Almond Joy (An Amy Blankenhooper & Bob Duncan Fanfiction)

Maddie's Christmas Party

As December unfolded, Amy sought solace in the familiar routines of her school life. With Bob no longer a part of her daily existence, she decided to invite Dana to spend Christmas break with her. Dana, quick to agree, welcomed the opportunity.

Their days became a montage of shared experiences, deepening their bond as friends. Amy and Dana attended basketball games, immersed themselves in various school activities, and found joy in the festive atmosphere of holiday decorations adorning the campus.

One notable event on their calendar was Maddie's Christmas party on the last day before break. Amy still thought about Bob, but less. She was coming to terms with their break up. But she hadn't seen him since that day at the tree. And that made it easier.

In their dorm, Dana was debating between two ridiculously decorated Christmas sweaters while Amy fished through her make up bag.

"Which one?" Dana asked, looking at herself in the mirror as she switched between sweaters in her reflection.

Amy turned around on her chair, Both are cute, but the red one might be more in line with Christmas rather than the neon pink...is it a llama?"

"It's a lamb!" Dana huffed, "I think." Dana scrutinized the sweaters, her eyes flitting between them as if trying to decipher a hidden code. "You're right. Red it is. Thanks, Amy!"

As Dana finalized her outfit choice, another source of excitement bubbled to the surface. "Oh, by the way, Todd will be at the party tonight."

"Ooh, Todd, huh? You've been talking about him a lot. Is this a serious thing?" Since Dana had been mentioning Todd, Amy reserved her concerns about Dana dating so quickly again after what happened the past semester. She only offered support to Dana.

Dana blushed as pink as the sheep sweater, "Well, we've been hanging out, and he's pretty amazing. I'm hoping tonight goes well."

Amy held a breath, looking at her own reflection, it was almost the New Year. Time for new things to think about. No longer Bob. "Me too."

The living room of Maddie's house buzzed with the warmth of festive lights and the lively chatter. Nestled within walking distance from campus, Maddie's home offered a cozy retreat for the group to gather and enjoy each other's company.
On this particular evening, Maddie's parents were away, leaving her home free for the festivities to unfold without parental interruptions.

As uncorked bottles of wine were passed around and glasses clinked in celebration, the atmosphere was charged with the joy of the holiday season.
Chris raised his glass, "Cheers, everyone! It's so great we can all get together before Christmas break."

Evan smiled, clinking his glass against Chris', "Definitely, it feels like forever since we hung out like this."

"I'm so glad you all could make it." Maddie nodded. The conversation continued to flow naturally, touching on everything from classes to plans for the upcoming Christmas break.

Chris turned to Amy and Dana, "You guys excited for our ski trip over Christmas break?"

Amy finished her sip of wine, "Absolutely!" And she turned to Dana who was rolling her eyes,

"Well, you two have fun. I'll be the one perfecting my snow angel skills. Laughter erupted at Dana's jest, the light-hearted banter a familiar melody in the symphony of their friendship.

Chris grinned, "Come on, Dana, skiing is a blast. You can't just sit on the sidelines."

Dana swirled her glass, looking into it. "Oh, I'll join in, but don't be surprised if I end up with a bruised ego and a sore butt."

Amy finished her drink and excused herself to the kitchen to fill her glass again and hopefully find out where Maddie had disappeared to. In the kitchen, Amy had found much more than she had been searching for.

"Bob?" The name not more than a breath on Amy's lips. Her head spun, which could possibly be because of the effects of the alcohol, but it most definitely had something to with Bob standing six feet away from her. Did he seem more attractive? No. That was definitely the alcohol.

Maddie must have registered the broken look on Amy's face, "Amy, I'm sorry, I can explain."

Amy walked further into the kitchen, placing her glass on the counter, "What is he doing here?"

Bob opened his arms offensively, definitely not expecting to see Amy at this party either, "Hey, I was invited too."

Amy brought a hand to her chest, emphasizing the hurt, "These are my friends."

Bob relaxed his arms down, this was when Amy noticed the six pack in his hand. "They're my friends too."

"Did you bring beer? How did you even get that? You're not twenty-one." It wasn't her job to reprimand him, but seeing the beer in his hand set something off in her.

"I've got a buddy—"

Amy placed her hands on her hips, "I thought your friends were here."

"I have other friends too."

"Then why aren't you with them?" Her last remark caught Bob in a trap.

He exhaled through his nose. "Because I wanted to be here this evening. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming." He brushed a hand through his hair, "Now, do you mind if I go say hello to my friends?"

"Sure, whatever." He walked past her, avoiding her like a venomous snake.

"That was moody, even for you, Amy." Maddie said, coming beside her.
Amy placed her hands on the countertop, trying to will back the tears from falling. "How could you invite him here?"

Maddie came to her side, "Amy, I'm so sorry. I should've warned you he was coming."

"You think?" Amy sniffed, wiping her nose with her hand.

Maddie watched her closely, observing the emotion in Amy's face. "Chris insisted, Amy. I didn't think it would be a big deal."

"It is a big deal, Maddie! Why would you think it isn't? We only broke up a month ago!"

Then, Dana came rushing into the kitchen. "Amy!" She called before reading the situation. "Wait, what's going on?"

"Bob is here." She turned, leaning her back against the countertop.

"I know! That's what I was just coming to tell you!" Maddie gave Dana a look to quiet down.
She then placed her arms around Amy's shoulder, "I didn't realize seeing him would upset you this much, Ames. I wouldn't have let Chris invite him if I knew."

"It's okay, Maddie. I think I'm just going to leave." Amy took the tissue Dana held out to her.

"Can we please stay a little longer?" Dana begged.

"I really don't think I can Dana. You can stay. I'll walk home on my own."

"No, I need you as my wingman!  Amy, please. It's really important for me to hang out with Todd tonight. You owe me for enduring all those football games just to see Bob."

Amy wiped her nose with the tissue, "Thanks for the reminder."

"Please, just another hour." Dana pleaded.
Amy glared at Dana. "Fine. One more hour. But I'll need some more wine."