What Christmas Means to Me, or Strange Carolers
Author's Disclaimer: No, I don't own Strange Magic, or any of the songs mentioned. I'm going to have a grand time with including lots of Christmas songs, just so you know. All rights go to their respective owners. I know I shouldn't be starting another story with open, unfinished stories around, but a Christmas-themed story was absolutely called for and needed. I hope you enjoy!
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Chapter 1: Last Christmas
"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart,
But the very next day, you gave it away.
This year, to save me from tears,
I'll give it to someone special."
"It's the most wonderful time of the year-"
An alarm clock smashed against Marianne's wall as she swatted the offending music and time piece away, snuggling under her covers to stay warm and avoid the disease called holiday cheer.
"Wrong-o! Correction: it's the worst time of the year! Oh the joys of over-commercialized holidays, and it's only December first! Can it be over now, please? This is going to be a bad day," groused Marianne as she got out of bed.
Marianne had not always been such a Grinch during the Christmas season, as Dawn liked to tell her best friend, Sunny. Once upon a time, Marianne had loved Christmas, for all the fun things her family did together.
But then, her mother had died on Christmas Eve, and then, just when Christmas became beautiful again, the unthinkable happened.
Marianne had met a guy named Roland. He swept her off her feet and spoke sweet nothings in her ear, making her feel like the luckiest girl around. They eventually got engaged, and they agreed to get married on Christmas Day, to bring some holiday cheer to the celebration, as well as brighten the holidays for her father. Marianne gladly gave her heart to Roland, for surely he loved her as much as she loved him.
That was all fine and dandy until the day of the wedding. Marianne had walked into the back of the church, needing a moment to breathe, away from Dawn. She also wanted to give Roland a boutonniere, and when she heard his voice, she ran to him, only to discover him in the arms of another woman, him holding mistletoe over her head and kissing her everywhere he could.
Needless to say, Marianne ran after that. Dawn found her before she got too far, and so the wedding was called off. That day, a lot of things were called off. Marianne changed. She stopped trying to please her father and Roland, and she cut her hair. She changed how she dressed. But most importantly, she swore off Love and Christmas. Never again would she be fooled by either one, as both had taken her heart, crushed it, and laughed at her.
Marianne's day did not get better at work. Everyone had started listening to the infernally cheery same number of Christmas songs over and over again, so she could not escape it.
On the way home, Marianne saw a church sign that read "Wishing you love, joy, and peace this Christmas season". She laughed and shook her head at the silly words.
"I'll have peace: when all that Christmas music is turned off. I've got joy: whenever I practice my fencing or hit Roland. Joy and peace are overrated. Love is the one thing I don't want. Stay far away from me, Love. I'm not your fool anymore."
To make matters worse, her father threw a party that night, and Roland (who still tried to win her back in increasingly stalkerish ways) appeared, his three wingmen in tow with a radio.
In a terrible impression of Elvis, Roland began to sing, "Aye'll-ll have a blue Christmas without you!"
He got down on his knees, singing into an unplugged microphone (because he always liked an audience and being the center of attention) while Marianne shouted his name, and told him to stop playing with his hair. He stopped twirling his hair, a puppy dog look on his face, and he started making sweeping hand gestures as he continued, "I'll be so blue, just thinking ah-ah-ah-bout you!"
Marianne tried to distance herself from Roland, but he kept following as he sang. Marianne's comments brought smiles to several in the audience.
"You haven't even thought of me this whole time. It's a female, alright…..Who cares about decorations, or even Christmas for that matter? Not me."
That last part got a resigned sigh from her father, he looking upset. But Marianne continued, avoiding Roland and his embraces.
"Of course it's not the same. I'm not there to swoon over you like every other female does... I don't know about your memories, but mine sure aren't like that. They sure aren't blue, nor are snowflakes. And whoever heard of blue snowflakes?"
"But I'll, have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas," finished Roland, leaning in.
"Hmph! Fat chance. I'm sure someone'll keep you warm and make it not-blue," said Marianne, proceeding to try to kick Roland in the family jewels.
Roland's sense of self-preservation was too great for that, so he dodged that painful disaster, unlike other times at her hands/feet previously. But as he moved away, he got quiet, allowing Marianne to speak.
"Get out of here, Roland! And for that matter, get out of my life! I'm having a holly, jolly Christmas, without you!" Before she knew it, she found herself singing the song that had been played on repeat right after she found out. "Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away."
At that, her face scrunched up slightly at the thoughts in her head, but she ran with it, pushing Roland. Roland continued to back up and began to sing his song again. Marianne's expression and tone of singing changed as she began to sing at the same time a very different song.
"I'm simply having a wonderful Christmastime! Simply having a wonderful Christmastime! The word is out, about the town. I don't need you, so get on out! Simply having a wonderful Christmastime! Simply having a wonderful Christmastime…Without you!"
Roland tripped as she told him to get on out, making him fall to the ground. He continued to crawl away from Marianne and her dangerous feet and singing about her not needing him at Christmas. When she screamed the last bit in his face about having fun without him, he got to his feet and tried to escape out the door. But, Marianne caught up and helped kick him out, a smug grin of satisfaction on her face as she slammed the door in his face, waving and saying good bye.
"Now that was fun," she said, dead silence in the room.
Finally, her father cleared his throat and thanked everyone for coming. Marianne went to a dark corner of the room to avoid her father, as she was sure that her father had invited Roland to come, and had even encouraged him to sing to Marianne.
It was just as Marianne began to wonder what had happened to her bubbly sister that Dawn appeared in front of Marianne, jumping up and down and squealing. That could mean one thing only: she had met someone new.
"Who is it, Dawn?"
"His name is Bog, and we're going to join a group of Christmas carolers with him, you, me, Sunny, and the triplets. Aren't you excited?" she said, eyeing her sister's already reddening face. "Just met him today. It's going to be so much fun!"
"What?!"
That was also the reaction Bog had when earlier that day, he had been told by his boss at work that it was his turn this year to come up with an idea for raising money for the company's yearly Christmas donation. He would be allowed to choose the charity, but it was on him if he did not raise enough by company standards.
"What?!" he bellowed, before stomping out of the office and finding his two underlings, Stuff and Thang.
After scaring everyone within eyesight of him as he marched to his office, he found his nervous employees.
"In my office. Now!"
Three hours later, no one had thought of a good idea. Stuff and Thang left for lunch at that, promising to come back with good ideas.
At lunch, the two plotted.
"I can't believe this. How on earth are we going to think of something and pull it off with BK, the Grinch Incarnate? We're doomed. We need to google as many charity things as possible," said Stuff, eating her lunch quickly and pulling out her laptop.
"I'm just so nervous. What if we don't think of anything new? And what if he doesn't like them? We gotta help him," worried Thang.
"What if he does like it? We're going to have to do it. Here's a good site. Now, write these down so that you can tell them all to him when we get back."
"Me? Why me? You're the one with the computer!" said Thang.
"He likes you more. Now, listen carefully."
Twenty minutes later, they had a list of fifteen ideas, and so they headed back to the office. As they walked past the main square, they saw construction workers putting up the last bits of Christmas Town, with lights, decorations, fake snow (at least until the real snow came), loud music, and a village complete with elves and a Santa Claus. On the outer fence, a large, red and white sign read: Do you like to sing? Want to win $1,000 towards the charity of your choice? Then join the Caroling Extravaganza!"
Beneath the words, contact information was displayed, and Stuff took a picture of the sign, as a backup idea for them.
"Thang, you sing, right?"
"Sure do, just like you. Just don't have as good a voice as you. But the Boss has a pretty stellar voice."
"Perfect. Let's bring this up to him as well."
After dismissing the first fifteen topics, Bog was in a rage. He listened to their final idea, and just as he was about to laugh and throw them out of his office for suggesting that they do something as stupid as become Christmas carolers, his boss walked in the door.
"That's a lot of money to be given to charity. That'd be perfect. You should do it. I'll go find others here in the office who like to sing to help you out. Thang, go sign yourselves up for that contest."
"Yes, ma'm!"
"But Mom! You can't be serious!" yelled Bog in distress. "And you know how much I hate Christmas."
"Why do you think I put you in charge this year, my Son? Have fun!" she tittered before wandering out of the office to find more carolers.
By the end of the day, two big guys, including one named Brutus, appeared who would sing bass, along with a guy nicknamed Imp. Thang and Bog would sing tenor, with Stuff singing alto. The problem they had was that they did not have any other women who could sing, and no sopranos.
Bog, Stuff, and Thang went to the main square after work to scope out the area. While there, Bog turned a corner and bumped into a blonde with pixie-cut hair and a bubbly personality. She looked up a long way at the very tall Bog, but when she saw his face, she smiled and started to mouth words. Bog almost thought she was saying, "Merry Christmas, Darling."
The girl apologized for bumping into him, which Bog waved off and started walking away, to keep up with the other two.
As he walked, Thang said, "So what are we going to do about the lack of women and sopranos in our caroling group?"
Bog was about to answer when the blonde ran up to Thang, a sparkle of something in her eyes.
"Caroling, as in Christmas caroling? I love caroling! I love Christmas! I'm a soprano; I could join you. I'm Dawn Fairfield, by the way," she said, holding out a hand to Bog.
Bog opened and closed his mouth in awe at the forward woman, but Thang was oblivious and too happy to find help to notice Bog's reluctance.
"That'd be wonderful, Ms. Fairfield! We just need a few more women. We got five guys and one woman, well, two now."
"Oh! I can help with that! I got friends who love to sing Christmas carols. It's going to be so much fun, drinking hot chocolate, standing outside in the snow, and singing carols like angels. I can hardly wait!" chirped Dawn, pulling out her cell phone.
She turned to Bog and said, "So, what's your number? I'll text you my number once you give me yours, and then we can plan out some practices and to get everyone in the same room, okay?"
Bog nodded in shock while Stuff gave Dawn his cell number, as well as introducing the three of them to Dawn. Dawn then texted him as she said she would.
"Well, I have to head home for a family party, but I look forward to seeing you all again soon!"
"Bye, Ms. Fairfield! Thanks so much for your help!" cried out Thang.
"Oh, no need to be so formal. Please call me Dawn. Right, Boggy?"
"Bog," corrected Bog at once.
"Whatever. Have a good night, Boggy, Stuff, and Thang!"
Dawn flitted off as Bog stood there, finger in the air to correct her again. That was when he realized that he had big problems ahead.
"I have to go. You two finish up checking out the area, and report to me tomorrow with a plan of action for setting up with this group of people, especially you, Thang, since you're the one who opened his big mouth. Stuff, help Thang."
"Aye, sir!" they said, saluting him as he ran off.
Bog got into his car and drove fast. Everything was happening too fast, and he wanted none of it. He hated Christmas, the whole Christmas season! As he drove past a familiar church sign, he shook his head and laughed.
"Love, ha! Who would ever want love? It brings you in, gets you all comfortable, and then bam! You propose to the girl of your dreams on Christmas, only to be laughed at and rejected! No thank you! Peace and joy are overrated."
Bog got into his driveway when the radio switched songs to a Christmas song he despised. He turned off the car at once and opened the car door, rushing to escape the dreaded music and singing of Andy Williams.
Bog huffed as he closed his apartment door.
"It is so not the most wonderful time of the year. It's the worst time of the year!"
Next Chapter: This Christmas
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Author's Notes: Sorry not sorry for all the song references. I love Christmas music a lot, if you couldn't tell. I tried to make sure they all fit since there won't be any other types of songs mentioned in this story, for once not including any of the songs from Strange Magic. My plan is to finish this story by Christmas, so let's see how that works out. I've got lots of inspiration at least. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!
