A/N PLEASE READ!
This story is not completely thought out yet, but I want to make a "12-days-of-Christmas" story. I do know what it is that I want this story to relay, so I hope that it still makes an impression. I would have added more to this chapter but I needed to do it now to do the twelve days of Christmas. I'll make up for it in coming chapters. The goal of this story is to start now, and end on Christmas day. 12 days. 12 chapters. The focus being the magic of Christmas love. . . though possibly in a different view from the classic. I intend to take a less hateful scrooge-like character and make him love Christmas. Except this time, our Scrooge character isn't cruel or hateful. A take on more common reasoning to hate Christmas. A sad character, that has taken a terrible blow.
I hope you enjoy.
An irritated grunt.
"May, if you don't give me the map -"
"You'll what?" came the innocent reply.
". . . You know we're going to freeze to death, don't you?"
"I know where I'm going." A feminine voice tensely stated.
"Really?"
"Yes, really!"
"Great."
"Good."
". . . So, where are we then?"
May's feet came to a stop as the snow gathered around her ankles. "Crap." A scoff came somewhere off to her right.
May sighed and looked around. It was white. As far as the eye could see. They were in the street now she knew, but it was almost hard to tell. The only indication they were still on the road were the phone lines to their side. She heard a cough and winced in guilt.
Drew acted tough. That was just the way he was. But he hated the cold. Hated it with a passion. May assumed that part of it was due to the fact that he had grown up in a warmer area. He wasn't used to it and as such he found himself feeling colder than most, sneezing when the snow came and irrationally upset that he had to be there. The snow was clinging to his pants and filling his shoes, making him wet and giving his feet a squishy feel. He winced in disgust.
"May-"
"I know! One second."
"Give me the map!"
May crossed her arms in annoyance when Drew took the map from her hands. He held it up in front of his face, brows furrowed in annoyance as the corner of the map he couldn't hold flew back and hit him in the face. May's posture relaxed as she watched him struggle with the map, flipping it upside down as he tried to get the corners out so he could see it against the wind. May's expression softened. "Maybe . . . Maybe we should go back to town."
Drew's mouth twisted a bit. There was nothing that he would like more than to go back to town, which is exactly why May had suggested it. But Drew knew that they had made plenty of turns since they had left town, and he didn't see them finding there way back any easier than finding there way forward.
"No. Getting there's going to be just as hard as getting back. We may as well keep going and get there on time."
And there it was. The contest. One of the only things that Drew would struggle through the snow for. She sighed. "You're hopeless."
"Hmm?" He stopped, holding the map at arms length and gave her a sideways glance. "What now?"
May sighed and turned away, looking through the falling snow to see if she could spot a landmark of some kind. "You're right. It's packed."
Drew paused, seemingly surprised by something she had said, then shook himself off and looked lowered the map, staring through the snow intensely. "Great."
May was the one to move first, Drew trudging behind her in annoyance.
It was always like this. ALWAYS. There was this little thing called disappointment. A familiar enough emotion when he was young. But now, like the snow, the feeling had faded slowly, giving way to the almost-numb pins-and-needles sensation. Not quite unfeeling, not quite without hope, but lost enough not to care.
May brought out the best in him. He was sure it had something to do with the way she smiled as she surveyed the shopping areas, the way her eyes lit up when they passed yet another tree or house done up in Christmas lights. May still had that feeling. That childish go-lucky feel that had her convinced that no matter what happened-it was still going to be a great Christmas. She smiled the way no one without a hint of childishness could, fully secure in the idea that Christmas brought out the best of every situation.
And with that same attitude, she also inadvertently brought out the worst in him.
It wasn't that he disliked her attitude, or her, or the light in her eyes particularly. In fact, he very much liked that part . . . . It was more the underlying idea she had. The idea that Christmas was perfect. The best time of year for everyone. The insufferable idea that everyone was affected positively by Christmas. And that, outside of this idea, it was simply a matter of attitude.
He reflected on the story of Scrooge. It had become the most well-known Christmas story over the simple idea of a man's attitude towards life and the effect that Christmas could have on him, if he would let it. It never ceased to make Drew furious. Carefully so, so that nobody would notice, but angry none the less. It was such an unfair principle, that all you had to do was have a good attitude and allow Christmas to magically change your life.
Charles Dickens seemed to have forgotten those few souls, who wanted Christmas, who were open to it entering their lives. Who yearned for such a change. . . but who never got it. Being positive and open to an idea didn't change anything. You could still yearn for a thing, look forward to it positively with the bright optimism of a child, and have it ripped out under your feet.
Maybe that was part of what bothered him about May's optimism. She didn't know. She couldn't know. Just like a child. Knowing, understanding disappointment, meant growing up. How young had he been? When did that feeling become normal?
How do you tell a child that their happiness is completely pointless?
Aleksi Samson wasn't mean. Not really. She just hated putting up with mindless crap. Thirteen days from Christmas, working full time for school, living at work in the hotel rooms, and just getting over a break up with her boyfriend (more like she had broke up with him, calling him a word she would rather not have said and throwing his bag out onto the cold snow outside).
Now here she was, serving yet another raging customer who was upset about the amount of sugar in her pasta and the slight burning of his hash browns. When, really, weren't there more important things to be worried about? Who cares if your hash browns are cooked to perfection? Who cares how sweet your pasta sauce is? Who cares if you took longer than three minutes to get it to the table?
Really, was it any wonder she was upset?
It was starting to get dark and still the customers just kept coming. Orders flying this way and that. It was a rich hotel. You would think that some people who came there would be calm and reserved, like in the movies. But no, that was upstairs. Right now, she was downstairs and no body cared how they acted in the busy bustle of a room that was more a bar than a restaurant section. Ugh, she should have stayed in the upstairs lunch room. No alcohol allowed and no guys to eyeing you with sleepy stares….
As the end of the day came to a close, Aleksi finally paused and hung her apron in the kitchen. Why would anybody in their right mind want to be a waitress? Her feet ached and her bones themselves were tired. The tips were the only things that kept her coming.
She pulled her jacket on then. Not planning on going outside but feeling like she needed it none the less. Now that she essentially lived at work, she still felt the need to put on her jacket when she was done. Somehow it seemed final, gave her the feel of going home instead of what she really was doing . . . walking upstairs to her hotel room.
The hotel was finally asleep. Some late nighters were up in the common area, drinking cocoa and reading next to an hearth. Otherwise it was completely quiet. And the solitude was comforting on late nights like these.
Aleksi put her key in her pocket just passing the window that stretched around the long walls of the main lobby, and stopped. Curiosity had always been a strong point of hers (she reminded herself, strong, not weak), and she walked cautiously to the window. Squinting into the windy, frosty air. It was hard to see. But she was sure now that she saw the outline of a person making there way through the snow. Eyes widening, Aleksi placed the key back in her pocket and pulled out a new one. Opening the locked front door enough to lean out front.
At a loss for words she yelled, "Hey!"
The person seemed to speed up and after a moment it became apparent that one person was really two. Slowly they made their way out of the snow that blocked them from view. Finally coming to stop in front of Aleksi, leaning over and placing hands on knees to catch their breaths.
They were both covered in snow, pants and hair soaked to the bone, lips purple and cold.
Aleksi paused and looked at the two for a moment. Finally asking, "Rough night?"
The girl, brown hair pulled back under a bandana, laughed through her breathing. "You have no idea."
"You're lucky I caught you. We're closed for the night. I doubt anyone was coming down the stairs anytime soon."
May chuckled. "A Christmas miracle then?"
Drew rolled his eyes.
Aleksi paused and frowned slightly. "Maybe." She stepped back then and held the door open for them. "Well, come in then. Let's not wait for the grass to grow. . . . You'll be stuck out here for a while."
Drew scowled and finally caught his breath glancing at May and waiting a moment as she finally walked inside.
While Drew and May warmed themselves up, Aleksi headed over to the desk and pulled a card out from beneath it.
"How much." Drew asked without preamble.
"Well, the hotel's closed for tonight." Aleksi repeated her earlier statement. "But we can't exactly leave you freezing out in the cold for tonight either. We're the only hotel you'll find in the area. I'd like you still to sign some papers for me so at least they have something to go off of tomorrow morning. After that it's up to you. I'll leave them a memo, so just come down tomorrow morning and pay. It's 65 per room, that's for one person. Are you together or separate?"
Drew blinked. "Oh. Uh . . . " He glanced at May.
"We-We're separate." May was still a little out of breath, at least that's why Drew assumed she was stuttering. "But we'll share the room."
Aleksi gave her a strange look and grabbed the single card. "Okay then. You're room 12. Remember to pay. Please. I really can't deal with unpaying customers right now."
"Thank you." May muttered. "Sorry for the trouble."
"Oh no, I didn't mean it like that. I just, sorry. Forget it. Here's your card." She handed it to May, then looked back and forth between the two of them. "They said we'd be snowed in, in the morning. The phone lines have been acting up too, so make any calls you need to make now before they go down completely." She paused and forced a smile. "Have a good night. Merry Christmas."
May nodded and smiled back, while Drew's mouth twitched as he looked to the side.
'So I'm not alone.' Aleksi thought. Then she waved and left to her room.
"She was nice." May said finally.
"Whatever. She just didn't want to be fired for leaving us out in the cold like she said."
May narrowed her eyes at him. "What makes you say something like that? Don't you think she would have ignored us if that were the case?" Drew shrugged, then looked away as May sighed. "Let's go. I'm falling asleep standing up."
"I don't doubt it. I've seen you do it."
May punched him in the shoulder.
When they finally made it to their room. They both stripped instantly. Their coats were keeping them colder than warm thanks to all the snow and their pants were soaked.
May placed both of their coats near the door while Drew looked towards the bath. "Are you showering?"
May shook her head. "I really think I'm going to fall asleep soaking in the tub if I do."
"Yeah. . ." Drew quietly agreed. "We're wet enough." He glanced at May warily. "You can change first. I'll wait."
"Thanks. I'll be right out."
May took her bag in with her quickly and Drew finally was able to assess the room they were in. Everything was beautiful. Rich reds and calming creams. It was putting him even more to sleep than he already was.
The room was separated into large sections: the bathroom, the kitchen, the living room, and the sleep room. An average fireplace sat in the living room, a couch and two large stairs before it. Behind them on the far wall was a large window with a ledge, flowers and pictures on either side of it to accent. The kitchen area was small, but had a small stove and chesnut wood cabinets. The bathroom was off to the side of the front door. The sleep room was behind the kitchen and living room both, they had yet to see it.
He passed the couches, TV, table and headed towards where he knew the beds had to be. But darn, the room was big. He groaned internally as he reached his destination.
"I'm do-"
May was quicker than he was at assessing the situation. "There's only one bed." She stated bluntly.
"Yep." Drew agreed.
"What do we do?"
"It's too late to get a new one."
May sighed.
"You take the bed." Drew stated after a moment, mentally wincing. Shouldn't that have been obvious?
"Kay." May answered quietly. "You-"
"I'll take the couch." He picked his bag off the floor and went to change, leaving May to evaluate the room in his place. She was amazed. They hadn't stayed in a hotel like this one before. It was huge. They often stayed in nicer hotels simply because of Drew. He didn't see the point in settling for less when they could afford it. But this was beautiful. Especially for the price. It was almost romantic. It was no wonder why it was doing so well as the only major hotel.
"Done." Drew stated glumly. "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."
"Drew?"
"Yeah?
"Thanks."
"Whatever."
May almost laughed. Almost. He was still so much like when they had first met. It was wonderful. Wonderful because he was still him, and she didn't want him to change. But maybe a little bit of change . . . towards her . . .
May sighed and climbed into bed, already changed into her pajamas. Red long-sleeved shirt and pants with green ribbon up the front to hold it closed. She glanced at Drew. Same old. Black shorts and tee. She had an inkling that he had changed his sleeping attire when they started rooming together. The outfit didn't seem to completely fit his attitude. He was looking a little restless, though all the way across the room. Sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace and setting his bag down beside him. The lights were dimmed, setting a night time glow over the room, snow fell outside of the window to her side. It felt so quiet. A perfect Christmas Eve, Eve. She frowned. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. Looking towards the bronze clock over the fireplace she corrected herself silently. Midnight. It WAS Christmas Eve. And same as the last three years, Drew had yet to take note of it. Yet to acknowledge Christmas at all. It wouldn't be so terrible if he would open up to her and tell her why. But there wasn't much he had opened up to her about, despite her assumption that she was probably the closest person to him in means of friends.
Still, every year it was like this. May getting excited about Christmas, and Drew pretending he didn't remember or care.
Pulling herself out of bed, tired body protesting, May quietly made her way across the room, and to the chair beside the couch. She sat down then looked at Drew. His eyes were closed under the blankets, so May was startled when he sighed and muttered, "What is it, May?"
She jumped then settled down. "It's Christmas Eve." She whispered. Her voice seemed to echo in the silent room, only the crackle of the fire accenting her words.
Drew stiffened beneath his blankets. May pretended not to notice. "Yeah."
"Do you have anything you want for Christmas?"
Drew hesitated. "I'm fine." He said finally. "Why?"
"It's just . . . It's Christmas you know? I would think that everyone would wish for at least something small. It's hard not too when everyone around you is."
"What's the point?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, carefully watching for a reaction.
"Isn't it obvious? I mean, why wish for something you're never getting?"
"Why would you never get it?"
"It's just depends I guess. But most the time you know you won't get what you really want. I just don't see the point in wishing for something."
May paused. "Not anything?"
Drew sighed. "What are you getting at?"
She shrugged, pulling her knees to her chest and staring at the fire. "I just . . . I guess I thought that everyone would want something."
"It's not about wanting something." May looked up. "It's about the chance you have of getting something just by wishing for it. Real rewards take effort. You can't just wish for something."
He pushed himself onto one arm and looked at her finally, surprised to see the sadness in her eyes, even more surprised by the childish question. "Not even on Christmas?"
He hesitated again. He knew what he wanted to say. 'No.' Isn't it obvious? How does the day change anything? Instead he turned and looked at the fire. "I'm tired. Aren't you? We should get to sleep."
May recognized this as the end of their conversation. Nodding, she rose and walked back to the bed, missing Drew's gaze on her as she left.
She wanted to go to bed, but she couldn't. Not now. Drew . . . was missing out on Christmas. And their conversations on the subject were shorter than their talks on anything else. She knew it was sensitive to him, she just didn't know why. And she wanted to. She cared about how he felt. About him. Why couldn't he open up with her just a little bit and tell her why?
Going to the window, May pulled herself onto the thick ledge, bringing her knees to her chest and staring out at the night sky. She wondered for a moment how it was lightly snowing when she could still see the stars, but that thought was wiped from her mind the same moment that a shooting star crossed through the sky. May pursed her lips.
"You can't just wish for something"
Inhaling sharply, May brought her hands to her chest and closed her eyes. 'I wish for Drew . . . to find a reason to love Christmas.'
A/N Just a note:
I know it's off to a rough start. I'm honestly not completely sure what I'm going to do with this. I just knew that I wanted to get the first chapter up today. I'm sure I've messed up on something, but I really don't have time to go over it right now so please deal for now. And just a request, since I'm not quite sure about this one, if you, as a reader, want me to continue it, will you please leave me a review? I'm going to need motivation to continue this story. I'm not holding it over anyone's head, I just know I'm going to need it. Thanks!
For those of you reading my other two stories in process (The Instinct/Ethrill: Love Overcomes), in order to write this story within the Christmas season, I have placed them both on hiatus. You will see such in the title if you find them on my profile. I will continue to update once the Christmas Season is over. I hope this story is worth the wait.
Thank you amazing readers! You guys are the best!
P.S. Aleksi is based off of me . . . sort of. I took my own spin on the character this time just to make her match the story. I may ask for other people to throw their OC's in this story as well. If you want to, give me a description of an OC of yours you would like me to use. It will be a very small minor character, like mine is. I'm looking for Characters with something small that's taking away from the holiday season for them. (i.e. Aleksi just broke up with her boyfriend and has to work for school. It's detracting her from the season.)