The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

Shouldn't Christmas be one of the best days of the year? Spending time with family, eating food, opening presents. I spent Christmas morning alone. I woke up, took a shower, drank some coffee, and stared at the tree towering over the few presents underneath it. I turned to the TV to watch whatever football game was on, but first I noticed a note taped to the screen:

Dimitri,

I'm going back to California.....actually I'm moving back to California. Don't ask why and don't check up on me I'll be fine. Sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Love, Elena
P.S. Merry Christmas!

Yeah, Merry Fucking Christmas. What a great present.... waking up alone on Christmas day. Well, I guess I can mail her present to her. I immediately called Elena's phone... no answer, of course.

I made a deal with Jelly's dad that if she spent Christmas Eve night with him, she could spend Christmas Night with me. Little did I know I would wake up to the worst Christmas ever. I had originally planned on cooking, but what was the point if the only one eating it was me.... and Cloud. I got to watch him enjoy his Christmas presents. He even left me one at the front door, apparently I forgot to take him out last night. After a little while, Jelly called and said she wanted to meet up for lunch. Her dad hadn't planned anything and well I didn't cook anything cause I had no one to cook for, so I took everything to her dad's house and we cooked it there and all had lunch together. We watched the football game till it was time to leave for Dally's. Christmas was slowly turning out for the better. I had fun with the gang. We opened presents, did a chinese gift exchange, ate more food, and drunk...a lot.
We left Dal's late and headed back to my house, where we exchanged presents. Jelly had the most presents under my tree LOL, I decided to go all Chanel with her gift...



After "oooh'ing" and "awww'ing" over presents, we went upstairs to my room. We laid in bed a while, watching whatever Christmas movie was on TV.
"Hey, I have one more present for you.." I said to Jelly.
"What? Where?" she said.
I pulled a big box out of my closet and set it in front of her...her face lit up at the size of it.
"I'm very anxious to see what this is.." she said while undoing the wrapping paper. She cut through the tape of the box and pulled back the flaps to reveal............................. bubble wrap.
Her mouth dropped, and a moment later she burst in to laughter. "No Way!" She found it very humorous. Her laugh faded into a smile, then she kissed me and.... *pop* *pop* *pop* ha ha. Yeah, it was a great Christmas =)

Wake Up Call

I awoke to my phone loudly vibrating on the nightstand. Vibrate mode is for when you DON'T want to be woken up -.- FML. I answered it sleepily..
"hel..hello?"
"Yes is this Dimitri Ryder?" said the voice on the other end.
"Yeah, may I ask who is calling?"
"Yes, Mr.Ryder this is the Tulsa County police department, we believe we have a member of your family here, if it's no trouble we would like you to come down to the station."
I glance at the clock... 2:00 AM.
"Yeah I'll be right there."
I slid in to a pair of jeans and a t shirt. I grabbed my shoes and walked down the hall to Elena's room.... just as I thought, she wasn't there. What the hell did she do this time? I thought while grabbing my jacket and heading out the door.
I pulled up to the police station. I walked up to the desk and asked the policeman behind it where Elena was. Yeah, were on first name basis with police officers -_- that shows just how often I have to go there.
"Elena hasn't been in recently Mr. Ryder." he said.
"But, I got a phone call saying that she..."
"Dimitri!" I heard a voice behind me.
I turned and glanced at the bench planted against the wall to find my father. I rolled my eyes and sighed.
"What's the charge?"
"Sexual harassment..... he was drunk at a coffee shop down the street. They said he was making vulgar comments to the waitress."
"How much?"
"$346.00 or six months in jail."
I turned back. "Dad what the hell are you doing here?"
"You mom told me where you were....I came to pay you a visit."
"Why?"
"What? I have to have an excuse to visit my own son?"
"No, but you have to have care...and I know damn well you don't have that."
"Will you ever forgive me Dimitri?"
"It's not about if or when I will forgive you, it's the fact that you've still yet to change."
"Well...I'm here aren't I?"
"Yeah..in a jail, charged for sexual harassment...."
"Okay so It's not the best family reunion, but I attempted."
"Well, Dad... attempting just isn't good enough." I started to leave,
"After everything I've done for you, you're just going to walk away?" he shouted at me from across the police station.
"What the hell have you done for me? Huh? You think sending me a generous check every month is just going to make up for everything you didn't do? Let me know how that works out for ya."
"Dimitri...son, please..."
Damn me and my will to be kind. I handed the policeman at the counter my debit card.
My dad followed me out the door...
"I need a place to stay tonight."
"I already bailed you out of jail old man, you expect me to feed and clothe you too?"
"That's exactly what I did for you when you were little..."
"What about when I hit middle school? Or became Senior captain of the Swim team? When we became the high school state champ hockey players. What about when your grand daughter was born dad?"
"I'm sorry.... how is Elena?"
"Don't try and change the subject..... get in the damn car."
We walked in the house...
"You got yourself a nice place here Dimtri."
"Lucky for you Elena's out for the night."
"Who's this?" he pointed to a picture on the mantle,
"My girlfriend...Jelly." I said while throwing some sheets on the couch.
"Damn.... you tap that?"
'Goodnight dad." I said before disappearing upstairs.

Here We Go Again

6 Months. 6 months ago I met the greatest girl in the world. 6 months ago I first saw her beautiful face. 6 months ago I would have done anything to get her attention. 6 months ago.... she became mine.

Considering the stressful circumstances we just went through, we agreed to have a slow, quiet night together. We started out at Jelly's new apartment, where she now lives with Kit and TwoBit. The apartment complex had a pool and hot tub so we spent a few minutes there. Luckily we were the only ones ;)
After that we went to my house, took a shower, and had a fireplace picnic in the living room. I even broke out the marshmallows :) We had hot chocolate and cuddled up close under the blankets. And we just talked for a while and goofed around.... i'm pretty sure there was some tickling going on too.
I felt like spending money, so I got Jels a ring..... don't get too excited, it's not THAT kind of ring, it's just a ring. Actually it was my great grandmother's, but i had some changes made to it, it now has both of our birthstones in it...that way she'll always have some part of me with her.

New Addition to the Family

I've been thinking about getting a dog for quite some time now, but I just haven't really started looking for one. So on Monday I decided to make a stop by the pound on the way home. I don't like pet stores, they're too expensive and the animals are guaranteed more safety there, so I chose the pound where the animals lives are gambled. Adoption = live, No Adoption = terminated. It's sad yes, but unfortunately this is how our messed up society works. So I don't only gain a pet this way, but I save an animals life :)
I walked down endless rows of chain link gates seeing face after face of potential ending lives. It wasn't till I was almost to the end when one dog really got to me. He wasn't the cutest dog or even the friendliest, there was just something about him that called to me. I asked one of the nearby janitor's about this dog's situation. They said he was abused, although he had no signs of any physical injuries, he was no doubt desperately in need of a little love. Being the softie that I am, I chose him. Cost me $20 plus the expenses of pet needs which we acquired at Petsmart on the way home. Walking him down the isles at the store was fun, he picked out his own toys haha. As soon as we got home, he fell asleep on the couch.
Well here he is......

Name: Cloud
Breed: Yellow Lab
Age: 3 years

Come Back To Me

After standing in the street half naked and watching Jelly, eyes filled with tears, drive away from me, I turned back to the house and went strait to the liquor cabinet. Pulling out every bottle of vodka, I went upstairs to see if Elena took care of my problem. I walked in my room and found Maddie slumped over Elena's shoulder and passed out cold.
"Get her the hell away from me." I said.
"My pleasure." Elena went downstairs and out the front door.
I slammed my bedroom door shut and punched the wall. Chugging the vodka, i fell onto my bed. I probably laid there for about three hours until I decided I needed more alcohol. This time I decided on the rum and spent another three hours on the couch. After drowning myself in pain and agony, I threw on some clothes and walked to Jelly's house.
I knocked on the front door...... no one answered. I knocked louder and yelled until I finally got a response...
"Go the fuck away Dimitri!!!"
Not exactly the response I wanted, but I left....just like she wanted me to. I went to the bar, thank God for fake ID's. I suspected I ordered everything behind the counter because in four hours I apparently spent $248.87 in alcohol. It was about 8pm and I decided to go to Soda's. I showed up at his house and explained my predicament. Poor guy probably didn't understand a damn word I said, I'm pretty sure I drooled on myself in the process.
Soda told me to sleep all this off and come back tomorrow, then he walked me home.
How the hell was I supposed to sleep? I hurt the woman I love, and it wasn't even my fault. I didn't blame her for not listening to me....I wouldn't have listened to me. I headed upstairs to bed, but I didn't make it very far. I think I fell down the stairs at least twice before I managed to get all the way up them and by that time all the alcohol in my system was tired of getting sloshed around so I ran to the bathroom. I attempted four times to leave, but every time I turned more alcohol came back up. I felt like shit....my throat burned, my body hurt from falling downstairs, but the pain I felt the most was coming from inside my chest. I don't think I actually ever went to sleep.... I think I just stared at the ceiling for ten hours....tears falling down my face.
I crawled out of bed at 10am and went downstairs to get some serious coffee in me. After deciding I was sober enough, I showed up at Soda's house. He described to me his plan...
Soda would knock on Jelly's door, making her think it was just him. I hid off to the side, and once Soda told me to I ran inside. His plan worked perfectly and I dashed up to Jelly's room. She followed after me. I hid behind the door till she was in the room, then slammed it shut and leaned against it.
"Get the hell out of my house." she shouted as she beat me multiple times in the chest.
"No, Jelly you have to listen to me..." I said.
"I don't have to listen to shit, get out." She shouted back.
I pinned her arms to her side, "You have to let me explain.."
"Why?" she started to tear up, "So my boyfriend can tell me how he fucked some other chick? How he made me believe he loved me and then tore my heart in to pieces?"
That cut pretty deep. "Jels....I didn't cheat on you..."
"Oh so laying naked on top of another girl isn't cheating on me?" she questioned.
"It wasn't like that....she's my ex...from California, and she's a psychotic person." Jelly didn't really seem to be buying in to my story, but there was no way in hell that I was going to give up that easily. I explained everything that happened and how I was pinning her to the floor so she couldn't move....and why I was naked in the process. Jelly just sat on her bed shaking her head. I knelt down in front of her.."Jels.....it's the God honest truth." She looked at me...
"I would never do that to you. I love you Jels, I couldn't ever hurt you like that." She just looked down as tears fell in to her lap.
"You know what?" I said, "I don't care if you believe me, I don't care if you never want to see me again, but.... don't cry, don't feel hurt, because that's what pains me the most. I rather see you happy and not with me....then to see you cry like this Jelly."
She sat there for a minute, and she looked up at me and said, "It's things like that, that make me believe you.....you don't care where I am or who I'm with, as long as I'm happy." She stopped crying.
"I love you Jelly!" I whispered.
"I love you too." She responded.
I leaned in, passionately kissing her, and I felt a sense of relief when she didn't fight it. She kissed back....and back....and back. She leaned back on the bed, I leaned over her still kissing her. I was so happy, everything felt like it was right again. We continued...on...and on...and on. I'm sure you know where "on and on" leads. ;)

Angelica Winston, you are my day and my night, my joy and my comfort. Without you, I'd still be among many searching for love, I'd still be lost....and alone. My sun rises and sets with you. Every moment spent with you feels like a lifetime, I should be so lucky to have a million more lifetimes with you. I love you!

Mom Leaves.... Trouble Comes....

Mom wanted to meet all of you, I have no idea why, she just did, so we had a party so she could be acquainted with you all.
It started out great, until someone broke my rules and brought in some alcohol. First lesson in spending time with a recovering alcoholic, don't give them any alcohol -_-
One by one the gang arrived and I introduced them as they came in. My mother's reaction...
Sodapop: "No really what's your real name?"
Ponyboy: She died laughing
KitKat: "Oh...you're the one with the stripper name?"
Dallas: "You look like trouble..." flashing a teasing smile
TwoBit: "What's with all the weird names?"

well, those were all the awkward introductions.
I made sure none of you got completely drunk, didn't feel like messing with it. We had dinner and just kinda hung out. That was mom's last night and the next morning she caught a flight home.

I woke up the next morning and felt someone in bed beside me. I rolled over expecting Jelly, but instead I found my ex-girlfriend Maddie.
"What the hell?" I jumped and ended up falling off the bed and on to the floor.
"Happy to see me?" she said, with what was attempted to be a seducing smile.
I scrambled to get to my feet, "No..I'm not actually."
"Oh...why? Cause of your sweet little girlfriend?...I saw the picture downstairs." She was now standing only inches from me.
"How the hell did you get in my house?" I questioned.
"Baby, I know where you hide spare keys..."
Damn spare keys... "Why are you here? How did you find me?"
"I'm here for you of course. And you're grandmother told me." she smiled again.
Why grandma...why? Of course she didn't know I had already been in a relationship with someone else.
"And you just hopped on the first plane to Oklahoma?"
"I missed you..' she winked and place her hands on my bare chest.
"Maddie.." i removed her hands, "I'm seeing someone else.."
"She doesn't have to know." She winked again.
"You know I don't do stuff like that..." I informed.
"I'm sure I can change your mind."
She had me backed up against the wall, not even an inch between us... then she slid her hand in to my boxers.
"No!" I jerked her arm. "I'm not playing this game.." I said.
"Oooh games...well we can play something else if you like?"
Shit.
She forced her body up against mine. I pushed her back...
"I like this game.." she said with yet another deadly smile.
"I would really love it if you would just get out of my house." I said.
"You know what I would love..." she responded by taking her clothes off...exposing a red lace bra with matching panties.
"Oh God please go away," I closed my eyes.
Note to self: crazy ex in the room....DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES!
In one brisk movement I felt her fingers at in the edge of my boxers...then they fell to the floor. I reacted to pull them back up, but when I bent down she pushed me to the floor and sat on top of me.
This is bad....very bad.
I thought that the only thing that could make this moment worse, was if someone were to walk in at this very moment, cause this looked bad. Well, my stupid thoughts caught up to me when I heard a knock on the door. "Dimitri?" A voice I new very well, the voice that made my heart flutter, the voice that belonged to my girlfriend.
"Uh...just a second." I said awkwardly.
Of all the people to be outside my room at that very moment in time, it had to be her. Fuck.
I managed to escape from under Maddie and bolted to the door, but just as I reached it she jumped on my back, sending me smashing into the dresser...making a lot of noise. I flipped her over me, and without thinking I pinned her to the ground.
"Dim? Are you okay?" Jelly asked.....as she opened the door.
This looked bad.....very bad. Me completely naked sitting on top of a nearly naked girl. Not good at all.
The look on her face was indescribable. It broke my heart. She just turned and left.
"Oopsies.." Maddie said.
"Jels..." I called into the hallway.
Maddie wrapped her hands around my neck and pulled my face to hers...forcing her lips to mine.
My hand spread across her face, pinning her head to the ground.
"What's going on?" Elena was standing at the door, looking in on the same scene that sent Jelly sprinting downstairs and out my front door.
"THAT CRAZY BITCH IS HERE?" Elena yelled pointing at Maddie. "OH HELL NO!"
Elena bolted in ready to kick some serious ass in a cat fight, while in the meantime I try to explain to my girlfriend why I was naked on top of another woman.
I grabbed my boxers and ran downstairs....

Tragic Night

Thursday evening I was working late at the DX, so Jelly decided to come up and hang for a while. I was working under the hood of a '63 Buick Riviera, when I heard someone yelling smart ass revolting comments in this general direction. I stepped around to the back of the car where I saw Jelly yelling in response to some jackass across the street. I stood behind her, arms folded and feet shoulder width apart with the most threatening look on my face that I could come up with, as he commented on my girl friend's.... body in such repulsive terms. In an instant Soda and Steve moved up beside me with he same stance. I had a few repulsive things myself that I fought against to yell back. Eventually the guy just left with his defeated elementary threats. We didn't think anything of it after that, stuff like this happens all the time.
We were starting to finish up a car and began cleaning up when Jelly decided she wanted to go home.
"I'll be done in a few minutes if you wanna wait." I said.
She thought for a second, "Nah, I'm tired. I think I'm just going to go home." she replied.
I nodded and kissed her on the forehead, "Love you,"
"Love you too." she said while heading to her car.

Almost an hour later, We were just scrubbing the grease off the garage floor when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and to my surprise, it was Kit. Putting it on speaker so I would have a free hand to clean, I said, "What's up kitten?"
"Dimitri? Where are you?" she sounded alarmed.
"Just finishing up at work. Why?" I asked anxiously.
Steve and Soda paused and faced me.
"As soon as you're done... come to Jelly's house." She demanded.
"Why? Kit what's wrong?" I felt my heart pick up pace.
"Just hurry!" She hung up the phone.
I glanced over at Soda. With a worried expression on his face, he nodded his head towards my '67 Chevy Camero. I didn't hesitate. I ripped the keys from my pocket and jumped through the open window not bothering to scramble with the door.
I had that feeling of wishing I could teleport somewhere, apparently going 70 down the neighbor hood street wasn't fast enough for me. I pulled into Jelly's drive way to see that the front door was open. I ran inside and heard the crunching of glass under my shoes. I noticed that the mirror that once complimented the outside of the china display cabinet to the left, had been shattered. Things were spilled among the floor, lip gloss, a wallet, various writing utensils, makeup... I then noticed it was the contents of Jel's purse. Among the broken glass and scattered contents, I noticed the blood wiped on to the carpet.
"Dimitri..." Kit's voice broke through my thoughts as I glanced over to see her on the couch with Jelly crying over her shoulder.
In a few quick strides I was kneeling at the couch in front of Jels. She reached out, throwing her arms around my neck and sobbing in to my shoulder. I placed my hand on the back of her head only to instantly pull it away and revel blood among my fingertips. I looked over at Kit "What happened?" I demanded.
"She said something about a guy at the DX earlier today..." Kit replied.
I instantly clicked on who she was talking about.... that jack ass with the big adoring mouth.
Gently I pried Jels away from me to look her in the eyes, "Jels, are you okay?" I asked intently.
More tears spilled from her eyes as she looked at me and shook her head "No!" She glanced down, pressed her eyelids together, then looked back at me.
"She has a gash in her left side... and I'm pretty sure her wrist is broken." Kit paused for a second, "...and..." I then felt the presence of other people moving in through the doorway. I didn't turn to look but Kit's expression led to my assumption that it was Soda and Steve.
I looked down to where Jelly had glanced before, and that's when I noticed her awkward uncomfortable sitting position. Then the hem of her dress caught my attention... it was ripped and had little splotches of blood splattered among it. My eyes then found the bruises that were marked high up on her legs.... and then it hit me. "Oh my God!" My heart dropped and I felt hot tears forming in my eyes. I gently pulled her to me. "I'm so sorry Jels..." my voice breaking. "She needs to go to a hospital Dimitri." Kit said softly.
I grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around Jelly to hide the indecency of her once innocent appealing sun dress. I picked her up and carried her out to the car. I held Jels in the back seat while Soda, Steve, and Kit crammed in the front...Soda driving.
I carried her up to the automatic doors of the ER, "Dr. Winston." I yelled at the attending nurses and med students. Only a moment later I saw Jelly's dad pacing down the hallway. I've stood here many times, holding my reckless sister in my arms, so this time he was shocked and hurt to find his own daughter cradled in my grasp.
I explained the entire situation to him as fast and clear as I could. They took Jelly back to do a few tests and get her patched up. When I was allowed in the room, I found her cuddled up on the hospital bed with her casted wrist and tears still streaming from her eyes.
That sick bastard was going to pay. No one should be messed with like this, no one should have to endure that....let alone Jelly, the woman I loved most in the world. I imagined what she was feeling at this moment, as I recalled the shameful violated feelings cast on me as an innocent child. Jelly shouldn't have to experience that. A single tear fell down my cheek.
Jels looked up at me. "I want to go home." she pleaded in a voice that sent more tears running down my face. Her dad glanced up from the chair beside Jelly's bed.
"Dimitri will you please take her home? I'll be there once I get all the paperwork squared away."
I nodded. Jel's sat up, gathering herself to leave. As we walked out the door, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to find Jelly's dad, his eyes exhausted and red, "Don't leave her alone." he said.
"Of course." I assured him.