"N/N, can you hand me that box?"

We're home today, and mom thought it was the perfect time to decorate for Christmas. We've done this every year, and it pleases her to know we can still do traditions even if a good chunk of our time is dedicated to the band and our academics. As terrible as it sounds, the remaining time goes to family.

The box next to me has 'Christmas' written in capital letters through what looks like a thick black sharpie. It consisted of things like our stockings. Six stockings to put over the fireplace.

She goes all out when it comes to Christmas. Towards the end of the month she normally throws a large party and invites all of her business buddies and all her friends. They bring their children, and you learn to like them as you get older. She's been doing this as long as I can remember. She stills does them to this day, but sometimes Vylad and I manage to steal the spotlight because of our music. And with our new album, I can only assume we'll be getting a few conversations regarding it.

Mom begins to pull out her and dad's stockings, having me hold them in place as she gets them to hang. Then it goes down the line of our birth order until we get to Vylad. If we were allowed to have pets I'm sure it'd be the same exact thing after his stocking.

Our stockings are old. We don't go out and buy a new one each year. I'm not sure how old mine is, but I know it's more than a year old.

"Should I pull the mistletoe out again this year?" She asks, her eyes lighting up in mischievousness. It's her little thing of getting people she 'ships' to kiss. She's actually convinced Zane to invite some of his friends, but we all know it's really just Garroth inviting people they both talk to. We don't have the heart to tell mom that. She's proud of Zane for stepping out of his shell. But from the sounds of it, the people he wants to be friends with he most definitely shouldn't be.

Vylad walks into the room at the sound of mom's words. "Mom, please don't. You know Laurance always tries to use that to his advantage."

"Doesn't he have a girlfriend?" She asks, looking over to Vylad. It's clear to see she doesn't know what we know. "You know what? I'm going to do it anyway."

I groan to myself and go to grab another box. That's one tradition that I can go without.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

It appeared everyone in the house knew but our parents. Aphmau's advances on Garroth has increased from when I heard the news last. Garroth is now coming to me and Vylad to deliver the news instead of just Vylad. But when we tell him that he should just tell her the truth, he says he's afraid he'll hurt her and how he doesn't like seeing girls in pain.

I know that Laurance and Garroth aren't the bestest of friends, but they are at a point where Garroth should be able to man up and tell him. Laurance isn't going to take us seriously because he knows we don't like Aphmau. He'd think we're lying.

Because of the band, we don't have the closest of friends outside of ourselves. We spend so much time together that we all just started to get along with one another. There wasn't as much time for people outside of it. We don't go to a public school. Hell, we don't even go private. We go at our own pace with people Leo hires to teach us. Our schedules are hectic, and this allows education to fit into it.

"Garroth, you're a fucking wuss."

Garroth's eyes widen as he quickly gets up to shut his bedroom door. "Y/N! What if mommy heard that?"

"What's she going to do? Scold me? I have a concert tomorrow," I retort.

He looks at me and hangs his head, knowing there's not much mom can do. She can ground me from the concert, but she wouldn't do that because of all the money that people spent to buy tickets to it.

Vylad and I sigh from Garroth's bed. He stares at us defeated from the door and slowly nods his head. He gives in, telling us to call one of them to send Laurance over. He'd tell Laurance what happened.

Vylad and I silently celebrate this mini victory and call for Laurance to come over. He's reluctant, but agrees to come over anyway. It appears he wasn't spending time with Aphmau yet.

I look at up Garroth with a cocky smirk, feeling quite proud of myself. "I guess you're not that big of a wuss after all."