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Part 2: An Unlucky Christmas
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2024-12-19 19:59:36The next chapters are a Christmas novella set from December 1st to 25th. The events take place years after the conclusion of the main story.
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Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 01 | Christmas Miracles
December 1st"Do you really want to host Christmas at our place?" James looks at me, skeptical."Why not? We've just finished furnishing the new house; it seems like a nice way to inaugurate it.""But it's a house with stairs," James protests. "And your grandparents are getting old now. Plus, you're incredibly unlucky."I roll my eyes. The first house we lived in together didn’t have any stairs—not even a single step at the entrance since it was a small apartment. Practically heaven for him. But then we wanted a little house, and now we’ve got porch steps and an internal staircase. Every time he has to go down, he prays. He’s so dramatic. He’s only fallen twice so far... and we’ve been fully moved in for just a week."The old house was too small to host both of our families. Here, everyone fits. And don’t worry about my grandparents; they’ll outlive us all, one after the other." I roll my eyes again. Alcohol hasn’t killed them; stairs certainly won’t."Brianna, aren’t you thinking abo
Last Updated : 2024-12-19Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 02 | Snowman
December 2nd“We need to buy decorations,” I say as I lie down next to James on the bed. “Especially for the yard.”My boyfriend looks at me, skeptical. “I’m a little scared of what you might pick out.”I sit up to grab the pillow behind me and toss it at his face. “Can you stop doubting me? I’m leaving you.”James throws the pillow back at me. “And can you stop breaking up
Last Updated : 2024-12-20Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 03 | Black Out
December 3rdI wake up with James’s arm around my waist and his breath warm on my neck. Facing the windows, I immediately notice the snow falling outside. I smile, feeling the festive joy bubble inside me. Carefully, I move his arm off my waist and slip out from under the covers, instantly shivering. Trying not to make a sound, I grab one of his hoodies for warmth and quietly leave the room, shutting the door behind me. I yawn as I head downstairs to the kitchen, silently praying I don’t trip on the stairs—not this morning, at least.I prepare the pancake batter, and as I start cooking, I set the kettle and the coffee machine going. My plan is to serve breakfast in bed for James, though considering my clumsiness, I decide to take it up in small batches. When everything’s ready, I place a tray on James’s bedside table, followed by the plates of pancakes, and finally, the mugs of hot drinks. Once all is safely in pl
Last Updated : 2024-12-21Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 01 | I hate art and art hates me.
I swing open the wooden door leading to the kitchen, grab one of the chairs around the table, and turn it to sit astride it. I look up to meet my parents' gaze, which was already fixed on me. "I need money," I start.My father raises an eyebrow. "How much?"I look at him. This is the moment he's going to kill me. "A little money..." I take a moment while he waits for my answer. "Something like a hundred or two hundred-"My father interrupts immediately with, "I'm broke." He returns to reading the newspaper he had left on the table during my entrance.My mother hasn't said a word yet. She continues to stare at me, and I must admit it's becoming unsettling. "Did you get yourself into trouble with some drug dealer and owe them money?" she asks.I roll my eyes. "No, but-"Before I can finish, she interrupts me. "Are you in trouble in general?""No m-" I'm interrupted again."Are you risking your life if we don't give you this money?" she continues.Oh God, this conversation will never end
Last Updated : 2024-09-03Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 02 | Escaping to Messico wasn't an option.
Before heading home, I stopped at the small supermarket a couple of blocks from my house.As soon as I walked in, the air conditioning hit me like a blast of cold air from the North Pole.I get it—summer, heat, and all that—but turning a supermarket into a freezer in mid-June seems a bit excessive, doesn't it? What are they going to do in August? Try to freeze themselves to escape "heat depression"?I didn't even grab a cart since I only needed one thing: ice cream. My parents love ice cream.I ponder which flavors to get. My dad's favorite is cookie, while my mom's is mint. I grab one tub of each flavor, and while I'm at it, I also pick up my favorite—coconut. I head to the checkout, pay, and ask for one of those insulated bags to keep the ice cream from turning into a milkshake on the way home.I return home, open the door, and close it behind me, placing the keys on the table next to the door.No sign of my parents.I take the ice cream tubs to the kitchen and put them in the freez
Last Updated : 2024-09-03Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 03 | How do you know I'm crazy?
A deafening sound interrupts my beautiful dream. It takes me a moment to realize that the sound is coming from that infernal contraption more commonly known as an alarm clock.I want to throw it against the wall, but my mother would do the same to me, and that idea doesn't thrill me at all.I turn off the alarm and roll over, hoping to fall back asleep. Then I remember what day it is.Shit, today is Monday. It's my first day at work.I jump out of bed and grab some clothes at random from the chair, which has become my new wardrobe.I just hope the shirt isn't dirty.I dash down the stairs and head to the kitchen to grab something to eat. I see my mom already sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in her hands."Why didn't you wake me up earlier knowing I start work today?" I ask her.She looks at me and raises an eyebrow perfectly drawn with an eyebrow pencil.It's my mom, and she does her makeup better than I do, damn it."You said you were becoming responsible, Brianna. So it's a
Last Updated : 2024-09-03Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 04 | Will I ever have any joy?
The ringtone of my phone interrupts the silence of my room. I look at the screen and see that it's Carly, my best friend.I swipe the green icon to answer the call.I don't even get a chance to say "hello" before she starts talking."Tonight you and I are going dancing. I want to see you in a dress and heels. We'll get ready at my place and then walk to the Hunter so we can drink since we won't need to drive. No arguments. I'll pick you up at nine," and she hangs up.I couldn't have found a stranger best friend.I put the phone back where it was before, that is, thrown somewhere on my bed. As far as my first day went, it wasn't too bad, aside from James and the fact that I wasn't even looking for a job. I'm tempted to prepare some fake medical documents stating my insanity or that I have an extremely contagious and deadly disease, then bring them to work and leave them sticking out of my bag and wait for James to read them. Just to pass the time and get some revenge. Yesterday, he gav
Last Updated : 2024-09-03Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 05 | Cursing and betrayal.
Today is my second day of work, a job I've been looking forward to.After last night's "incident" with the heels, Carly and I ended up heading home because of the storm that rolled in. Nothing new, just my bad luck reminding me who runs my life. Convincing her to postpone our night of drinking until we mistook street lamps for celebrities, taking selfies with them, and posting them all over our social media with the caption "OMG, I finally met a star, so excited!"—only to be mocked for eternity—was a challenge.Basically, it was going to be a fantastic evening.We spent the rest of the night watching Pretty Little Liars and gaining at least ten pounds from all the junk food we devoured together.I grab one of my completed sketchbooks and put it in my bag. I don't have a preferred subject or style; my sketchbooks contain drawings of animals, landscapes, portraits of people, abstract subjects, plants. Watercolors, charcoal, and pencils alternate. Everything that inspires me ends up in o
Last Updated : 2024-09-03
Latest chapter
Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 03 | Black Out
December 3rdI wake up with James’s arm around my waist and his breath warm on my neck. Facing the windows, I immediately notice the snow falling outside. I smile, feeling the festive joy bubble inside me. Carefully, I move his arm off my waist and slip out from under the covers, instantly shivering. Trying not to make a sound, I grab one of his hoodies for warmth and quietly leave the room, shutting the door behind me. I yawn as I head downstairs to the kitchen, silently praying I don’t trip on the stairs—not this morning, at least.I prepare the pancake batter, and as I start cooking, I set the kettle and the coffee machine going. My plan is to serve breakfast in bed for James, though considering my clumsiness, I decide to take it up in small batches. When everything’s ready, I place a tray on James’s bedside table, followed by the plates of pancakes, and finally, the mugs of hot drinks. Once all is safely in pl
Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 02 | Snowman
December 2nd“We need to buy decorations,” I say as I lie down next to James on the bed. “Especially for the yard.”My boyfriend looks at me, skeptical. “I’m a little scared of what you might pick out.”I sit up to grab the pillow behind me and toss it at his face. “Can you stop doubting me? I’m leaving you.”James throws the pillow back at me. “And can you stop breaking up
Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 01 | Christmas Miracles
December 1st"Do you really want to host Christmas at our place?" James looks at me, skeptical."Why not? We've just finished furnishing the new house; it seems like a nice way to inaugurate it.""But it's a house with stairs," James protests. "And your grandparents are getting old now. Plus, you're incredibly unlucky."I roll my eyes. The first house we lived in together didn’t have any stairs—not even a single step at the entrance since it was a small apartment. Practically heaven for him. But then we wanted a little house, and now we’ve got porch steps and an internal staircase. Every time he has to go down, he prays. He’s so dramatic. He’s only fallen twice so far... and we’ve been fully moved in for just a week."The old house was too small to host both of our families. Here, everyone fits. And don’t worry about my grandparents; they’ll outlive us all, one after the other." I roll my eyes again. Alcohol hasn’t killed them; stairs certainly won’t."Brianna, aren’t you thinking abo
Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you Part 2: An Unlucky Christmas
The next chapters are a Christmas novella set from December 1st to 25th. The events take place years after the conclusion of the main story.PLOT:James Reid never really believed in bad luck, yet he had to change his mind the moment Brianna Lester became part of his life. Everything that can be considered absurd or go wrong is just normal for Brianna. And yet, in December, everyone is a little kinder—but will bad luck follow suit? James and Brianna plan to celebrate Christmas with their families in their new home. He hopes for a Christmas miracle, while she’s already thinking about what to gift her bad luck. Will theirs be a miraculous Christmas or a Christmas of misfortune?
Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you Special - I want to live every day and all the days
Five years later...I’m lying diagonally on the bed with my head resting on James's stomach, which keeps making strange noises. "James, honey, just so you know, if you're hungry, you can go down to the kitchen."My boyfriend makes a face. "But your parents are downstairs. It embarrasses me to go down and act like it’s my house."I prop myself up on my elbows and raise my torso to look James in the face. "Are you serious? We’ve been together for over seven years. Seven! You practically have residency here. You even have a group chat with my parents where you exchange embarrassing photos of me, and you still have the nerve to be embarrassed."James puts a hand on my face and pushes me back down onto his stomach. "These are trivial details, Brianna."In response, I lick his hand to make him remove it. "Do you want me to walk you downstairs while holding your hand too?" I tease.James grimaces. "No, be
Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you Special - Happy birthday
“Happy Birthday, Love!”“Happy birthday, love!” James yells in my ear.I mumble irritably, turning over in bed and burying my face in the pillow.“Do you remember what day it is today?”I blindly move my left hand until I find his face. “Shh. Go back to sleep.” I then press my hand against his forehead to make him lie down.He stands up and comes to my side of the bed. “You need to get up.”I take the blankets and pull them up over my head. “I need to sleep.”James huffs. “You need to move your ass and get up.”I poke my head out from under the blankets and turn onto my left side to see him better. “I’m sorry for you, but I never learned how to twerk. I’m not as good as my grandmothers.”James stares at me without blinking.I stare back at him, waiting for a reaction.I shouldn’t have done that.
Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 40 | Never go to the tattoo artist if bad luck is following you.
A year and a half later.I watch little Jeremy staring at me curiously while he has his fist in his mouth, drooling like a Saint Bernard. He’s lying on the changing table, waiting for me to put a clean diaper on him.How was it done again? The YouTube videos make it seem so easy...“Well, little one, what if I took you to church naked? You’re so small; kids get forgiven for everything.”“Do you really want to let him go around naked?” James leans against the doorframe, arms crossed, eyebrow raised. “You don’t remember how to put on a diaper, do you?”I give him a dirty look. “Don’t stare at me like that. It’s difficult, okay?”“He’s been home for months, and you still haven’t learned?”I throw a clean diaper at him. “Why don’t you do it?”James catches the diaper in midair and approac
Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 39 | The next time, I will read you like a roast.
JAMESI feel a foot come down on my backside rather unceremoniously.I groan in pain and try to move away, but as I turn, I fall off the bed.I snap my eyes open and sit up, massaging my cheek.I look at Brianna lying diagonally, taking up the entire bed.The passion for sumo hasn't faded.I hate waking up with her nearby because she always pushes me out of bed.Literally.I decide to take revenge.I go to Connor's room and grab one of those stadium horns, then I return to my room.I bring it close to Brianna's face and blow.She screams in fright, and I, not expecting that reaction, scream in fright too, and Mrs. Porter, my neighbor, screams in fright as well.Once we've all calmed down, Brianna looks at me in shock. "Let me get this straight, how many times did you fall off your high chair when you were little?"I give her a dirty look. "Only twice, unlike you."She n
Never go to a tattoo artist if bad luck is following you 38 | Do you want to be my magnet for bad luck?
I'm about to have a heart attack.My breathing is quick, my hands are shaking, I feel a trickle of sweat running down my forehead, and I'm sure my face is pale.Paler than usual, that is.James asked me out on a real date, and when I read the message, my heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. The date is at his house—thank goodness at least one of us knows how to cook—and I have no idea how it’s going to go.But that's not why I'm anxious. When I got James's message, I was in the kitchen with my parents, and when they saw me smiling at the screen, they asked me what was going on.But now my only question is: why did I tell my mom that the date would be at his house?Now, after calling Julie and discussing our "relationship," she's convinced we’re going to end up rolling around in the sheets since we’ll have the house to ourselves all weekend.But we haven't even rea
