Arden's Christmas Story

Arden and Olivia were watching the snow fall. Christmas was in only two weeks and everyone was in holiday spirit, especially Arden. Ever since "Arden's First Love", she's been trying to keep a straight face.
"Don't you love this time of year? The snow is so beautiful," said Olivia. Arden glanced at the window covered with snow and then looked at Olivia.
"Yes. This time of year always makes me smile," replied Arden. When Olivia was about to say something else, the two girls heard Hunter come in. Arden and Olivia turned around and saw him running toward them.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" exclaimed Hunter right in Arden's ear making her fall to the ground with a big KLUNK! Arden got up on her feet.
"I'm okay," she said. She felt her head.
"Oww! Why must you always do that?" asked Arden rubbing her head. Hunter was acting giddy.
"I don't know!" he said clapping his hands, smiling, and cheering. Hunter took out a book.
"Look! A got my favorite Christmas book by Charles Dickens!" exclaimed Hunter.
"Who's Charles Dickens?" asked Arden.
"I don't know!" replied Hunter shrugging with a smile. Hiram came running in with a test tube bottle that was smoking green.
"Everybody!" alarmed Hiram. Before he could say anything else, there was a big explosion! Smoke was all around. Arden and Olivia got up and glared at Hiram.
"Another toy experiment?" asked Hunter.
"I can't help it. Christmas sells are big this year! I have to keep everything in order," replied Hiram.
"Excuse me daddy?" asked Olivia.
"What is it Olivia?" asked Hiram.
"What about Christmas presents?" asked Olivia. Hiram stood there. Hiram walked away from the room and came out with a dozen presents. Arden and Olivia stood there in awe.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Hunter. As Hiram was walking with the dozen presents, Hunter spotted a banana peel on the floor.
"Mr. Flaversham! Watch out for the-" warned Hunter. It was too late. Hiram accidently stepped on the peel and soon he was slipping and sliding around the floor.
"Help!" shouted Hiram. Hiram dropped the presents and grabbed the over head lamp swinging all around. Every one started running around creating total chaos!
"Let go of the lamp!" advised Arden.
"Are you crazy!" asked Hiram.
"Just do it!" replied Arden. Hiram let go and he was falling all the way down. He screamed.
"I got him!" shouted Olivia.
"I got him!" shouted Hunter. Soon all the children were screeching "I got him"! They all gathered in a circle back to back and Hiram landed right on them creating a funny moment. The pile of mice was moaning.
"Mr. Flaversham, could you please get off us?" asked Hunter who was at the bottom of the pile. Hiram crawled out of the pile and everyone got back on their feet.
"I thought you said you got him," replied Olivia.
"That was fun! Let's do it again!" exclaimed Hunter. Everyone looked at him with unappreciated looks on their faces.
"NNOO!" yelled Arden. Hunter's eyes widened.
"Okay, sorry," replied Hunter backing away. Hiram gathered the presents and asked Olivia if he could tell her something. The two walked to the corner of the small house.
"Olivia, I need you to keep a secret. I've bought Arden a special necklace and I want it to be kept a secret. Can I trust your word? I mean, this is Arden's first Christmas with us and I want this to be special," explained Hiram. Olivia nodded. They didn't know Arden was hearing everything. Arden squealed with delight. She danced all the way to Hunter and started dancing with him. Arden was cheering and whooping with delight. Hunter immediately pulled his hands from her and calmed her down.
"ARDEN! ARDEN! COME ON NOW! What's going on?" asked Hunter.
"I over heard father saying that he bought me a beautiful necklace since this is my first Christmas with them!" replied Arden. Suddenly, Hiram and Olivia came out and noticed the big smile on Arden's face.
"Arden, what's that smile for?" asked Olivia.
"Well nothing in particular if that's what you're thinking," replied Arden with her large toothy grin stretching from ear to ear.
"Well Olivia and I are going out to sing Christmas carols. Would you like to come with us?" asked Hiram. Arden looked at the presents, then at hunter, then at Hiram and Olivia.
"Uh...no," replied Arden.
"Are you sure?" asked Olivia.
"I'm sure," replied Arden. Hiram and Olivia left letting Arden and Hunter know that they'll be back in an hour and that they had to go to school. Olivia was going to school to but Olivia and Arden didn't go to the same when the door closed, Arden ran to the presents and took out a small red box with a green bow wrapped around it.
"This must be it," said Arden. Arden held it.
"Are you going to do what I think you're going to do?" asked Hunter. Arden looked at him.
"Yes. I'm gettin' it!" hissed Arden. Arden put her eyes back on the present.
"Well I don't know. It's so perfectly wrapped. I wouldn't want to, you know, mess it up," she said. A second later, Arden was ripping it in to pieces. She ripped wildly until she saw a beautiful silver chain. Hanging around it was a metal aquamarine colored flower. The light made the charm glisten. Arden looked at it in awe.
"Now this is the type of present I'm talking about!" exclaimed Arden stomping her foot.
"Look at the jewelry! Why if I was wearing this thing I..." replied Hunter. Arden looked at him looking quite bothered.
"You know what, I'm not even going to answer that statement," returned Hunter. Arden then looked back at her present.
"I'm wearing it," she hissed. She put it on and all she felt was beauty.
"I'm wearing it to school," she said. Hunter looked at her with a worried look.
"Are you sure you should be doing this?" asked Hunter. Arden glanced at him and looked back at the present. Arden also looked at the clock.
"Good grief! We got to get to school! C'mon!" she exclaimed as she grabbed Hunter's arm and stormed out the door to a school not far from the Flaversham house. Their school was "London Bridge Junior High School". Anna, Angel, Cameron, Beatriz, Nathan, Alonzo, Erin, Alana, and Daren saw Arden's necklace. The girls adored it. Anna asked if Arden would take it off to have a better look at it. Arden took it and started swinging it around. Erin felt discouraged.
"Uh...Arden? Are you sure you should be doing that?" she asked.
"Don't panic. I-" replied Arden. Before her sentence could be finished, the necklace swung off her finger and flew in to a nearby window and in to a class room trash can.
"OH...FLOP! yelled Arden.

Arden and her friends looked inside and saw the teacher, Mr. Richardson a tan furred mouse with a white shirt, black pants, and brown shoes, was throwing rotten cheese soup and spoiled milk inside. Arden made a face of utter disgust. The teacher came out.
"Hello students," he said walking away.
"We ain't doing nothing," replied Hunter. Arden hit him.
"Shut up!" she muttered to him. Hunter pointed to himself and Arden nodded.
"Well I must be going. I have business to attend to," replied Mr. Richardson. Daren noticed the trash can he was holding in his hand. He tapped Arden's shoulder.
"What's wrong?" asked Arden.
"Mr. Richardson has the trash can," replied Daren.
"What!" asked Arden. Everyone saw the trash can in the teacher's hand.
"OH FLOP!" exclaimed Arden. Arden and her friends followed him. Mr. Richardson passed a corner making it a tad hard for the group to keep up with him. When Mr. Richardson passed the corner, the group of children looked around. Arden took out some binoculars and looked in side them.
"Look, there he goes!" she alarmed. She followed Mr. Richardson and her friends followed , everyone started going into different directions making it hard for everyone to keep up. After going in to different twists and turns, Hunter and Arden crashed in to each other making each other fall. Hunter fell on his back and Arden landed on Hunter. Arden's head was looking right at Hunter's. They blushed.
"Hey how you doin'?" asked Arden feeling embarrassed. They got up and met up with everyone at that spot.
"There's Mr. Richardson!" exclaimed Angel. Mr. Richardson put the trash can against the wall and walked away. Arden ran toward and looked inside and shuttered in displeasure. She had no choice but to put her hand inside. Her insides started tinkling.
"Eww! Eww! Eww! Eww!" she kept saying. When she came back up, it was covered with rotten cheese and spoiled milk that stank to high heaven. She found the necklace.
"I FOUND THE NECKLACE!" yelled Arden. Every one cheered. Arden held it tight.
"We have to go directly home and put this back where I found it," replied Arden. She then smelt her hand.
"Uhh...right after I take a 1 hour shower," she thought.

After school, Arden took her 1 hour shower to wash away the stench and, running as fast as she could, Arden busted in to her house and found the box. She took off her necklace and stuffed it back inside. She wrapped the present back up and placed it with the other that same time, Olivia came in from school.
"Hello, my dear sister," cheered Arden as she hugged her. Olivia wondered a bit about her behavior.
"Arden, are you alright?" she asked.
"Never better," replied Arden letting her go. Hiram Flaversham walked in.
"Hello everyone," he said cheerfully. "Guess who came to visit?" "Please not Ratigan. Please not Ratigan," thought Arden.
"Basil and Dr. Dawson," replied Hiram as Basil and Dawson came in after him. Arden and Olivia cheered.
"Hello everyone! Merry Christmas!" cheered Dawson.
"God bless us all," replied Basil.
"Amen to that Basil," replied Arden. She started to run to them but accidently slipped on the same banana peel and fell to the ground.
"Same old Arden," returned Dawson. When Arden got up, she rubbed her head.
"Who put that there?" she asked. She picked it up and was grossed out beyond belief in disgust.
"Olivia this is YOUR banana peel," she said. Hiram looked at Olivia. Olivia shrugged.
"Sorry?" she asked hoping she'd get off the hook.
"Nice try," replied Hiram rubbing her head.

That night, everyone was watching Arden play the piano. Arden started singing "Silent Night".

Arden: Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly, sleep in heavenly peace.

"I love Christmas," she said with a smile.