Disclaimer: I don't own Bernard (as much as I want to) or The Santa Clause, but I do own Kaleigh and the plot to this story.
Wow! I can't believe that I got SIX reviews on the first chapter. Honestly, I wasn't expecting any.
Anyway, here's the first chapter from Kaleigh's point of view. I might change it later to Bernard's but let's see where this goes first…
KPOV
I finished the last few adjustments, tightening loose screws and such, on Santa's sleigh and pulled myself out from underneath the star piece of machinery I had the privilege to work on. Nodding to myself, I turned away from the sleigh and wiped my hands, stained black from a day's work, on my jeans leaving dark smudges down the length of my thighs. Looking in the back pocket of my jeans, I noticed the gloves I had forgotten to put on. Laughing quietly, I shrugged, that's why we wash our clothes, they're meant to get dirty. The back of my hand flew up to my forehead to wipe away any sweat. It got terribly hot in here sometimes.
I unbuckled my belt from around my waist, filled with my tools and cast it aside for tomorrow. I wasn't sure how many more adjustments I could possibly make on this sleigh until it was perfectly perfect. I did recall a few elves telling me that I had the potential to train for E.L.F.S. but to me, it just didn't seem like something I would love. I loved being a mechanic, an engineer. It was what I was meant to do.
Catching my reflection in a mirror on the wall, I realized just how dirty I'd gotten. Dark smudges covered my rosy cheeks and forehead and a small smudge rested comically on the tip of my nose. I walked over to the looking glass and, using only my fingertips so I didn't get anything into my hair, attempted to fix the stray pieces of hair that had escaped from my loose braids. Upon deciding that my hair would not cooperate with me, I yanked the hair tie from my head and let my soft, long hair fall around me in gentle waves of brown. I didn't let my hair down often, so it felt strange to have so much of it, falling gently around me. Sighing in contentment, I pulled my slouchy beanie, discarded earlier on a shelf with my other belongings I didn't want to accidentally break while I worked, over my head.
Before I left, I made sure to grab the screwdriver I'd broken earlier to get it either fixed or replaced.
As I walked, I hummed to myself, smiling as made my way around the factory. I passed several elves I didn't know and a few that I did. Judy, carrying a tray of freshly baked cookies, made sure I didn't pass her by empty-handed. In my left hand I held the broken screwdriver and in my right, I held a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, courtesy of Judy. Elves waved happily to me from where they were working, grinning widely back at me as I walked by.
I wasn't quite sure why, but I was happy today, happier than I'd ever been before. Maybe it was the cookie.
"Kaleigh!" I turned as I heard my name shouted, seeing Abby running toward me at full speed. She was waving her hands frantically, like she needed something.
"Abby?" I asked. "Is everything alright?" She shook her head violently.
"No! The three-dimensional design computer in the Blueprints room isn't working. Well, it was but someone tried to do something on it, God knows what it was, and it started smoking!" I chuckled to myself.
"Calm down Abby! It probably just overheated and needs to cool down. It takes a lot of abuse at this time of the year. I'll take a look at it though. I'm sure I can fix it." She smiled.
"Thanks Kai. I don't know how we would even function around here without you." I smiled s very small smirk, almost untraceable, unless you had been looking for it. Take that Bernard.
I put my broken tool in my empty back pocket and followed Abby to the Blueprints room, where children's requests on their Christmas lists were designed, where a small group of elves had huddled around a very modern-looking computer. Santa was there too, examining to smoking piece of machinery.
"Guys!" Abby shouted. "It's ok. I brought Kaleigh!" I suppose I was kind of the North Pole mechanic, if that's what you want to call it. It was more like an engineer. I designed and fixed almost everything in the North Pole that kept it running as smoothly, and efficiently, as it did. The elves all smiled and cheered as they backed away from the computer. I loved it. I felt like I was… important and wanted when they did that.
The monitor of the instrument was blue and the screen shaking violently as though the computer was on a moving truck. I placed the palm of my hand slowly and carefully on the back of the monitor and my other hand on the top of the hard drive, lowering my head to hear the noises the computer was making. I jerked my hand back from the computer; it was scorching hot, making a screeching sound that almost hurt my ear. I could feel the monitor humming, a very light vibrating feeling, beneath my touch in a way that was almost soothing.
I stood back up to my full height and leaned over the computer to check where the cords were plugged in. A few pieces of plastic were sticking out from their normal spots, and that was fixed easily by pushing them back into place. One, a dark blue chord, had become unplugged while another, black, had small wires sticking out from a tear on the rubber. I plugged the blue cord into the back of the monitor where the hole surrounding it matched it in color. The screen stopped shaking and shut itself off. Someone behind me let out a deep sigh of disappointment. I pressed the blinking button turning off the computer so it could cool down.
"Are there any spare cords here? I'm looking for a black chord. It should be pretty thick…" I did know the computer geek terminology for all the words I was using but I was pretty sure that if I used them here I would be looked at very strangely.
"This one?" A petite, blonde elf held up a think chord with a very thick plug. I smiled to myself. That was the one. I nodded to her and took the black cord from her hand, setting it beside me. I pulled my gloves from my back pocket, rarely ever used, and put them on my hands not wanting to get myself electrocuted. I carefully pulled the torn cord from its socket and replaced it with the new one.
"Give that a few minutes to cool down," I told them. "Then, it should work perfectly. I think the broken chord caused it to short-circuit. I'll wait here until it's running again." I pulled my gloves off and placed them back in my back pocket as I pulled out my screwdriver so I didn't forget. I sat in the corner of the room, watching the other elves disperse. Santa walked over to me, a certain elf I despised at his side, and patted me on the shoulder.
"Good work Kaleigh." Bernard grumbled something as well, but the words were too inaudible and strung together for me to catch.
"Thanks." I flashed my smile at both of them, disarming Bernard momentarily. I don't think he'd ever seen me smile, full on smile, at him, so he was probably only, for a moment, surprised. I always got compliments on my smile, how straight and white my teeth were, how the corners of my lips pulled up perfectly on the sides… But to me, my smile was just that. It was just my smile.
"Anything else you need Santa?" He shook his head.
"What's that?" Santa asked me, pointing to the screwdriver that sat in my lap.
"Oh, it's just a broken tool of mine. I was going to get it fixed and get a replacement in case it happened again, because if it happens a second time it's obviously not a reliable tool, but anyway, I had to come here."
"Oh!" He exclaimed. "I'll get you a new one Kai, it'll be state of the art, I'll make sure." I smiled widely.
"Really?" He nodded. "Oh, thanks so much! That would be great."
"You welcome." He took my offending tool with him as he walked off.
I crossed my legs, not really caring that the smudges on the front of my jeans were now transferring to the back as well, and placed my elbow on my knee, my head in my hand to wait. A small elf approached the computer and pressed the power button cautiously and watched in amazement as it turned on just as it had before.
"Wow! Thanks Kaleigh!" Smiling at his gratitude, I nodded in response and got up. I didn't really have anything to do now that my work was done. I could walk around and possibly be attacked by Bernard, but I wasn't really in the mood for that.
I left the factory and just walked around in the gentle falling snow. I spread my arms out, twirling and feeling like, in that moment, I could fly. Everything was perfect.
"Kaleigh." I looked around, seeing Bernard standing a mere few feet away from me.
"Bernard," I greeted him tersely. "What do you want?" He cleared his throat.
"Well, I just wanted to tell you that I take back what I said about you not doing anything. Today was proof of that." He paused. "I'm…" Another pause but longer this time. "I'm sorry." I almost started laughing.
"No sarcastic remark?" I questioned.
"It was coming but I decided to be polite for once. Well, at least to you." I smiled.
"Well, thanks then." He smiled too.
"Well, I uhh…"
"Have to get back to work. Don't worry, I get it." His smile faded a bit.
"So yeah… I guess I'll see you at… you know, the house."
"Are you going to want dinner?"
"Sure, if you have time to make it. I'm fine with whatever." With his last few words of thanks, he turned and began to walk away without another word. I watched him leave, wondering what the hell was going on with him and what in God's name was going on with me? If something was wrong with both of us how did it affect us?
Whether it was us as people...
Or us as... friends maybe...
Something was off and I was going to find out.
Okay, so it was a little different than my last chapter but I thought it was alright. This chapter was more of a filler than anything else just giving you a little insight into Kaleigh's perspective on things as well as her personality, feelings, and job, in case any of you were wondering.
Here's a few questions for you I would really like you all to answer...
1. Would you like the next chapter from Bernard's POV?
2. What was your favorite line in this chapter?
3. Do you have any ideas you would like to see incorporated into the plot of this story? If so, what are they?
THANKS!!
So... I hope you liked it and it would mean the WORLD to me if you pretty, pretty, pretty, please REVIEW!!!!
