Leni Loud, like, loved Christmastime...maybe as more than a friend even. For one thing, there was always lot of fun snow to play in and cute coats, boots, and hats to wear, and for three, everyone was always full of goodcheer and will to man. Oh, and don't even get her started on all the pretty lights and festive decorations - she loved walking up and down Franklin Avenue at night and looking at them. Oooo, another thing she really liked were, lilke, all the family traditions. It was totes comforting to do the same thing every year, especially when it was fun stuff with the people you love. Like, take for instants, the tree. Every year, she and everyone else would pile into the van and go to the volunteer fire department in Elk Park - they had rows and rows of Christmas trees in the parking lot. Kind of a funny place to sell trees, but whateves. She and her siblings would scour for the perfect one and have lots of fun doing it. Then, when they were home, Dad would bring a big box of Christmas decorations down from the attic and set the tree up in a corner of the living room. After that, Leni and her siblings would gather around and hang ornaments from the bows. Everyone was joyous, laughing, and in high spirits, heady on the smell of Mom's baking cookies and bursting with merry tidings. Leni loved it.
She also loved shopping. She liked doing that any day of the year, but at Christmastime it was specialer. She delighted in giving the best gifts ever, and was kinda proud about it too. She didn't mean to brag (looks smugly at fingernails) but her present skills were, like, the greatest. Even if she didn't know what one of her siblings wanted...even if they didn't know what they wanted...she had a sixth sense that lead her to the absolute perfect thing like a bloodhound's nose leading it to its quarry.
Today, December 24, Leni walked aimlessly through the crowded thoroughfare of Royal Mills Mall, her finger tapping her chin and her gaze oscillating from left to right. Storefronts decked in Yule finery lined the way, and a multitude of harried last minute shoppers thronged the commons. Piped Christmas music played through the loudspeakers and lights blinked from shop windows adorned with paper snowflakes, red ribbons, and smiling Santa decals. Ahead, barricades blocked off Santa's Village, the big man himself sitting on a gold throne amidst cottony snow and calling hearty cries of Ho, ho, ho!
It might be kind of strange, but Leni liked last minute shopping. Like...not being out and about on Christmas Eve was weird. What was she supposed to do? Stay home and stare at the walls?
She didn't do all of her shopping at the last minute, though, that would a liiiiiittle dumb. So far, she had everything she needed except a present for Lori AKA the best big sister ever. Leni loved everyone regardless of things like being black or not having toes, but if you, like, put a gun to one of her favorite dresses and made her pick, she'd say she loved Lori most of all. Lori had, like, kind of a bad wrap, but she was totes a good sister once you got to know her. Growing up, she taught and guided Leni and gave her tons of advice; if Leni had a problem or her heart was sad, Lori always took the time to make her feel better...sometimes by attacking her with tickles that never failed to brighten Leni's mood...and make her almost pee herself.
Therefort, Lori was very special to Leni and Leni made sure she got the bestest gift of all.
But what should she get her this year?
She paused at the food court and scrunched her lips to one side, her finger tapping faster. She wanted it to be, like, a symbol of her sisterly love or something. Hmmmmmmm. Tap, tap, tappity, tap. She moved her head slowly left to right, right to left, left to -
Her gaze fell on a yonder window bearing flowery, gold-leaf writing: GOLDBERG JEWELRY. Leni's nose twitched, and an inexorable force drew her forward. Oooo, my Leni senses are tingling!
Letting herself be lead, she held her hands up in front of her, wrist curved down, and hummed a Christmasy melody whose name should couldn't remember if she ever knew at all. In the tranquild and dimply lit store, a glass display case flanked the far wall, and other cases dotted the showroom like hillocks rising from the plains. People browsed the selection, and a little old man stood behind the resiger, examining a diamond with one of those little magnifying thingies jewelers put in their eye.
Nodding curtly to herself, Leni spoke: "Let's do this."
Going over to one of the cases, Leni began an epic search and buy mission that saw her going methodically through the store with a fine toot comb. She saw lots of pretty sparkly things, but none of them were, like, good enough for Lori. Lori deserved the best and this dumb place simply didn't have the best. Sigh. Guess the search continues.
She started to leave, but stopped at one last case just to, like, be sure she didn't miss anything.
That's when she saw it. A silver bracelet with a dangly heart pendant and a piece that said SISTER. Leni pressed her face against the glass, her nose squishing, and oohed. It was only fifty dollars too.
Yay!
She got the owner to come over and get it out for her, then he put it into a box and put the box into a bag. She paid, and five minutes later, she stood at the bus stop to the left of the main doors, a giddy smile plastered to her face. It was gray and cold, and as she waited, her face started to get numb, but she didn't care - she had the perfectest gift for Lori and she was totes proud of herself for finding it.
Shortly, the bus showed up and she got on, moving down the narrow aisle to the back. She sat, set the bag on the seat next to her, and fisted her hands in her lap. Now that that was done, she could get on with other fun Christmas Eve type stuff, like baking cookies with Mom, drinking eggnog with Luna, and watching A Christmas Story on TBS with Lincoln - that was their favorite Christmas movie ever, and another long standing tradition: They showed it, like, 24 times in a row on TV, and they watched it all. Not, like, watched watched; it was on in the background and they saw bits and pieces here and there - by the end of the marathon, they'd seen the whole thing albeit out of order.
When the bus pulled onto Franklin Avenue, Leni yanked the cord, got up, and went out through the door. "Bye, Mr. Bus Man," she said, "thanks for the ride."
Putting her hands up, she walked the two blocks home through a fresh flurry of snow, a light hum on her lips.
Five minutes after setting out, she slipped into the living room and closed the door behind her; the warm scent of baking found her nose and she drew a deep, contented breath...ahhh, that's the stuff. Lincoln and Lucy sat on the couch in front of the TV, where the little boy from A Christmas Story was about to shoot his eye out with his new BB gun. "I love this part," Lucy deadpanned.
Lincoln glanced over, and Leni brightened. "Hi, Lincy! Hi Lucy! I'm back~"
Before either of them could reply, Leni went up the stairs and down the hall, looking around to make sure Lori wasn't about - Leni, like, didn't' want her to see the giff. She opened her bedroom door, poked her head in, and scanned the lay of the land.
Empty.
Sliding in, she shut the door behind her, crossed to her vanity, and went to set the bag down, but realized something.
She didn't have it.
Leni frowned. Did I drop it? She glanced at the floor and spun in a slow circle. She didn't see it, maybe -
It hit her, and her heart sank.
She left it on the bus!
OH NO.
Tight, choking panic gripped her chest and she started to hyperventilate. Oh, no; oh, no; oh, no; how could she be so stupid? Didn't she know it wasn't in her hand? Bad, Leni! Dumb Leni! It's gone forever now and it's totes your fault. Smooth move, ex slacks. You're, like, the Grinch because you just ruined Christmas...for Lori of all people! Your awesome big sis who's always been there for you. Congrats on, like, a job not well done.
She swallowed thickly and fought to calm her racing mind. She took a deep, shuddery breath and let it out evenly. Okay, it's not the end of the world; go back to the bus stop and wait for it to come back. Maybe the bag is still there.
Without another thought, she hurried back into the hallway, down the stairs, and out the door. It was snowing in earnest now, a shower of fat, fluffy flakes falling at an angle from the ashen sky; some landed in her hair and on her shoulders, but she didn't notice. She was, like, way too worried about Lori's gift to care. She reached the stop just in time to see the bus pulling off, thick black smoke belching from its exhaust pipe and forming a big, waving hand. Bye, bye, Leni~ She ran faster, her arms pumping and her fur lined Uggs kicking powdery snow. "Stop!"
The bus picked up speed, its taillights glowing red in the mist. Leni flailed her arms and started to yell again, but it turned into a wordless cry of alarm when her feet tangled. She sprawled forward and landed hard in the snow, the air leaving her lungs in a breathless oof. The back of the bus disappeared into the storm, and she hung her head. "Nice job, Leni," she said bitterly as she pushed to her feet and brushed herself off, "you're, like, full of mess ups today."
Well...there was nothing left to do but wait until it came back around...in an hour. She flashed back to that episode of Spongebob where he's stuck in Rock Bottom and every time he walks away from the bus stop, he misses his bus; uh-uh, that was not happening to her. She was going to stand right here (stomps foot) until she had Lori's gift back, and nothing was, like, going to dis-wade her.
She crossed her arms sullenly over her chest, her forehead pinching and her lips pouting; her face was already numb and snowflakes dotted her hair like glinting crystals. Her teeth started to chatter, and a shiver tore through her shapely frame like a bomb blast. She hugged herself tighter and bounced slightly, her knees bending...a-a-any t-t-t-time, b-b-bus. She whipped her head up and down the street, but it stood empty save for the falling snow. The late afternoon light grew steadily weaker and lights winked on in windows up along Franklin like stars in the night sky. Leni shivered and bent against the biting wind, her hands furiously rubbing for warmth.
Just when she was about to give up and trudge home in defeat, the bus sailed out of the gathering gloom and came to a rolling stop at the curb. Leni waddled to the door, her knees, like, too frozen to flex, and climbed on. The driver, a fat man in a black coat with patches on the arms and a peaked cap, looked her up and down, his brows furrowing in concern. "You alright, Miss?"
"N-No," Leni moaned, "I-I left my s-sister's p-present on the bus. Did you find it?"
Her budding hope was ruthlessly quashed when he shook his head. "No, no one turned anything in."
"Can I check to see if it's still here?"
"Sure," the driver said. He bent over and took something out from under his seat, then handed it to Leni; a flashlight. "Here."
Taking it, Leni switched it on and went down the aisle, shining it under every seat and in every nook. People watched warily and sighed impatiently as she made her way to the back. When she was done, she heaved a watery sigh. The bag was nowhere - Lori's gift was gone forever and she wouldn't have anything.
The thought of her big sister - who always loved, helped, and supported her - being disappointed and hurt because she didn't get her anything brought a rush of tears to her eyes. "Didja find it?" the bus driver called.
"No," Leni sniffed, and her lips began to quiver. "It's not here."
"Someone mighta took it to the lost and found at the depot," he offered, "if you wanna stay on, it's only a couple miles."
Leni's hope returned, though dimmer than before. "Okay," she said and dropped into an open seat. The bus took off, and Leni stared sadly down at her feet. She really hoped someone took Lori's gift to the lost and found - Lori never let her down and she did not want to let her down.
Ten minutes later, Leni got off at the station, a big, two story building on the edge of downtown wedged between a rusted network of railroad tracks and an abandoned factory. Lights blazed in its massive front windows, lending it the appearance of a ship at sea, and people milled around on the platform waiting for their buses. The lobby, a wide, vaulted space with a waiting room on one side and vending machines on the other, was sparsely populated with travellers; an Hispanic family clustered around a line of chairs, and a man in a leather jacket stood at a bank of payphones, talking and animatedly gesturing with his hand. At the desk, Leni waited for a woman in a blazer to look up from her computer. "I lost something on the bus and the driver said it might be here."
"Lost and found," the woman said. She leaned over the desk and pointed down a short hallway that filtered out into another waiting room. "Third door on the right."
Nodding her thanks, Leni shuffled hesitantly down the hall, suspense building in her middle - every step brought her closer to finding out Lori's gift was lost but totes not found, and every second she spent walking was one in which she at least had hope.
Past the bathrooms, a door marked LOST AND FOUND presented itself. She stared anxiously at the placard and took a deep breath. Well, like...here we are. On the other side of this door is either Lori's gift, or not Lori's gift.
Steeling herself, she turned the knob and went in. She didn't know what to expect - perhaps shelves and bins - but it wasn't the huge, literal mound of stuff reaching the ceiling like Mount Everest. Her jaw fell open and her eyes widened in shock. For a second, thoughts of Lori's gift were blown completely away because wow, look at this stuff! TV sets, radios, hats, umbrellas, balls, bicycles, purses, gym bags, and a million other things for which she had no name.
Then she remembered why she was here, and her stomach turned. There was no way in heck she was going to find Lori's gift in all...this (gestures at towering mountain of junk).
She had to try, though.
Taking a determined breath, she rolled her sleeves up, plastered her tongue to her upper lip, and went to work, starting at the very bottom and slowly moving around the parameter, looking first with her eyes, then getting down on her knees to sift through. She found all sorts of cool stuff...like a soda drink hat with a hose. "Oooo," she said and turned it over in her hands. She really wanted it, but put it back because it wasn't hers and stealing was wrong; she didn't want someone to take Lori's gift so she wouldn't do it to them.
After a while, her knees and back started to ache, and she broke a nail, which really hurt. She got to her feet and started to climb the pile, but froze when it swayed sickeningly back and forth. Oh no! She jumped back with a wince, praying it didn't upset...then let out a strangled cry as the top started coming down in an avalanche of miscellania, its low rumble deepening to an ominous roar. Leni jumped a foot, let out a scream, and ran, her arms out in front of her. She was almost to the door when it hit her and swept her into the hallway like a crushing tide. Her heart blasted into her throat and she squeezed her eyes closed. This was, like, all she wrote, folks - she was going to get buried under a ton of crap and never see her family again.
Way to go, Leni, you just keep messing up.
The flood ceased, and for a long time, Leni lay on her side curled up in a ball. She creaked one eye tentatively open; light shone through gaps in the rubble, and the sound of excited voices wormed into her brain.
I'm alive!
Carefully so as not to trigger another avalanche, Leni crawled out of the wreckage and flopped belly first on the floor. She started to get up, but someone grabbed her by the back of her coat and dragged her to her feet. A man in a dinosaur suit with big sunglasses covering his eyes and a bandana wrapped around his forehead grimaced distastefully; he wore a black coat with a gold badge over his heart. A brass name tag on the other side SECURITY.
Leni offered a guilty smile. "Sorry," she said.
Instead of letting her go and saying it's alright, Miss, the security guard lead her to the door and shoved her into the night. "Stay up out my bus station," he said.
Alone on the windswept platform, Leni hung her head in defeat. It was over. She lost Lori's present, like, fair and square. She drew a heavy sigh and shuffled into the swirling snow, her arms crossing over her chest. By the time she stepped through the front door nearly an hour later, she was wet, cold, tired, and so sad she could cry. Lynn, Lincoln, Lucy, Luna, Luan, and Lana sat around the living room drinking hot cocoa from mugs and watching A Christmas Story, and the lights shone gayly from the bows of the tree. Leni heavily climbed the stairs, went into her room, and dropped onto the chair in front of her vanity.
One of the Loud family's storied traditions was opening one present on Christmas Eve. She was planning on giving Lori the bracelet then, but now she had nothing and Lori wouldn't get a gift. Hot tears filled her eyes...then iron resolve filled her chest.
No.
Lori would have something.
She thought for a moment, then reached into the top drawer of the vanity. Taking out a piece of paper, she laid it on the desk, plucked an eyeliner pencil from a cup, and started to work, the tip of her tongue prodding her upper lip. It took her fifteen minutes, and when she was done, she sat back and went over her work with a nervous twist of the stomach. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. She just hoped Lori liked it.
Getting up, she went to the closet, grabbed a dry aquamarine colored dress with white fringe, and changed into it. She grabbed the paper and went downstairs, where everyone was gathered in the living room, Lincoln, Lucy, Lynn, Luna, and Lori shoved up on the couch, Lana, Lola, Lisa, and Lily on the floor, Luan perched on the arm of the sofa, and Dad sitting in the armchair. A fire blazed in the hearth, upon which hung thirteen stockings, and on TV, Ralphie's quest for an official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle continued as it had for the past forty years.
Lincoln shoved over and made a Leni sized spot on the couch, and Leni sat with a muttered, "Thank you, Lincy."
Mom came in from the kitchen with a tray of cookies and sat them on the coffee table; no sooner had it landed than nine sets of hands reached out to grab one. "Who's ready for presents?" Mom asked.
Everyone piped up that they were.
Except for Leni. Her present was awful and Lori was going to hate it.
Sigh,
Lincoln popped up, went to the tree, and grabbed a box wrapped in shiny green paper. He handed it to Lucy, then Lynn joined him, picking one up and passing it to Luna. Soon, everyone had a box in their lap except for Lori. Leni took a deep, fortifying breath, stood, and went over to her older sister, who glanced up at her curiously. Flicking her eyes to the floor, Leni said, "I got you a really nice gift but I lost it so...I made you this. Sorry." She held out the paper, and Lori hesitantly took it. She unfolded it and read.
Lori ur the best big sister ever and i love you with all my hart. Every time i needed you to be there for me you were and i kind of needed you a lot. when my first boyfriend broke up with me and i was sad you stayed up all night with me and made me feel better. You taught me things and helped me be a better persun. you mean more to me than i can say and i'm so grateful to have you in my life. you're beautiful, smart, and nice and i apresheate everything youve ever done for me. I love you and marry kristmis.
Below that was a drawing of two stick figures holding hands under a smiling sun, one with sunglasses on top of its head and the other with a cellphone. Lori pressed her lips together and looked up at her younger sister with misty eyes. Leni went on looking at her feet, her cheeks burning with shame at how paltry and inconsequential her gift was. Lori stood, and Leni tenesed. "Sorry it's not -"
Her words cut off when Lori wrapped her arms around her and squeezed so hard Leni's eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets.
"It's literally the best present ever," Lori said, her voice trembling with emotion.
Leni blinked. "Really?"
"Really," Lori confirmed. She held her sister at arm's length and stoked her hair, her eyes shimmering with love. She kissed Leni's forehead and smiled warmly. "I love you."
"I love you too," Leni said happily.
That year, Leni learned that the best presents you can give someone you love comes not from without…
...but always from within.