Christmas day in the Samuels household started early, so early it couldn't even be called "day" yet. It wasn't part of the plan, of course. Such an early start—before the sun was even up—was thanks to Devon crawling into the boys' bedroom window, and waking the twins, whose usual habit of sleeping heavy was broken that night in the excitement and hope of trying to catch Santa.
Both twins stirred, groggy at first, as they both mumbled a questioning "Santa?" looking towards the window. Their disappointment at finding only their oldest brother didn't last long; they snapped awake and jumped from their bed once they realised what day it was, shouting: 'IT'S CHRISTMAS!'
That was when Ty jolted up, crashing out of bed, his curses underscoring Devon's as the eldest brother whisper-shouted at the twins to get back in bed and "shut the fuck up". But the twins paid him no mind; they were too enraptured by whether Santa had come, or if he had only just arrived and they could still catch him.
They stormed out of the room, in such a hurry to get out of the door that they crashed into the opposite hall, literally bouncing down the hallway as they rushed to the living room.
Ty glared up at Devon before flinging a pillow at his head. 'Nice one, asshole,' Ty grumbled, voice still heavy with sleep. 'You couldn't stay home for one night?'
'You think I wanna be here?' When Ty tried to get up, Devon kicked him back down. 'One word about this an' I'll beat your lil ass.' He turned away, hurriedly getting changed out of his hoodie and jeans into something less conspicuous.
'You owe me,' Ty said, picking himself up, rubbing his chest; he had to change his shirt or else walk out of the room with a dirt-print of Devon's sneaker on his chest.
It wasn't long before the house was full of noise. The twins shrieked again as they found the treasures waiting under the small plastic tree set up in the living room. The thing was adorned with rubber baubles and shitty bright tinsel that almost disintegrated if you touched it too firmly.
"Santa" had come and gone, leaving behind his gifts, but the twins were the only ones overjoyed with their early find. Father's roar echoed through the house, enraged at being woken so early.
'What are you gonna tell them?' Ty asked Devon.
'I ain't tellin' 'em shit. The lil shits woke up squealin' 'bout Christmas. That woke us up, right?' He stared at Ty, waiting for him to confirm he'd go along with the story.
Even in the faint light of the pre-dawn, Ty could see how red and bloodshot Devon's eyes were, AND the sleepless bags under them. He told his older brother as much. "Fuck you" was Devon's response.
They heard their father stomp through the hall, Mother just behind him, both already arguing, voices piercing but still carrying the drawl of someone who was just prematurely awoken.
Devon kicked his shoes off, now wearing a white tank-top along with his sweats. As he grabbed the doorknob, he glared at Ty one last time. 'Don't say shit,' he warned before exiting the room, feigning tiredness with a yawn. Ty heard him mumble and ask what was going on as he shuffled down the hall.
Ty threw on a Rams jersey before following his brother out. As he stepped outside, so did Meg from the girls' room. She stopped, startled at his appearance, but her expression quickly became neutral. 'Merry Christmas,' she said.
'Merry Christmas,' he repeated. They stared at each other for a moment, their awkward silence broken by squealing and shouting from the living room. Neither had said much to each other since the State championship. Ty couldn't piece together why she was being so weird around him.
Meg ducked down the hall, heading towards the noise. Inside the living room, another argument had sprouted between Mother and Father, whilst the twins were bouncing around, wondering which present they should open first. There were several of various shapes and sizes under the tree, most labelled for the twins.
As Ty approached, Mother pulled Father from the living room, out into the kitchen. 'We can't do it yet. We have to wait,' Mother said.
'And how else do you think we'll get these little shits to shut up?' Father growled. 'Just let them open one. Or do you want ME to deal with 'em?'
'Don't you DARE. If you put hands on my babies—'
'Then let 'em open a fucking present!'
'Don't you swear at me, it's CHRISTMAS!'
They glared at one another, Father looming over Mother. She backed down, finally relenting as she looked away and muttered: 'Just one.'
They stalked back into the living room, and Ty followed. The room was crowded with almost the entire household in it. Devon spread out on the couch; Meg sat squished up against one end; Father thudded into his chair, flicking on the TV; the twins sat before the tree, selected presents before them; and Mother stood nearby, watching them. 'Just one,' she said.
'What the fuck we gotta wait for?' Devon asked. 'Can't we just get this shit over with?'
Mother glared at him. 'It's a surprise. And don't make me clean your mouth out. Control yourself for ONE day.' She looked around, then locked onto Meg. 'Where's Victoria?'
'She's still in bed,' Meg said, not meeting her mother's eyes.
There was a tearing sound, and then another as the twins ripped into their presents. 'WAIT!' Mother shrieked. 'Just wait until everyone's here at least. Oh my God, you children are feral! Come on, Megan.' She stormed out of the room; Megan quickly followed.
Soon there was more shouting and arguing from deeper inside the house. Father gave the twins a stern warning that they had better wait until their mom got back or else all their other presents would go in the trash.
Eventually, Vicky was dragged from her room. Her hair was frazzled, and it looked like her lopsided shirt was all she wore. When they were all gathered in the room, the twins could finally tear into their presents. Colourful wrapping paper scattered into the air as they squealed and giggled, ripping open their gifts, which turned out to be a toy T-Rex and a truck, each five inches tall.
They started playing right away, though the excitement could only hold their attention for a minute before their eyes drifted over to the other presents piled around the tree. 'Nuh-uh. We said ONE,' Mother said. 'You'll have to wait for the rest.'
'If we waitin' on nothin' I'm goin' back to bed,' Devon said.
'This was what you dragged me out of bed for?' Vicky asked, glaring at her mother.
Mother threw her hands up and walked into the kitchen. 'This is the thanks I get,' she huffed. Her angry comments were drowned out by the clatter of pots and pans as she rifled through the cupboards.
Soon, Devon and Vicky were back in bed—Devon for the first time that night—and even Father, still seated in his chair, was snoring. Ty wasn't sure how the man could sleep when the twins weren't even five feet from him, still letting out the occasional gleeful shriek. The smell of pancakes cooking and cheap cigarettes wafted from the kitchen.
Ty and Meg sat at opposite ends of the couch, Meg still uncharacteristically quiet whilst Christmas movies played on the TV. The twins sat before it, still playing with their new toys, though it looked more like they were testing the durability of the plastic products, ramming them together.
That was how Ty's Christmas morning started, with shitty movies and burnt pancakes, and went on for several hours until later, at around 9AM, the doorbell rang, cutting off Father's snoring. 'Who in the damn is that? Ain't they know it's Christmas?' he shouted.
'I'll get it!' Mother chimed.
She hurried to the door and opened it. Standing there, with a bag over her shoulder, and a suitcase in her hand, was Precious, the eldest Samuels daughter.
Mother squealed, embracing her in a hug. 'My Precious baby girl!' she shouted.
Precious hugged back, an easy-going smile on her face. She stepped inside, Mother helping her with her bags. She was a tall woman, thin and beautiful, even with the baggy USC sweater you could tell that much. Mother insisted she should've started a career in modelling instead of wasting her good years in college. Her hair was straightened, falling just below her shoulders, almost blond at the tips, though darkening the closer it got to her roots in a caramel gradient. Her round face was soft and youthful, accentuated by her big features—a big grin; a wide nose; and her big brown eyes, wise beyond her years. She was the firstborn, the golden child, the one who'd made it.
She had hugs for everyone, all smiles, warmth, and love. Even Devon and Vicky were dragged back out of their rooms, though both were happy—Devon because it meant they were finally getting on with it, and Vicky because she was always happy to see her beautiful big sister, especially if it came with a chance to gossip about college life.
Finally, all the presents were opened—the twins still had the bulk of the gifts, more action figures, cars with ramps and tracks for them, and another bulky toy truck; Ty's gift was another Jalen Ramsey jersey, made awkward by the fact he was already wearing one; Vicky got a makeup kit, no doubt made up entirely of things she already owned; Meg got a year-planner journal, despite Mother referring to it as a diary and bringing up how she had her own diary growing up; Devon got a gold chain, simple, but even then he could guess it was fake, it still looked nice enough and went right around his neck with only a mumbled "thanks"; and Precious got a small bottle of perfume, which Mother said was her personal favourite, it was named something vague like Scarlet Whispers or Rose Dreams, Ty couldn't remember.
Though the gifts didn't stop there. Precious also handed out t-shirts to everyone, plain red with "USC" emblazoned over the chest in yellow. Of course, they were unwrapped.
'How have you been, Tyrese?' she asked when handing Ty his.
'Good,' he said. It was his usual response. He grabbed the shirt but hesitated. 'Actually, better than good. I just won State.'
She grinned. 'Oh, my God. So proud of you, little bro! Congratulations. Those college offers will be flooding in.' She leant close then, her smile fading. 'Hey, about that. Don't make the mistake I did, okay? It's my only regret with USC—don't stay in Cali. Get as far away from here as you can.'
He took the words to heart, holding the shirt against his chest. Precious didn't need to tell him twice; he already planned on heading out of state for college … though it was news to him she had the same idea. As he watched her hand a shirt over to Meg, then take the younger girl back down the hall, he wondered why Precious hadn't transferred.
With the gift-giving over, and the distractions out of the way, of course another argument boiled up to the surface. The twins were still playing, as happy as anything, and Ty had to wonder if they weren't aware of the surrounding dysfunction, or if they could already block it out. Father was in his chair, eyes glued to the TV. There wasn't any football that day, but the NBA would do. Occasionally he shouted out a comment like, "listen to your momma, boy". It was Devon and Mother who were fighting now. Devon insisted he should be able to leave now that the important part of the day was over. Mother in hysterics that he'd want to leave his family now that Precious is back, wondering where he could go that was more important than spending time with them on CHRISTMAS of all days—like that meant anything—and Devon growing increasingly defensive over the questions.
Ty stood back, observing. Of course, if Devon wanted to leave, it became an argument. When Precious was back—even though she wanted to be on the other side of the country—it was cause for celebration. What had happened when Ty won State? Nothing, that's what. "I could win the Super Bowl and all they'd care about is the paycheck I'd bring home."
'Ty?' Meg's soft voice still cut through the noise and reached his ears clearly. She stood next to him, Precious just behind her. There was a box in her hands, gift wrapped in red and white striped paper, with a red ribbon tied into a neat bow on top.
'I… didn't get you anything,' he said, taking the box.
She opened her mouth to say something, closed it, then finally said: 'That's okay.'
He opened the package carefully, still, the tearing sound was like the rattle of a can of food for a starving dog, and the house was silent for a moment as he opened the present and pulled forth a new pair of football cleats from the box.
'What the fuck is that?' Devon said, an accusing tone in his voice. 'How come Reese gets some new sneakers? That shit ain't fair.' The new gift sparked more disruptions and arguments, both parents looking at one another, thinking the other got him this gift. Jealously came from both Devon and Vicky; this gift was obviously worth more than any sibling had received that day.
'I got them,' Meg said, having to repeat herself louder to break through to everyone.
Ty stared at the shoes. They had that funky, new shoe smell, and the feel too. The colours were red and black swirled into one, with golden laces. 'How?' he asked.
'I've done some tutoring,' Meg said, 'helping kids with their grades and homework, just little things for a bit of money here and there. I saved up all year. Your old shoes… they're probably too small, or they will be next year, right? I don't know; it's just … you need these.' Her voice shrank with every word until it was a whisper.
She was right. His old shoes were good, but old and shrinking. The last pair of cleats he'd received was a couple of years ago, and every time he put them on now, he could feel them squeezing his feet a touch too tight.
He hugged her. She gasped, slowly hugging back, pushing into him. Precious watched them, locking eyes with Ty. Her expression was strangely blank, looking at him like she was trying to read his mind.
The disruption this new gift had caused, like why hadn't anyone else received something as good as that? Why couldn't Meg buy her other siblings something nice? Why couldn't Meg have used that money to help the FAMILY or even get her loving parents something nice for Christmas? And other questions kept the household busy. Which allowed Ty to sneak out. He needed to clear his head, get away from the noise, and even on Christmas, he couldn't afford breaks. So he ran.
He wanted to do more, hit up a gym, but they were all closed. Running was better than nothing, however, and the perfect way to clear his mind. His recent battles with Nate Langford and Lennox Freeman had been too close. He needed to be stronger for the National tournament.
Ty didn't know how long he ran for, with the winter winds whipping at his face, but the sun was beginning its descent, and he was covered in a sheen of sweat, panting hard by the time his feet found the way home.
Approaching the house, he saw a strange car parked outside—a black Rolls Royce that looked way too shiny and polished. Were they lost? He couldn't imagine why someone like that would end up in his neighbourhood in the first place, let alone on Christmas.
When Ty approached, a man wearing a tuxedo exited the car from the driver's side, a small box cradled in his arm. He approached Ty, a warm smile on his face. 'Good evening, young sir, and Merry Christmas,' the man said. His voice had a slight Southern drawl. 'You must be Tyrese Samuels, the star of Dominguez. I have a gift for you.'
Ty walked closer, hesitant, but the man didn't seem hostile or dangerous. If someone was gonna kidnap or shoot him, why would they wait outside his house? He held out his hand for the package, and the man gave him the box. It was wrapped in black paper, with a black bow, and a little card that said: "To Tyrese Samuels" in a flowing, cursive hand.
The man bowed to Ty after handing over the gift. 'Best of luck in the National tournament, young sir.' He straightened and returned to the car, though before he disappeared inside he added: 'You'll need it.'
The car's windows were tinted so dark Ty couldn't see inside. As it pulled away, he didn't know if anyone else was in there, watching him. He looked at the package again. What a strange day.
Walking through the yard, Ty saw the curtains shift. Someone had been watching him, and the house was quiet for once. The man must've gone up to the door looking for him, then waited until he came back.
Before Ty had even stepped inside fully, his mother snatched the box from his grasp. 'Boy, how dumb can you be? Don't you know you can't be taking shit from strange white people?'
Ty didn't know why she had to add the "white people" part. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, it was dumb to take anything from a stranger. But he kept that thought to himself. That had been that one in a hundred. The man clearly knew who he was, and the package was clearly important.
'Well, hold on, it could be money,' Father said.
The family gathered around the box, which was sitting on the dining table. The twins hopped up and down to get a better look at it. The family opened it without Ty. Though their interest was sucked away when they revealed only a golden envelope, the outside blank.
'It's just a stupid card,' Vicky said. 'Boring.' She turned away, going back to the couch and her phone.
'You fuckin' old white dudes for money or some shit, Reese?' Devon asked, earning himself a smack on the back of the head from Father.
'Hold on,' Father said. 'Maybe it is money though. What else would it be?'
They tore the envelope open too. There was a card, but sometimes cards held money. Flipping this one open, only revealed a plane ticket. The card was quickly discarded, and Mother was the first to snatch the ticket up.
'A trip to… Las Vegas?!' She said. Most eyes turned to Ty; even Precious looked stumped. Ty himself was as confused as anyone. 'Boy, what the fuck are you doing? Who's buying you a ticket to Vegas?'
Meg picked up the card, a plain black thing, with gold letters popping out from the front saying "Congratulations". She held it out to Ty. 'Maybe this explains it?'
He took it from her, muttering his thanks before he turned away to read it. He could feel them crowding behind him, peering over his shoulder. They read the card with him.
Mr Samuels. Congratulations on winning the California State Championship as part of the Dominguez Dons football team. For your effort, you've been invited to a New Year's Eve gala, where representatives from all fifty State champions will gather to meet each other, speak with scouts and reporters, and hear important announcements regarding the All-American team and the National championship brackets.
We can't wait to see you.
Happy Holidays.