A Strong Christmas

Maverick

"Maverick if you fart again I am going to staple your asshole shut." My dear little sister Lo, threatens from the third row of my mom's Tahoe, right before she punches me on the shoulder blade.

"Harlow Strong, you watch your mouth young lady." Mom scolds through the visor mirror in the front seat, before shifting her frustrated hazel eyes to me. "And Maverick, I will staple your ass shut if you let another one rip again."

I blow out a heavy breath, diverting my attention from my mom's stare of death to the passing flat Texas countryside instead. "Bah-humbug, who let the Grinches in the car." I mumble under my breath, fogging up the window. Only thirty more minutes and we will be at The Owen's cabin to spend Christmas with Finn, his family and my arch nemesis and my sister's annoying best friend - Lundyn Spence, and her mom. This is Finn and I's senior year in high school, and instead of going on a ski trip with our buds, our parents thought it would be a great idea to spend our last christmas as high schoolers together like the freaking Brady Bunch. Just thinking Lundyn's name makes me break out in hives, and get's my prank o meter to start ticking. I grab my phone from the seat and send a quick text to Finn.

Me: What up Gangsta - almost there.

Finn: Hurry up! Mom is making me do too much crap.

Me: 20 min away - btw got an idea it involves Lundy.

Finn: I'm in bro!

Me: Cool - discuss when we finally get there.

"Texting Finn how much you love him." Harlow's stank ass breath, breathes down my neck, before she thumps it.

"Ouch, you fuck tard, mine your own business." In one swift motion I unhook my seatbelt, getting ready to lay one on her arm.

"Maverick, sit your ass down!" My dad barks from the front seat."And watch your damn mouth." I plop my butt down quickly, blowing out a frustrated breath. Three hours in the car with my family is three too long.

Typical, Harlow starts crap and I never get to finish it. Her sinister side smirk proves she's gotten away yet again. " I can't wait to be away at school next year so I don't have to see your ugly face everyday." I throw over my shoulder.

"Feeling is freaking mutual - Mad Mav." She taunts with a nickname Lundy gave me two years ago.

"For the love of God, will you two please shut up for the remaining time of our trip." My mom yells.

"Fine." We both huff out in unison, settling back down in our seats. We know she means business if she starts a sentence with for the love of God. Like two weeks ago when we I got in trouble for allegedly making Lundyn run her car into our pecan tree in the front yard, and causing it to fall down. That qualified as a for the love of God moment. A chuckle escapes as I think about what happened that night at our homecoming bon fire when Finn caught his crotch on fire trying to limbo under a stick engulfed in flames. The image of him rolling on the ground screaming - "my nuts! My nuts are going to burn off," will be etched in my adolescent memory bank forever. Fucking priceless!

"What's so funny?" Harlow asks. She's on another level of nosy today.

I roll my eyes, letting out a heavy breath to calm my tongue before it says something that might land me grounded for the remainder of Christmas break."Nothing that concerns you, jailbird."

She gasp in an audible breath, "Screw you, butthole." She grits out through her braced up teeth.

Breaking my mother's request yet again, I turn in my seat to face the brat that stole Christmas joy. "You mean you haven't got time served? It's been what," I tap my finger against the slight stubble on my chin, "A week already inside of Lansing's High in school suspension."