The Harper Brothers: College Life (Wattpad Version)

A holly jolly time

Patrick

Christmas break arrived. Thank God. Between the weather, school, and living in a house with thirteen people, I needed a break.

We got home, and I plopped down on the couch and closed my eyes.

"What's up with your brother?" Dad asked.

"Pat can't handle socializing with people because he's anti-social," Romeo said.

I held up my hand and flipped off Romeo. Romeo laughed.

"Well, you get one day to readjust before...."

"My babies are home! Now we can go celebrate Christmas!" Ma said from the kitchen.

"Your mom flips out and turns into Mrs. Claus."

"Who wants cookies?" Mom asked from the kitchen.

My eyes popped open, and I dragged my ass from the couch and trodded to the kitchen. My brothers followed suit, with Leokadia and Rowan trailing us.

"Thank God, you're home. I'm so sick of cookies." Marty made a face and stuck his tongue out.

"Suck it up, buttercup." Rafe grabbed a cookie and bit into it.

"You haven't spent days making cookies," Marty told Rafe.

"It hasn't been days." Ma scooped cookies off a baking sheet and placed them on the table. "It's been a week."

Marty rolled his eyes.

"Val and Pat, help me drag the tree upstairs," Dad said.

"Do we have to?" I asked.

"Yeah, or you can drag it up alone."

I shook my head and followed my dad and Val down into the basement. Dad flicked a switch, and we stared at the mess in front of us.

"I thought Ma wasn't to organize the basement," Val said.

Dad walked over to a box and lifted it. "Your mother doesn't understand the concept of organization. And apparently, she turned into a hoarder."

Val and I chuckled.

"Grab a box," Dad said.

Val and I each grabbed a box and carried them upstairs to the living room. We set them down and returned for the tree. We carried up the tree and set it up. Our parents refuse to box up the tree and leave it together all year long. Don't ask me why because I can't explain their logic.

We set up the tree and fluffed the branches.

Romeo opened boxes and pulled out a ball of lights. "Why?"

"I blame Marty because he balled the lights and tossed them into the box," I said.

"Marty!" Romeo said.

Marty came to the doorway. Romeo cocked his head and held the ball of lights by a string.

"What?" Marty asked.

"You're a dipshit."

"And you're a schmuck who can't commit." Marty shrugged.

Romeo dropped the lights and chased Marty.

"Excuse me while I keep your brothers from killing each other." Dad walked away to save Ma's baby.

Val grabbed the lights, looked at them, tossed them into the box, and left.

"Where's Val going?" Rafe asked while eating cookies.

"To save us time and effort trying to untangle lights," I said.