Disclaimer: The young wizards series and all the characters involved are property of Diane Duane and her publishers. I do not stand to make a profit off of this story.
Thanksgiving Young Wizards Style
"Nita!"
Dairine's screeching voice reverberated over the house before crashing down onto my eardrums.
"What!" I shouted back, albeit at a more quite decimal.
"I kind of need you down here!" She called back.
For Dairine to admit to needing anybody was a rare enough occurrence to capture my attention. Usually half a planet needs to blow up for this to happen.
I put down my straightening iron and followed the sound of her voice into the kitchen.
Where there was smoke billowing at an alarming rate from our oven where the Thanksgiving feast was being prepared.
Dairine was waving a potholder in front of the smoke alarm that had gone off since I entered the kitchen. Filif was cowering in the archway that led from the living room to the dining room. Sker'ret was looking at the small flames with mild interest and prodding at the second smoke alarm with one of his claws.
I withdrew my manual out of my space pocket and found the coordinates for an extinguishing spell. I read the words rapidly, watching as the flames gradually died down until there was nothing more than a few wisps of smoke hanging over the kitchen. The insistent screeching of the smoke alarms ceased and we all stood in the kitchen in silence and breathing heavily.
"Well, at least we hadn't put the turkey in yet." Dairine offered.
I rolled my eyes and took the pot holder she had been using to wave at the smoke alarms out of her hands. When I opened the oven I was rewarded with one last puff of smoke in the face. I reached in and pulled out the tray of rolls and a pan of yams.
"I never liked yams anyway," I consoled, "And I can just go buy more rolls."
We got started cleaning up the grease spill at the bottom of the oven that had caused the fire and Sker'ret made quick work of the burned rolls, shoving them into his face one after the other.
Today is Thanksgiving. More importantly today is the first Thanksgiving since my mother has been dead. Because of this I was determined to make it perfect. I figured the more people that were around the more I could distract my dad and sister (and admittedly myself as well) from noticing the fact of her absence from the dinner table.
I had gotten started planning this dinner in the beginning of November. My grandparents were coming in from Rhode Island and Aunt Annie was beaming here from Ireland. Kit's parents were out of town visiting relatives for the holiday so Kit and Carmela would be joining us for the festivities. I had invited Tom and Carl over to join us as well and they had graciously agreed.
I severely underestimated the difficulty involved in cooking a three course feast for twelve people (two of which aren't actual 'people' per say). Despite this rotten start I was determined to stay chipper and optimistic through out the whole day. This in and of itself was a task.
"You hurry up and put the turkey in while I run to the store to get some more rolls." I told Dairine while I scooped dad's keys off the table and shut the door behind me.
I don't know if you've been inside a small New York grocery store on Thanksgiving day but just in case you haven't let me offer a small bit of advice. Don't. Don't by any means step foot inside those doors. You will regret it. I guarantee it.
After I had wrestled with a ninety year old woman for the last package of rolls I picked up some napkins and paper plates and waited in line for twenty minutes.
"I'm back!" I yelled through the screen door while balancing my grocery bags with one hand and using the other to open the door.
"Hey!" I looked up to see a slim woman in her thirties standing in front of me.
"Aunt Annie!" I tossed the bags on the table and engulfed my only aunt in a hug. "You're here early."
"Yeah, well I figured you could use some help with the cooking." She said with a dubious look around the kitchen. "And I brought a friend."
I looked behind her where she was indicating to see an attractive seventeen year old boy leaning against the door jam and scowling back at me.
"Ronan!" I went over and hugged him to (an action I don't think he much appreciated if the way he growled was any indication).
Aunt Annie clapped her hands behind me, "So, what can I do to help."
I opened my mouth to tell her that we had it all under control ( a total lie, but she doesn't need to know that) when Dairine's voice called out from the kitchen.
"You can peel the potatoes."
"Great." Then she turned around and followed her into the kitchen leaving me standing there with Ronan.
I told Ronan to set the table and handed him the plates. What's the use of having an angry Irish boy around if you can't put him to good use?
I went to bass the turkey again when a pop sounded behind me.
"That is by far the best way to travel.. I'm not walking anywhere ever again."
"Oh, yes you are. I'm not taking your but everywhere."
I turned around to face the familiar scene of Kit and Carmela fighting. The unfamiliar thing about this scene is that Carmela was decked head to toe in Indian attire.
"What are you wearing?" I asked her in my most incredulous voice.
"This is my Thanksgiving outfit. You like?" She twirled around so I could see the outfit from all angles.
"It's great." I said with a completely straight face. Damn, I have good acting skills.
"Thank you." She put her hands together and pretended to bow to me. Don't ask me why. I really don't know.
"Ronan came with Aunt Annie. Their in the kitchen." I jerked my head toward the kitchen doors.
Carmela happily followed in the direction I indicated while calling out 'Oh, Ronan!'.
"So, Ronan's here, huh." Kit said looking none too happy about this fact.
This confused me. Kit and Ronan always seemed to get along just fine whenever they saw each other before. But then again Kit had been acting odd lately. Not that I had noticed or anything.
Ok, you caught me. I had noticed this because of my usual knack for staring dreamily at him when I knew he wasn't looking. A girl can't help but watch her crush.
I had been crushing on Kit in a major way since I had gotten over my little fling with Ronan. Which was two years ago by the way.
I rolled my eyes and grabbed Kit's hand (pointedly ignoring the tingles that caused) and pulled him after me into the kitchen.
Annie was helping Dairine mash the potatoes. Carmela was talking with sker'ret while watching Ronan out of the corner of her eye. Ronan was listening to Filif ramble on about his new hat while pretending not to notice Carmela staring at him. My father was reading the directions on a can of cranberry sauce. I went to check on the turkey again when I heard a car pull up in the drive way.
"That must be mom and dad." Aunt Annie said to dad while walking over to open the door for them.
"Annie!" my grand mother screeched while engulfing my aunt in a strangling hug and pulling back to inspect her, "Oh, you changed your hair." she said in distaste.
" Yes, mother." Annie droned dully before turning to my Grandfather to hug him as well.
Roughly the same routine was bestowed on my father before my grandmother turned her vulcher like gaze on me.
"Juanita." She stepped forward to hug me. I nearly chocked to death on the heavy stanch of her perfume.
She stepped back and kept her hands on my shoulders while looking me up and down.
"You've grown breasts!" she exclaimed.
I felt my cheeks heat up and Kit chocked on repressed laughter. My grandmother smiled at me one last time before turning to greet Dairine. I scooped a pillow up from the couch and shoved it in Kit's face.
Dairine took my grandparents around and introduced them to everybody (they took the whole centipede and Christmas tree thing very well because Aunt Annie had warned them) and I left them behind to get the food on the table.
We all sat down at the enlarged dinner table and dug in with gusto.
Carmela, who had hip bumped my grandmother out of the way to get the seat next to Ronan, was now making small talk with him and he was pretending to look annoyed. My father and aunt were listening patiently to all of my grandmother's criticisms with half an ear. My grandfather was pouring himself his third glass of wine. Dairine was explaining the history of Thanksgiving to Filif and Sker'ret. Kit and I had begun to discuss the particulars of a spell we were working on currently. Tom and Carl ( who had arrived at the last minute) were fighting over the drumstick.
Overall I think it could have gone worse. I kind of liked the feeling of being surrounded with all these people. The food turned out great. None of this changed the fact that my mother wasn't there but at least I didn't want to stop celebrating the holiday's all together.
Christmas is so being celebrated at somebody else's house though, I thought while I pondered a sink full of dishes later on in the evening.
A/N- I know it was stupid and completely pointless but I was bored and trying to avoid helping to set up for tomorrows big party. This was the result. I hope you liked it. If I get enough reviews I'll turn it into a mini series of one shots including Christmas and New Years. Review!