Christmas was a bomb. My mom and I spent the whole day in our pajamas watching Christmas movies and eating popcorn and chocolate.

In the beginning I was sad that we'd spend our Christmas just the two of us, but then Logan called. We got to meet Julia, his girlfriend, and we talked about his plans for the new year. Then mom had to deliver the bad news. She'd been fired.

At first he was mad but when she explained to him about the chance of her getting a job in Florida he calmed down.

I didn't really think through it. I was happy that my mom had the chance to start over with a new job, new state, new home. But what didn't occur to me at the time was that we'd have to move. A fresh start sounded great, but not at the moment. Not with everything that was happening.

Mom and I finished the night opening presents. She gave me a new phone case and stuffed animal. I gave her the new phone my dad and I had planned on giving to her before the divorce.

By the end of the night I'd completely forgotten about any kind of sadness and worry I had inside of me. Because even if I was with just my mom, I wasn't alone. Not even close.

***

Two days before New Year's Eve Logan came back home with his girlfriend. Logan had never been one to have girlfriends when he was in high school so my parents made a big deal out of it.

At first we decided to do a campfire at the beach, all of us. My parents were willing to stand each other for the sake of their daughter in law.

I had been nothing but exited until my mom once again delivered news.

"You remember what I told you right? About the job in Florida?" I nodded. "Well, I have a job interview. I have to be there by January 2nd. I leave tomorrow." All the feelings I'd lost in Christmas came back. "Wait, so you won't be here for New Years? What about our campfire with Logan and Julia?" She put her hand on my arm. "I know honey, but this is important. We have an opportunity here. If I get the job we can start again, we can leave this place!" Tears started falling down my cheeks. I whispered, "But I don't want to leave." I made her let go of my arm and shut myself in my room. Once again, everything ruined.

Hours later I woke up to my mom giving me my phone back. I had a new text from my dad saying I'm sorry your mom won't be able to make it. I won't be able either. You're grandma is getting worse. I think I might be here for a while. I'm sorry.

My grandmother had Alzheimer. My dad usually went there from time to time to take care of her, usually taking turns between his siblings to go see her. But if he was there for so long that meant that she was more likely really bad. I texted back: I hope she gets well. Keep me updated, please.

I decided it was time to come clean with my friends. Partly, at least. I told them about my parents' divorce and how my mom was leaving town. I didn't exactly tell them that my mom wouldn't be home because she was at a job interview but they didn't really care. We just decided to do a good old fashioned sleepover after watching the fireworks.

We would stay over at Ashley's house since her parents were the only ones okay with having eight crazy teenagers sleeping over.

On December 30th I was ready. I was ready to be with my friends and recover all the time we'd lost with all the drama and fights going on between and around us.

The next day all was set. We all arrived and did what any teenager would do. We stuffed our faces with food until we couldn't anymore.

Everything was fun and games until Tamara said, "Don't kill me," She started. John frowned. "Just that sentence and you already made me mad." Tami rolled her eyes while the rest of us laughed. "I have to leave early." We all groaned. Then Kasey said, "Are you serious? We all made the effort to be here for Emma and you're leaving early?" Tamara sighed.

"Like father like daughter" said Ashley under her breath. We all pretended not to hear her. "Look, I'm not leaving soon. I'll leave at nine. My dad invited me to go celebrate with his family and I think this is a chance for me to get to know my family. Okay? Can I do that or will you compare my dad's dumb mistakes with me for no reason?" She looked directly at Ashley who was now red with anger. I decided it was best to step in. "Ash, it doesn't matter. It's only six o' clock, she still has three hours left with us. Let's make the best of it, shall we?" I gave her a slight smile. She calmed down a bit and we continued with our party.

For the next three hours we did nothing but take pictures. We took them by the fountain in Ashley's yard, by the pool, next to the brick wall... Basically we took pictures everywhere we could. Well, the guys took pictures of us. We just posed for the pictures and imagined we were super models.

Then after the exhausting photo shoot Tamara announced it was time for her to leave. We said our goodbyes and she hugged all of us. When she hugged me she whispered into my ear. "If she says anything to you, call me and I'll pick you up." I nodded and smiled at her.

She looked at her phone and sighed. Once she was out the door I could hear her mumbling something about having to go buy drinks.

Ashley turned her head towards me and said, "Don't you want to go with her? She'll be at Shawn's house. Maybe you could end the year with another hookup." She smiled at herself and my friends looked at me. My eyes widened in surprise. "What?" Michael nearly choked on his sprite. She smiled at my friends. "Oh, you didn't know?" She laughed as if it were something funny.

"She and Shawn had some fun in John's room at the party. Don't you guys remember her going upstairs with him at the party?" They stared between her and me, confused. "We didn't do anything, just drop it okay?"

We were all on the floor watching TV when Vincent brought the conversation back up. "But how do you know it didn't happen? I mean, you did tell me you don't remember what happened." All of them gasped. I could see from the corner of my eye that Michael was shaking his head. Then Kasey spoke. "So you could have slept with him..." I raised my hands in despair. "Yeah. I could have. But I didn't!" I didn't mean to raise my voice and they weren't expecting it either. They looked at me in shock. They didn't know that part of me that would explode from time to time.

"But how do you know you didn't? If you did then you broke the pact. Witches before bitches remember? And that includes Idiots." said Michelle. And frankly I didn't remember. I knew it was a promise we'd made long ago but I'd never put much thought into it ever since. "You don't remember, do you?" asked John. I shook my head. I could see a triumphant smile on Ashley's face, and there was nothing I wanted to do more than slap it off of her. "You can leave Emma. You broke the pact. You're not welcomed here anymore."

The tears started falling before I even realized it. A lot of things happened before I realized it. Like Ashley getting into my friends' heads as soon as Tami had left since she was the only one who stood up to her. She was the leader after all. Another thing I didn't realize: I was walking home and I had left my keys inside of the apartment. I was officially screwed. First I was kicked out of my friend group and then I was alone. What a way to start the New Year, huh?

I walked down the street when rain started pouring. Great.

The tears came down more strongly when I fell in a puddle. This day was just getting better and better.

I was going to call my brother since he had a pair of spare keys when I remembered. He was out with Julia on a date before he took her to the beach for their first kiss.

I was beginning to think I would spend my New Year's Eve on the street when I heard a honk. It was Shawn, of course. Why is it that he always comes when I need someone?

We hadn't talked since the party. Actually, I'd tried talking to him but he ignored my texts so when I got inside his car we sat in a very uncomfortable silence.

"How did you know I was here?" He kept his eyes on the road until he realized I was actually talking to him. "Tamara texted me. Said Vincent told her you had a fight with your friends and you left. She told me there was no one at your house so I was just driving around looking to see if I'd see you." He swallowed hard. I could tell he was nervous. I smiled at him. "You drove around town just to find me?" He ran his hand through his messy hair. "Mhm. Do you mind staying at my place? My parents would love it if you stayed." I nodded. "Sure."

I didn't notice I had a few tear drops still on my face when he parked his car in the garage. I also didn't notice my clothes were soaking wet until Shawn asked me "Do you want to change clothes?" and I stood there like an idiot and nodded.

I stayed inside the garage for a few seconds and looked out. I hoped to see my dad inside his house but I remembered he was in Georgia with my grandparents and my heart was crushed.

I was standing in the living room when Shawn came in with some clothes. "You can go change. I'll be in my room." He gave me an awkward thumbs up and went up the stairs to his room. I got inside the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I was a complete mess. I tried my best to look presentable even if this wasn't the first time I looked like a rat's nest in Shawn's presence.

I knocked on his door even though it was open. His gaze went up from his phone and he looked at me. Something inside his eyes flickered but as soon as it appeared it was gone.

"D-do you want to watch a movie?" Since when does Shawn Becker stutter? "Sure. Where is your family by the way?" We walked down the stairs to the TV room. He walked faster than me, as if being close to me would kill him. "They're asleep. They've been so busy with Connor and Jesy that they've barely been awake since the babies finally fell asleep. Caitlyn is a friend's house and Steven is lost somewhere" I replied with "oh" but it was barely audible.

I sat down on the couch and wrapped a blanket on me. It may be California but it was still cold in that room. He set up the movie we were going to watch. He didn't ask which one because it was always the same one. We'd watched that movie probably twenty times before, it was the movie we would watch every night I spent there when my parents were fighting.

I'm not sure how much time had passed but I'm sure we weren't even fifteen minutes into Maleficent when I started getting sleepy. I was about to lean my head on Shawn's shoulder when I looked over and saw that he was on the other side of the couch, as far away as he could be from me.

"Why are you so far away? I don't bite, you know?" He sat closer to me clearly uncomfortable. After another fifteen minutes I asked him "What's the matter with you? Why are you so distant and acting like we don't know each other?" He frowned. "You don't remember?" I sighed and shook my head. "Why does everyone ask me that? Is this about the party?" He nodded. "Then tell me please, because I seriously have no memory of what happened what's so ever."

Shawn stayed silent for a few seconds, paused the movie and turned to me. He explained everything that between us at the party starting with me breaking my promise not to drink and ending with me asking him to leave. So apparently I had confronted him about the text messages.

He finished off with saying, "I'm sorry I said that and I'm sorry I hurt you. I had a few drinks too and wasn't myself at the time. I almost pressured you into something you weren't ready for and I'm sorry." I smiled at him and hugged him. "Apology accepted. Just try not to do that again. That would be nice. And what about Ellie?" He looked away from my face and I couldn't tell if he was happy, sad or embarrassed. "She broke up with me after I ran after you." I nodded. We continued the movie and before I knew it I'd drifted to sleep in Shawn's arms.

I woke up to the feeling of his kiss on my head. I smiled at myself and remembered the butterflies I would get every time he did that. That time was no different. I looked up and found him with his face completely red. I laughed at him.

"Don't be embarrassed. It's okay if you kiss my head. I actually like it when you do that. You know what else I like?" I shook his head. "You." His face turned serious. Where was this confidence coming from? "Wait, you like me?" I playfully slapped his arm. "So what you idiot. You really think I would've made out with you at the party if I didn't?" He looked away and I rolled my eyes at him. "Well, yeah. You were drunk in case you don't remember." "Drunk off my butt yes but I wasn't completely gone." He frowned and looked at me with a questioning look. "How come you say fuck and shit but you don't say ass?" I raised my eyebrow at him, an art I'd learned from my mother. "How come you don't say fuck and shit but do say ass?" We both laughed. "Fair enough."

We sat there in silence, not an uncomfortable silence anymore but the kind of silence that gives you peace and well...comfort.

"Do you like me too?" I asked him. He stifled a nervous laugh. "Yeah. I really do." I sat up and looked him in the eyes, those beautiful brown eyes. "Then I guess I can do this." I grabbed his face and kissed him. At first he was so stunned he was just...there but as soon as he realized what was happening he started kissing me back.

The moment we both pulled away Tamara stood at the door of the TV room and said, "Well finally. It was about time." Shawn and I both stood up and stood very far from each other. "Don't worry. I won't tell." She laughed to herself and walked out of the room, leaving two idiots in a room who were too stunned to talk.