Simon vs Senior Year

Chapter 8

Bram's mom finally agreed to let him skip church on Christmas Eve to spend it at my house. I'm pretty sure he had agreed to read Scripture in front of his whole church on Christmas morning as part of the deal. Given his intense fear of public speaking, I knew this was a big sacrifice he was making just to spend some time with me, so I vowed to make Christmas Eve perfect for him

"Mom!" I shouted into the kitchen. "Bram's gonna be here in five minutes!"

My mom came out of the kitchen wielding her spatula in a seriously threatening way.

"Simon, I know when Bram is coming. Do you know how? Because you have told me seventeen times. If you remind me one more time, I will beat you with this spatula."

She disappeared back into the kitchen before I could respond to her threat. My mom the psychologist was usually all about fixing things with words, so her physical threat could only mean that I was being really annoying. Like, Taylor bragging about her fast metabolism during play practice annoying.

The front door opened and I sprinted to see if Bram was early. It was just Alice and her boyfriend Theo coming back from walking Bieber. Theo's parents were spending the holidays on some romantic couple's cruise in the Bahamas, so we had him joining us for the duration of Wesleyan's Christmas Break. Theo was cool, so I guess I didn't mind having him around too much, even if he was intruding on Spier family Christmas.

"Calm down, Bub, your boyfriend isn't here yet," Alice said.

"Who says I didn't come to the door to see Bieber?" I said, reaching down to scratch at his ears.

"Sure, Simon," Nora said, appearing out of thin air.

"Where did you come from?" I asked.

"Um, I live here?"

The doorbell rang and I whirled back around to face the front door.

"Don't give yourself whiplash, son," my dad said. My freaking family.

And of course now everyone was standing in the entryway ready to greet Bram with me. Because God forbid I have a second alone with my boyfriend.

My mom swooped past me and answered the door before I got the chance. Bram gave my mom a hug and said, "Good to see you Mrs. Spier. Thank you for having me over." Which sparked my mom telling Bram for the ten thousandth time to call her and my dad by their first names. He shook hands with my dad and said, "Hi, Jack" probably just to stop my mom's nagging. Then Alice gave him a hug and re-introduced him to Theo and Theo shook his hand and Nora waved from the stairs and finally it was my turn.

Except my whole family was still standing there looking at us, so I just gave him a quick peck before going in for a hug. Bram was the best at hugs.

"Okay, now that everyone is here," my mom said, "Nora, you can set the table. Jack, get drinks for everyone. Simon, feed Bieber. You three, just take your coats off and get warmed up."

My mom laid down the law like the hardass she was. Everyone had to have something to do.

Soon, the seven of us were gathered around the dining room table. We got the fancy dishes out tonight.

I had to admit, it was weird having more than just our family here for Christmas Eve. The Spier family didn't change its traditions very often. But this change I was okay with. Because it meant that in between delicious bites, I could turn to my right and smile at my adorable boyfriend. We could tap our toes together under the table. I could whisper to him when Theo got a little piece of food stuck in his beard. I could watch the way he laughed quietly, all eyes and dimples and soft breaths.

And I was so in love.