The promise. [Short Chapters]

Chapter Sixteen.

 Christmas fell on a Tuesday that year. It was sort of fitting. Tuesdays were unremarkable days, and Christmas, as it had always been in my lifetime, was an unremarkable day. I usually spent it up in my room, on a four-way video chat with Ella, Josh, and Max most of the day, but this year, Ella was in Italy for the week, Max was probably hungover, and I had no idea what Josh was up to, since we really hadn't spoken properly since we got out of school for the holidays.

I had every intention of sleeping in on Christmas morning. I wasn't expecting gifts, seeing as I wasn't staying with family members who were obligated to buy me anything, so I figured I would wake up later, shower, hang out with Matt for most of the day, and maybe have dinner with his parents. I didn't have a clue what to expect out of Christmas, seeing as I never really celebrated it that much.

I definitely was not expecting Matthew Barnes to burst into the guest bedroom I was so comfortably sleeping in at seven in the morning and jump onto the end of my bed. I let out an unintelligible groan and pulled the duvet over my head, kicking at him with without realising that would be my downfall. Matt laughed and grabbed my ankles, pulling me off of the bed until we both collapsed on the floor, him practically rolling around from laughing so hard, and me with a murderous rage running through my veins.

"It's seven o'clock," I informed Matt through gritted teeth, as if it wasn't common knowledge.

"But it's Christmas," he shot back. "Anybody who waits any later to wake up is a Scrooge!"

I rolled my eyes at him and pretended to suffocate him with my blanket. Trust Matt to be a total cool-guy in public, but a five-year-old when it came to Christmas. "Real sensitive, Matthew, to the girl who's never really celebrated Christmas."

At this, his jaw dropped. "You've never celebrated Christmas?! Shit, woman, go change into something festive, you've got so much to learn and only one day to do it! Time for a crash course in Christmas 101 with Matthew Barnes!"

Once again, my eyes rolled, and after he left the room, I dug through the clothes I'd packed to see if I had anything remotely festive, but to no avail. I didn't own a single cheesy holiday sweater or ironic Christmas t-shirt. The closest thing I had was a long-sleeved red top and a floral skirt, so I changed into them quickly before realising it was far too cold for bare-legged skirt wearing, so I covered up with black tights before stepping into a pair of oxfords and trudging back into the hallway, sending Matt a look as he gave me his cheekiest smile.

"Lovely!" he gushed as we walked out to the front room of the house. "Now, my student, your first lesson is proper present-opening. I think my mum said the gifts with the red wrapping are yours, so have at it."

I was taken aback momentarily by the thought. Matt's parents had gotten me gifts? I couldn't hide the grateful blush that crossed my face as we strolled further into the room. I immediately ran to Mr. and Mrs. Barnes and probably nearly suffocated them both with a massive bear hug, but I couldn't help it. I nearly shrieked, "Thank you so much!"

"It's really no problem, Lola!" Matt's father insisted with a smile. "You've been nothin' but a joy to have around, we figured you deserved something for it."

"Matty picked most of it out, anyway," his mother added, and I couldn't help but notice that she added a wink at the end of her statement. I tried not to take any mind of it, instead running back to Matt to hug him as well.

"See, you're gettin' the hang of it!" he laughed. "The first rule of gift opening is childlike excitement. You've got that nailed. Lesson two is the actual opening, so let's get crackin', yeah?"

On his cue, we both scrambled to the Christmas tree and began to open our gifts. Matt's were mostly things to lighten the band's load -- a massive bag of guitar picks, some extra amp cables, a new strap for his bass -- plus a coat that he insisted he didn't need, that he was so hot, he never got cold (I had to laugh at this). He eagerly watched as I opened my own gifts, my smile growing wider with each box. First I pulled out a pair of printed tights, then an eyeshadow palette that I nearly started drooling over, a cream dress with pink roses, a fedora, shoes, and a new school bag.

But I barely had time to thank him and his parents once more before he grabbed me by the hand and nearly dragged me back down the hallway, much like I'd been doing to him incessantly the night before. He stopped at his bedroom door before throwing it open, walking the both of us in, and plopping down on the edge of his bed.

"Okay," I mumbled as I shut the door and sat on the desk across from his bed. "You're being awfully weird."

"Sorry, but I wanted to give you your last two gifts somewhere that my parents wouldn't snoop on!" Matt answered excitably as he stood up and rifled through a drawer until he came across a box wrapped in the same shiny red paper the rest of my gifts had been wrapped in. He placed it in my lap and nudged it up my legs until I finally got the hint that he wanted me to open it right then and there. After a moment of stalling, just to watch Matt's face twist into a cute, frustrated expression, I tore into the paper and lifted the lid on the box to unveil the gift.

"You were worried about your parents snooping in on a hat?" I chuckled as I held up the black and brown trapper hat, to show him that it was really nothing to be concealed.

"Not a hat," he insisted, "the hat." He pried it from my fingers and slid it down over my hair. I inhaled deeply and realised what he meant by "thehat". It was his favourite hat, the one he'd given me to wear on our day on the town a couple of months before. I grinned at him as he stepped closer.

"Now, if you wanna disappear, all you gotta do is..." Matt tugged the hat down even further by the two flaps on the side so it covered my eyes. "And ta-da! Beautiful."

I pouted at him as I pulled the hat back up to a normal position. "You think I'm more beautiful with my eyes covered?"

Matt rolled his eyes and quite literally swept me off of my feet. I instinctively wrapped my legs around his torso and laughed, trying to steady myself, while he insisted, "Nonsense. I always think you're beautiful. Which brings me to your second gift, and the real reason I didn't want to be in front of my parents."

My heart started racing as he bent over and placed me on the edge of his bed. What the hell was he going to do? He stood on both knees in front of me and smiled as he leaned closer to me.

"So," he mumbled nervously, "I, uh, was just... uh." And I couldn't help but laugh at the fact that he'd gone from confident to mumbling fool in the span of fifteen seconds.

"Spit it out!" I chuckled, placing a hand on either of his cheeks. This seemed to give him a bit more confidence.

...Well, sort of. "Well, I was wondering, since we've been, y'know, getting along real well, maybe if you'd like to be my, uh... girlfriend?"

I actually squealed as I tugged Matt by the collar of his jumper to attach my lips to his -- my way of saying 'hell fucking yes'. I collapsed backwards onto the bed and he propped himself up above me, much like he'd done the night before, and we kissed for quite a while before he collapsed next to me and interlocked his fingers with mine.

"I feel like my present's going to be shit in comparison," I noted, now tugging the side of his jumper with my free hand so I was closer to him, and I laid my head on his chest.

"That's your last lesson of the day, babe: it's the thought that counts," Matt chuckled.

I pursed my lips before laughing myself. "Well then, I hope you can see the thought behind a Starbucks card."