A cute holiday one-shot, enjoy everyone. It's about Christmas, so I'm sorry if you celebrate any other holiday.
Happy Holidays to all of you.
(I also used a famous editorial, entitled 'Dear Virginia' in this story. That was not written by myself, no credit for that editorial used goes to me. I changed only the name, as you will reveal why.)
Believe me; don't get discouraged while reading the first part. The ending will fix it.
If you believe, I believe
Dana POV
I never understood why everyone got into the Christmas sprit so much. Sure, it was supposed to be a jolly holiday, but for me it was just another excuse to receive presents. As a child, on your part the idea of Christmas is exciting.
The only problem is when you find out Santa doesn't exist. It basically ruins the whole Christmas spirit.
Getting older isn't the greatest.
There aren't the fun times you tried to sneak up in the middle of the night and search for the mysterious Santa anymore. No leaving cookies by the fireplace or waking up on those Christmas day mornings earlier than the sun to take a peak at your presents you were soon to collect.
I wish every child would realize the importance of not growing up too fast.
"So Dana, why aren't you jolly on this Christmas break?" Logan asked trotting around campus in a Santa hat.
"Christmas isn't my favorite," I simply put it. Already I knew he would ask why.
"Are you kidding me?" He laughed, "Usually Christmas is everybody's favorite holiday!" He said. "How come you don't like it?"
Figuring it was useless to argue in this 'joyful' time of year I blankly put it, "when you realize Santa isn't real, it ruins the holiday spirit. There are no more leaving cookies, and no more fun peaking in the presents," I said and looked around. "There also isn't any snow. I miss the snow," I said walking off. Logan followed.
"I never believed in Santa," he said. I gave him a disgusting look.
"Of course you did Logan, every child has at one time," I said sticking my hands into my pockets.
"No, I didn't."
"Right," I said un-believingly.
"I'm serious, I didn't!" He said defenseless.
"Merry Christmas Logan," I said walking off with arms around my chest.
"Merry Christmas Dana!" Logan screamed, then rung the little silver bell on his hat a couple times. I had to suppress a laugh that was bubbling in my stomach.
As I walked into my dorm room, I quickly grabbed my money and made my way down to the gift shop. There was a gift exchange everyone had to participate in.
I had to think of a present for either a boy or girl.
And, I only have twenty dollars. Whoever picks my present, I feel sorry for them. Oh boy, do I.
I never got into gift exchanges either. Sure, it was funny to see all the lame gifts that had to be below twenty dollars but it was even funnier when you think about how everyone usually just tosses your present to the side anyways.
I sound like such a Christmas spirit crusher.
Looking, and looking I decided to buy an ultimate amount of candy.
I have a small basket back at the dorm that I can use to make some sort of basket full of candy.
Pretty self-explanatory.
I bought a sufficient amount of candy and headed out the door.
Assorting, wrapping, and organizing were what my day was full of. I wanted to make this gift most appealing. Why? I don't know, because I really could care less.
"Hey Dana," Zoey greeted while walking in a with present wrapped in her hands.
"Hey Zo, what's that?" I asked curious what was in it.
"It's my present I'm giving for the gift exchange later today," Zoey said while smiling.
"You seem so bright and happy. What's the present?" I asked.
"Not telling," Zoey cooed in a mock tone. "I see you're putting a nice candy… thing together."
"Yeah…" I sighed, putting the last piece of tape on the gift. "Mine's ready."
"See you later Dana, I'm getting ready for the party," Zoey said, looking perfectly ready to me. What is it with girls who spend more time getting ready in life, then actually doing something?
"You need to get ready? More?" I asked putting my wrapped present onto my bed along with everything else I needed for the party.
"Well, yeah. Everyone will be there," Zoey hollered from the bathroom. I heard the blow dryer and thought of a second Nicole. Could I deal with that? No.
'When's the party?" I asked peeking in on Zoey. She looked at the digital clock that was on the wall.
"Fifteen minutes," she said in a shocked tone, and quickly finished up, putting everything away. We walked back into the room, grabbed our things, and headed off.
The lounge was brightly decorated with reds, greens, and gold colors. Glitter, tinsel, ribbons, bows, you name it; they used it. A large sign read: 'Happy Holidays' on it. The streamers were almost close enough to my head. The room shinned with anticipation whilst everyone began to walk in. As one student opened the door, I could see the outdoors and the sunny evening light shine through.
No snow.
A mix of pop and rock music filled the room while everyone began to bob around. Many were setting their gifts on a large table, so I naturally walked over and set mine on there too.
"Dana!" Nicole greeted, taking my jacket out of my hands and setting it down. "You actually came," she said disbelievingly.
"Yeah, where are the guys?" I heard myself asking.
"Over there by the tree and food," Nicole giggled, and took someone else's coat for them. Zoey had made it over here before me, and we met up with Chase and Michael.
"Where's Logan?" Zoey curiously asked while taking a sip of her hot chocolate in a Styrofoam container. Michael and Chase looked at one another, then at me.
"I'm not quite sure…" Michael said, "Hey there's Dustin," he said trying to change the subject obviously.
"Hey guys," Dustin greeted. He looked adorable in the little Santa hat.
"Hey Dustin," Zoey said giving her brother a quick hug. I swear, they seem like the perfect molded family.
"They are starting the gift exchange!" Dustin exclaimed grabbing Zoey's hand trying to lead her over towards the table. She quickly put down her cup so she wouldn't spill it while we followed them.
Our gift exchange was odd. Everyone was to grab a present, stand in a circle and play an almost musical-chairs type of game.
The DA's would turn a song on, and whenever they pressed stop, whatever present you had, you were stuck with. The ones who got stuck with their own gift made another circle and repeated the process. Gifts circled around for about a minute, as I kept an eye on mine. The music stopped, and everyone fumbled for a minute with anticipation to find out what their gift could be. Mine happened to be in the hands of some girl who looked to be Dustin's age.
"Who got the same present they came with?" Co-co asked looking at the crowd of students.
"Me!" Numerous of hands went up, about ten. They repeated the process until everyone had a different gift.
There was still no sign of Logan.
"Alright open them!" Co-co said. Before even attempting opening mine, I looked at the little girl who got my gift. Her eyes widened as she saw the amount of candy in the basket. A smile crept onto her face, and satisfied with myself I began to open my own present. How nice, an ornament.
Okay, honestly; I don't care about an ornament.
Acting as if it were the most greatly appreciated gift in the world I set it back in the bag it came with.
Numerous of the students got gift cards to different places. Zoey got stuck with gloves and a hat. When are you seriously going to use gloves and a hat in PCA?
I still wondered what her present was she gave.
She walked over to me. "Hey Dana," she said slowly.
"Hmm?" I asked taking a bite of a brownie.
"Will you run to the dorm for me really quick, please?" She begged. Almost as if she really needed me to go. I accepted since I was bored anyways.
"What do you need?" I asked finishing off the brownie while the boys walked over.
"I need you to take our gifts back, I don't want to lose mine or anything," she lied. Usually I would question her as to why she wanted me out of there, but I was too bored to even begin.
Narrowing the corner to turn to our dorm I opened the door, both presents in my hand. Switching one of the presents to the other hand so I could switch the light on in the dark, I turned it on.
"Merry Christmas Dana." Dropping the presents and almost screaming I came face to face with a man in a Santa suit. What is going on?
"Wh-Who…?" I stuttered, trying to figure out what was going on. There was a piece of paper in this masked mans hand and our dorm was decorated in fake snow tinsel and what looked like leftovers from the party decorations.
"Who are you?" I managed to sputter out.
"Isn't it obvious?" A familiar voice asked.
"No, not with that suit on…" I answered.
"Dana, I'm Santa."
"Yeah right." I said attempting to pull down the fake beard on this guy. "What's that paper?" I asked, sure it was some receipt for the costume or something. Who could actually get a Santa costume, and why were they doing this in MY dorm?
He slowly lifted it up, while his hands were trembling. Was he… Nervous?
Scared?
I couldn't quite tell, but the man went on;
Yes, Dana there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Danas. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, and no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Dana, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives, and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Dana, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
He kept looking up at me, until he finished. Sticking the paper in his pocket I was blown away. I remember that editorial. My parents read it to me once. It was entitled 'dear Virginia'.
He changed the name to Dana, and read it to me.
"Dana…" He softly said walking towards me. "Look up," he insisted. Sure enough, above my head was mistletoe. The man took off his Santa hat, and handed it to me while taking his beard off also. All of a sudden I remembered this hat.
A little silver bell was at the top, and I rung it slowly like he did early this afternoon.
Okay, I hope you get it. I never stated who the person was, but I hope you are all bright enough to know. Anyways, I have always wanted to do a story for the holidays, so I hope you enjoyed. Reviews would be nice.
--Brittany