A New Beginning

Christmas Eve

Landon is way older now than he was before, so maybe 5 or 6 ish? This is really where "The Tempest" inspired the story.

Mitch POV

I've been looking forward to Christmas all year, but I didn't expect it to be this great. Scott's family is ecstatic that we're together and I have eaten so much I kind of wish I hadn't canceled my gym membership. Scott and I spent the night in his old room, which was really romantic for the fact that all our past sleepovers as kids and teens were in there, when we were secretly crushing on each other. There's enough room in Scott's house for the whole family, so we're all just staying here until the storm subsides. Landon desperately wants to go ice skating in spite of the current situation, and Scott has such a warm heart that he is siding with his nephew.

"Pwwweeaasssee Scott? I promise I'll be good," he pleads, kneeling in front of Scott with big eyes, pouting.

"Come on honey, did you see what it looks like outside? We don't know how bad the storm is going to be! I don't want us to get lost out there." Scott sympathizes sweetly. "Come here," he says, and Landon jumps onto his lap, snuggling into Scott.

All of a sudden, the house starts to shake and rattle. I hear a few screams, and Scott's father is yelling, telling everyone to be quiet and calm. I look over at Scott who is seated across from me and he motions for me to come over. I practically jump into his arms. He knows that I absolutely hate being in situations like this. Lighting, thunder, storms of any sort, I'm a child again. Scott kind of likes being in life or death situations, it just reminds him how precious life is and how incredible the Earth is, he always tells me. He's fucking crazy, though, so.

"Scott?" Scott's dad, Rick, calls out. "Come help me nail these boards into the wall, son." I look at Scott, and I slowly let go of him and take Landon in my arms. He starts to walk over and then the house quakes again, the lighting fixture right above him wobbling quickly until it unhinges. Scott luckily moves out of the way in time, but has no idea it's falling until it cracks behind him. I gape at him, eyes wide open.

He could've been knocked out from that. It must weigh at least ten pounds.

He looks at me, trying to reassure me, but it doesn't work. I hold Landon closer into my arms, hugging him for dear life.

I will NOT let this angel go. No fucking way.

I imagine something heavy falling on someone else and wince, anxiety bubbling up from my core. I have a thought of my mom getting hurt and call for her very loudly. She comes quickly and I open one arm, motioning for her to come over. She sits down next to me quickly, and wraps her arms around Landon and I. I look worriedly at Scott, who is standing on a chair boarding up one of the windows. There is a loud wind and the house begins shaking again, and Scott gets down off the chair quickly and the board goes flying down and onto the floor with a loud smack, causing Landon to whimper in my arms.

Scott finishes boarding up the windows after a while and returns back to the couch, placing his arms around Landon and I. My dad joins my mom and they huddle together, and we wait.

***
Scott POV

I sat, staring at the wall in silence, wiping tears off my face. Allie had broken up with me over some dumb school play. It wasn't my fault that she didn't get the part that she wanted. I knew she would break up with me soon, and I needed a new girlfriend, and fast. No one, not even Kirstie or Mitch could find out about this. My parents would disown me, my friends would hate me, and that's not the kind of man I want to become. I hear hollow footsteps moving silently towards me, growing louder with each step until the noise stopped. I don't look over but I instantly know who it is.

"May I?"

I nod slowly in response.

"So, how'd it go?"

I breathe out a soft sigh, slowly.

"I got the part. But she didn't, and...we're...done." I feel my chest begin to feel heavy, and I fight back my tears as hard as I can. Mitch leans his head against my shoulder and I know.

He understands.

***
I pull my dead eyes out from their trance and wake up a little from my daydream. We have been waiting for what seems like forever, anticipating the storm's next move. Landon wiggles closer to me, out of Mitch's grasp, and leans up to whisper something in my ear.

"Scawt?" He breathes, hands cupped between his mouth and my ear. He leans back for my response.

"Yes?"

"Can we play a game?"

"I don't know. What kind of game?"

"Ummmm...checkers! I'm getting really really good, Auntie said so! And after I beat you, can we play hide and seek?" I laugh at his forwardness and confidence.

"Well...I don't see why not. Where's the checkers board?"

"I've got it!" Landon jumps off my lap and onto the floor, bringing him into a kneeling position then he wobbles a bit while trying to stand up completely. I smile widely at his cuteness. He pads over to the coffee table and pulls out a box underneath it. He plops down onto the floor and sets it up quickly, dumping the pieces out all over the floor. Mitch moves then, at my side, and I kiss his forehead, earning a smile from his mother on the other end of the sofa. Mitch rubs his eyes and blinks a few times before smiling up at me, eyes still full of sleep. I kiss his nose and turn back to Landon, who is mesmerized in putting the checkerboard together. I slide off of the sofa not so gracefully and sit down across from him, ready to play a game.

I let Landon win, and my back hurts viciously from sitting on the floor for what was now the ninth game that I lost.

"See Scott? I tollddd youuuu," Landon shrieks softly, proud of himself.

"Yeah! Wow, I didn't know you were this good! I think that's our last game. What do you say?"

"Yeah. Hide and seek, hide and seek, hide and seeEEEEKKKK!" Landon bellows, and laughs at himself.

"Okay, okay! Come here you," I say and pick him up, cradling him in my arms. He giggles and I gently set him down on his feet. "Cover your eyes! No peeking!" I say to him. "Now count to twenty, okay?" He nods his head. "Okay, here I go, start counting," I say, standing up and walking heavily to the windows. I pull back the curtain and cover myself up in it.

"One, two, three, six, seven, ten, eleven, ready or not, here I come!" Landon says adorably. I hear him walking around and finally his feet rest right in front of mine. He grabs them with his hands and sticks his head under the curtain to look up at me. "Got you!" He says and runs away quickly. "Now you count!"

"One, two, three...twenty!" I count and leap out of the curtains. "Ready or not, here I come!" I say, then make sure to keep my footsteps loud for him to hear. He is hiding behind the cupboard, facing the window. "I see you!"

"You have to catch me first!" He runs up the stairs and I run after him.

"Hey, come back here!" I say, finally reaching the top of the stairs. I look around, and he is nowhere to be found. I hear rustling in the room nearest me to my left, so I walk in cautiously and quietly. "I hear you," I whisper. I see a figure moving by the dresser. I walk over slowly and am startled by what I see.

That's not Landon.