I wish you a Merry Christmas

By Laurent Moreau

At school, a clan seems great. What to say when you choose someone whom seems weaker than others and it goes wrong?
A destroyed life, a malaise... a revenge! They say revenge is a dish best served cold! well, that's just an understatement.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Jan 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9781667448091

Laurent Moreau

Laurent Moreau is an author and illustrator living in Strasbourg, France.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Finally ! The good news is fallen ! This year, it is up to me to arrange Christmas eve !

You will tell me that there is nothing special, a new year's eve to organize is nice, but not to the point of marvel.

After sixteen that I was waiting for this moment, my patience has paid ! Sixteen years ago that I would like to bring together all these people, long-time friends, I know them from school, I know every person, every character, every quality or flaw, and every weakness of each.

I called Christopher and he tried to call me Barry. Already, 16 years ago, they used to call me Barry, and I don't even know why ! Yet I called Roland... at the time.

I'm all excited when Virginia called on me.

– Hi Barry.

– Hi Virginia. How are you going to ?

– Awesome ! I'll call you to tell you, if you want to, of course, organize the eve of Christmas, it is possible that this is your turn. What do you think ?

––––––––

– Wow super, with pleasure, I was wondering when it would be up to me to do so.

– Then it is settled. I announced it to everyone. You have two months to surprise us, it is expected, therefore, your news. Kisses.

– No problems. Kisses.

Yes, I used to ask myself really the question, " when would be my turn. Now, I'm going to organize it, I promise you the best of all. Sixteen years that it's running in my head !

Do you want me to surprise you ? you will be, but you know nothing. Only that this Christmas will be memorable and enjoyable for me at least.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas...

It's going to be literally deadly !

CHAP. 1 – 16 YEARS AGO.

In our class, there are about 25 students, I'm not the most popular, a little more than a dozen of them are very connected and I had dreamed of being part of the group. One day, one of them made me go in it, I do know not the reason, although I have a small idea. They called me Barry ! Strange name, I think, but I didn't care what they used to call me, the main thing is that I'm in a group and their group. I had the impression that they liked me, surprisingly, they told me protected . I do not really understand the reason, but good I felt happy.

The months of the school run in the happiness for my part, belong to a group is great, and that's something that I've never known before.

I should introduce you to everyone.

First of all,

* Pierrick. A kind of leader, everyone listens, it gives more or less the orders, and all that respect, it is cool, as long as we do what he wants.

* Stephanie. The single, a tomboy, is still behind Pierrick, they are like brother and sister.

* Laurent. A guy's weird, it must always be that he slaughters animals or insects.

* Sylvie. The girlfriend of Pierrick. A sensitive girl in appearance, unlike him, she doesn't know how to take decisions, she constantly asks his beloved what she must do, and she does that if Pierrick accepts no initiative.

* Jerome. The handsome group. He attracts all of them. It collects them.

* Martin. A dude very dark, we don't really know what he thinks. Friendly, but in no case, I would have wandered with him alone in the street !

* Noémie. The hottie. There always has to be a, to the cutting edge of fashion, and beauty, all the guys are at his feet.

* Karine. She is the one that seems the closest to me. She listens to me, looks at me, my life, etc

* Claude and Jean. Twins ; I never know who is Claude, and that is John. Necessarily, they are usually together, dressed the same, have the same guts, they are only a !

* Virginia. It looks like an angel, but she is very false and very hypocritical, don't ever trust him.

* Bruno. The effeminate of the group. It is very well-liked, they drag all the guys, even me. I'm afraid ! I don't know how to behave with him.

* Daniel. A guy hyper-tough ! Big, muscled ! I would rather be his friend rather than his enemy. It does this to a lot of people.

* Cecile. A dark spirit and tortured ! Certainly his manner of dress. Always in black and masked serious !

* Isabelle. A bitch from the first, her mouth all the time and is never happy. She pisses her world. There is only Pierrick that the quiet of nothing.

* Sacha. The nerd of the group. He spends most of his time on the duties of a lot of people. I dare not ask him to do mine.

* Veronique. I don't like it. I don't know why. She does not talk to me much, and I will. It is physical, I don't, but I don't show it, I don't want me to be ejected from the group.

All this little world, these 17 people know each other for years, they are welded. There are more wicked than nice . Me, I'm the last to arrive, I am shy, not very nice, and I like more of a scapegoat than a hard one ! I'm more of a follower, they impress me all. I try to learn from them. Over the days and months, I will love them in spite of everything. Being part of a group, is huge for me. All my years of school, I have always been alone, had and  no friends or very little. I was not a very good student, always pushed to the side, never invited to birthday parties or outings, but my parents told me to invest myself in the lives of others, but in general, it would not let me speak, I felt like I was invisible. Then, understand that there, when Pierrick is came to me to tell me to come with them if I wanted to ! I said yes immediately. I was welcomed very nicely, and I also saw a few smiles here and there, but it was not serious ! I was finally part of a group and this time, it was the main, finally a school year that starts well and then that makes me happy.

One day in November, Karine came to me with an invitation.

– What is it ? I tell him.

– An invitation.

– An invitation ? Where it ? Of which ?

– You know that in the group we've known for a very long time, since a few years. Well, every year, one of us organizes Christmas eve. It should surprise us, and every year it turns.

– Super ! Who organizes this year ?

– Virginia.

– OK cool. (The one I don't like, but hey, this is not serious, I do not choose.)

– That's it. So in some time, Virginia will give us more information about the location and time of an appointment.

– And it is very nice . How to get dressed ? Should we make gifts ?

– Don't stress. This is the person who invites who is giving the instructions. I don't know anything for now, I don't know more than you. But if it is like previous years, it will be fun.

– I am well pleased. A Christmas eve with you it will be pleasant. Thank you for the invitation.

– Nothing. Everyone in the group is invited and you're part of the group, so no worries.

Happy I am. A party with friends and girlfriends, I have dreamed, and I'm going to live. I look forward to it. I feel lucky compared to the rest of the class. The others are insignificant, the group doesn’t talk to them ever, there has been virtually no contact, or only if the course or the teacher wishes. So me, Roland, their Barry, I was one of those insignificant ; (I don't insignificant, but the rest of the group, yes !) and now, I pass to the other side, I'm in all the conversations, I incorporate in everything that Pierrick decided to do.

– oOo-oOo –

December 1st , a Friday, the last day of the week, 9 h, courses in English. Virginia advances towards me, with a smirk, she tells me.

– Barry. Here are the instructions for new year's eve at me she said to me, holding out an envelope.

I have not even had time to thank him that it was already a party at her place ! I sat down and I opened the envelope, I'm too much of a hurry to see what it contains.

INVITATION

APPOINTMENT on the 24th of December for a

wonderful new year's Eve

7.30 pm at The cottage The Destiny 05600 Ceillac

No gifts. Do not bring anything. No dress code.

For transportation, please contact Pierrick.

I don't even know where it is ! By searching a bit on the net, I saw that it was a small quiet village in the mountains. Definitely great to make noise without disturbing others. I don't like the mountains, but I will do with it. I need to stop stressing, I'll be good and I just have to do like everything in the world . I just have to go see Pierrick to ask him if I can go with him ; I guess as an adult or more will accompany us, though I don't have to worry about any of that, and of me bother me now.

My parents are happy for me to say yes ! This is a first for them as well. I'm going to a party of friends, finally, I socialise they say ! My mother gives me money, you never know if there are things to pay or for  even offer a tour ; I can't believe it ! I screw my year the best !

– You'll do like all the world, my darling, you have to you have fun and, unusually, no ban on our part...

CHAP. 2 –DECEMBER 24th 1995

It is the day of D-Day. I'm excited. We go to the mountain for a wonderful new year's eve, a superb party. My mother has done all the possible recommendations, it is necessary that I am sociable, I sing, I dance, I eat, I drink... My father told me to dredge ! What are you talking about ? I would never be able to do this, I'm too shy and more, dredge ? That ? In the group, they speak to me, but have nothing to do with me, they consider me not like the other guys in the group, I don’t like anything about Pierrick or Daniel or any other guy for the troupe.

This is the big brother of Pierrick that accompanies us, we are five in the car, and other people also have a family member who is leading them. It was about 5 hours away, it was going to be long, but Pierrick has always something to say, and it is certain that he will entertain us for the road.

After having embraced my mother and my father, I'm leaving, finally. The car starts for long hours so.

I look at the road, just by thinking about what I'm going to find out, how is going to spend the evening. Many things are rushing through my head. I am always stressed, to ask myself a million questions for anything. It should be that I get to live in the present moment. Pierrick tells anecdotes, I hear it, but I don't listen to it, but I do it unconsciously, a sign or a smile that could make people understand that I am what he says ! At the end of two hours, we stop for a pee break/coffee. It feels good to stretch the legs. I take good milk chocolate and I'd like to go to the bathroom, I'm just to the side of Pierrick.

– Then Barry, you're ready to make the fiesta ? he said while laughing and watching me piss !

– Yes, I'm ready. I'm glad to be with you all. (And damn, he stops to look at me, I can't piss !) I feel a little child beside him, it already has a man in every point of view, it has a voice already serious, it is well-built, and this is a head.

Pierrick is going to finally and headed to the car.

– Hurry up Barry, we don't have the whole day " he said, bursting into laughter.

Yes, I have to hurry, I said looking at him.

In the car, and it restarts. I fall back into my thoughts, I get stressed out, I really have not used to these parties, or just to have friends, friends, very cool, too cool, certainly, am I going to have the air con on all these trendy ? It is true that I don't really feel the height, in the game look for the intruder everyone is going to find the answer. But hey, it reassures me that Pierrick is still there, or not very far from me... It is kind of like a father in this group.

My eyes close. I fall asleep.

– oOo-oOo –

I wake up, I feel that we stopped. We go out all of the car, it starts to pull out the suitcases. We said goodbye to all the coaches. The cars are further away. Pierrick starts to cry, joy. As the festivities begin, he said. They all seem very happy. I am also, but it is more inwardly, I did so not used to this kind of thing. It is the first one to spend several days with a group of classmates. I need to loose, and that I am " like everything in the world ».

The bags are returned. Each room is distributed