“What are you writing there?” Laura said as she entered our dorm behind me.

“Nothing.” I said as I slammed my notebook closed. “Just some uh, worldbuilding for my fantasy novel.”

“Okay.” She sat down on her bed, which was on the other side of the room from the desk and my bed. Despite there being two students per dorm, there was only one desk in each. This was quite unfortunate for the students, but presumably cut corners for whoever pays for this. “Only a few more days until winter break.”

“Yep, just got to get through these finals.” I said. “Oh man I need to finish that term paper.”

“You haven’t finished it yet? It’s due tomorrow.”

“Well, not exactly.” I said. I realized right after that I was adjusting my glasses which was probably my most obvious nervous tic. In truth all I’d done so far was get my sources together. So I knew I’d be grinding all night to get this paper down. “I’ve got it started though. Might wanna, get some caffeine to power through though. You wanna, go down to the cafeteria, get some of that awful food?”

“Well actually, I was planning on going out with Amy. But maybe we can hang out tomorrow, after you finish your paper.”

Having a dorm with my best friend sounded like a dream come true, but if anything we were hanging out less than we did a year ago. Laura was spending more time with her new college friends, I didn’t want to say we were drifting apart but, it did kind of feel that way.

I hadn’t really made any new friends here yet so I devoted most of my free time to either my crackpot conspiracies or… well procrastinating. I could use any excuse I want but the truth was I wasted my time not working on this paper, and now the day of reckoning was here. Guess I might as well get this over with now.

First I open my schedule to remind myself of everything I’ve got going on this month, which was an unfortunately significant amount. First I had to get my term paper done tomorrow (which mercifully I was allowed to pick my topic on, and since it was for Theological studies I chose a topic I already know fairly well, the Seraphic Bible), then finals for this semester Friday, a brief weekend where I would have two days to myself, and then… the big Blackwell family Christmas get together, which came as quite a shock to everyone in the family. My grandfather hadn’t even SEEN any of his children or grandchildren since grandma died ten years ago. Hell I don’t think he’d even talked to them on the phone.

Why the change of heart from him? I’ve no idea. Nor do I know why I agreed to come. I suppose it would be amusing watching the drama between him and his children, I hadn’t seen any of these people in years. My uncles and grandfather…. didn’t exactly approve of my mom, Aunt Catherine was the only one who’d even talk to him for a while.

At any rate I was too young to even remember these people. This will practically be like meeting them for the first time. Either they’ve had a change of heart, or I’ll get to enjoy some amusing yet mildly uncomfortable holiday drama.