HEY! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND IF YOU DON'T CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS THEN HAPPY THURSDAY!
Part 1:
"Thank you." I told the taxi driver as I handed him the money and tip.
He gave me a smile and I closed the door letting him drive away.
I turned back towards Bobby standing in the sidewalk next to all our luggage bags. "Ready?" I asked him.
"Yeah." He said and grabbed the heaviest bags so I wouldn't have to carry them. I picked up the rest and we walked towards the front door. I knocked since I didn't have my key and neither did Bobby.
Less than five seconds later the door opened and Bobby and I were basically tackled by Dexter who looked like he wanted to cry. "I missed you both so much!" He said.
I smiled. "Me too Dex but these bags are kinda heavy so can we hug and stuff once we're inside and can put them down?" I asked.
"Yeah." He let go and Bobby and I walked in putting the bags down next to the staircase.
"Where's everyone?" Bobby asked.
"Backyard." Dexter said closing the front door. "I didn't tell them you were coming back like I promised."
"Lets go surprise them then." I said.
"You just want to see Charlie already." Bobby said but walked towards the back living room. "What have we missed in the days we've been gone?"
"Not much. Everyone has been kind of gloomy missing you two so nobody has done much. Although Peter and Emilie seem to have patched things up and are in good terms but aren't together. Did you two visit mom and dad?"
"Yeah. We stopped by two days ago and visited them. We went and visited Hope's parents as well and they were happy to see us back in town for a few days. They asked how you were doing and how our summer was going." I said smiling remembering their tearful expressions when we went to visit them.
Dexter nodded. "So...how was Hope?" He asked.
Bobby smiled. "A lot of people must go and visit her because there were a lot of flowers. I think it's the kids from the orphanage she volunteered at. I stopped by there and they were all very happy to see me." He said.
I touched his shoulder comfortingly as we reached the back living room and stopped before walking outside into the backyard.
"A lot of people love her and miss her." Dexter said. "She left a mark on everyone who knew her. She'll never be forgotten."
"Yeah." Bobby smiled. "Let go outside now and surprise everyone."
We walked out into the cold summer afternoon and saw our friends sitting in benches and talking not noticing us. My eyes immediately looked for Charlie and when I spotted him sitting in a chair talking to Xander my chest felt weird and I couldn't help but smile.
Snowflake was the first to notice us. He looked up from next to Dillon's chair, where he had been resting, and ran over barking. He stopped in front of me and waiting for me to pet him.
"Hey you huge loveable dog." I said smiling.
"Oh my gods!" I heard Emilie yell.
I looked up and saw everyone looking at us. The only person who I was most interested was Charlie and when he turned around and saw me he froze.
We walked over and everyone stood up. Emilie and Xander tackled me in a group hug and I laughed.
"I'm so happy you're back." Emilie said.
"Missed you." Xander said.
"Can you two please let poor Charlie hug his girlfriend? He's been the most gloomy of all of us and I don't think it was because he missed Bobby." Jennifer said.
Xander and Emilie pulled away and I turned towards Charlie. He less than three seconds he had engulfed me in a hug and I hugged him back smiling.
"Hey." I said.
"I'm glad you're back." He said.
"Me too."
"Why didn't you tell us they were coming back today?" Iris asked Dexter.
"They wanted it to be a surprise." He said.
"You two must be tired." Marie said and I noticed Bobby had gone to stand next to her.
I nodded. "We are but we're happy to be back." I said and Charlie and I pulled away but held hands. "I think I'm going to watch some TV in the living room with Charlie."
Everyone understood I wanted to be alone with Charlie and talk and told us to go. Charlie and I walked back into the house and towards the front living room. The next few hours were filled with a lot of talking and me telling Charlie about Hope in person instead of a letter. I cried and he hugged me. He told me he had missed me and was happy I was back. Nobody came into the living room all day letting Charlie and I have our moment but I did hear them sneaking by the living room trying to get pictures of us meanwhile we watched TV and cuddled. It was basically the perfect first day back in California.
-
"Ready?"
Dakota nodded and got out of the car.
"Xander you better not cause a scene because if you do I'll kick your ass." I said before getting out of the car as well.
Dakota had asked Xander and I to accompany her to meet up with Keith, her boyfriend, and tell him she was pregnant. Dakota has arranged for us to meet him at the park so that's where we were at the moment. Dakota looked really nervous and Xander had this aura signaling anyone close to him to not mess with him.
"Ready?" I asked Dakota.
"Yeah." She said and the three of us walked to the spot we had told Keith to meet us at. He had been really confused when Dakota told him Xander and I were going to be with her.
"Hey guys." Keith greeted Xander and I then turned to Dakota. "You look like you're going to pass out. What's wrong Dakota?"
"I need to tell you something really serious and I asked my brother and Lolly to be here because I'm really nervous." Dakota said.
"Is something wrong?" Keith asked nervously. "Are you okay Dakota?"
Dakota took a deep breathe. "I don't really now how to tell you." She said in a shaky voice. "You know how I told you I haven't been feeling good?" She asked him and he nodded. "Well I found out why. Keith...I'm pregnant."
Keith opened and closed his mouth and looked compleltly caught off guard and lost for words. "You're..." He looked at her stomach.
"Yeah. I took some pregnancy tests and they came out positive and Xander took me to the doctor two days ago and she confirmed it. I'm pregnant." She said.
"Why...why didn't you tell me when you first found out?" He asked but didn't sound mad. He sounded more concerned than mad.
"I was scared. I know we're still young and I didn't know how you would react. Heck I don't know what you're think now." She said starting to cry. "I panicked and called Lolly and she took me to her brother's house and that's where I've been staying. I'm keeping our baby though so don't even try and convince me otherwise." Dakota started babbling on and on meanwhile cry. I could tell Xander wanted to hug her but I grabbed his arm and stopped him. Dakota and Keith needed to have this conversation without us interruption. "If you don't want a baby then say it and I'll leave you alone. You won't hear from me and I'll raise her or him all by myself. I can do it. But I'm not giving up this baby." She said touching her stomach.
"Dakota of course I'm not going to tell you to give our baby up for adoption. Sure we're still too young to have baby and I didn't imagine myself with a kid anytime soon but you being pregnant changed everything. I want to be there for our baby." He touched her stomach. "I'm not leaving you to raise him or her by yourself. We will raise our baby together. I love you and I already love our unborn baby."
Dakota smiled and cried even more. Keith pulled her in for a hug and I pulled Xander away from them. I walked away with Xander so that Keith and Dakota could talk privately. Keith gave me a smile and mouthed 'Thanks you.' as I walked away with Xan. I returned the smile and then Xan and I walked down the sidewalk.
"Why couldn't we stay?" Xander asked.
"Because they need to talk. Keith is a nice guy Xander and he won't leave your sister pregnant to raise their kid."
"It wouldn't hurt if I scared him a little." He said.
I laughed. "So where are you heading when summer break is over?" I asked him.
"I finally figured out the university I'm going to go too." He said. "I did a lot of research on all the universities I got into and I chose one. It's in Nothern California and looks amazing."
"I'm happy for you." I smiled.
"How about you?"
"I'm going to college." I said. "I'll be going to a two-year college then university. I told my parents when I went to see them a few days ago and my dad pulled some strings to make sure I have a good dorm room. He insisted. I haven't told anyone besides my parents and Bobby so don't say anything for now."
"I won't." He promised. "I'm happy though. You seem more sure of yourself now."
"Thanks."
"I heard Dexter and you talking last night." He added. "How are you feeling about him meeting with his biological parents when you were away?"
"I actually don't mind anymore. Dexter needed closure and to find answers and he kind of did." I said. "He doesn't want to see them again though. Turns out the girl who was a bitch to me has a twin and her twin is actually nice and tried convincing her parents to leave Dexter alone. Anyways the nice twin is named Esme and Dexter wants to keep in contact with her. The day he went to see his biological parents Esme told him that her parents were only looking for him to get money."
Xander sighed and shook his head. "That's just...horrible." He said.
"Yeah. I could tell it hurt Dexter finding out his birth parents were only looking for him to get money out of him and not because they actually cared."
"I really hope the press doesn't find out about his birth parents."
I nodded.
"Change of subject but I'm really curious about the sudden friendship between Lindsay and you." Xander said.
"We finally put our differences aside and decides that it was time we got alone. Hope would have wanted that." I smiled.
Xander nodded understanding. "That doesn't mean I have to be nice to her right?" He asked.
I laughed. "No. You and Lindsay can still be enemies or whatever floats your boat." I said.
"Okay."
We walked around the park for awhile longer then Xander got a text from Dakota saying she and Keith had a lot to talk about so she was spending the day with him. She said he would drive her to Dexter's house later and that we were free to leave.
Xander and I then walked over to the parking lot and I let him drive us wherever he wanted too. He ended up taking us to an arcade and we stayed there for two hours or three. We ended up leaving after to many people started asking me if I was Dexter Harris's sister.
When we got back to the house everyone was in the kitchen making themselves a sandwhich for dinner. I convince Charlie to make me one because I was to lazy to do it myself and Xander tried doing the same to Emilie but unfortunately for him she wasn't dating him so she smacked him with a wooden spoon and told him to make it himself. I felt bad so I convinced Charlie to make Xander a sandwhich as well.
After we all had our sandwiches ready we all went out to the backyard and sat down to talk and eat.
Peter and Emilie acted flirtatiously towards each other but when someone pointed it out they denied it. According to them they were just 'friends' and that's it. Liars.
Iris and Ethan obviously liked each other but when I pointed it out they both stated that they weren't going to date because soon they were both going back home for school. They seemed sad about that and I felt bad for them but agreed with their decision. They were still to young for a long distance relationship.
We didn't end up going back inside until past midnight and Dakota called Xander and told him that she was staying with Keith for the night. We all went to bed happy and feeling how close summer vacation was coming to an end.
I didn't know what to name this part so any ideas?! Comment them 'cause I have no idea.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, AGAIN!