Chapter 175
I was entering Carly’s apartnt with her when Spencer greeted us at the door. He imdiately covered Carly’s eyes.
"Just keep walking," Spencer urged, guiding her.
"Just show the tree," Carly replied.
"Oh, you wanna see the tree?" he teased. "Does little Carly Shay wanna see her Christmas tree?"
"Yeah, she does," she responded, half-smiling.
"It’s right in front of you."
"Yeah, that... uh... a different kind," I murmured, eyeing the tallic gray structure that looked more like junkyard art than a tree.
Carly pulled Spencer’s hand off her eyes, saw the tree, then placed it back over her face like she was trying to undo what she’d seen.
"What? Don’t you love it? You can’t not love it. Don’t you love it?" Spencer gestured excitedly at his creation.
"It’s cool... but I thought we were gonna get a real Christmas tree this year," Carly admitted, a little disappointed.
"We were. But then I was at the junkyard looking for art supplies, and I got the idea for this," he explained. "It’s a magna-tree."
"Magna?" I echoed.
"Yeah," Spencer confird. "It’s rigged with a dangerously large electromagnet."
"Sam, co check out a magnetic Christmas tree!" I called out.
"Magnetic?" Sam repeated, weirded out.
"He made it instead of getting us a real Christmas tree," Carly clarified, arms crossed.
"Here, watch. First, I activate. And now... keys," Spencer announced, switching it on. The key he held stuck to the tal structure.
"Yeah?" he grinned like it was the coolest thing ever.
We all stared, unimpressed.
"Whoops, ti for cheese," Sam noted, hearing the microwave.
"I thought you loved my sculptures," Spencer muttered
"I do," Carly replied softly. "It’s just... I wanted a Christmas tree that slls like Christmas." She looked at the creation again, wrinkling her nose. "This slls like junk. And yard."
Trying to stay optimistic, Spencer smiled again. "You’ll be happy once we put ornants on it, put presents all around it." He perked up. "Did you wrap any yet?"
Carly hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. They’re up in my room," she said with a small sigh.
"Go get ’em," he encouraged, already picturing the transformation.
"Okay," she replied with a soft shrug and turned to head upstairs.
Carly went upstairs, and after a few minutes, she returned with the wrapped presents and placed them under the tree.
"Yeah, I need to go too. You sure you don’t want to co, Carly?" I asked.
"I barely talked to Miley yesterday. Are you sure you really got invited?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.
I gasped. "I did! Rember she said her birthday was today and that everyone was invited?"
"Yes, and I’m pretty sure she just said that to be polite, not expecting us to actually show up," Carly replied flatly. "But probably she didn’t expect one of us to be so shaless..."
"Hey, even Pippa’s coming!" I countered.
"That’s because she’s being dragged into your shenanigans. And why do you care? I know you wouldn’t flirt with others when you’re already seeing soone. And Miley seems more annoyed at you than anything else," she pointed out.
"The party is really near my uncle’s Malibu house" I said (Miley is basically my neighbor)
"I’ll tell you a secret, Carly. Co here," I whispered, pulling her closer. "Miley Stewart is actually Hannah Montana. Or, wait—it’s the other way around. Hannah Montana is Miley Stewart."
"What?!" Carly gasped, incredulous.
"Oh, co on. She just wears a blonde wig, more make up and contact lenses" I huffed.
"Wow," she muttered. "A high schooler who is actually a pop star, isn’t she like a female version of you?"
"Yes. But with way less fa... and money... and friends... and parties. Wait, I’m way cooler," I declared pompously.
Carly gave a deadpan look and Bella barked at .
"Yes, Bella, teach this shaless bighead a lesson," she smirked.
"Heyy, that’s Paige’s nickna," I objected.
"Wait a mont," Carly said, realization dawning. "You talked bad about Hannah Montana in front of her. That was all on purpose, wasn’t it?"
"Yeah," I replied with a smirk. "And I’ll do it again today. But not too much since it’s her birthday."
"My brother and my friend are dorks," she muttered.
"And you love it," I grinned, kissing her head before waving goodbye to Sam and Spencer.
---
The next day, I went back to Carly’s apartnt to say rry Christmas to all three of them since I was going to spend it with my family and wouldn’t see them tomorrow. Paige would co by later; she was helping Mom decorate the giant tree at our place.
I knocked, and Spencer answered with a downcast face.
"What happened?" I asked.
"The tree caught on fire overnight and burned the presents. Carly is mad at ," he explained.
"Don’t worry. I’ll talk to her," I reassured, patting his back.
As I got closer to her room, I saw Carly sitting on the floor, crying.
"Carly," I called gently, approaching. "Hey, are you crying?"
"Just leave alone," she murmured.
"Co here," I said, settling beside her and reaching to hug her.
She started to pull away but paused when she saw . Her eyes widened. "It’s you, Jake," she whispered, then launched herself into my arms, knocking us both to the floor. She clung to tightly and wouldn’t let go.
I hugged her back, not knowing what else to do. "It’s okay, Carly," I whispered softly, trying to comfort her.
Just then, two other people appeared in the doorway.
"Whoa, daddy, what is going on here?" Sam exclaid, arriving with Freddie and catching the scene.
"Should we wait downstairs?" Freddie asked a little awkwardly.
"Wait, I don’t know what’s happening either," I clarified before they could turn around.
Carly let go of and looked up. "Sam! Freddie!" Her expression brightened as she ran over to hug both of them.
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