you up?" Kai calls out from the opposite bed of the hotel room.

Neither of us are strangers to waking up in beds that aren't ours; many Christmases were spent at our grandmother's house.

"Yes," I whisper back, feeling like a child once again.

"Do you think Marcus will be up?"

Already knowing the answer to Kai's question, I grab my phone from the nightstand and squint at the bright light.

Even at the age of twenty-four, I find myself up at four am on Christmas morning.

"Hello?" Marcus' voice is full of giddiness as he answers the phone.

I can only picture the goofy smile plastered on his face as he's dressed in his ugly Christmas sweater and Rudolph pyjamas I gave him a few years back.

"Calling to see if you are up." I turn my head to see Kai crawling into bed beside me to listen to the phone call.

Her yellow penguin onesie has the hood pulled over brown curls, hiding them from the moonlight streaming into the room.

"Of course I'm up, it's Christmas." It was like being with a giant child, a giant loveable child.

"We are going to head over to your dorm in fifteen minutes, get the coffee machine going." I nudge Kai with my shoulder, motioning for her to get ready for the fifteen or so minute walk we will be making to get to Marcus' dorm.

"Yeah, yeah, hurry up or I'll drink all the coffee."

"Do it and you will never have children."

"Fucking crazy bitch." I can Marcus mumble as he moves around his dorm, "I'll have a whole pot just for you."

"Good," I say before hanging up the phone and turning the lights on.

"Do I just wear my pyjamas or do I actually get changed?"

"I'm going in my pyjamas, just throw on your boots and a coat," I tell her as I grab my things and the bag full of presents.

"Just like Grandma's." I laugh at Kai as she grins at me, "I wonder what it's like this year? The first year you're single in forever, first time I won't be there and the first time Will won't be there."

"Oh, Will will be there, my mom loves him too much. She still thinks the whole breakup was my fault." Kai rolls her eyes at me as she stuffs her feet into her boots and grabs her discarded coat from the bedside, "got everything?"

"Yeah, I grabbed the presents, I just need to grab my hat and mittens then we can go."

"Good call."

I laugh as Kai attempts to catch snowflakes in her mouth as we head out of the hotel.

"Don't run into anything," I call out to her as she runs ahead, not really paying attention to where she is going.

"K, mom." Kai responds before stopping and waiting for me to catch up, "it's so pretty right now. Do you think you could ever move here?"

"Maybe retire here, but I think my home is in LA," I answer truthfully.

"Oh really?" Kai bumps her shoulder with mine again, trying to suggest something or more like someone.

"I like my job and the band, they are great to work with and it's amazing that I'm actually working for Fallen Angels, but Erik is just a messy topic."

"Not to mention you titled your book after them." I blush at Kai's comment, knowing very well she knows who the book is about too.

"I'm going to say your face is red from the cold so I don't get a snowball in the face."

"Smart," I laugh as we turn onto the path leading to the university.

I smile at the twinkling lights that hang from every edge of the building.

It may not be my favourite holiday, but it is one of the prettiest.

"I'll race you to the door!" Kai yells as she takes off running towards the dorm building.

"No fair!" I call out to her.

"I win again." Kai giggles as we shake off snow before heading for the stairs, "I wonder when Marcus' roommate will be back?"

"I think he said he will be back the 29th since he lives four hours away."

"He should really get his own apartment."

"You tell him that."

"Hurry up you two, the coffee is getting cold," Marcus yells down the hall to us as we reach his floor.

"There are people sleeping," I say once we are closer to him.

"Not like they haven't woken me up at four am with their screams." Both Kai and I look at each other before bursting out laughing.

"You're special." Kai comments as she walks past him, patting him on his cheek, "very special."

After opening the presents and taking cutesy Instagram photos, we lie around his dorm room watching old Christmas movies.

Marcus rolls over to look at me from the couch as I lounge on the floor with a pillow under me, "you know what we should do?"

"What?" I question as he lowers his face towards me, I swear if he drops a loogie on me, he's dead no matter how much he is liked.

"A snowball fight like we used to do at Grandma's."

"Yes!" Kai yells from Marcus' bed, "let's go."

I smile as we race out of the building into the courtyard, dressed in our pyjamas and winter gear, dashing in different directions as the snow falls down on us.

I hide behind a bench and collect as much snow as I can to make snowballs, knowing very well my brother will not show mercy.

"Run and hide, Marcus is back!" I hear him yell before jumping out in front of me.

I jump over the bench and take off running only to have him jump on me, knocking both of us over.

Kia jumps on top of Marcus, causing all of us to break out laughing.

Now, this is what Christmas is about.

Edited by GirlReader133