A Christmas To Remember
Chapter 5: Snowballs & Hot Chocolate
Tailor woke up bright and early, and looked at the clock on her beside table, 8:00, not bad for a Saturday. She got out of bed and looked out of the window. This was the day she had been waiting for. New York glistened with snow; each building facing her had a white blanket covering it. Tailor smiled and walked over to her bed. She was wearing her shorts and t-shirt, grey pyjamas. She ran to the guest bathroom; splashed some cold water on her face and quickly brush her teeth. She ran back in the bedroom and put on a pair of black jeans, a white t-shirt and Elliot's baggy jumper, which kept her extra warm. She ran a brush through her hair and put it in a high ponytail, letting her hair lift up a bit higher from her knees. Tailor looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was the type of girl that didn't like make-up, but her mum said she never needed it.
Tailor smiled when her mobile on the bedside dresser beeped. She grabbed her 3310 and read the message that appeared on the screen.
I'm outside . . . better get out here . . . snowball time! Luv, Elliot xXx.
Elliot had rang her last night and said he would come round tomorrow if it snowed. Tailor had agreed and told him to ring her. But a text was good enough. She put her phone back on the dresser and walked out of the bedroom.
April wasn't up yet so Tailor left a note just in case April worried about her. She slipped on a pair of gloves, which April told her she could have, and slipped on her trainers, then she left the Apartment, locking the door behind her with a spare key.
//
Tailor ran down the three sets of stairs and let herself into the open. Elliot was nowhere to be seen, so Tailor walked round the side of the building and into an alleyway. Her feet sunk deep into the snow that covered her trainers. She shivered when she felt the snow touch her legs. She looked for Elliot and smiled, she knew he would be hiding; he did this every year she came to visit.
Just as she was about to pick up some snow, a snowball came flying at her and hit her face, followed by Elliot's laugh. Tailor quickly wiped the snow from her eyes and stared evilly at Elliot, who was now standing in front of her, laughing. He was wearing another sweater, but it was red and dark blue jeans.
"Got ya good, O'Neill!"
Tailor smiled. She quickly bent down and slid her feet under his, making him trip and fall face first into the snow. "Who's got who good now?" Tailor laughed and watched her friend wipe snow from his forehead. She got up and gave out her hand.
Elliot smiled evilly and took it, but he didn't use it to help himself up, he used it to pull her down.
"Hey, no fair, Elliot Blaine!"
Tailor frowned sweetly at him, her butt deep in the snow. "Your mean to me, do you know that?"
Elliot smiled and sat next to her, ignoring the cold snow. "Yeah, but that's how it is in New York, it's a tough world . . . deal with it!"
"Elliot!" Tailor lightly punched his shoulder. "You're supposed to be nice! Drop the sarcastic attitude!"
Elliot smiled nicely at her. "Ok, ok, sorry". He lifted himself up and helped Tailor up after him. "How about getting some hot chocolate at our traditional café?"
Tailor smiled and nodded. "You have the best ideas, Blaine!"
Elliot slipped an arm around her shoulder and guided her out of the alleyway and onto the empty streets of New York.
//
"Aww, how cute, don't ya think, Donnie?" Donnie looked over April's apartment roof and smiled. Everyone had come to see April and Tailor, even Splinter. They all agreed to come round at 9:00. Just as they were climbing the ladder to the roof, all of them saw Tailor, laughing with . . . who they figured, to be Elliot.
"Sure is, Mikey", Donnie smiled at his brother, who was tightly wrapped up in a trench coat and hat, and could only be seen by his bandanna colour.
Splinter smiled. "Tailor sure has one good friend over here".
All his sons nodded and looked over the roof. They couldn't hear what they were saying, but could make out Tailor's smiling face and Elliot's handsome, cute face.
Mikey smiled. "I'm cuter!" Everyone laughed quietly at this and Splinter chuckled.
//
"Thanks for paying for the hot chocolate Elliot, I'll pay you back".
"No need", Elliot put his hands in his pockets, trying to warm up. "Me and my family are going away this week, but I can still come to badminton next week, are you sure you'll be alright here on your own?"
Tailor smiled. "Yeah sure, I'll be fine".
But Elliot didn't look convinced. "I just wondered, 'cause I know that bully Scott is always trying to get his hands on you and I just worry about you sometimes . . . I -."
"Stop Elliot, don't worry, I - I made some new friends while I was here . . . some friends of my aunt's. Don't worry, I'll be fine, I won't let Scott hurt me . . . so, when are you leaving?"
Elliot shifted his feet in the snow. "Tomorrow, I'm only going to a relatives, just like when you visit April, we can still keep in touch by text, right?"
Tailor nodded and smiled. "Right".
Elliot smiled and hugged his friend. "I have to pack all day today, but I'll text you tomorrow before I leave, ok?"
"Kay".
"Tailor, you're the coolest".
Tailor smiled again. "Thanks Elliot, so are you . . . I'm, I'm glad we're best friends".
"Me too, totally"
Tailor kissed her friend softly on the cheek and gave him one last hug. Elliot kissed her back and made for his home, waving to her like he normally does before turning the corner.
Tailor smiled and walked to the door. She walked up the three sets of stairs and reached April's door. Tailor put the key in but it was already unlocked, she opened the door.
"HELLO!" Mikey's face was millimetres from hers.
"Ahhhh! Mikey! You scared me!" Tailor put a hand to her chest and felt her racing heart. "O-ok, let me just calm down".
Tailor looked behind the orange turtle. April was now up and sitting on the sofa, Donnie and Leo were sitting next to her, and Raph and Splinter were sat on the stools by the counter. They were all laughing quietly at her.
Tailor felt her face go red. "It's not funny! He scared the life out of me!"
"Aww, sorry", Mikey gave Tailor a quick hug. It was the first time one of them hug her and she didn't pull away. Tailor smiled, a bond had grown between them in the past few days and she felt a new feeling touch her heart.
"I-it's ok, just l-let me get my heartbeat to my normal rate", Tailor sat down on a stool, next to Raph and Splinter; hand still on her chest. Mikey sat on the arm of the sofa, next to April.
"How was the snowball fight?" April got up and started to make hot chocolate for everyone.
Tailor stared up at her aunt. "H-how did you know I was having a snowball fight?"
"She didn't!" Mikey piped up. "You just told her!"
"MIKEY!" Everyone echoed.
April smiled and looked at Tailor. "The guys saw you, they come in off the roof so no one sees them and they saw you with Elliot, you too must be close".
Tailor blushed a little, but managed to hide her red face. Raph looked at her with some curiosity. "He's just my best friend, no biggy, anyway . . . he's going away for a week so I won't be hanging out with him".
"Aww, well don't worry honey, plenty more fish in the sea". April smiled and handed everyone their hot chocolate - a chorus of 'thank yous' came in her direction.
Tailor returned the smile. "Elliot comes back a day before I go back to India".
"So you won't be here for Christmas day?" April took a sip out of her hot chocolate.
"I'm afraid not, April".
"Well, we'll miss you anyway!" Michelangelo got up and clapped his hands. "How about a game of Connect 4?"
//
For an hour everyone played Connect 4. Pairing up the teams. Tailor and April vs. Donnie and Leo. April and Donnie vs. Tailor and Mikey. It carried on until everyone had a go with April . . . or with Tailor.
Tailor won most of the games with whomever she was paired up with, and she won hangman when she paired up with Raphael.
"Ok, Mikey, go ahead". Tailor held the piece of paper in front of Mikey and smiled.
Mikey looked at the letter and so did Leo, who was his partner.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"Hmm . . . 'R'".
"Ok, Leo, 'R'" Tailor put in the letter and handed the paper back.
_ _ r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ r
"How about 'T'?"
"Sure Mikey", Tailor let Raph fill in the paper and watched him hand it back to Mikey.
T_ r t _ _ _ _ _ _ r
"Turtle Power"
T u r t l e P o w e r
"Great going Mikey, that was quick guessing".
Mikey smiled. "I bet Raph told you to have 'Turtle Power'".
"I did not . . . SHE thought of it".
Tailor smiled and shook her head.
April smiled and got up. She looked at her watch; 10:05; "I have to get ready for work, be right back people".
They all watched her go up the stairs and close her bedroom door. Tailor got up as well. "I'll be right back, I just want to get changed, and my clothes are wet from the snowball fight". They all nodded at her and watched her go up as well.
"Man", Donnie said when they were gone. "Girls sure changed their clothes a lot".
"Yeah, totally", Mikey sat back down next to his brother on the sofa.
"We better get going soon".
"Aww, ok", Mikey frowned; he was having so much fun already.
//
"Ok, sorry it took so long", April came down a while later wearing a brown pair of trousers and a white jumper, complete with a brown jacket. She was fastening on her jewellery when she came down.
Splinter smiled and nodded. "That's ok".
April looked around her apartment, thinking someone was missing. "Where's Tailor?"
"She went upstairs to get changed", Leo replied, putting down the magazine he was reading. "Said her clothes were wet from the snowball fight".
"Oh, ok".
//
"Hey, sorry, I couldn't find my jeans", Tailor came down with her hair neatly tied back. She was wearing a blue pair of jeans and a long sleeved, blue cotton top which April thought made her eyes stand out more.
"No problem, oh here Splinter", April got up and grabbed some blankets that were piled on top of her washing basket. "I know how cold it gets down there".
"Thank you so much, my child".
April smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'll be back from work at 4:00, I'll come and see you, ok?"
Splinter nodded and took the blankets off her. "We'll look forward to seeing you, but until then", he turned back to his sons and smiled. "Practice".
"Aww, man!" Mikey sighed but got up and gave a cuddle to April, saying 'goodbye' as well. He walked over to Tailor who was standing near the stairs. He held out his arms and smiled. "Hug?"
Tailor smiled and gave Mikey a small hug. "Bye Mikey", she watched him walk over to the kitchen and climbed out the window followed by his Master.
Donnie then gave April and Tailor a hug, then followed his brother in orange. Then it was Leo's turn and he did the same thing. Raph was the only one left.
Tailor figured he didn't like hugging so she held out her hand. "See ya Raph".
Raph smiled a little and shook her hand. "Bye". He walked over to April and gave her a small hug. "See ya April".
"Bye Raph".
They both watched him climbed out of the kitchen window and climb up the ladder, onto the roof, until he was out of sight.
//
Tailor spent the whole day in. It was now nearly four and she sat on a stool near the counter, waiting for April to come home. She had ordered a pizza but it hadn't arrived yet. Just when she was going to ring back, the doorbell went. Tailor lifted herself up and walked to the door. She flicked her ponytail behind her shoulder and opened the door.
"Oh my God, what do YOU want?"
It was Scott. He held the pizza in his hand and was smiling at her. "Well, that's not nice, I've brought a delivery for O'Neill".
"I'll take that!" Tailor grabbed the pizza out of his hands and put it on the small table near the door. "Here", she took 13 dollars out of her jean pocket and gave it to him. "Now leave".
Scott put the money in his own pocket and smiled. "What if I don't wanna leave? Surely you'll invite a handsome guy like me in".
"No". Tailor folded her arms. "After leaving me knocked out in an alleyway why should I?"
Scott growled slightly. "And I supposed your jerky friend Elliot saved you? He's been after you ever since I came to that school".
Tailor felt her face go red with anger. "He was my best friend before you even came to our school, I'll be very glad if you left me right now". She tried to close the door but Scott blocked it with his foot.
"I'm coming in whether you like it or not!" He pushed past her and put a hand over her mouth. "Oh and, please don't scream, you'll only make things worse".
//
(Ouch, finger, well fifth ones up. Enjoy).
Chapter 5: Snowballs & Hot Chocolate
Tailor woke up bright and early, and looked at the clock on her beside table, 8:00, not bad for a Saturday. She got out of bed and looked out of the window. This was the day she had been waiting for. New York glistened with snow; each building facing her had a white blanket covering it. Tailor smiled and walked over to her bed. She was wearing her shorts and t-shirt, grey pyjamas. She ran to the guest bathroom; splashed some cold water on her face and quickly brush her teeth. She ran back in the bedroom and put on a pair of black jeans, a white t-shirt and Elliot's baggy jumper, which kept her extra warm. She ran a brush through her hair and put it in a high ponytail, letting her hair lift up a bit higher from her knees. Tailor looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was the type of girl that didn't like make-up, but her mum said she never needed it.
Tailor smiled when her mobile on the bedside dresser beeped. She grabbed her 3310 and read the message that appeared on the screen.
I'm outside . . . better get out here . . . snowball time! Luv, Elliot xXx.
Elliot had rang her last night and said he would come round tomorrow if it snowed. Tailor had agreed and told him to ring her. But a text was good enough. She put her phone back on the dresser and walked out of the bedroom.
April wasn't up yet so Tailor left a note just in case April worried about her. She slipped on a pair of gloves, which April told her she could have, and slipped on her trainers, then she left the Apartment, locking the door behind her with a spare key.
//
Tailor ran down the three sets of stairs and let herself into the open. Elliot was nowhere to be seen, so Tailor walked round the side of the building and into an alleyway. Her feet sunk deep into the snow that covered her trainers. She shivered when she felt the snow touch her legs. She looked for Elliot and smiled, she knew he would be hiding; he did this every year she came to visit.
Just as she was about to pick up some snow, a snowball came flying at her and hit her face, followed by Elliot's laugh. Tailor quickly wiped the snow from her eyes and stared evilly at Elliot, who was now standing in front of her, laughing. He was wearing another sweater, but it was red and dark blue jeans.
"Got ya good, O'Neill!"
Tailor smiled. She quickly bent down and slid her feet under his, making him trip and fall face first into the snow. "Who's got who good now?" Tailor laughed and watched her friend wipe snow from his forehead. She got up and gave out her hand.
Elliot smiled evilly and took it, but he didn't use it to help himself up, he used it to pull her down.
"Hey, no fair, Elliot Blaine!"
Tailor frowned sweetly at him, her butt deep in the snow. "Your mean to me, do you know that?"
Elliot smiled and sat next to her, ignoring the cold snow. "Yeah, but that's how it is in New York, it's a tough world . . . deal with it!"
"Elliot!" Tailor lightly punched his shoulder. "You're supposed to be nice! Drop the sarcastic attitude!"
Elliot smiled nicely at her. "Ok, ok, sorry". He lifted himself up and helped Tailor up after him. "How about getting some hot chocolate at our traditional café?"
Tailor smiled and nodded. "You have the best ideas, Blaine!"
Elliot slipped an arm around her shoulder and guided her out of the alleyway and onto the empty streets of New York.
//
"Aww, how cute, don't ya think, Donnie?" Donnie looked over April's apartment roof and smiled. Everyone had come to see April and Tailor, even Splinter. They all agreed to come round at 9:00. Just as they were climbing the ladder to the roof, all of them saw Tailor, laughing with . . . who they figured, to be Elliot.
"Sure is, Mikey", Donnie smiled at his brother, who was tightly wrapped up in a trench coat and hat, and could only be seen by his bandanna colour.
Splinter smiled. "Tailor sure has one good friend over here".
All his sons nodded and looked over the roof. They couldn't hear what they were saying, but could make out Tailor's smiling face and Elliot's handsome, cute face.
Mikey smiled. "I'm cuter!" Everyone laughed quietly at this and Splinter chuckled.
//
"Thanks for paying for the hot chocolate Elliot, I'll pay you back".
"No need", Elliot put his hands in his pockets, trying to warm up. "Me and my family are going away this week, but I can still come to badminton next week, are you sure you'll be alright here on your own?"
Tailor smiled. "Yeah sure, I'll be fine".
But Elliot didn't look convinced. "I just wondered, 'cause I know that bully Scott is always trying to get his hands on you and I just worry about you sometimes . . . I -."
"Stop Elliot, don't worry, I - I made some new friends while I was here . . . some friends of my aunt's. Don't worry, I'll be fine, I won't let Scott hurt me . . . so, when are you leaving?"
Elliot shifted his feet in the snow. "Tomorrow, I'm only going to a relatives, just like when you visit April, we can still keep in touch by text, right?"
Tailor nodded and smiled. "Right".
Elliot smiled and hugged his friend. "I have to pack all day today, but I'll text you tomorrow before I leave, ok?"
"Kay".
"Tailor, you're the coolest".
Tailor smiled again. "Thanks Elliot, so are you . . . I'm, I'm glad we're best friends".
"Me too, totally"
Tailor kissed her friend softly on the cheek and gave him one last hug. Elliot kissed her back and made for his home, waving to her like he normally does before turning the corner.
Tailor smiled and walked to the door. She walked up the three sets of stairs and reached April's door. Tailor put the key in but it was already unlocked, she opened the door.
"HELLO!" Mikey's face was millimetres from hers.
"Ahhhh! Mikey! You scared me!" Tailor put a hand to her chest and felt her racing heart. "O-ok, let me just calm down".
Tailor looked behind the orange turtle. April was now up and sitting on the sofa, Donnie and Leo were sitting next to her, and Raph and Splinter were sat on the stools by the counter. They were all laughing quietly at her.
Tailor felt her face go red. "It's not funny! He scared the life out of me!"
"Aww, sorry", Mikey gave Tailor a quick hug. It was the first time one of them hug her and she didn't pull away. Tailor smiled, a bond had grown between them in the past few days and she felt a new feeling touch her heart.
"I-it's ok, just l-let me get my heartbeat to my normal rate", Tailor sat down on a stool, next to Raph and Splinter; hand still on her chest. Mikey sat on the arm of the sofa, next to April.
"How was the snowball fight?" April got up and started to make hot chocolate for everyone.
Tailor stared up at her aunt. "H-how did you know I was having a snowball fight?"
"She didn't!" Mikey piped up. "You just told her!"
"MIKEY!" Everyone echoed.
April smiled and looked at Tailor. "The guys saw you, they come in off the roof so no one sees them and they saw you with Elliot, you too must be close".
Tailor blushed a little, but managed to hide her red face. Raph looked at her with some curiosity. "He's just my best friend, no biggy, anyway . . . he's going away for a week so I won't be hanging out with him".
"Aww, well don't worry honey, plenty more fish in the sea". April smiled and handed everyone their hot chocolate - a chorus of 'thank yous' came in her direction.
Tailor returned the smile. "Elliot comes back a day before I go back to India".
"So you won't be here for Christmas day?" April took a sip out of her hot chocolate.
"I'm afraid not, April".
"Well, we'll miss you anyway!" Michelangelo got up and clapped his hands. "How about a game of Connect 4?"
//
For an hour everyone played Connect 4. Pairing up the teams. Tailor and April vs. Donnie and Leo. April and Donnie vs. Tailor and Mikey. It carried on until everyone had a go with April . . . or with Tailor.
Tailor won most of the games with whomever she was paired up with, and she won hangman when she paired up with Raphael.
"Ok, Mikey, go ahead". Tailor held the piece of paper in front of Mikey and smiled.
Mikey looked at the letter and so did Leo, who was his partner.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"Hmm . . . 'R'".
"Ok, Leo, 'R'" Tailor put in the letter and handed the paper back.
_ _ r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ r
"How about 'T'?"
"Sure Mikey", Tailor let Raph fill in the paper and watched him hand it back to Mikey.
T_ r t _ _ _ _ _ _ r
"Turtle Power"
T u r t l e P o w e r
"Great going Mikey, that was quick guessing".
Mikey smiled. "I bet Raph told you to have 'Turtle Power'".
"I did not . . . SHE thought of it".
Tailor smiled and shook her head.
April smiled and got up. She looked at her watch; 10:05; "I have to get ready for work, be right back people".
They all watched her go up the stairs and close her bedroom door. Tailor got up as well. "I'll be right back, I just want to get changed, and my clothes are wet from the snowball fight". They all nodded at her and watched her go up as well.
"Man", Donnie said when they were gone. "Girls sure changed their clothes a lot".
"Yeah, totally", Mikey sat back down next to his brother on the sofa.
"We better get going soon".
"Aww, ok", Mikey frowned; he was having so much fun already.
//
"Ok, sorry it took so long", April came down a while later wearing a brown pair of trousers and a white jumper, complete with a brown jacket. She was fastening on her jewellery when she came down.
Splinter smiled and nodded. "That's ok".
April looked around her apartment, thinking someone was missing. "Where's Tailor?"
"She went upstairs to get changed", Leo replied, putting down the magazine he was reading. "Said her clothes were wet from the snowball fight".
"Oh, ok".
//
"Hey, sorry, I couldn't find my jeans", Tailor came down with her hair neatly tied back. She was wearing a blue pair of jeans and a long sleeved, blue cotton top which April thought made her eyes stand out more.
"No problem, oh here Splinter", April got up and grabbed some blankets that were piled on top of her washing basket. "I know how cold it gets down there".
"Thank you so much, my child".
April smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'll be back from work at 4:00, I'll come and see you, ok?"
Splinter nodded and took the blankets off her. "We'll look forward to seeing you, but until then", he turned back to his sons and smiled. "Practice".
"Aww, man!" Mikey sighed but got up and gave a cuddle to April, saying 'goodbye' as well. He walked over to Tailor who was standing near the stairs. He held out his arms and smiled. "Hug?"
Tailor smiled and gave Mikey a small hug. "Bye Mikey", she watched him walk over to the kitchen and climbed out the window followed by his Master.
Donnie then gave April and Tailor a hug, then followed his brother in orange. Then it was Leo's turn and he did the same thing. Raph was the only one left.
Tailor figured he didn't like hugging so she held out her hand. "See ya Raph".
Raph smiled a little and shook her hand. "Bye". He walked over to April and gave her a small hug. "See ya April".
"Bye Raph".
They both watched him climbed out of the kitchen window and climb up the ladder, onto the roof, until he was out of sight.
//
Tailor spent the whole day in. It was now nearly four and she sat on a stool near the counter, waiting for April to come home. She had ordered a pizza but it hadn't arrived yet. Just when she was going to ring back, the doorbell went. Tailor lifted herself up and walked to the door. She flicked her ponytail behind her shoulder and opened the door.
"Oh my God, what do YOU want?"
It was Scott. He held the pizza in his hand and was smiling at her. "Well, that's not nice, I've brought a delivery for O'Neill".
"I'll take that!" Tailor grabbed the pizza out of his hands and put it on the small table near the door. "Here", she took 13 dollars out of her jean pocket and gave it to him. "Now leave".
Scott put the money in his own pocket and smiled. "What if I don't wanna leave? Surely you'll invite a handsome guy like me in".
"No". Tailor folded her arms. "After leaving me knocked out in an alleyway why should I?"
Scott growled slightly. "And I supposed your jerky friend Elliot saved you? He's been after you ever since I came to that school".
Tailor felt her face go red with anger. "He was my best friend before you even came to our school, I'll be very glad if you left me right now". She tried to close the door but Scott blocked it with his foot.
"I'm coming in whether you like it or not!" He pushed past her and put a hand over her mouth. "Oh and, please don't scream, you'll only make things worse".
//
(Ouch, finger, well fifth ones up. Enjoy).