It was the holidays, a time you dreaded. Why? Family, of course, why else? Every year you had to go see your family, and it was absolute torture. Someone would always end up getting drunk, and starting a fight, mostly verbal fights, but sometimes even physical fights too.

You’re 21, and have already moved out of your parents house already, and it was amazing. Although you did miss one of your only friends as a teenager, Alex, your neighbour. After moving, you two never really talked much, so you hadn’t seen or spoken to him in a while.

~

As you pulled into your parents driveway, you huffed, and stepped out, mentally preparing for the chaos you knew would happen eventually. As you pushed the door open, and you instantly got bombarded by grandparents, and Christmas decorations everywhere. You managed to slip away, into the kitchen, and was once again questioning how many Christmas decorations two people needed after being bombarded once again by bright, shiny decorations.

You searched through the fridge, and decided to grab a beer for yourself, you figured you’d need it anyways. As you shut the fridge door, you jumped. Alex was standing there, looking just the same as he had when you were just teens.

“Hey..” He said, a bit of an awkward smile on his face, “I heard all the commotion, and your mum told me you disappeared somewhere, so I came looking.”