High School Psychic

Not So Silent Night

I was covering the leftover ham with some plastic wrap when I felt a warm hand on the small of my back. I turned and nearly collided with Francesco's chest.

"Hi," he breathed, his voice low.

"Hi," I murmured, forcibly resisting the blush I felt rising in my cheeks. I set the ham aside and wrapped my arms around his waist. He hugged me as I hugged him, and I whispered, "So, what's up?" in his ear.

"Nothing much," he replied softly, "Just enjoying my first American Christmas with the most amazing girl."

I kissed his cheek and smiled. "You always say the most adorable things. You know that, right?"

I pulled my head back and looked into his sparkling brown eyes.

He smiled crookedly, causing my heart to perform more flips than a Cirque Du Soleil acrobat. "Maybe," he admitted, winking, "But that doesn't mean I don't mean them."

I pecked his lips and chuckled, before gently wiggling out of the embrace.

"Shoo, fly," I teased. "I have to put this ham away before my mom wonders where we've gotten off too."

Francesco's face momentarily froze in terror.

I shook my head and chuckled. He was obviously remembering the incident from earlier today when my mom had caught us kissing when we were supposed to be wrapping presents.

Speaking of my mom...

"Hey, um, Francesco?" I asked.

"Si, cara?"

"When do you think I should talk to my mom? About, you know, psychic college or whatever?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Whenever you feel most comfortable, I guess. If you want to, you could talk to her tonight, since we're all going to be here together."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, that sounds good. After we do presents, I'm going to try and talk about it."

Francesco smiled. "Good," he said softly. "I hope she'll let you go with me to Roma."

I gave him another soft kiss and took his hand. I led him out of the kitchen and into the living room where my mom and Claire were sitting on the couch, munching the last of the popcorn and talking.

"There's the lovebirds," chirped my mother, causing me to flush involuntarily. "Now we can open the presents!"

She stood from the sofa, strode across the room, and knelt under the tree in a single fluid movement. She grabbed four presents, then returned, handing us one gift each.

"How are we going to open them this year?" she asked, causing Claire and I to grin.

We opened our presents in order based on the most random attributes, such as lightest hair, biggest feet, and so on.

"Uhh...I don't know," I said. "Any ideas, C?"

"How about we open them based on height. Shortest to tallest," Claire said, grinning as she stood up, letting us all bask in her five-foot-two stature.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine," I said. "So it's you, then Mom, then me, then Francesco, right?"

I looked around to confirm the gift-opening order. Everyone nodded, and Claire began ripping open her first present, one from Francesco.

It was the lava lamp I had helped him wrap from earlier. She squealed in delight and enveloped him in a gigantic bear hug.

We went around in a circle, opening gift after gift, until the impressive pile under the Christmas tree was nothing more than a sad heap of ripped paper and tattered ribbon.