Christmas, it seemed, had come quickly this year, it felt like barely yesterday I'd been sat with my dad munching on our turkey at Thanksgiving and now it was the night before Kings Bridge officially broke up for Christmas. We'd decided to save exchanging presents until tonight to cover up some of the sadness at parting. Although I didn't have Christmas break for another week, the boys were all parting ways tomorrow morning to their various homes to be with their families. Thankfully, I'd arranged to visit them over varying parts of my two week break, a few days with Mitch before Christmas, Sawyer on Boxing Day and Nico after New Year's Eve. Grey was the only one I hadn't been able to fit in, his whole family were jetting off to some Greek island for the entire three weeks of his winter break. He'd offered to fly me out for New Years but I hadn't been able to accept that, I'd feel like I owed his family and owing his stepdad wasn't something I wanted on my conscience. Knowing I would be able to see them made me dread the holidays a little less and dad had insinuated that he had something special planned for both Christmas and new year both of which I was spending with him. It would be another of our firsts.

"Please can we just open them," Nico was like a small child, bouncing up and down on his crossed legs in excitement. We'd encircled the pile of presents in the middle of the floor all labelled with their intended recipient. I could tell who'd wrapped most of the parcels; Mitch's were awkwardly wrapped but neatly so, Sawyers in a fancy gold paper were perfect, Greys were haphazardly taped up with brightly coloured Christmas wrapping while Nico's literally had newspaper scrunched around them in an attempt to disguise the presents with our names written over the news of the day in black sharpie.

"I think we should open them before Nico explodes," Mitch observed, "because I'm not cleaning Nico's guts off your walls Cara."

"Nice image," I scrunched my nose, "shall we all just take one?"

Nico needed no more encouraging, he reached straight in and snatched a present with his name on, going by the wrapping it was from Mitch.

"Why don't you be a little quicker with that Nico," Grey used his expert sarcasm, "we're all so bored of waiting for you."

Nico stuck out his tongue, his fingers already under the wrapping ready to rip it open.

"I guess it's every man for himself then," I shrugged and plucked out my first gift, from Sawyer.

Each of the boys also took out a gift and at once began to tear away the wrapping, which with some of them was not difficult. With the presents from Nico the wrapping simply fell off when you picked them up. Whereas Sawyers presents you needed a degree in engineering just to take of the sellotape it was bound so tightly.

"Wow," I flicked through the pages of Sawyers present, it was a book full of piano pieces, there were beautiful illustrations on every page and the title of each piece were all emboldened in elaborate gold.

"Do you like it?" Sawyer seemed anxious, "I can take it back if you want?"

"Of course not," I shook my head scared at the thought of it being taken away, "I love it."

The next round of presents brought hiking boots from Mitch, I stared at them in amazement, they were made of thick black material and had turquoise trimming. They looked expensive.

"I had to sneak into your room to find out your shoe size," Mitch admitted with a slight blush of the tops of his cheeks, "hopefully they fit."

"They're too much," I shook my head, "they must have cost you a lot."

"Not really," Mitch shrugged casually, "but feet are worth investing in, I'm not going to let you go on any more hikes without proper footwear."

"Thanks Mitch," I gave a small smile knowing I couldn't argue with him, I reached over and gave him a hug of thanks.

"Wheres my hug," Sawyer looked dejected. I immediately threw my arms around his neck too.

"Thank you," I whispered into his ear to reassure him I did appreciate his present, "I can't wait to use it."

The next present was from Nico, it was a beautiful pack of playing cards, fancy and detailed with intricate paintings of Kings and Queens, every card unique. My mom would've scorned a set like that, 'what's wrong with an ordinary pack of cards?' she would've said, 'people only use posh cards when they need to make up for their lacking skills'. I thought they were magnificent and thanked Nico with a tight hug that left him grinning ear to ear.

"You and I had very similar present ideas," I laughed.

"Really?" Nico eyed my present to him which remained unopened on the floor. I was surprised he'd been restrained in not opening it yet. That's when I noticed none of the boys had opened my presents to them. They all saved them until last, while I still had Grey's present to open, it was a long oblong tube that I was struggling to imagine what could be inside.

"Last ones," Nico rubbed his hands together itching to yank it open.

"You go first," Grey nodded to me, his eyes open and serious. I picked up the cylinder, it weighed a lot for than it looked and I had to use both hands to keep it up. When I easily slid off the barely there wrapping I was holding a posh looking teal fabric case. Eagerly I tugged the lid off revealing a glowing golden telescope that extended out to nearly the length of my arm. My mouth fell open at the sight of the smooth perfect gold metal.

"You didn't!" I cried feeling tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

"You can see the stars close up now," Greys eyes illuminated pleased with my reaction.

"Thank you," I breathed out, "it's beautiful."

He was sat next to me so I only had to lean into him and rest my head of his shoulder to show my appreciation. He squeezed me with his arm and nuzzled the top of my head with his chin. Reluctantly I pulled away before the stares from the other boys became uncomfortable.

"Go on," I nodded to Grey, "open mine then."

My present to Grey was down a similar vein to his, I'd spotted an antique shop in town in which fate had been on my side when I found a globe that instead of having the earth on it depicted the constellations of the skies. It even had a light inside so when you plugged it in it illuminated and cast lights in the shape of the stars across the room.

Grey was grinning at the present and at once recaptured me in a hug.

"It's perfect," Grey laughed spinning the globe in its wooden stand.

"It lights up as well,"

"No way?" His eyes widened in delight. I nodded with the biggest smile in my lips, it was more satisfying watching them open presents than it had been opening my own.

"I want to see mine now!" Nico couldn't be restrained as he ripped open his tiny parcel. Inside were a set of cards, cards I'd made entirely myself by cutting up thick card and painting each individually with acrylic paints. They'd taken me hours.

"I made them," I admitted shyly as Nico thumbed through them with wide eyes turning each over as his eyes glowed brighter at each hand drawn image.

"This just have taken you forever," he shook his head in disbelief, "you're so talented. Maybe I'll be able to beat you at cards now I have a bit of Cara luck."

"You'll need more than luck," I laughed, "you'll beat me when hell freezes over Aguilar."

"Is this why you've been so secretive recently?" Sawyer asked amused.

"Uh huh," I nodded, I'd screamed and frantically shoved Nico out my room when he'd barged in once and had yelled every time someone so much as stepped near my door.

"May I?" Sawyer asked politely holding up his present, I gave him permission with a nod. Inside the wrapping of Sawyers present was a CD case, the inside of which I'd designed myself using watercolours and labelled, 'Sawyers Mix Tape'. On the back was a list of all my favourite songs that I thought he'd like and had burned onto the disk.

"I hope you like the songs, they're my favourites," I played with the end of my sleeve nervously, now I understood how the boys had felt when I'd opened each of their presents, I was anxious for him to like it.

"I absolutely love it," Sawyer whispered out quietly, it felt like his comment was only intended for me to hear, he looked up at me through his rich dark lashes and I could see the gratitude flowing through his intense eyes.

"My turn," Mitch tore through the wrapping exposing his large rectangular present, it was a canvas on which I'd painted the spectacular panoramic view from on top of the hill.

"I had to sneak up one time and take a photo which I used to paint it," I explained while Mitch's eyes roamed the canvas exploring every minute detail.

"It's the best present I've ever had," he voice wobbled slightly as if he was about to cry, when he looked up his eyes swam with emotion, "thank you."

"It's my pleasure," I told him with feeling.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're amazing at giving presents?" Grey asked.

"You all have Mina to thank as well," I shrugged off the compliment, "she helped with a lot of the ideas, I just made them."

"Next time I see Mina I'll thank her," Mitch shook his head in amazement. I smiled at the thought of it.

I felt like I'd got more out of their presents than they had though, watching the effect each present had on them made my heart swell so my chest could barely contain it. It was so full it physically hurt.

It was still there though, lingering in the air that this was another goodbye. It clouded the mood and I knew we all felt it. Even as we played cards with the pack I'd made for Nico, in their futile attempt to beat me. I thought about letting one of them win a round but I knew that if they were ever to win, which they wouldn't, that they'd want to do it properly. Also, I wasn't in the habit of letting other people beat me at cards. So, of course, I whooped all their butts with a triumphant smile and a flick of my cards, not once, not twice but six times. By the end Nico wasn't even angry any more, a mask of stolid determination had been placed over his face so I hardly recognised him any more.

"I don't understand!" He cried after I beat them again, again, "how can you do it every single fucking time!"

"Don't worry," I patted his arm condescendingly, "you're getting better."

"Seriously?" He demanded.

"Practise makes perfect," I shrugged, I saw myself aged three sat next to my mother watching the way she flicked the cards in her hand, her eyes sussing out her opponents and manipulating them with her words, "and I've had a lot of practise."

"I don't want to play anymore," Mitch set his hand down defeated.

"No!" Nico cried, "I'm not giving up."

"It's gone one am," Sawyer informed us glancing at his watch.

"No way?" My eyes widened, the time had flown by. With them while hours slipped my fingers like sand, it was never enough.

The end of the game was decided and all the boys ended up curled up on my floor and we talked for hours more. About nothing and everything, about our families and life and death and love and the world. It was easy to speak to them, like they were an extension of my own mind. A part of me through and through. We all fell asleep breathing as one being.