Those Nightmares Gone

Chapter 3

Danny's POV

It was Christmas! That meant we could go on Santa's sleigh through the Downtown's streets, which was exactly what we were doing today, both the Elnes and Masons. My instincts woke me up earlier than usual, the excitement coursing through my body.

Devin groaned in his sleep when I stirred the blanket to watch the snow falling. I was bouncing as I opened the window and cold air swooped in.

"f**k, it’s freezing!" Devin exclaimed, his eyes popping open and his teeth chattering.

"Do you mind? Watch the language," I said. He gathered all the blankets and wrapped it around himself. "Get out of bed. We're leaving in an hour."

"Where?" he said drowsily.

"Downtown." I jumped up and down on the bed, watching the snow fall, fall, fall.

"Someone seems excited." Devin was fully awake, watching me and smirking. I hated that smirk so much. He yanked my ankle and I tripped, my face planting on the mattress.

"Dude!" I tucked in my legs and kicked Devin to the floor.

"b***h," Devin murmured, gathering himself up.

I hopped to the ground and put my hands on my hips. "Language please! When you're in my room, you're not allowed to say bad words."

"Well, Danny." He leaned in to intensify his message. "I don’t give a fuck." He laughed harshly and shoved me aside to go to the bathroom.

I waited impatiently with my clothes for him to come out, and when he did, he flashed me a grin which I easily ignored. It was a cheap tactic every player used to attract girls: flash them grin upon grin and mesmerize them into acceptance.

"We're taking the extra-large sleighs today," Asha told me once I dressed and went downstairs. Everyone was having breakfast, but I grabbed a single muffin and sat on the couch between Karissa and Asha.

"You seem excited," Karissa said. I smiled, because I was.

"Once in a year, I get to forget about everything," I said. Her smile dropped, and she wrapped me in a hug. She knew. She knew about my dad. Asha hugged me from the other side and I tried not to cry. Please, please, please don't cry now. I’d kept a strong record going.

Someone cleared their throat and I lifted my head to see Eric. "What're you hugging for? Not allowing your loving twin to be involved?" he said, sitting on Karissa's lap.

"It's personal, and ew, get off," Karissa said, pushing Eric. I laughed with Asha. I laughed wholeheartedly.

"Well someone laughed for once," said Devin from the other side. My smile turned down. How did I not realize this pest sitting across from me?

"Well someone noticed," Karissa said, and he rolled his eyes. Asha smiled at me knowingly and I gave her a confused look. She shook her head, still smiling.

Josh and Judy sat on the loveseat with their coffee, and I raised an eyebrow. "Judy's smiling more these days."

"Josh is her roommate," Asha said.

"And they seem to like each other," Karissa added. Might it be true that a sweetheart like Josh could be paired with a daunting, hard-to-crack-feelings-of woman like Judy? Maybe.

At the point where we were leaving, there was dispute on who should drive. All the adults left in Marissa’s husband, Laden’s van. Without Devin’s whining, we would’ve reached Downtown half an hour earlier. And worse? We ended up sitting together in the back seats.

"I'm driving on the way back," Devin huffed.

"Have you seen yourself drive, Devin? You're going to kill us all," Josh answered. I didn't want to, but I burst out laughing and couldn't stop. I was just too jittery and excited.

"This is funny to you, eh?" Devin said.

"I've been in your car. You drive like its your last day living." He tugged a string of my hair and I rubbed my head angrily. "What’s your problem?"

"You laugh, I hurt you," he said.

"You guys are such kids," Judy said.

"Are not!" Devin and I shouted in unison. Josh started laughing and Judy hid her impending smile. What the hell was going on?

We stopped at the sleigh rental centre and parked the car. I got out first and looked up at the snow falling gently on my face. Judy was right; I was a kid. I opened my mouth to catch the snowflakes and spread my arms to welcome the Christmas-y winter spirit.

"Close your mouth, Danny. You don't me to do it for you," Devin taunted me. I briefly closed my eyes, imagining a gag in his mouth. Instead, I mustered the patience to let it off.

"I’m really happy today," I said. "It would mean a lot if you don’t keep teasing and bullying me. Please." Devin’s fingers were on my face and he suddenly pinched my cheek. "O-ow." I cradled my cheek and shot him a dirty look. "What was the for?"

He shrugged and closely examined my face. "Your whole cheek is red now."

"Whose fault is that?" I said. Devin didn’t reply but instead put his fingers on the pinch mark. I flinched from the coldness of his skin, or maybe just his touch. It was time to concentrate on my long-awaited sleigh ride, not him.

We rented two sleighs and settled into our seats – I picked the best one at the edge, but Devin spoiled my view by sitting right across. The horses carried us down the parade runway and all the riders joined in ooh’s and ah’s of trees lit with Christmas lights, the dazzling ice rink, and costumes of the parade entertainers.

"Wow, this is beautiful." Karissa sighed beside me. "It makes me never want to leave your house." I looked at her and she laughed. "That's okay, right?"

"Yes." Apart from Devin, yes.

"By the way," she leaned in to whisper, "I saw Devin hold your face outside."

I clarified right away. "He pinched me." That piece of scum.

She laughed again. "I’ll miss you guys. I'm going to be so busy after the break."

"Why?" I asked her.

"University. Eric and I both go to UofT, so we can commute. I heard Josh and Judy were both going to McMaster, so they have to live on campus."

"Oh." I still had one more year of high school, but I wasn't allowed to get a higher education. All this talk about post-secondary was interesting but dreaming high was pointless.

We made one last round on the sleigh and it was over too soon. Devin started another argument to drive his own car, bringing us back to square one.

"Devin, I told you," Josh said.

"It's my car!" Devin fought stubbornly. Fed up, I stomped to the middle.

"I’ll drive," I declared.

Devin’s jaw popped. "You’ll trash my car."

"She actually drives properly," Judy said, eyeing me. Josh sides with Judy – of course – and gave me permission to drive. Devin bickered in the passenger seat.

"I don't trust you," he grumbled.

"I don't need your trust." This car totally rocked. It was smooth and swift, like I was skating on ice, and I sort of understood the rush to go faster.

Nevertheless, I safely reached the house and dramatically dusted the steering wheel to show Devin my vigilance. He rolled his eyes and got off. As soon as I did too, something cold and sharp hit my face. Oh no, you didn't Karissa.

I scooped the snow into a ball and flung it at her. She pivoted, and it hit Devin instead. Right in the head. I face-palmed. Why did it have to turn out like this? He caught my eye with his own brooding ones, his hair dripping with melting snow.

Another snowball, one that Asha threw this time, flew towards me and I ducked in time. It hit Devin again. Laughter bubbled inside of me.

"You. Are. So. Dead," he punctuated. I failed to stifle my laugher, recoiling from his fast advancement. He picked up snow, molded it into a snowball, and literally smashed it in my face. What unfair rule was this?

I stood, my face cold and stinging. I closed my eyes and glared at Devin, who was the one laughing now. Karissa hit him with a snowball and he instantly stopped. Ryan and Josh started pelting everyone with snowballs, too, and someone dumped snow down my jacket.

"Devin!" I screamed, squirming with the ice-cold water crawling down my spine. I took a chunk of snow and ran after his laughing heinous back, no idea where we were heading.

He pounced on me and smudged more snow in my face. I went blind and fell on my back. I partially cleared my vision, blinked rapidly, and saw Devin knelt on top of me.

"Revenge," he said in a sweet voice. I was still wiping my eyes clear from the snow, and he was still shadowed over me. My hands paused, and my eyes locked with his. His eyes…kind of sparkled under the sunny white sky. They were such a deep chocolate, so vibrant, I felt myself getting lost in distinguishing their hues.

"Are you drooling over me, Prinplup?" he said. And reality ruined it.

"You wish, Pikachu." He grinned widely, almost with a childlike eagerness that felt awfully infectious. So I looked away. Don’t get sucked into his gimmicks. "Get off now."

He obeyed, easing off me and giving me room to breath. I sat up and closed my eyes, my face chilled but warmed by the sunlight.

"Leave me alone. I want to stay out here for a while."