AUTHOR'S NOTE

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! I wanted to publish my whole story on Christmas, but it will probably not be done by then, so I will do what one of my friends has been doing and post a section every day. Or at least try to. This will be either a two-shot or a three-shot, but more likely the latter. I can't write one-shots. I just can't. Anyway, this takes place after the events of TDA, so Owen and Izzy are still in a relationship.

WARNING: This story is in Izzy's point of view, but she starts off in the third person. Because that's Izzy.

This is Izzy/E-Scope/Explosivo/Brainzilla/Esquire, reporting the events of Christmas Day, 2007. Well, Izzy's really the only one who was involved in the events, but she's taking precautions just in case some people only know E-Scope, Explosivo, Brainzilla, or Esquire. That way, they can reference them back to her. And also, almost everyone knows Christmas is on December 25th, right? She just put "Christmas Day" in case some people consider Christmas Eve their Christmas. She knows her aunt Delilah does, Delilah's really weird though. Check a calendar, people!

I'll just drop the third person now because it's getting tedious. Talking in third person's way funner than writing in it! Or more fun. Bleh, grammar. This is why I'm probably never writing a book, unless Brainzilla does it for me. So anyway, events... where to start? I guess I should start around my timeout for building a snowman in the house, eheh. I mean, sure, that was on Christmas Eve, but since I'm trying to create a 'climax' or whatever, I'm going to 'build up' with 'rising action' to the events of Christmas Day. Don't blame me if those terms are wrong, I found them on Wikipedia.

So, it was Christmas Eve morning, and my younger brother Sebastian and I were in the living room on the same couch together. He was watching this movie called Frozen. By the way, he told me his favorite character is Olaf. You know, Olaf kind of looks like him! Wide dark eyes, bright-colored nose (he has allergies), big front teeth, and a tuft of hair on top of his head. Then again, I guess most guys have that. So yeah, besides that, I was jumping on the couch cushions to fluff them up.

"Izzy, I'm trying to watch a movie here!" Seb yelled.

Surely he could've ignored me while watching, right? I wasn't jumping THAT loudly. "Well excuse me, this is where I'm sleeping tonight."

"Can't you do that later?" He's cranky like our dad. Genetics.

"What if I forget? I have a lot of things to do, you know. Like do all my chores, finish wrapping gifts, beg Mom to let me date Owen..."

"It's never gonna happen." He said this matter-of-factly, kind of like my pal Noah. His voice is much higher though. But it felt like a lump of coal lodged itself in my heart then.

I stopped fluffing the pillows. "You don't know that."

"Mom cares too much about our image to accept someone like Owen."

"You're just a pessimist."

"No, I'm being logical here."

I threw my arms up. "You're too young to be logical!"

"And you're too old to be childish," he snapped.

"Childishness is a good thing."

"Not if you're sixteen years old." I stuck my tongue out at him. We heard a rhythmic knocking from the movie and turned our eyes to it. This little brunette girl started singing, she was pretty cute. In fact, she was a lot like me! Except she probably wasn't wanted by the RCMP, heh.

As the song went on, however, I started getting annoyed at the blonde. I mean, why couldn't she just make one measly snowman with her sister?

I was sitting down when this thought occurred to me. "Why can't the blonde just make a snowman with the brunette?"

"Because she'll hurt her," Seb said.

"From making a snowman?"

He glanced at me. "Yup."

I waited until the blonde was given gloves by her parents. "Okay, now she has gloves. She can make that snowman now, right?"

"Probably too risky." About a minute later, her ice powers went through the gloves. "Yup, too risky."

"Couldn't she have made a snowman with her sister before that happened?" I said.

"Apparently not. Can I just watch this in peace, please?"

I stood up. "It doesn't make any sense! Does she even care about her sister?" I pointed at the blonde on the screen. "Huh? Do you?" I tend not to listen to people. I should probably work on that more.

"Of course she does. You wouldn't know because you weren't watching the beginning," Seb said.

Ideas were coursing through my head. It was possible to build a snowman indoors. I mean, neither Seb nor I have ice powers, but all I had to do was turn the thermostat to freezing temperature and bring snow from outside. Our parents would never allow it, but Seb's childhood was at stake! All he did was watch movies, attend our parents' boring gatherings, and read their long boring novels. It was a sad life for a ten-year-old, or for any person really.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him from the couch. "C'mon Seb, we're making a snowman."

He sat back down. "I don't want to."

"Sure you do, you're a kid." I grabbed my favorite coat from the closet, a red peacoat with gold buttons. "Come on, let's go!"

He sank back in the sofa, arms crossed over his chest. "It's negative thirty degrees Celsius out there."

"Which is why we're building it indoors. But we have to gather the snow first." I started jabbing the 'down' button on the thermostat.

"Wait, what? What are you doing?" Seb ran toward me.

"Can you grab the biggest bowls you can find in the kitchen?" I said. "Or if you can find any buckets, that'd be even better."

He slapped my hand off the thermostat, catching my attention. "Izzy, what are you doing?"

"Making it cold enough in here so the snow doesn't melt. Isn't it obvious?"

"It's crazy! Mom and Dad are gonna kill you!"

I rolled my eyes. "You know the word 'crazy' has no effect on me. Besides, I'm doing this for you! When's the last time you played with snow, huh?"

I began walking to the kitchen, and he followed. "Last week, actually. I had a snowball fight with Tim before school."

"Who won?"

"He did, but that's not the point. The point is that you need to stop what you're doing, or I'll tell Mom and Dad."

"Don't."

"I will!"

It was time to pull out the big sister card. I turned around and grabbed Seb's shoulders. "Sebastian, I'm worried for you, okay? I feel like you haven't been getting out enough, thanks to Mom and Dad, and I want to do something about that."

"They bring us out to their gatherings," Seb said.

"Yeah, but those aren't fun! I just want us to have some quality time, y'know? I don't want to be like that blonde in the movie and seem like I don't care about my younger sibling."

By looking at Seb's face, I could tell that I had gotten through to him. "You try to hang out with me all the time, Izzy. I know you care about me."

"Then can I just prove it once more? Consider it my second Christmas present to you."

Seb looked upstairs, then back to me. He sighed. "Fine, but you're taking the blame if we get caught."

My heart lifted, and I'm sure that joy was written all over my face. "Don't I usually?" I grabbed his arm and ran into the kitchen. "Find some bowls and let's go!"

A while later, we snuck back through the door with four mixing bowls full of snow. We started to sweat right away, so we took off our coats. "You can put your coat in the closet, I'll be going out again for more snow," Seb said.

"Alright." I shook mine off outside and hung it in the closet, then noticed his nose. It was practically scarlet. "Why hello there, Rudolph!"

"What?" He looked in the mirror next to the door. "Oh wow, I am Rudolph!" We shared a laugh. While he ran back to the kitchen for more bowls, I laid out a towel in the living room and began building the snowman's base on it.

By the time Seb finished gathering snow, I was ready to start the middle. I made a snowball, then we sat and worked together to layer it. By the way, his hands are almost as big as mine, I didn't realize that until then. When we finished, my gloves were positively covered in snow, and there were five full bowls left.

"Are we gonna make a really huge head now?" Seb asked.

"Hmm... and we can make him have horns," I said.

He stood up. "You know what? Let's not do either. I want it to be traditional. I'll go get pebbles." I watched him leave the house, then went to the kitchen to get a carrot for the snowman's nose. I thought it'd be a little pleasant surprise for him.

"WHY IS IT SO COLD IN HERE?" Dad yelled from upstairs. I froze at the refrigerator, my skin tingling all over. The carrot idea went soaring elsewhere. Dad's footsteps thudded on the stairs like thunderclaps.

I heard him land on the floor to the living room, and stop. "WHAT IS THIS? ISABELLE JOSIE WELLINGTON, COME OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Heat coursed through me, and I crossed my arms against my chest. "THAT'S NOT MY NAME!"

Dad clomped into the kitchen in only his robe and slippers. "Don't be ridiculous, Isabelle. Did you turn down the thermostat to build a snowman in the house?"

I was still mad at him. Mom has told me before that when I'm mad, I get stubborn. "Yes."

"Why on Earth would you do that?" His tone was pleading me to be honest, but honesty never worked with Mom, and she and Dad worked together. It wasn't worth telling.

"Because I wanted to," I said. It was part of the truth, at least.

Dad face-palmed, then splayed his fingers across his face. "You know what? Let me go get your mom." I stiffened, heat sinking through my feet. Dad wasn't the dictator, house manager, or executioner around here. It was Mom.

I followed behind him into the living room. "Sit down and stay there," Dad said. I sank into the couch and let its olive green bulk envelop me until I could barely see the room. I hated how my parents always made me feel guilty by making me pay the price. Sitting in silence, I closed my eyes and imagined I was back in Camp Wawanakwa, where the food sucked but at least there weren't adults watching your every move. And who cared about the cameras when you were experiencing actual freedom for the first time in your life?

Seb opened the door, and my thoughts broke apart. Black pebbles shined in his hand. He met my eyes and jumped. "Izzy! I can hardly see you!"

"Stay outside, Seb," I muttered.

"Okay, first of all, I am not staying outside in negative thirty degree weather. Second of all, why?"

"Dad caught me."

His hand dropped, and pebbles showered onto the ground. "Oh."

"Unless you want to get blamed too, go anywhere else but here."

He threw his boots in the closet, stuffed his coat inside, then walked toward the kitchen. At the end of the living room, he stopped and turned around. "But it doesn't feel right, leaving you like this. It isn't fair that only you should get punished when I was building it too." He was pointing a hand at our still-headless snowman.

I stared at him, not knowing what to say. He hadn't wanted to take any blame before, and truthfully, I melted a little at his change of heart. I gave him the sweetest smile I could. "You have a perfect track record so far, don't you? Don't let me ruin it for you."

Seb put his hands behind his back and glanced behind him. When he looked at me again, his expression made him seem as though he were the older sibling. "If you don't get a timeout, meet me in the dining room."

"Okay." Just then, two pairs of feet sounded on the steps, and I made a shooing motion at him. He backed away until I couldn't see him anymore, and I reclined on the couch and tried to get as comfortable as possible.

I saw Dad and then Mom, wearing a coat over her robe, but her hair looked brushed. You know, people say I look just like her. I say 'ha' to that! I could care less about how I look, but my mom? She literally spends two hours in the bathroom getting her hair and makeup (which I call 'face paint') done. Oh yeah, and her hair is straight from her straightening it all the time. Not to mention her expressions- I'm pretty sure I don't make as many pinched faces as she does at me.

She was wearing one of hers right then, clicking down the stairs in her slippers with Dad. When she spotted the snowman, she let out a hissing gasp and covered her mouth. It felt like there was a spotlight shining on me, highlighting my mistakes to them every time I did something 'wrong'.

Mom's eyes locked on me and turned darker, like ominous storm clouds. "Isabelle, what is this?"

"A snowman," I said.

"Do not get smart with me. Why didn't you just ask to build a snowman outside? Now you've given us a cold house for the rest of the morning and a big mess to clean up."

"It's just snow, it's not like-"

"Quiet. This would be much easier if only you took responsibility for your own actions."

I stood up, but Mom still towered over me. "Why don't you just punish me already? You know you love to."

"Don't make me out as a sadist," she snapped. "I don't enjoy punishing you. But until you grow out of this phase of yours, I will have to keep doing it. Now, go to your room while your dad and I discuss what to do with you."

"Want me to hand you my phone now?" I said.

Mom's eyebrows twitched up. "Maybe later." That, of course, meant she would take it. I climbed up the stairs and skirted past her and Dad in one awkward movement, then went along the railing to my room.

Trying not to think too much about what just happened, I grabbed my cellphone and sat on my bed. I texted Owen, I'm coming 2 ur house.

As I waited, I rested my chin in one hand, staring at the screen. I straightened when my cellphone let out a tiger roar. It was always fun to see people freak out every time it rang. Awesome! Thank God I'm free right now. You'll get to meet my uncle, he just came in a surprise visit for Christmas!

Nice! Uncles r the best.

Yeah, totally! Are you coming to visit for Christmas too?

Nah, I'm on a timeout & I'm bored.

Huh, I was going to ask why you were coming early. It's still cool you are though. Man, it sucks that your parents are punishing you right before Christmas. What are you in trouble for?

I built a snowman indoors.

How? Wouldn't it just melt?

I turned down the thermostat.

Oh. Haha, that's my Izzy. :-)

I giggled. Big O always knew how to make me feel better. Thanks, Big O. I'll b there soon!

Sweet! I'll be waiting for you. ;-)

;F I sent my winking vampire and opened my closet. I fished out my puffy gear that I wore for walking to Owen's house in the winter. After yanking on snow boots, I grabbed my rope ladder and threw one end out the window. Oh yeah, I can't even begin to tell you all the cool tricks I've done on the roof with my trusty ladder! One time I- sorry, off topic. Maybe I'll tell you after the story. Anyway, I climbed out the window with my coat making funny squishing sounds, and closed it on the end of the ladder (which had Dad's weights tied on). Am I a genius or what? I do have an IQ of 188, you know. Mom and Dad would've found out eventually, but I didn't care. They already spoiled my fun time with Seb, what else did I have to lose?

I trekked across the blanket of snow on the roof and made my way down the side, using the ladder rungs as footholds. The climb down the wall was easy, and I ran down my street and turned the corner. Truthfully, Owen's house is an hour walk, but I ran a lot of the way, so it really was around 40 minutes. Besides, running is fun! It's like a pastime of mine, next to sneaking up on people and scaring them. I still have trouble believing sometimes that Owen is so close to my house. I might have seen him at the supermarket before Total Drama, who knows? Surely it's a sign we're meant to be together, right? Mom rolled her eyes whenever I told her that.

By the time I made it to Owen's house, I was sweating like crazy. You know that hot-cold feeling you get when you're exercising in cold weather? I love it. Anyway, I knocked on the door, then realized there was a doorbell and rung it. Now why did I keep forgetting that?

"It's Izzy!" I heard Owen yell. Heavy footsteps came to the door. Soon I was looking up at Owen's sweet face, holding the constant expression of a kid at a candy store and cheeks that grandmas loved to squeeze.

I hope you enjoyed this segment! Did I portray Izzy well? Did I preserve her craziness? Let me know in a review please. :-)