Falling for the unloveable

Scrooge

Iris:

"Stop being a Scrooge" Ava says as I hide under a pile of blankets while everyone opens their presents. It's Christmas Day and I've never felt worse. I'm hungover from drinking my way into a grave last night and hurting from my fathers visit a couple hours ago. He's now on a yacht somewhere hot with his girlfriend while I'm freezing my ass off in our living room, with all of the kids round.

They've been a pain in my ass the past couple days incessantly bringing my friends over and I know they are trying to get me to talk to them but I simply hide in my room or go meet Rick for some more fun when I see that they are here. Either way Lucy comes with me and as much as I hate myself for it, she's the only person right now who knows the most about me. Even more than Elias who knew everything about me apart from the two most crucial things.

She's not here today however, I have a feeling that she may turn up later on tonight.
"Airpods?" Lu's mouth falls open in shock as he peels back the wrapping to find a brand new set of earphones. I hum over the rim of my mug full of coffee. "It's too expensive"
"Well it's too late to return them so you'll just have to keep them" he frowns at me and I shrug.

"hair products?" My eyes find addy who has a whole set of hair essentials placed in front of her. "Yes It's supposed to be really good for keeping your curls healthy"
"Thank you!" She jumps up rushing straight for me and I'm enveloped in tight hug.
"I love it all so much" I bite back my pain as she squeezes all of my bruises and cuts.

"I'm glad" I basically groan through the words but she doesn't realise and neither do my sisters as they pile on top of her. "Thank you so so much!" Gracie yells with the brightest of genuine smiles on her face. "We love you" Ava says and I'm taken aback for a moment because she doesn't like to say that normally but then all three of them share a cunning look and my eyebrows draw together. They all disappear off of me before I have the chance to question it.

"Rip it here Diego" Lu helps his little brother open his presents as we all watch, scattered across the floor and sofas. Malcolm and Mal are here too as I knew I could never break that tradition. The two brothers tear away the wrapping until a Spider-Man colouring book and some pencils are revealed.

"Wow" Diego gasps and I watch him carefully pick up pencil by pencil until his head raises with a joyous smile. "Thank you!" He hugs his brother first and then totters over to me. "Ris ris" he beams and i lean down to let him wrap his arms around my neck. When I sit back up he moves with me and continues to cling onto me with his legs resting on either side of my hips.

"Thank you" he tells me and I try to smile.
"You're welcome rocket" everyone else takes their turn opening and handing out presents while I finish off my coffee with Diego still sat in my lap.
"Now Iris' turn" Gracie announces and I shake my head. "I told everyone not to get me presents" apparently my wishes were ignored.

"Tough" Ava tells me and I roll my eyes. Addy steps up to me with a black box that has a silky bow tied orderly around it. I slowly take it from her with a disapproving look that she smiles at.
I pull at the end, watching it unravel in my hands before I carefully open the lid and peer inside. A black book with dark spirals on one side of its edge looks back at me. It has no words or writing on the front and my face turns with confusion.

"What is this?" I glance up but all anyone offers me is a shrug or hands that encourage me to open it. So I do, I peel back the first page and I read the small inscription:
Thank you for teaching and showing us how to love by loving us right, we love you just as much
— Ava, Gracie, Lu, addy, rocket and all of your weird friends xoxo

I flip the next page to find a photo of me and the twins from when me and Ava were cheering on Gracie after a volleyball match that she won. They looks so happy, even Ava has one of her rare smiles on and I look much more human and less skeleton compared to right now. I turn the next page and it's me and Malcolm this time. We are cloud spotting and again it reminds me of a fond moment in time.