Joy sneezed for the hundredth time and half the plaza turned to look at us.

"Maybe I shouldn't have brought you out." I said trying to turn Joy back home.

She turned to glare at me, and with a stuffed nose, she muttered something about feeling great before marching straight into the plaza.

I sighed as I marched after her, occasionally bumping into the last-minute Christmas shoppers, rushing into the huge plaza before the shelves were cleared.

It seemed the graffiti was the last burst of drama before everyone slowed down to concentrate on their exams. And just like that it was Christmas Break, or rather Christmas Eve as I dragged a depressed Joy outside.

She sneezed again and immediately turned to me.

"I'm fine" She said hurriedly

I shook my head and dragged her along towards a cafe struggling to get a grip with the amount and layers of clothing she was wearing. I pushed her down on an empty chair outside and walked into the store to order hot chocolate.

"I want ice cream." Joy said seeing me walk out with two steaming hot chocolates.

Knowing the person I was talking to, I just ignored her and handed it over to her. Seeing my unyeilding face she eventually took it from my hand and started sipping it gingerly while rubbing her temples.

"Is your head still aching?" I asked concerned.

"Yeah. I tried reading a while ago and it came back." She said glancing at a woman running into the cafe.

"The SATs are still a bit far. You don't have to over-study."

"I was reading a romance novel." She said looking elsewhere.

Of course.

For a while, we just sat there sipping the hot chocolate and looking at people who struggled viciously for a Christmas present in the brightly decorated plaza.

"Thank you for this." Joy said suddenly.

I turned to face her slowly, wanting to see who'd win the battle between two mothers fighting for a particular toy for their children.

"You're welcome," I said taking the last gulp of my beverage.

Seeing that Joy was done as well, we got up and started going to my house to help with the Christmas decorations.

I glanced at Joy who shivered as a light wind blew pass despite her thick outfit. The girl had gone for a coding contest a few weeks back in Russia and for someone who had only stayed in warm places the cold hit her like a truck. Since something urgent had come up in Nigeria and her parents didn't want to stress her any further, they left her with us while her family traveled. Her only consolation was the first place trophy and cash award she'd won from the contest.

I opened the door and started to walk straight to the guest room Joy was staying in, but the girl seemed to have other plans as she walked straight into the kitchen.

I followed her into the kitchen to get a snack. I saw my dad sweating and Lucy teasing him as she taught him to prepare the stuffing for the chicken.

Just end me right now

Lucy turned to face Joy who was standing near the refrigerator.

"Hello, Joy. I hope you are feeling better now?" Lucy asked feeling Joy's temperature.

"Much better ma. Thank you for asking." Joy replied smiling.

Lucy then turned to me.

Oh shit

"Hello, Astro." She said with a slight smile.

I could feel the eyes of my dad and Joy drilling the statement 'be nice' into my skull.

"Good afternoon. Thank you for coming." I said looking like a stretched-out doll.

It might have come off like a robotic message but at least it wasn't rude or indifferent.

"Thank you for having me." Lucy said wearing a smile brighter than the last.

Joy banged the fridge shut as she quickly ran off with a bottle of water in her hand. I grabbed a bowl of fruit and went towards the guest room.

I entered the room and dropped on the nearest seat. I turned to face Joy who was lying on the bed and my eyes went wide. The girl was stuffing herself full of a bowl of chocolate mint ice cream.

"What?" She said looking innocent.

"You stole ice cream from the fridge." I said partially shocked at how far the girl would go for ice cream.

She placed her hand on her chest and exaggeratedly recoiled in shock.

"I didn't steal. I just took it when no one was watching me."

I shook my head as the girl went on with cleaning the bowl dry and threw it in the dustbin like a criminal when steps started to come up the stairs and the door opened.

My dad poked his head through the door and looked towards me.

"Astro which of your friends did you invite for tomorrow's party?"

"Jayden and Annabelle only. Karla couldn't make it." I said thinking of the Christmas party tomorrow.

Karla had plans with her friends but said she would spend time with me on Boxing Day.

"Lu-Lu we are cooking for ten!" My dad shouted back before running back down to the kitchen.

I cringed at hearing Lucy's nickname but something dawned on me.

Who the heck are the extra five people we were cooking for?

I turned to ask Joy, but a knock at the front door interrupted me. I stood up and dragged Joy along to go and welcome the guest.

"New York is just way too cold. California is definitely the place for me."

Joy and I stopped dead in our tracks on the stairs upon hearing that voice.

There was no way

I turned to look at Joy who looked like she was about to break down in tears. I steeled my heart before going further down into the living room where the voices were coming from.

My heart instantly broke and boiled a million times. That messy red hair and green eyes had come to torment me.

Liam was back