Zodiac High-The Series

25

 Sagittarius

"WAKE UP, SAGITTARIUS! WAKE UUUUUPPPPP!" I groaned, finding my twin siblings on top of me, bounding on my stomach. Groaning, I grabbed both, crushing them with my arms. "Alright! Gwen, Marc, that's enough!" The two five-year-olds began to whimper, causing me to pity the adorable little things. "Okay, why were you in here?" Gwen leapt up, as did Marc, the two of them jumping up and down on my bed. "Because it's CHRISTMAS! And Mommy isn't letting us open them because you didn't WAKE UP!" I chuckled. "Hey, it's not like Robyn would've woken up by now, either." I was referring to my bratty 15-year-old sister who loved sleeping in and hated the twins. "She woke up TWO HOURS AGO!" I frowned, looking pointedly at Marc. "What's the time, little guy?" Marc scrunched up his nose, deep in thought, before answering me. "Well, before we came to your room, the big hand was on the twelve, and the little hand... was also on the twelve."

I gasped, throwing my covers right off my bed. "It's twelve already?" I screamed, leaping out of bed. "Yeah, big bro. Daddy says you didn't wake up early like you usually do on Christmas because you were out all night with your girlfriend, Aries." I sighed, breaking out into a smile at the mention of Aries' name. We'd had the best night-dinner at the local burger joint, hours upon hours of sledding races and a midnight kiss that I'd dreamt of in the little time I'd had to sleep after I'd gotten home. "Alright, let's go open those presents, huh?" The twins broke out into smiles almost simultaneously, linking arms and-once again-bounding out of the room. "Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg... ROBYN! Did you REALLY lay an egg on Christmas?" 

Laughing, I hurried out of the room, watching as Robyn glared at the twins. "No, I did not." Marc pulled a face at Robyn, laughing slightly too hard. "But I bet you will one day, because only a CROW would want to marry an ugly meanie like you!" Gwen remarked, pushing it a bit too far. "Oh, that's it, you little twits! Shut your trap... or I'll put coal in your stockings." Luckily for Robyn, the twins weren't really thinking too hard about anything at the moment, which was why they completely ignored the fact that it was too late for Robyn to put coal in their stockings. "Morning, Robyn." I grinned, at her, surprised when she grinned back. Would I get a rare 'good morning' back? Or, even better, a 'Merry Christmas'? "Merry Christmas, big bro." Wow! That was even more than I expected! "Why, thank you! Merry Christmas, lil' sister!" I grinned, throwing an arm around Robyn. 

She snorted, easing herself out of my grip, before turning to ask me a question. "So... do you know how Aries gets her smokey eye to look so good?" I frowned at Robyn. "Why do you want to know?" She bit her bottom lip nervously. "Okay, so basically, this guy I really like asked me out, and I want to look PERFECT for our date on New Year's." I blinked at Robyn in rapid succession, wondering why she would tell me she wanted to go on a date with a guy. "Robyn... we've talked about this. You don't get to date this guy unless I know everything about him. And I don't know how Aries gets such a good smokey eye happening."

Almost as if on queue, I heard the door swing shut. "Well, I suppose you'll just have to ask me yourself, Robyn," Aries remarked from behind my sister. She looked stunning in that brown parka paired with a grey cashmere sweater and whitewashed denim jeans. Her brown heeled ankle boots topped off the perfect look for a perfect girl on Christmas Day. "Aries!" Throwing my arms around my girlfriend, I pulled her in, placing my lips on hers, when I felt the creeping sensation of two pairs of eyes on me. I awkwardly pushed Aries away, chuckling at my parents. "Mom... Dad... hi..." Aries gasped, swiveling around suddenly to face them. "Um, hi! I'm Aries, Sagittarius' girlfriend." She smiled that sweet smile of hers, the corners of her mouth turning upward and forming the smallest crease between her lips.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Aries. Would you care for some breakfast?" Aries smiled politely, gushing over the decorations the twins had (quite badly) put up around the house. "If I'm not intruding..."

"Oh, nonsense! You're a part of the family now!"

Aries blushed slightly, turning toward me with an arch expression on her face. "So, family man, where might my Christmas present be hiding?" Remembering the beautiful sculpted glass earrings Libra had helped me pick out (and partially buy, since they cost $300 and I was as broke as they came), I rushed toward my room, grabbing the ornately decorated box holding the earrings and rushing back out, taking care not to drop the box itself. "Here!" I opened the box, revealing the exquisite earrings it contained within. I watched, smiling, as the light from the room shone at the core of the fine glass, which, in turn, shone in the irises of Aries' eyes. "Sagittarius... these are beautiful!" Accepting the box, she threw her arms around me, laughing happily. 

"Now my turn-" Mom stopped Aries just as she was about to grab her present, gesturing towards the Christmas tree and the (very angry) twins. "Take a seat-we'll all open our presents here. Besides, we're still waiting on our guests..." The door swung open, shutting with a sickeningly loud thump. "Who are here now," Dad finished, smiling at Mom. "Welcome, Libra! And... who might this lovely young man be?" Leo smiled at Mom with those glittering teeth of his, an arm secured almost chivalrously around Libra's shoulder. "I'm Leo. Libra's friend." Libra smiled slightly, looking up at Leo. "I hope you don't mind I brought him, Aunt May." Mom smiled, wrapping Libra in an embrace. "Not at all-the more the merrier, dear!" Leo smiled that dazzling smile yet again, unfurling a wrapped present. "This is for Sagittarius." 

Pulling a smaller package from his coat pocket, he grinned at Mom. "And that one's for you and Sir." He handed both the twins Snickers bars, ruffling their hair at the same time. "You two-we met a couple weeks ago at the football game, remember?" Marc nodded excitedly, while Gwen rushed forward to ask Leo some questions. "So, I was thinking, and I think I want to be... A QUARTERBACK!" Leo patted Gwen's shoulder, nodding at her. "You would make a great quarterback, Gwen. You can be anything you want to be. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Gwen nodded, grinning at Leo. "Okay!" 

"Alright, let's open presents!"

I ripped open my present from Libra, finding a pair of suspenders. Turning to laugh at my best friend, I wrapped her into a hug, grinning. "Best present ever. Suspenders, just like Sarge's." Libra smiled, her phone interrupting us. "I need to take this," Libra said before retreating toward a bedroom. "Alright, let's open this one... from Aries." I ripped open the wrapping, finding an absolutely adorable collage of our time together. "Oh my god, wow..." Aries smiled shyly, a rare sight on my girlfriend. "Thank you, babe." I smirked, ripping open my present from the twins. "Cookies!" Gwen and Marc chuckled, prompting me to try one. I nodded, popping the cookie in my mouth...

Only to spit out the disgusting, salty concoction. 

"WE GOT HIM! WE GOT HIM!" 

I shook my head, sighing. "Alright, what did you guys get me?" I opened my present from Mom and Dad....

"A NETFLIX GIFT CARD? OH MY GOSH, YES!"

Mom laughed, wrapping me in her embrace. "Only the best for our son." I smiled, enjoying my dad ruffling my hair for a moment longer. 

"Alright, this one is from Robyn." I unwrapped the present, finding a roll of washi tape inside. 

"Eh, it's the best I could've hoped for."

Libra returned from the room, a stricken expression across her face.

"What is it, Leebs?" Leo asked, standing to comfort her.

"It's Scorpio. He... he was in an accident.

"An accident caused by drug overdose."