Chapter 9 Strange Things Are Happening

"What the?" Troy gaped, taking the used-to-be cigarette from his lips, his wide blue eyes went to Gabriella who was wearing a mask of ...something he couldn't read. "How'd you-"

"Oh!" she shrieked, "you know what? I completely forgot something in the house! You know.." his eyes narrowed and lips curled in confusion.

"No I-I don't.." he shook his head, standing up the same time she did. "How did you do that? What happened?"
she avoided his questioning,

"I think I should go get the cookies now-or at least check on my Reind-og! Dog!" she giggled nervously, making a move to go back into the house. Troy caught her elbow, pulling her back to stare into her eyes.

"No...your not leaving this situation avoided...explain now." Gabriella gulped, looking elsewhere-anywhere-but his eyes that were full of questions. She tugged at her arm, that Troy still held captive in his strong grip. She shook her head, "No...I uh...I have to check on my dog...so if you would just let go of me." she tugged her arm again, harder this time so that Troy had no choice but to let go.

She took a step back, placing her hands in her back pockets as she bit her lip, "have fun munching on that candy cane-you're not so different from that little boy at the mall." Troy's eyes widened slightly, watching as Gabriella smiled small at him and turned to go back into the house.

There was something about her, something...but if she wouldn't tell him then he'd have to find out on his own. Damn it! Why hasn't Taylor called him back yet?

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"Ow!" Jason screeched, trying to pull Kelsi's grip off his ear, "I get it! I get it! I shouldn't have done what I did!" Kelsi puckered her lips in a tight frown, pulling him toward the door of the guest room.

"You need to apologize, and explain why you did it..." she mumbled quickly, resting her hand on the door knob. Jason gulped, yanking her hand off his ear.

"NO! Gabi will hate me!" Kelsi snorted, rolling her eyes.

"She's already mad at you...what more can she feel-"

"Hate. She'll hate me." Kelsi snorted, crossing her arms over her chest, opening her mouth to say something when Gabriella came running up the stairs with her chest heaving and eyes wide.

"Okay...we need a better cover!" the two junior elves turned toward her with eyes equally wide.

"WHAT?"

"Troy is asking questions..and-and..how many others are asking questions-"

Kelsi grabbed her shoulders, "do you ever think out your plans before acting? This is bad! Very bad!" Gabriella gulped, shaking her head nervously-she resembled a bobble head doll for a second. Jason twisted his fingers together nervously, pacing slowly.

"Maybe we can make them go asleep and...and wipe their memories of us and leave?" Gabriella looked at him, her eyes narrowing as she shoved Kelsi lightly off of her.

"Really?" she hissed, grabbing the front of Jason's shirt, "make them forget? Kind of like what you hoped to accomplish by not letting me see Troy's letters? And not letting Troy receive mine?" Jason sniffled; it's an elf thing, their more emotional than humans.

"Gab-Gabi, I said...I'm saying sorry.." Gabriella shoved him backward, pacing back and forth across the room. "Sorry doesn't cut it-wait," she looked side to side, it was only them in that room, "where's Comet?"

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Suzie laughed, feeding the adorable 'puppy' another piece of chocolate. "I've never met a doggy that eats chocolate before...you must like it.." Comet nodded his furry head, the socks on his antlers making him feel like sneezing, but he held that in and would sneeze later. "You want another one?" Comet nodded vigorously.

"Here you go..." she gave a big chunk of it to the reindeer, he took it happily. Gabriella would probably kill him, but he can't help it, he loves chocolate! Which is probably why Santa never let's him have any...

"COMET!" He lifted his head quickly at Gabriella's voice, shrill and high, Suzie looked at him; narrowing her eyes in confusion. "What's wrong doggy?" she asked, oh bless her.

Comet grunted, nodding his head toward the door at the same time as Gabriella called him again. Suzie tilted her head to the right, "What is it?" if he was human he'd face-palm himself silly. "COMET!" Gabriella called again, at the same time there was a twinkling sound, and Comet's collar seemed to glow dimly; Suzie gaped in amazement and awe when after the whole event had happened, there was a a boy-about Troy's age-standing before her.

"Wh-wh...what happened to the doggy that was here?" she sounded both amazed and disappointed. Comet looked down at his ...well where he had been on four hooves; he now stood on two legs, hands at his side. He smiled, looking at Suzie, his smile fell.

"Shh..." he shushed, getting on to his knees-he had knees! "it's fine, look...I'll explain what just happened if you help me hide...and-and...give me more of that chocolate."

The little girl smiled, her eyes twinkling, "you're...you're the doggy." she whispered. Comet nodded, "well actually-it's complicated, but I'll explain...if you help me hide and-" she held up a piece of chocolate.

"Troy has a tree house." Suzie said slyly, waggling her eyebrows. Comet licked his lips, "lead the way."

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"Shar, I don't think that-" Sharpay had cut Ryan off in mid-sentence with only a glare as she sat in her driver's seat in front of the Bolton's house, looking through sparkly pink binoculars. Taylor and Chad sat in the back seat.

"Ryan, I want that ...that...that-Taylor, help me out here.." Taylor rolled her eyes, "Shar, when I told you this, I wasn't meaning that we actual-"

"Do I look like I care?" the three stayed silent, she cleared her throat "I thought so." She peeked through the binoculars again, narrowing her eyes as she saw the front of the house decorated in everything that screamed 'Christmas!' crunch crunch.

"Taylor, if your boyfriend has to eat, he can eat on the ground...not in my car." Chad groaned, "Geez, have a heart, it's almost the holidays-"

"Shut up tall person! Evaporate!" the curly haired boy rolled his dark eyes. "What ever Sharpay, I'm going to see Troy-" the blond turned quickly in her seat, her eyes cold and steely; making Chad freeze in his seat and his blood nearly congeal in his veins.

It was like that for a while, then Sharpay turned back to gaze at the house again; she saw Troy walk out, digging through his pockets for his cigarettes only to toss them aside with an annoyed groan on his face. 'Okay Bolton...what's up with you?' she thought, watching stuff his hands in his pockets and walk down the porch steps and to the drugstore to pick up more cigarettes. Sharpay got out of her seat, handing the binocular's to her twin brother.

"What's these for?" she rolled her eyes, "you have to ask, just keep an eye out...I'm checking something." she turned on her heel and quickly marched across the street and to where Troy through the pack of cigarettes, only when she looked inside and took one out it wasn't a cigarette.

It was a red and green candy cane. "What the?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow as she turned to leave to go back to her car, that's when she heard an excited squeal followed by "YOUR A REINDEER!"