Part 2

"Phew what an unpleasant fella", Nathan said and looked at me and then Otto. Otto nodded and I couldn't help but agree. He was unpleasant, very unpleasant. Otto walked over to the door while talking.

"He was a tightfisted hand at the grindstone Smy…" He trailed off when he realized the small window in the doorway was very dirty. He dragged a finger over the dirt and looked at his finger.

"Wow this really is a dirty school", he said and started to look around him, looking for something to clean it with. I took a step back. One never know with these two.

"Huh you tell me", Nathan muttered and leaned against the door. His arms were crossed. Otto then looked at him and grinned.

"Come here", Otto said and grabbed Nathan's shoulder. He then used Nathan's hair, by pushing his head against the door, as a rag and cleaned the window. Nathan didn't even try to object. Either he couldn't or he just wouldn't because he knew Otto would never give up.

"Thank you for making me a part of this", Nathan said and Otto let go of him without a word. Nathan dropped to the floor and Otto turned to me saying:

"He was a tightfisted hand at the grindstone Smythe. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, clutching, greedy old sinner."

I peeked into the window and saw Sebastian hang off his coat. The room was full of young men that all looked quite scared and as soon as Sebastian entered they all got quiet. In the front was a table with two chairs. In one of them sat a short brunette. He looked very pale but he was staring down at the notebook in front of him. He seemed to be some sort of secretary. Everyone else were sitting on couches or standing together opposite the table. But there was a chair in front of the table with a small freshman sitting there. He looked terrified. He had dark hair and dark eyes. His skin was very pale and he looked as if he was going to be sick. Sebastian noticed him.

"Thad Clearwater", he said sharply

"Yes Captain Smythe", Thad said looking up from his notebook and there were dark circles beneath his eyes.

"Who is this?" Sebastian pointed at the freshman with his cane.

"Todd Lewis sir", Thad said and turned away. "He's here to speak to you about... joining the Warblers."

"Please Mister Smythe", Lewis said shakily. "I know you said no at my audition. And please don't shout at me. But I've been taking classes and I'm starting to learn how to dance. I know I have so much to give and that I can learn so much from you all. But I believe there are lots of things you can learn from me too." Sebastian had walked through a door close to the table where Thad was sitting and came back with a hand truck. He pushed it in underneath the chair and headed for the door. Lewis kept talking about how much he loved music and then started talking about how he should be allowed to join because he didn't take any crap from anyone.

"Because I'm the stone you can't squeeze blood from", Lewis went on as Sebastian rolled him to the door. "and that's the truuuuuth." Sebastian pushed him out of the door with such force he tumbled over the floor. But before the door closed the Warblers could hear Lewis call:

"Thank you for not shouting at me!"

When the door slammed shut they all jumped and pretended to not have notice anything. They started talking about the songs they were rehearsing or asking about harmonies and such. Sebastian ignored them and walked up to the table where Thad was sitting and said to him with a cold voice:

"Now let's go through and deny the suggestions by students and Warblers Mr. Clearwater."

Thad looked up from his book as Sebastian handed him a large pile of papers. He looked almost afraid but he still spoke up.

"Um it's Christmas tomorrow Captain Smythe", he said gently.

"Very well you may gift-wrap them." Sebastian said with a voice that showed that he really didn't care if Thad did it or not. The pile was so big Thad nearly disappeared behind it completely. Some of the other Warblers noticed his troubles.

"Let us help with that Thaddy", said a tall blonde boy and hurried over along with a small brunette.

"Yeah you look exhausted", the brunette said. Thad smiled gently at them and handed them the huge pile.

"My there are certainly a lot today", he mumbled as his friends took them.

"I got it I got it!" they kept calling but soon fell to the side dropping them all anyway. Thad sighed and waited for Sebastian to yell at them. But the Warbler captain didn't even look at them. He was looking out the window.

"Christmas is a very busy time for us boys", he said calmly. "People preparing feasts, parties… wanting to find entertainment. One might say that December", he looked up at Thad grinning almost evilly. "Is harvest time for us entertainers. Let's just raise what it cost to hire us and people will pay that. All Christmas long."

Thad sighed. He really hated how Sebastian got around the Holidays. He got almost evil and didn't care about anything. Well except his own reputation and money of course. Once Sebastian had been a caring kid, caring about this club but now he ran it like a dctator and tolerated no mistakes. No one had a say except him and if he wasn't pleased with something you did… you got kicked out. Thad noticed the other Warblers gathered around him.

"Go on go on ask him", they whispered. "Tell him come on come on. Let's do it now."

"Um if you please Captain Smythe it's gotten colder", Thad said and watched as Sebastian sat down by the table and started to go through today's to-do-list.

"Yeah", that brunette that helped Thad said from his spot on the floor where he was picking up sheets of paper.

"And we're all wondering if we could raise the thermostat a little?"

The Warblers all had blue tinted lips and were shivering.

"W-w-wee c-can't s-sing properly", one stuttered.

"Yeah my book with sh-sheet music has turned into an ice cube", another supplied.

"Our asses-ts are frozen", another said changing his use of words with a look from Thad. They were all shivering and looked really miserable. Sebastian didn't look at them.

"How would you all feel about being turned into a chess club!" Sebastian roared. Somehow, don't ask me how, the Warblers behind Thad were all dressed in Hawaiian skirts and with colorful feathers in their hair.

"Yippe! Arriba!" They cheered and sang:

This is my island in the sun

They sang happily while dancing away from Sebastian. Thad looked at them and sighed, he was the only one not changed. He was probably the only one that dared questioning Sebastian… somewhat.

"I-I think you convinced them once again Captain Smythe", Thad said slowly shuffled back to his seat beside Sebastian so that the rehearsals could start. As we listened to the Warblers singing Otto turned to me. We had moved outside so that we could have a better look at what was happening. We were standing on a bench covered in snow. Otto grinned happily at me.


"At that moment", he said. "Who shall arrive at the door but Sebastian's cousin Hunter."

Nathan started to look around outside to see if this Hunter guy would come in through the door on this side or the big doors inside.

"His only living relative", Otto went on.

"Cousin Hunter", Nathan scoffed. "I don't see him."

"Trust me." Otto said and looks at the door beside us. I follow his gaze and noticed a young man dressed in what look like army clothes. He was probably from the military school down the road. Nathan was looking inside so he didn't notice him. The boy knocked hard on the glass door beside us. It scared Nathan so bad he fell off the bench and fell head first into a deep pile of snow. Only his legs were still visible.

"Hello cousin", Cousin Hunter called loudly. Inside Sebastian looked up at the door, but he didn't look happy. One of the smaller Warblers ran to the door and opened it, letting a grinning cousin Hunter enter the room. It was now that Otto realized Nathan was no longer standing beside him.

"Nathan", he asked.

"You're very good at that Mister Dickens", Nathan replied while kicking with his legs. Otto hurriedly grabs them to pull him ou.

"A Merry Christmas Cousin Seb God save you", Hunter said happily as he entered.

"Merry Christmas?" Sebastian asked. "Bah! Humbug!"

By now Otto had managed to pull Nathan out of the snow. Nathan shook the snow out of his hair and mostly from his jacket. We noticed the door about to close and Nathan ran up to it.

"Quick it will be warmer in there", he said and we hurried inside. The door closed tightly behind us. I am still surprised that no one even seems to notice us. I mean Nathan and Otto aren't Warbler's and I'm a girl! They should've seen us by now. Oh well. I continued to watch as Hunter walked towards Sebastian, giving the Warblers some rest.

"Christmas humbug Cousin", Hunter asked with a grin. "Oh you don't mean that surely."

Hunter took off his cap and ran a hand through his hair. He was good looking I have to admit. But I couldn't help but listen to Nathan as he remarked:

"Burr actually it's colder in here."

He was right. It was colder in here. Otto, looking as if he was without any care in the world, walked up to the fire place and lit a fire. The effect could be seen on the Warblers at once. Well everyone except Thad who still looked cold.

"A merry Christmas you say", Sebastian asked Hunter with a dull voice. "What right have you to be merry you're poor enough?"

"What right have you to be dismal you're rich enough", Hunter retorted and Nathan turned to Otto with a smug look on his face.

"He's got him there", he said, cheering for Hunter. "The old boy's speechless!"

"If I could work my will", Sebastian said as he looked up from the sheet music and straight at his cousin. "Every idiot that walks around with a merry Christmas on his lips would be cooked with his own turkey." Thad looked at Sebastian in horror and I found myself feeling really sorry for the smaller boy. It was clear to me that he cared a lot for his leader but was still scared of him. Sebastian didn't notice or didn't care about his team mate's horror. He just continued with:

"And buried with a stake of iron through his heart."

"Not quite speechless", Nathan remarked and I nodded. Nope not speechless. Just warmthless. Is that even a word? Well it is now. Anyway Sebastian looked down on his sheet music again and did some readjustments to a harmony.

"Oh Cousin", Hunter laughed. How he could see it funny I will never know.

"Cousin", Sebastian spat back. "You keep Christmas in your way and let me keep it in mine."

But now Hunter's had enough of his cousin's grouchiness. He crossed his arms and said sharply:

"Christmas is a loving honest and sharable time and though it's never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket I believe Christmas has done me good and will do me good and I say God bless it!"

Thad had been watching him with a small smile throughout his little speech. It was clear to me that he agreed completely with what Sebastian's cousin had been saying. The Warblers also seemed to agree with Hunter but when they echoed their thoughts Sebastian had enough.

"How does one celebrate Christmas in the graveyard?" he yelled and the Warblers all went quiet and then started the rehearsals again.


"Now in Westerville it was tradition on Christmas Eve for well-meaning kids to walk around to different places to collect donations for the poor and homeless", Otto told… uh somebody.I don't know who because he'd stopped looking at me and just stared straight ahead. Well he was also using Nathan to keep the fire going. Why Nathan agreed to it I will never know. Otto had Nathan sit on his knees in front of the fire and then pressed on his stomach to make him blow out onto the flames to start them up faster. Poor Nathan. But just as Otto finished talking the door opened and a boy with brown hair, wearing glasses, dressed a little geeky and sitting in a wheelchair rolled in.

"Mister Smythe I presume", he said happily while a tall blonde girl followed him.

"Who are you", Sebastian asked. Well he had to look past Hunter to be able to see the boy in the wheelchair. The boy rolled towards him happily.

"We are from the order of Bast's charity foundation", he explained and motioned for the blonde girl behind him. "We would like to speak with you about a donation."

The blonde nodded happily and looked at Sebastian.

"Mimimimi", she said.

"Ah! Welcome", Hunter said happily and walked over to them with a huge grin on his face. "This jolly ol' boy here is Sebastian Smythe he is very generous to charity."

The grin on his face when he turned to his cousin was nearly evil. He had just put Sebastian in a tight spot. He looked very smug and I just knew he was enjoying himself immensely. Wouldn't you if you were him? Sebastian on the other hand was not happy at all. He glared at his cousin with so much hatred he would've made milk go sour or make the clock's stop.

"My dear cousin", Sebastian growled dangerously. I could clearly see that Sebastian wanted nothing else than to kill his "dear" cousin.

"As the season of the year Mister Smythe many of us think that we must take care of our poor and homeless", the boy in the wheelchair explained happily to everyone around.

"Are there no prisons no churches, no homeless shelters", Sebastian asked kindly, but anyone could hear it was fake. Well except for the girl and the boy in the wheelchair.

"Oh plenty of those sir", the boy said happily.

"Oh excellent", Sebastian said and clapped his hands together. "For a moment I was worried."

"Some of us wants to put up a fond for the poor and homeless", the boy continued. "How much can I put you and the Warblers down for?"

"Nothing." Sebastian declared and turned back to looking over the sheet music.

"You wish to be named anonymous?"

"I wish to be left alone", Sebastian replied without looking up at him. "I don't make merry myself on Christmas."

"That certainly is true", Hunter remarked from the door.

"I can't afford to give away one penny."

"That is certainly not true", Hunter commented.

"Don't you have other things to do this afternoon my dear cousin", Sebastian spat at him, glaring at his cousin with eyes that could turn you to stone… if you weren't immune like Hunter.

"Sadly I do cousin", Hunter replied digging through his pockets. "So I shall make my donation." Handed a few bills to the girl. "And leave you to make yours."

He took something out from his bag and hung it on the door that led outside, the one I came in from with Nathan and Otto. It was one of those Christmas wreaths.

"Thank you so very much", the boy called after him.

But just before Hunter walked out the door he realized something. He turned around towards Sebastian again.

"Oh cousin", he said with a grin. "Come and have Christmas dinner with me my grandparents." Now to clarify. Hunter is Sebastian's cousin, their mother's were sisters. But both sets of parents died during a ski trip when they were little. Sebastian's mom and dad didn't have any parents left alive but Hunter's dad did so he could stay there while Sebastian sadly got to spend his days… well we'll get back to that later.

"Why should I", Sebastian asked dully.

"Why", Hunter asked incredulously. "Because they love me and they want to love you too."

Sebastian laughed.

"Ha ha ha that's the only thing in the world sillier than a Merry Christmas!"

"It's no use cousin I shall keep my Christmas humor to the last a Merry Christmas to you", he hung up the wreath and he didn't even sound offended or upset, I'm impressed. "And a happy new year." He walked out the door and turned to close it.

"Merry Christmas Hunter", Thad called after him and Hunter grinned at him.

"Merry Christmas Thaddy", he called back before closing the door and leaving.

"Humbug!" Sebastian yelled after him and then turned to the Warblers. Thad hurriedly got up and they started rehearsing their numbers for their next concert. Sebastian completely ignored the boy in the wheelchair and the girl. Well until the boy cleared his throat.

"Now then sir", the boy said. "about the donation?"

"Well then", Sebastian replied with a fake smile and got up. "Let's see… I know how to treat the poor." The tone he had in his voice made my skin crawl, it was creepy. "My taxes goes to pay for the prisons, homeless shelters and so on… the poor and homeless must go there."

"But some would rather die", the boy objected.

"If they rather die they better do it", Sebastian snapped. "And decrease the overpopulation!"

The girl grippe the wheelchair and started rolling her friend out while he muttered:

"Oh dear oh dear oh dear." They both looked horrified.

"This is the door you may use it", Sebastian growled and opened the door for them..

"Alright Brittany come along", the boy said when the blonde turned to hit Sebastian. "I think we've taken enough of mister Scrooge's time!"

Sebastian slammed the door shut behind him and the Warblers started rehearsing again. Sebastian noticed the wreath and stalked up to it. He'd started to tear it apart when suddenly a voice cut through the Warblers' rehearsal.

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay roundabout – Sebastian stalked up to the other door and tore it open. Outside stood Lewis, singing loudly. At first he didn't notice Sebastian's fury… then he did.
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the… moon … that night…

"What do you want", Sebastian growled hatefully.

"Uhm… can I join the Warblers sir?" Lewis asked and I sighed heavily. Poor kid. Sebastian slammed the door shut and then looked at the wreath. He opened the door and Lewis, who'd been starting to leave turned around hopefully. But then he got the wreath in his face. Sebastian had thrown it at him with all the force he could muster. Then he slammed the door shut again and the Warblers started rehearsing louder.


TBC

I don't own anything except a few OCs :)