Christmas was simultaneously eight year old Kevin McCallister's most and least favorite holiday. Most favorite because he got presents and candy. Least favorite because the whole family came over to celebrate. He loved his family of course, but it was overwhelming to have so many people in the house at once. He was always bumping into someone or being bumped into, and furniture was being moved, causing him to trip. He shouldn't need his cane in his own home!

As the boy walked into the living room, he could hear the big kids talking excitedly.

"Angels With Filthy Souls. It's amazing! Can you believe they managed to squeak past with a PG-13 rating?" one of his cousins was saying.

Kevin was immediately excited. That movie sounded awesome! He ran to where he knew the couch was, happy to find that it hadn't been moved, and jumped on.

"No no!" he heard his Uncle Frank's voice. "Not for you. You're too young." hands were placed beneath his underarms, lifting Kevin up.

"Come on!" Kevin whined. "The big kids said it's not even rated R!"

"I said no!" Frank said sternly. "Besides, you can't even see the screen."

As Kevin was set down, he sulked and stamped a foot in frustration, Frank's last comment really irking him. Sure, he couldn't see the screen, but he was just fine listening. Maybe if he complained to his mother, she'd make Frank let him watch.

After gathering his bearings, Kevin found the stairs and carefully made his way up, clutching the handrail. It didn't matter how many times he'd gone up and down, stairs always made him nervous. Once he was at the top, he walked into the master bedroom. He could hear his mother's voice; she was talking to someone.

"Pete's Brother and his family are here. Oh, it's crazy!"

Kevin heard a barely audible voice reply and realized that his mother was on the phone.

"Montreal? Oh, that's right! Her family's there! … When do you leave? … You're not ready, are you?"

Kevin spoke up. "Mom, Uncle Frank won't let me watch the movie, but the big kids can! Why can't I?"

"Kevin…" his mother chided. "I'm on the phone." she then resumed her conversation. "When do you come back?"

Kevin stepped further into the room, refusing to be ignored. "It's not even rated R!" he complained. "He's just being a jerk."

Kate sighed, sounding tired. "Kevin, if Uncle Frank says no… then it must be really bad."

Kevin pouted, then climbed up onto his parents' bed.

"No, we're not bringing the dog. We're putting him in the kennel—" Kate noticed her youngest son on the bed. "Hey hey hey, get off! Kevin! Out of the room!" she scolded.

Kevin felt around his mother's luggage, grabbing a book his fingers brushed over. "Hang up the phone and make me, why don'cha?" he retorted as he opened the book, running his small fingers over the pages. As he'd expected, they were smooth, no Braille. The only Braille books in the house were the ones his parents bought just for him, along with Braille buttons on the TV's, their remotes, and the microwave.

"Oh, this kid…" Kate murmured to herself with a chuckle.

Kevin heard footsteps enter the bedroom, then his father's voice. "Kate, did you by any chance pick up the voltage adapter thing?" he asked his wife.

"I didn't have time to do that." Kate replied.

"How am I supposed to shave in France?"

"Grow a goatee."

Kevin sat up and faced the direction of his father's voice. "Dad, nobody will let me do anything," he whined.

"You don't have anything to do? I got something for you to do," Peter was quick to reply as Kate walked off somewhere. "You can pick up those Micro Machines that are all over in there. Aunt Leslie stepped on one and almost broke her neck."

Kate reentered the room. "He was in the garage again playing with the glue gun," she said.

Snitch… Kevin thought angrily.

"Didn't we talk about that?" Peter asked. "Kevin, you could've seriously hurt yourself. What if you'd spilled glue on your hand?"

Kevin wanted to throw something. He hated that he wasn't allowed to do stuff just because he couldn't see. "Kevin, don't do that!" they'd yell as whatever he was playing with was swiftly snatched away. "You could hurt yourself!" He wanted to yell back, say that he wasn't a cripple, he could do things on his own.

"Did I burn down the joint? I don't think so." Kevin snapped back defensively. "I was making ornaments out of fishhooks."

This gave Peter pause. "My new fishhooks?"

"I can't make ornaments outta the old ones. They feel gross and crusty!" Kevin replied, unconsciously rubbing his hands on his pants at the thought.

"Peter…" Kate said to her husband.

Peter sighed. "Come on Kevin. Out." he said as he effortlessly lifted Kevin, beginning to carry him to the door.

Kevin heard his Aunt Leslie's voice next. "Peter, Kate, do you guys have a voltage adapter?" she asked.

"Here! Here's a voltage adapter!" Peter said mirthfully, plopping Kevin into Leslie's hands.

"Oh!" Leslie grunted with a laugh. "Kevin, you're getting heavy." she set him down and gave him a gentle pat on the back. "Go pack your suitcase."

This made Kevin stop, surprised at the request. "Pack my suitcase?" he asked himself.

While Kevin was happy that he'd been asked to do something for himself for once, he'd never packed his own luggage before. What was he supposed to even bring? While he was reluctant to ask for help, which in his mind equated admitting defeat, Kevin began to search for his siblings.

"Megan?" he called, hands tentatively searching, fingers trailing along with wall.

"What?" his sister's voice asked, sounding irritated, from her room.

"Aunt Leslie told me to pack my suitcase, but I don't know what to do."

"Tough," Megan snapped, then slammed the door.

Grunting in frustration, Kevin went to the room he shared with his brother Jeff.

"Jeff?" Kevin called into the room, ears listening for any noise from his brother.

"What do you want?" Jeff's voice asked, and Kevin walked toward the voice, hand out, which eventually brushed his brother's nose. Jeff swatted Kevin's hand away. "Don't do that," he snapped.

Kevin climbed onto the bottom bunk, his bunk, and sat down. "Aunt Leslie told me to pack my suitcase, but I don't know how to pack a suitcase. I've never done this once in my whole life!"

A zipper zipping. "Tough."

When Kevin felt the weight next to him lift, he got up and followed his brother's footsteps. "That's What Megan said!" he complained.

"What did I say?" Megan's voice asked.

"You told Kevin, "tough"." Jeff replied.

Kevin could practically hear Megan's eyeroll. "The dope was whining about a suitcase. What am I supposed to do, shake his hand and say "Congratulations, you're an idiot"?"

"I'm not an idiot!" Kevin said defensively, slightly hurt.

"Oh really?" Megan began. "You're completely helpless! Everyone has to do everything for you!"

"She's right, Kev," Jeff agreed.

Kevin clenched his fists. "Excuse me, puke breath, just because I can't see doesn't mean I'm helpless!"

"That's exactly what it means!" Megan snapped back before going downstairs.

"Hey, I hope you didn't you didn't just pack crap, Jeff," Linnie's sarcastic voice drawled.

"Shut up, Linnie!" Jeff retorted.

"Do you know what I should pack?" Kevin asked her.

"Buzz told you, cheap face, toilet paper and water." Jeff said before Kevin heard his footsteps clomping down the stairs.

"Listen, Kev, what are you so worried about?" Linnie asked. "You know mom's gonna pack your stuff anyway. You're what the French call les incompetents."

Kevin frowned. "What?" he asked, even though he had a fair idea about what his sister had just called him.

"Bombs away!" Kevin heard Jeff's voice yell, followed by a loud THUD that made Kevin jump.

"P.S." Linnie started. "You have to sleep on the hide-a-bed with Fuller. If he has something to drink, he's gonna wet the bed." her footsteps then walked away from him.

Kevin clenched his fists again, a combination of anger and disgust bubbling inside him. The thought of getting peed on made him want to spew chunks all over the rug. He quickly began yelling.

"This place is so full of people, it makes me sick! When I grow up and get married, I'm living alone!" he yelled over the railing, not hearing the problem with that last statement. "Did you hear me?!" Kevin continued to yell as he began jumping up and down. "I'm living alone! I'm living alone!"