A Christmas Tale
You Never Heard of a Christmas Song War?
Every year when school dismisses us for our Christmas Vacation. I hear the same thing.
"Mitchie! Guess what! No wait, I'll tell you! We're going to upstate New York for vacation with the Gray family!" That was my mother. Trust me when I say, her enthusiasm gets old after almost eighteen years. She thinks it's some big surprise when the annual Gray-Torres Christmas vacation rears its ugly head in December. My parents are long time friends with Mr. and Mrs. Gray. On the Gray-Torres Christmas vacation we go skiing, snowboarding, sledding, and anything else you can imagine in the wintertime.
"Mom, we do this every year. It's not a surprise. Honestly, I'm not all that excited about it," I sighed.
I love the Grays. I really do. I love Denise and Paul- the parents of three lovely children and the demon child. Well, most of them are not children anymore. Jason is now twenty. Nate is my age of seventeen. Frankie is eight. He loves Santa Claus. Then we come to the devil's mutant spawn, Shane. He is eighteen going on nineteen; he's done with highschool. Ever since he graduated months ago he has acted nothing but cocky.
"I'm a man now," he says. No, he's not. He is the most immature, cruel, sarcastic loser I've ever met. He always uses girls. I'm sure what Christmas means to him is 'what's in it for Shane?'
It would be okay if we all didn't have to ride in a big van together, so I wouldn't have to look at Shane. It's worse enough sharing a cabin with Shane, but at least Nate, Jason, and Frankie will be there. Nate is my best friend. Jason is like my older brother. Frankie is just an abundance of adorableness, if that makes any sense at all.
"Why aren't you excited?" my mom asked in the concerned, motherly tone.
"Because Shane ruins every Christmas for me!" I shouted. She knew that. Why'd she have to ask?
"Hmm, I never realized my daughter was such a drama queen," my mother said whilst washing the dishes in the kitchen.
"Mom! When I was seven, he 'accidentally' spilled egg nog on my favorite dress on Christmas day. When I was eight, he destroyed my snowman that I worked so hard on. When I was nine, he said we should go sledding, and he pushed me down the hill when I wasn't ready and I broke my arm! When I was ten, he told me Santa was not real, and ruined everything! When I was eleven-" my mom cut off my rant.
"Honey, I know he's done some bad things. He's a good boy deep down, though," my mom smiled at me mischeviously. Yep, it's been the Gray-Torres parents' dream for us to get married, have children, and live happily ever after. They thought we'd make the most beautiful children. What the hell. That's never, ever going to happen. The first time Shane and I both heard our parents fantasizing about that, we covered our ears and screamed. Then the next time our parents mentioned it, Shane was a little older and said it was gay. You know how boys learn the word gay and replace it with stupid and never stop saying it. That was the phase Shane went through.
"Mom, I hate Shane," I insisted. She just shrugged.
"I don't care if you do. The minute your father gets home from work I want you to start packing for tomorrow morning when we go on our eight hour drive," my mom said hastily.
"Oh joy, I love packing almost as much as I love Shane," I said sarcastically and stomped up the way to my bedroom.
------x3------
I heard honking outside the house. Ugh, it was way too early in the morning for loud noises. They are here. He is here. I was wearing a white pea coat and dark washed jeans. I was wearing a white beanie hat over my pin-straight, long brown hair to emphasize the chocolate brown color of my eyes. My feet were cozy warm in Uggs.
I ran down the stairs as fast I could with my suitcase. I really wanted to see Nate, Frankie, and Jason. I harshly swung open the door, and ran outside. The minute I saw Nate, I dropped my suitcase and embraced Nate with a big hug.
"Nice to see you, too, Mitchie," he laughed, hugging her back.
"Jeez, Nate, you got so tall since I saw you last summer!" I was in awe at my best friend. I now had to look way up at him he was so tall. He was almost taller than Jason…and Shane. Where is that idiot anyway? I broke away from Nate and looked around. Denise and Paul were getting out of the car with Frankie clinging to their side. Then I saw Jason hop out, and Shane sluggishly exited the car, too.
My parents got outside, too. We were going to get into their spacious van. Denise and Paul were ecstatic to see me and were now chatting away like there's no tomorrow.
In a few minutes of catching up, we were ready to go. "Shane, get over here and take Mitchie's suitcase. Throw Mitchie's stuff in the back," Paul ordered. Shane was leaning on the van nonchalantly watching the reunion go on.
"She has man-hands. She could do it herself," Shane smirked. I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Son, get over here and take her suitcase," Paul ordered with a bit of annoyance. Shane held his hands up in surrender. Shane took my stuff and carelessly threw it in the back of the van. Gee, thanks for being so gentle with my stuff.
"Ignore him," Jason said, placing a hand on my shoulder. That will be easy because that's all I ever do.
"Mitchie!" Frankie shrieked and hugged me.
"Hey Frankster," I smiled.
"You're pretty! I got my library card and I'm checking you out," Frankie said in a deeper voice. My eyes widened and a hint of a blush came onto my cheeks.
"Frankie! I said only use that on good looking girls!" Shane yelled from where he was- which was now leaning on the van again. Figures, Shane the player taught him that chat up line. Please, Frankie, don't turn into Shane. Please!
"What are you talking about, Shay? Mitchie's a babe!" Frankie yelled back. I laughed.
"Thank you, Frankie. Don't you ever turn into Shane!" I warned him.\
"Ew! Trust me, I won't. I wanna be just like Nate!" he smiled.
"Good choice!" I patted his head.
When we got in the van, Shane started to complain- as usual.
"Why do I have to sit next to Mitchie?" Shane asked. Denise sent me an apologetic look and glared at him.
"'Cause Nate wanted to sit next to Mitchie, and Frankie didn't want to sit next to you, so he wanted to sit next to Jason. That's why," Denise explained. In the first row, with the steering wheel it was my dad and Paul. The next row behind them was my mom, an empty seat, and Denise. The row behind them and in front of me was Jason, an empty seat, and Frankie. The last row was Nate, me, and Shane. Only God knows why I had to be in the middle of them.
About an hour into the car ride, the dads were talking about construction work, the moms were talking about bad experiences at a hair salon. Jason and Frankie were playing their PSPs together. You're never too old for Play Station Portable.
I was texting Caitlyn because I wanted to set her up with Nate. Nate, being a very shy guy, kept blushing and told me not to, but I didn't listen.
"Come on, Nate! You two would be perfect for each other!" I pleaded. He shook that curly top head of his. "She's funny, smart, musically inclined, and pretty!" I put on my puppy dog face. Nate cannot resist my puppy dog face.
"Fine," he sighed. The second our conversation ended, I realized Shane was talking on the phone to his girlfriend, Charlotte. He was basically not even talking louder than a whisper to her on the phone.
"Char, baby, I miss you so much. Yeah, that was definitely a great night we had." I raised my eyebrows at that. I knew Shane was obsessed with making out with girls, but now he's having sex with them? "Maybe we can do it again. Oh, yeah. Well, I gotta go. Someone's trying to listen to my conversation. Who? No one. Love you, too. Bye, Gorgeous." He hung up and rolled his eyes at me.
"Yeah, like you actually love her. I don't think you're capable of loving someone," I said. I had a point. He was a teenage male. He didn't love her. He loved her body.
"I do so love her. I think you're just jealous," he smirked. Nate knew Shane and I were about to fight, so he turned his head towards the window. Nate knows things get ugly.
"Oh, sure. I'm so jealous. Shane, I want you. I need you. You're so hot," I said a in a pretend, desperate, seductive voice.
"At least you finally admitted it," he laughed. I smacked his arm. "Ow, Mitchie. Those man-hands of yours really hurt. What do they call you at school, Man-Hands Mitchie?" he joked.
"Go to hell, Shane!" I yelled.
"Oh, no. They're already fighting," I heard my mom say.
"Sure! I'd do anything to get away from you!" Shane yelled back. See, you'd think our parents would intervene by now. Last time they tried to break up a fight, it was an epic fail for them. Now their attitudes are 'they'll stop fighting sooner or later.'
"Yeah, I'd thought you'd like to go to Hell. After all, you are the devil's child," I retorted.
"Is that so? Well-" Shane's probably failure of a comeback was cut off.
"Will you both just shut up?!" Jason asked, turned around in his seat.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Frankie chuckled, now turned around in his seat also.
"I would, but Shane isn't of that level of maturity yet," I smiled sweetly at Shane.
"Didn't hurt when my mom said it, won't hurt when you say it," he informed.
Four hours into this glorious ride, I was awoken by the wildebeest. "Get off me, Mitchie," Shane grumbled. I opened my eyes and saw that I was sleeping on Shane's shoulder. Whoops. I swear I feel asleep on Nate's shoulder! I quickly tore myself away from Shane. I looked at him, he was already sound asleep again, so he couldn't yell at me.
"Frankie took a picture of you and Shane while you were both sleeping," Nate whispered to me. My eyes widened. No one can ever see that picture. I must delete it.
"Frankie, can I see your camera?" I asked sweetly. He turned around in his seat.
"Maybe if you give me a kiss on the cheek, my darling," Frankie said. I got to tell you, anything that comes out of that boy's mouth is cute. I leaned towards him and kissed him on the cheek. He grinned and handed me the camera.
"Thanks." I skimmed through the pictures and found it! I gasped and so did Nate. "I have to delete this."
"No, Mitchie you can't!" Frankie shouted and grabbed the camera away from me as I was going to press delete. "It's the best picture I've ever taken!" Frankie whined. Admittedly, it was a really good picture for an eight year old. In the picture, we were sleeping. My head was resting on Shane's shoulder and Shane's head was resting on mine. It made him look angelic.
"You got to admit, that was a really good picture," Nate teased, nudging me. I rolled my eyes at him.
"Frankie, please. It's a really embarrassing picture, though. Please, delete it," I begged. Frankie shook his head.
"No, I have to show everyone else. It's the first good picture I've taken! Mommy says first times are the ones you remember most. What if I become a photographer? I want to look back on this," Frankie explained.
"The kid's got a point," Jason piped, not even turning around, stick his pointer finger in the air. I sighed and gave up. It's just a picture. No big deal. Right?
"Can you put on Christmas music, Paul?" Denise asked. He tried, but then remembered the radio was broken in the van since they don't use it too often. Shane started stirring in his sleep and woke up. He groaned.
"The radio is broken," Paul stated.
"That's alright. Shane can sing us something," Denise said. "Shane, sing us a song!"
"Yeah, come on, Shane," I urged teasingly. He narrowed his eyes at me.
"I don't sing, mother," he insisted, gritting his teeth. Irritation was evident in his tone.
"What are you talking about, Shane? You were hired to sing at our neighbor's wedding last year and you got a standing ovation," his mom said confusedly.
"I don't want to sing," he stated.
"Shane Adam Gray, you will sing. Right. Now." His mother demanded. Let me tell you, nothing's worse than a mother's demands. They do mean it.
"Fine," he huffed. "Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful. Since we have no place to go, let it snow. Let it snow. Let is snow," he sang. I was taken aback, but I didn't show it. How did I ever not know he had the voice of an angel?
I remember when he made his remix of that song a few years ago. 'Oh Mitchie Torres is so frightful, but her parents are so delightful. Since I have no choice but to hang out with her, let it suck. Let it suck. Let it suck.' He made that up when he was eleven. I think you can tell. But when he sang his remix, it was in a bratty voice. When he learned how to sing so soulfully and beautifully, is beyond my knowledge.
"Oh, honey, that was great! Sing more!" his mom encourage. All four parents were marveling about how great Shane's voice is. I can sing, too. Haha. I can sing, too.
"No, it's okay, Mrs. Gray. I'll sing now," I stated as I locked eyes with Shane. It was an unheard challenge. A silent challenge. A mute challenge. A secret challenge. Whatever you want to call it. Ever since Shane and I were old enough to know what a challenge was, we challenged each other.
"Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays. For no matter how far away you roam - When you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze. For the holidays - you can't beat home, sweet home!" I sang, and then smirked at Shane who rolled his eyes at me.
"That was just as beautiful, Mitchie," Denise complimented.
"Hey, I wanna sing!" Frankie cried.
"Shut up, Frankie. I'm singing," Shane declared. He was accepting the challenge. "Joy to the World, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, and Heaven and nature sing, and Heaven and nature sing, and Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing," Shane finished.
"Shane, you are so talented," my mother stated.
"Yeah, well, my turn," I said curtly. "I don't want a lot for Christmas. There's just one thing I need. I don't care about the presents; underneath the Christmas tree. I just want you for my own. More than you could ever know. Make my wish come true. All I want for Christmas is... you," I smiled. That so beat Shane's rendition of Joy to the World.
"We have such talented children in the van, don't we?" Paul asked.
"Well, Ms. Thaaang, you think you have a better voice than me?" Shane asked. Then he started singing. "I'll be home for Christmas. You can count on me. Please have snow and mistletoe. And presents under the tree. Christmas Eve will find me. Where the love light beams. I'll be home for Christmas. If only in my dreams."
Sure enough, twenty-three Christmas songs later, everyone was tired of Christmas songs, and that was the end of the Christmas Song War.
"Oh, would you two shut up!" Everyone chorused at Shane and I.
"Fine!" Shane and I said at the same time.
"You know I won that," I whispered to him.
"No…I believe I did," he defended.
Three more hours of sitting next to him. Just three more hours. Just three. I can make it. Maybe.
Hey! Thanks for reading :D This is a christmas story. It's going to be a three or four shot. I'm sure it will be completed on Christmas day! Possibly...BTW, if you read my story Not Only In Aladdin. EXPECT AN UPDATE SOON. As for Red, White, Blue, And Stars, Too, I'm sorry I haven't updated in SO long. It will be updated eventually. I'll make sure of it.
hope you like this so far (: what are you're thoughts?
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