When I woke up, it was already night. I must have cried myself to sleep. Feeling hungry, I thought of going to the kitchen and opened the door. I almost bumped into my big brother. His friends were there too.

“Merry Christmas!” they shouted.

I shut the door. 

My brother knocked. “Come on, Himeko, let’s party!” 

A Christmas party. This reminded me that my elementary school friends were having one that night, and I wasn’t invited.

“We brought food. We even took a bath!” his friends said.

I peeked slightly. It was true. They smelled soapy. Even my brother didn’t stink of cigarettes like usual.

I came out and saw our apartment all ribboned up. There even was a cut-out of a Christmas tree stuck to a wall. Atsuki was dressed as Santa, Toma was an elf, and Kazuki was a reindeer. It was a whole party.

“Hey, you laughed,” my brother said.

Rowdy as they might be, my brother and his friends’ cheerfulness were just infectious. Atsuki and I ended up singing duet the Silent Night, using the karaoke version CD. Toma did a magic trick of eating an eraser, then made it reappeared out of his ear. And Kazuki let me have extra gyoza made by his mom. 

“So, they don’t want you at their dumb party. Big deal,” my brother said. “If they have to single you out to feel better about themselves, they are the losers, not you.” 

Because they were there for me, I felt like a winner.

“Himeko,” my brother spoke, caressing my head. “You live and be happy. And if the world’s so stupid that they can’t accept you, then so be it.” 

This was the best Christmas party ever.