Daisy in a Meadow

30 - Christmas Eve

"Don't be silly. It's Christmas Eve, and I've had enough of your moping. You ought to spend the day with your closest friends. Which is exactly why I'm picking you up so we can go to Elias' house and binge Christmas movies with everyone!"

"Wow. That sounds cute, Malcolm, but I'm already with Chels—"

"Perfect, the more the merrier!"

"Wait, I never said—"

"See you in five!"

"Don't hang u—"

He hung up.

I glanced at Chelsea with a bemused look. "Looks like we're going to Elias' house..."

*****

"Can someone pass the gingerbread cookies?" Malcolm asked.

"Sorry, I just ate the last one," Chelsea offhandedly murmured back.

"What?" Malcolm screeched, only to be quickly shushed by everyone.

Malcolm narrowed his eyes and made a threatening gesture towards Chelsea, pretending to slice his neck. She merely blew him a kiss in return.

I stifled a giggle before adjusting on the couch and focusing on the movie we were watching, Home Alone. A moment of peace passed as Elias, Malcolm, Andre, Chelsea and me were wrapped up in fuzzy blankets on the couch, our faces illuminated by the light of the television and the glow of the Christmas tree. Of course, the quiet didn't last very long, as Malcolm just had to say something.

"Do you guys wanna know what I think?"

He was immediately met with groans and sighs of irritation.

"Not again."

"Would you shut up already?"

"Please leave my house and never come back."

Of course, Malcolm was undeterred. "I think this whole thing is stupid."

"Here we go," Andre sighed. "Please, enlighten us as to how this iconic, cinematic masterpiece that was produced years before your irrelevant existence is, in your words, stupid."

"Using made up words doesn't make you sound any smarter," Malcolm sneered.

"None of those were m—"

"Anyways," Malcolm loudly resumed, "this whole issue could've been prevented if the parents had just set up a security system."

"Boooo!" Chelsea said in disproval.

"Come on, Malcolm, where's the fun in that?" I chuckled, tossing a piece of popcorn at him.

"You think a child being attacked by burglars is fun?" Malcolm said. "What kind of monster are you?"

"Okay, enough," Elias rolled his eyes, turning off the television. "Thanks a lot, Malcolm, for ruining my favorite movie for me. I'm gonna go bake something."

It was quite ironic, that the most frightening guy in town liked to bake in his free time. Pushing Malcolm's legs off of me, I stood up from the couch and began to stretch my limbs.