Update number two in my five day update schedule! Thanks for reading xoxoxoxo

Sorry it's so short. Next chapter will be longer. I'm extremely busy today :( xx

Vote, my loves! 

Chapter Twelve

"Wake up! It is early day and you have no ambition!" Mariah shouted, as she pounded on my bedroom door. She was speaking so quickly, with her accent I could hardly understand what she was saying. Not that she really made sense, ever, anyway. "Christmas is today, I want jolly, happy, celebrating of the sweet baby Jesus." She opened my door, and I hid under the blankets, as she began to whisk my curtains open. 

"It is a cold rainy Christmas. I would appreciate some encouraging feelings from you, you stupid girl, to the baby who is celebrating birth."

Mariah was Catholic, Christmas is her day to shine. Every other day, you'd think she was a heathen without morals. "I'm sure Jesus won't mind if I slept in a bit longer." I said, with my face buried in my pillow. This woman couldn't give me a break.

"No! We have guests coming over, and it is important to your father that you are on your best behavior, and show a bit of Christmas cheer, okay?"

That made me want to hide from the world even more, "Who is coming?"

"Juan."

"Juan? Really?" That was the thing about Mariah, usually maids would take the holidays off, to spend time with family. Mariah only had a son, and he tended to avoid his mother like the plague. I didn't blame him.

"Do not look that way as you speak mi hijo's name. He is an important man now." 

I sat up, "Excuse me for speaking out of line about your hijo. I thought Juan was in college, or whatever?"

"Of course he is." She said proudly, "He is home for holidays, and decided to dump that rat of a girlfriend, he is staying with his father's family, but wanted to see his mama's face this Christmas."

"So basically, he's now a bum, sucking off his mother's earnings?"

The look in her eye told me she's slap me if she was allowed. Which, my father gave her full permission to do, but both me and her know if she were to slap me, it'd be to the death.

I slowly got out of bed, and took nearly two hours to get my lazy ass dressed. Though, it didn't take me long to choose festive sweatpants over a dress.

Juan was not important to me. Family was not important to me.

Christmas was important, but not with anyone celebrating it with me.

I walked down stairs, instantly greeted by my father who was sitting by the fireplace, texting someone on his phone. He glanced up at my presence, and rolled his eyes.

"You can't even try to look decent?"

I shot him a look, and he sighed before looking back down at his phone. I took that as an opportunity to check whatever the hell the smell was coming from the kitchen.

"Do not touch anything!" Mariah shouted as she waddled into the kitchen, with an apron on and oven mitts. "It is not to be spoiled by rotten girl."

"Don't you think you made way to much food, Mariah?" I asked, ignoring her wishes, and grabbing a cookie to eat anyway. 

She smacked the back of my head making me wince, "There is no such thing as too much food on Jesus's holiday now go change you clothes you look like a pregnant woman on food stamps."

No way. I am not fat. "Well let me just say you look like a-" 

"That's enough, Aria." I heard my father's voice behind me. I turned around to see him walk into the room. It was like the atmosphere suddenly got tense. He even seemed a lot taller today.

Or, maybe I was just hallucinating.

Or, I really could shrink in my sleep. God, I hope not.

"Go get dressed into something nice, Aria. I have friends coming over."

By friends, he probably means his band, and favorite managers.

So basically, I'll be staying in my room all day.

"And I'm grounding you from your room for the rest of the day. It's off limits until everybody leaves."

Shit.

"You can't do that." I protested, "I don't even know those creepy men very well. Shouldn't you, as a father, restrain me from even speaking to them?"

He wrapped his arm around Mariah's shoulders as they both glared at me in unison. "As I father I should send you to a fucking military school for your attitude, but I don't, now go get dressed." They both high-fived each other, like they were both proud at his sarcastic comment.

Show offs.

Giving up, I returned to my room to get dressed in a red Santa-looking dress, that was definition of cringe worthy. 

I kept mumbling profanity to myself as I thought over and over how I wished somebody would be on my side for once, even if my side wasn't exactly moral.

I knew for sure this Christmas was going to suck ass. I should have chosen to runaway today instead.

It's not like I have any friends to invite over, anyway. I was truly stuck here, with a group of people I passionately despise. No plan, no way out. I couldn't escape.

Christmas miracles don't work in this house, never did, but now, I'm praying for one to happen to my spoiled ass. I'd die I don't get some sort of comfort, this day.

I suddenly hate Christmas.