On the way to Hailey’s, my mind drifted to the actual events that happened two years ago and wondered if the same would happen in my dream. Feeling the excitement well up in my chest didn't take long. I was going to see Jake, Hailey’s brother. He was three years older than Hailey and me, and we usedto drive him crazy when we were younger, always wanting to play in his tree fort with his friends. Of course, as we got older, he didn’t see me as annoying anymore, and we became quite close, especially when Hailey and I started attending Appalachian State University, where he was offered a full-ride golf scholarship.
He couldn’t get rid of us.
My cheeks started to hurt from smiling at the memories; we had a lot of crazy times in college. I missed those days.
I was almost to Hailey’s parents’ house, and I knew that when I turned the corner into their neighborhood, there would be cars everywhere. I wanted to see if there was a closer spot to the house, but of course, there wasn’t, and I ended up parking in the same exact spot I did two years ago.
“If this is my dream, I should be able to alter it and park closer,” I said out loud. “But I guess I’m not that lucky.”
Everything, other than the time with Max at the retirement home, was the same as before. Before getting out of the car, I glanced in the back seat, where a small silver-wrapped present sat with Hailey’s name on it. It was a crystal heart necklace she’d been wanting for a long time. I loved it so much that I’d gotten one to match. From that day on, we wore them almost every day.
I reached for the present and hopped out of the car. My stomach growled and I couldn’t wait to get inside and eat Maria’s shrimp. But what I really couldn’t wait for was to see Jake. I hadn’t seen him in person since this day two years ago. He had shown up to the party, surprising everyone; it was the last time he came into town before becoming a professional golfer. I’d seen him on TV, though. Since turning professional, he’d won The Sentry tournament in January, the Phoenix Open in February, the Masters in April, the US Open in June, and the RSM Classic just last month, earning him millions of dollars. I wouldn’t know what to do with that much money. It was strangeto think that one of my childhood friends was a superstar in the sports world. Jake had worked hard to become what he was, and I was so proud of him.
The closer I got to the house, the louder the music grew. I could see everyone inside, laughing and having a good time.
When I walked in the door, I spotted Hailey holding a cup of eggnog and she squealed when she saw my ugly sweater.
“Oh . . . my . . . goodness, I love it.”
She rushed over and flung her arms around me; her slurred words clearly showed that the eggnog had gotten her tipsy already.
I laughed and hugged her back. “Merry Christmas Eve!”
She let me go and pursed her lips. “What took you so long to get here? You’re never late.”
Even though I was in a dream, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to tell her what happened. “I met someone,” I confessed, giving her the present in my hand.
Her red hair was almost the same shade as Max’s, only his was darker.
Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. “I don’t know what to be more excited about, the present or the guy.” She held the silver-wrapped gift to her chest. “I want details. Where did you meet this guy, and what’s his name?”
“His name is Max, and I met him at my grandmother’s retirement home. He was visiting his grandfather.”
I knew it was time for Jake to appear, and it wasn’t long before his arms wrapped around my waist, and his voice boomed throughout the room.
“Surprise, everyone! I’m home!”
Everyone rushed over and I moved out of the way the second Jake released me. The whole family crowded around him, giving him hugs and bombarding him with tons of questions. Jake had a way of standing out in the crowd. He hadn’t changed muchsince I saw him last. His dark hair was a little shorter, and of course, it paired perfectly with his piercing green eyes. Add that to his impeccable sense of style and you have the perfect package. Then again, he had to keep up a good appearance with being on TV constantly. All the girls loved him when we were in school.
Hailey draped her arm over my shoulder and sighed. “Do you see how everyone fawns over the boy? It’s a good thing I’m not jealous.”
We both laughed and I smacked her arm. “He’s famous now, Hailey. Better get used to all the screams and excitement when he’s around.”
She snorted. “Please. He’s just my older annoying brother. He’ll never be famous to me.” She finished off the rest of her eggnog and let me go. “You’re going to have to tell me more about this Max guy when I can actually hear over the commotion.”
The room had gotten louder with her family vying for Jake’s attention. Hailey pulled my arm and dragged me to the giant bowl of eggnog in the dining room. The whole table around the bowl was filled with food and sweet treats. I spotted Maria’s platter of pickled shrimp and downed five of them; they were heaven.
Hailey filled up her glass with eggnog, and I grabbed some, too. “When will you let me open my present?” she asked, holding up the gift I gave her.
I took it away from her and set it with all the others under the Christmas tree in the corner. Hailey’s parents always went all out for Christmas; every room had a tree.
“You can open it when everyone else opens theirs,” I laughed.
She huffed playfully and nodded toward the living room. “Want to hang out with me and Oliver?”
I nodded and was about to follow her, but Jake appeared and took my hand. “Actually, I need to talk to Lydia for a minute. We’ll be right back.”
Hailey huffed in mock annoyance. “Fine. You steal all the attention and now you’re stealing my best friend.” She waved for us to leave. “Go. I’ll be fine drinking my eggnog and listening to Grandaddy talk Oliver’s ears off about the colonoscopy he had last week.”
