Buenos noches! I'm back… I don't have anything to do today so I am updating stories.
Being back in California was…. Well, it was pretty boring. I was so used to all the magic and stuff. And it was strange having staircases that stay in one place. Sometimes I still wait for them to move. I got back three days before Christmas Eve. My family had waited to decorate the house till I got home. And I have to say; I'm starting to miss the snow.
"Boy, it's hot here," I said as I came down the stairs for breakfast. I was still used to wearing long winter clothes, it seemed weird that I was wear just jeans and a t-shirt.
"I'm fine," Dad said.
"Yeah, well you haven't been in a place when it's freezing at this time of the year," I said. I took a piece of toast.
"But isn't it great to be home?" he asked me.
"I guess," I said glumly.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I sighed. "I just miss my friends a little."
"Why don't you call some of your friends here?" Dad suggested.
"Maybe later," I said. I took a bite of my toast.
DJ came into the kitchen. "Hey Steph!" she said happily. "Nice to have you back. It's been kinda quiet here with out you."
"Mhm." I took another bite of my toast. DJ and dad exchanged looks. I couldn't help it if I was acting different. Things were the complete opposite to the life I was living not even a week ago. There is nothing exciting about California once I've been to Hogwarts.
"So do you want to go to the mall with me and Michelle today?" DJ asked me. "We're going to do some last minute Christmas shopping."
"Oh, but I already bought you all presents in Hodsmade," I told them. "I went with Hermoine before we left."
"Who's Hermoine?"
"A friend. You'll see her when we watch the video tonight." I finished up the last of my toast. "Hey do we have any orange juice."
"I'll get you some sweetie," Dad said rushing over to the refrigerator. He got out the carton and poured me a glass.
"Thank you."
I walked in between Michelle and DJ at the mall. Michelle insisted that I hold her hand and she caught me up one everything I missed, throwing in every little detail. Once she had gone through all of that, she started begging me to tell her what I had gotten her for Christmas. "It's a surprise," I repeated over and over. Eventually, my little sister gave up.
"Do you think Dad will like these socks?" Michelle asked. She held a pair of green and blue-stripped socks.
"I think he'll love him," DJ said.
"And look! There's a matching hat over there!" Michelle ran over to the hat rack. I was looking through clothing on clearance rack, when I saw two of my friends from school. They spotted me right away.
"Stephanie!" they called.
"Hi," I said once they came over.
"Why didn't you tell us you were coming back?" Ashley asked (ok I haven't watch full house in maybe a year, so I don't know any of her friends so I'm gonna make some up. Ok?)
"I don't know," I replied, going back to sifting through clothing.
"We have to hang out before you leave," Kelsey said. "When do you go back?"
"Not until January fifth," I told them.
"We should have a New Year's party!" Ashley exclaimed. "So why are you in England again?"
"Uh, I'm going to a-." I tried to think of a way to tell them with out really lying. I'm not that good at lying. "I'm going to a private school." At least I didn't say magic.
"Oh. What for?" Kelsey asked.
"Uh, to learn?"
"Now way," Kelsey replied sarcastically. "Is it any different from our school?"
"Just a little."
"Why did your dad want to send you all the way over there just to go to school?" Ashley questioned me. "It's kind of weird."
'Yeah, doesn't it get lonely?"
"No," I said. "I have friends there."
"But then why did your dad send you there?" Kelsey asked.
"For the learning experience." Was what I came up with. "I'm learning a lot of things there about different cultures and stuff."
"Are you ever coming back?"
"On holidays," I said. "And in the summer."
"We mean like regular school."
I never thought about that. I couldn't compare our schools to their schools. I still wanted to learn magic, but I still want to have a regular school life. "I don't know. I haven't really thought about it yet… I might go back next year."
My friends looked disappointed. For a while, none of us said anything. "So tell us about your friends!" Kelsey said perking up.
"Yeah! Is there any cute boys?" Ashley asked me.
"Well, Harry is kinda," I stopped myself. "No!"
Kelsey and Ashley exchanged smiles. "Who's this Harry you speech of?" Ashley asked grinning.
"No one! Just a friend," I tried to defend myself.
My friends began to laugh. "Ok, what ever you say," Kelsey said. "But you have more friends then that. Right?"
"Yeah. There is, Ron. He's a little annoying, but funny too. And Hermoine is one of my better friends. We are in the same house-."
"A house?" Ashley cut in.
"Uh it's like dorms we are split into," I tried to explain. "It makes things more organized. And my best friend there is Allison. But she's in another house…our rival house I guess. I don't really understand it though, most of the people there has had family there so I don't really understand why they hate each other, but-."
I was yet again interrupted. This time it was Ashley's mom looking for Kelsey and Ashley. "Call us later Steph," Kelsey said. "Then you can go back talking about it."
"Ok. Merry Christmas," I told my friends.
"Merry Christmas!"
Michelle finished up all her shopping in one store. We were all getting colorful socks from her this year. "It will be a surprise still," Michelle told me as we walked out the store with our shopping bags. "You don't know what color you're getting."
"Let me guess. The red and purple?"
"Maybe yes, maybe no."
Back at the house we were getting ready to put of the Christmas decorations. I was happy that they waited for to do this. This is one of the best parts for Christmas. The presents I had gotten everyone were the first under the tree. I wrapped them on the train ride home. I was helping Aunt Becky hang up a wreath when I caught Michelle peaking at her present. I smiled to myself, knowing that she would never guess what it is.
Joey had just finished making popcorn and he put red and green holiday M&Ms in it to make it more festive. "How's it going?"
"Just trying to get this to stay," Becky said. The wreath fell from the nail it was placed on. We tried again. This time I stayed.
"Doesn't that look-." Before I could finish, it fell again. "Nice." Sighing, I tried once again. The same thing happened.
"Maybe it's the nail," Becky said.
The house was beautifully decorated. It made me feel more excited for Christmas. "I wonder what the Great Hall looks like," I thought out loud. The rest of my family stopped admiring the work we had done and looked at me. "It's part of the school. It looked awesome at Halloween. It's too bad that I didn't get that on tape."
"Hey, let's watch your movie now," Dad suggested. Everyone else agreed in excitement.
"Ok," I said. "It's up in my room. I'll go get it."
"I'll come with you," Michelle chirped, and hopped up the stairs.
"Wow," DJ said. "That's a big school." On the TV was out castle-sized school. "Do you ever get lost?"
"I used to. But now I know my way around," I said. The camera came onto my Hogwarts friends and I talking in the courtyard. Allison was sitting next to me, looking uncomfortable since she knew that she was unwelcome there.
"Who's that?" Uncle Jesse asked.
"The red headed one is Ron, the girl with brow hair is Hermoine, and Harry is the one with glasses." The focused came on my raven-haired friend, who was sitting with her head resting on her hands. "And that is my best friend, Allison."
"She doesn't look too happy," Dad said.
"That's because my other friends don't like her," I said. "She's in our rival house, so that's why they don't like her."
"So she's your rival?" Joey asked.
"No, she's my friend," I defended Allison. "I don't really understand the house thing. She's really nice though."
At the end of the movie my family was utterly amazed. "You're school is so awesome!" Michelle exclaimed. "Dad, we need to get stair cases like that!"
"They would be hard to clean," was how my dad responded.
"When do I get to go to there?" Michelle asked. Dad said nothing. "Do I get to go to that school too?"
"We'll have to see," Dad said. "It's still along time till you can go there anyways."
"I want to go there," Michelle said. "Please Daddy, please?"
"We'll talk about it later," Dad said.
Before going to bed, I worked on letters to my friends. I started with Allison's.
Dear Allison,
How's it going? I hope you're having fun with my family. Things are going pretty good here. It's kind of boring though. At least you guys get to do magic. Today I went Christmas shopping with my sisters DJ and Michelle. Michelle can't wait to see what I got her for Christmas. I saw my friends at the mall. They wanted to know about the school. But don't worry; I didn't say anything about magic. It was hard, but I didn't!
We decorated the house today too. That was fun. It looks really pretty. I wish I could see what Hogwarts looks like though. Harry said he would tell me about it when I get back.
I wish you were here. Maybe sometime like during the summer you can come down to California with me and stay for a while. It will be fun! I can show you my family and friends and how muggles live! You might find it pretty interesting.
Well it's almost time for me to go to bed, and I still have a few more letters to write. So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope to hear from you soon.
Your friend,
Stephanie
Just as I finished writing my name, Dad came in. I hid the letter so that he would see what I had written. "Hey Steph. I brought you a snack." He carried a tray with some of the Christmas cookies that we had made earlier and a glass of milk.
"Thanks Dad," I said taking them.
"So, what are you doing?" he asked me.
"Just writing letters to my friends." I folded up Allison's letter, stuck it in an envelope, addressed it, and started a pile. Next was Harry's. But I couldn't write with Dad looking over my shoulder.
For some time he said nothing. He just stood there, look at me. I looked back. "Is there something you wanted to say Dad?" I asked him.
"Nope, nothing." Dad started to leave. He stopped in the doorway. "Stephanie."
I turned my head over towards his direction. "Yes?"
"I'm glad you're home…Are you happy that you are back?"
"Of course I am Dad."
"You didn't seem to happy."
I sighed. "I'm just a little tired that's all."
Dad smiled. "Well, I just wanted you to know that I'm happy you are home for Christmas."
I smiled back. "Me too."
And that is the end of that chapter. Sorry I didn't make it longer. The next one will be Christmas and Stephanie might go back. I don't know. So….Yea….Bye!