I loved the holiday season because it was warm and cozy and casual and you couldn't go outside much. It was a time for doing nothing, and lord knows how much my heart loved doing nothing.
I wasn't one for going out and partying on a saturday evening, so Ashton kept his word and came over to help decorate our christmas tree instead.
I knew my mother would be upset that it wasn't just going to be mother- daughter tree decorating, but I figured that seeing me socialize would appease her a bit.
Dad was out golfing with his buddies which left the tree to my mother, Ashton and I. I'll admit I was sort of relieved, I didn't want my father to meet Ashton quite yet. Ashton wasn't my boyfriend, but my father was still my father and Ashton was still a boy.
My mother, on the other hand, was absolutely delighted to meet Ashton. The second his black conversed foot stepped in the door my mother gave him a giant bear hug, which left him staring at me in shock and seeking assistance. I not so politely asked my mother to please not make a fuss over him, even though I'm pretty sure Ashton was enjoying the attention.
After my mother had sufficiently stocked Ashton and I up with cookies and hot chocolate, she decided to leave us alone.
"I'll let you kids get to it then," she chirped and shot me a wink, making me glare. She said she was going into the office, but I could feel her watching from the staircase.
I turned and looked at Ashton, who was stood next to the tree, 3 cookies in his mouth and two mugs in his hands.
"Tho," he mumbled with a full mouth. "You need a big throng man to het sa bothes?"
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"So where are you going for christmas?" I asked and hooked an angel ornament on a tree branch.
"Going?" Ashton questioned confusedly and handed me a candy cane.
"Aren't you going to spend it with your family?" I inquired and put the candy cane on the tree.
"I don't have any family. Just me and Calum," Ashton shrugged.
I knew Ashton was an adult and I thought that was why he lived on his own, I never imagined it was becasue he had nowhere else to go.
I carefully climbed down the stepstool and sat down crosslegged across from Ashton.
"Surely you must have some family!"
"Yeah I have family, but my dad left when I was seven and my mom was an alcoholic raising me and siblings. So as soon as I turned 18 I got the hell out of there, and here I am," Ashton explained simply.
I opened my mouth to say something, but was interupted by Ashton continuing his story.
"My mother always used to tell me that I was just like my father; a deadbeat, useless, worthless, hopeless. I guess she was right. I mean look at me know; I'm in a sketchy part of America barely scraping by. My life has no meaning or purpose."
It's amazing how someone like Ashton, who had such a shitty childhood, could still be so caring.
"You're not worthless Ashton," I said reassuringly.
"I'm glad that I'm not to you, but I am to the rest of the world," Ashton stated. There was no sadness or anger in his voice. It was almost as if he was tired of telling this story.
Ashton was going to be spending Christmas all alone in his dingy apartment, and I felt bad.
Ashton stood up and gently placed a stocking ornament on the christmas tree. It was at that moment when a genius idea came to me.
"Hey Ashton!" I called and he turned to look down at me, "You could spend Christmas eve here, with me and my parents."
I for one, thought it was a fantastic idea. Ashton however, thought it was an atrocious one.
"I can't intrude on a family holiday!"
"It's not a big deal, we didn't have any plans anyway!" I said eagerly in an attempt to convince him to say yes.
Ashton sighed and stepped down from the ladder, "Are you sure your folks want me there?"
"Of course. They've been dying to get to know my new friend anyway." I clasped my hands together and looked up at him with puppy dog eyes.
"Fine!" He sighed and I leaped up and hugged him, nearly knocking the tree down in the process.
I thanked him over and over again and snuggled my face into his warm chest. I tilted my head to look up at him and giggled, Ashton simply shook his head. I stepped out of his grasp but kept his arm around my shoulders as I stood and admired the finished tree.
It was lined red and white lights, making the whole thing look like a lit up candy cane. The light bounced off the ornaments in just the right places, making the whole thing sparkle.
"It's beautiful," I commented.
"Like you," Ashton responded. I merely rolled my eyes and looked back at our shining creation.
I was okay with Ashton and I being friends, but the comments about my "beauty" made me very uncomfortable. I mean, friends didn't say that stuff to each other, right?
When I returned from my thoughts, I noticed the abscence of something very important.
"We forgot tinsel!" I exclaimed and ran into the garage to get some.
I rummaged through a green and red striped box for a bit before finally retreiving 2 boxes of the shiny silver plastic. I ran back into the living room to find Ashton standing in the exact spot I left him in. I unwrapped the packaging and handed one box to Ashton.
"Knock yourself out," I said.
We circled the tree, carlessly throwing the silver stuff on the branches. Most of it landed where it was suposed to, until Ashton accidently tossed a bunch onto my head.
"Hey!" I screamed and struggled to untangle the peices from my hair.
"It was an accident!"
I glared and threw a handful at him. He glared and threw a handful at me. I threw one back. Before we knew it, tinsel was everywhere except for the tree.
"We should clean this up," Ashton suggested and pried a piece on tinsel from his dark blonde curls.
As you probably know by now, my method of solvng problems was simply to avoid them altogether. So instead of leaning down to pick the mess up, I simply looked at Ashton and asked, "Do you have a christmas tree Ashton?"
Ashton looked at me like I had six heads before answering, "Hell no. There's no room in my apartment."
"Well then lets go get you a small one from Target," I told him and pulled my denim jacket over my snowman sweater.
"No," Ashton asserted and tossed a handful of tinsel into the trash can.
"Please?" I asked again, stating it as more of a demand then a request.
"No."
I groaned. All I wanted was to do something nice for Ashton. He lived all by himself in that dreadful apartment, it needed some pizazz. Plesant Madison was a rare occurance, I wanted to make the most of it.
I grabbed Ashton by the arm and pulled him toward the front door. He yanked his coat off the rack just before I shoved him out the front door and into the night, not caring whether or not my parents knew where we were going.
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this took so long I apologize
But hey I actually like this chapter, let me know if u do too ;)
P.S I just started a new michael fic and a new luke fic so suss them a read pls bc I am DEHYDRATED
