Thanks to "goofy monkey child", "spinelli woods, esquire", and "lilvickiryan" (it looks like your review from Ch. 11 mysteriously showed up) for all of the reviews and support. LOL, I know this holiday story must be ironic since we now are having summer but thanks for still reading it.

Chapter Twenty Three: A Surprise Before Break
Location: Friday, the day just before Winter Vacation, just before school ends at Ms. Finster's classroom

The students of Third Street were anxious to begin their winter vacation and their two weeks of freedom. There was barely any snow that remained from the massive snow storm last week because of a heat wave that put Arkansas in the lower 50s. The students had mixed feelings about the fast melting snow since there wouldn't be any snow during their break to play with, but after that huge storm they were unsure if they really wanted it or not. The students at Ms. Finster's class were having a Christmas party and she wore her usual red Santa hat. The classroom was decorated with Christmas decorations and crafts and each of the students brought something in to share with the class. Jingle Bells were playing on in the background.

Ms. Finster announced, as she entered through the door carrying a big serving bowl of egg nog, "Get your fresh egg nog right here!"

Phil, the boy scout, cheered, "Oh boy! May I have a glass of it, Ms. Finster?"

Ms. Finster smiled, "Why certainly Phil...here ya go! Ah!" Phil took the filled plastic cup of egg nog and started to drink it down. Ms. Finster continued, "I decided to put some good strong cinnamon to spicin' it up! Ha! And forget about that powdered process garbage! Huh! That thing is for whimps! You kids need some real protein so I put in RAW EGG like it should be!"

Phil looked at his drink in fright while he was drinking and spat it out, "Oh yuck! ACTUAL RAW EGG?!? And it's too strong!" Phil ran to the serving table to wash his mouth with some soda as he filled a plastic cup up.

The Ashleys continued to giggle and gossip meanwhile in the corner of the classroom. Ashley A giggled, "Like someone has to expose these kids to some real class! That's why I brought the Roche chocolates!"

The Ashley B and Ashley Q squealed, "Scandalous!"

The three of them noticed Ashley T was remaining silent, and Ashley B asked, "Like what's the problem Ashley T? Don't let that totally pathetic labor class of a shopkeeper annoy you at Neiman Marcus! Huh! Like really! The nerve of him!"

Ashley T murmured, "Like it isn't that Ashley B. It's something else."

Ashley Q questioned, "Like what is it then?"

Ashley T was thinking about Stacey and smirked, "Let's just say this New Year will totally bring another business of daddy's competition out with a bang!"

The other 3 Ashleys deceitfully snickered, "Eww! Scandalous!"

Ashley A proposed raising her fine crystal wine glass (even though there was only soda in it) proposing, "I say Ashleys we propose a toast. A toast to a great Christmas, a great New Year, and great businesses our daddies own! In the next few months, our daddies will have forced another 15 business out of business like the loser rejects they are!" The Ashleys all evilly grinned and smirked as they toasted each other's glasses and drank from them.

Ashley Q remarked, "Like Donald Trump better watch out! Otherwise, he will manage that cheap hair salon that makes his hideous hair cuts!" The Ashleys giggled and went on laughing with their insults.

The gang was gathered around near their desks, which they moved to face each other, discussing about their plans for Christmas break. Vince spoke to T.J., "Aww man, I can't wait for Christmas break to start! So many cool things to do!" He looked around for Stacey and asked, "Why did Stacey leave early again?"

T.J. shrugged his shoulders, uncertainly saying, "I think she was leaving early for some type of vacation."

Vince causally remarked, "Lucky..."

Gretchen added, slightly disappointed, "Sadly though it's a shame she won't be here to spend some of it with us." The gang had a brief moment of silence as if they were agreeing with her. Stacey may have been quieter and more reserved than Gus, but they were starting to get attached to her. T.J. and Mikey were more disappointed because they still sensed that Stacey was keeping something from them...her inner personality.

Menlo, opened the classroom door, and reported while clearing his throat, "Ms. Finster I have a message to send to T.J. Detweiler and his pals!"

Ms. Finster grunted, "What is it Menlo? Oh, and yeah.....have a Merry Christmas... SO GET ON WITH IT!"

Menlo walked up to the gang, as they turned their heads to see him, he smugly began, "Good afternoon chums. I see you are thoroughly enjoying your last school day of the year."

Spinelli raised her eyebrows in suspicion, and spoke out, "So what ya want Menlo?"

Menlo answered and continued with his arrogant manner, "Well, I come to state that all of you will NOT, and I repeat NOT, be starting your vacation when the bell rings at 3:15 today by the Order of Principal Prickly."

The gang shouted, "WHAT?!?"

Gus worriedly asked, "What did we do?!?"

Mikey bellow, "Oh cruel fate! How torturous!"

T.J. with a twitch in his eye, he angrily addressed Menlo, "Why not?!?"

Menlo read from his paper indifferently saying, "All of you are requested to be at the auditorium immediately after school for a disciplinary lecture! I suggest you be there ON TIME!" Randall was snooping in on the conversation and he laughed hysterically.

The gang glanced over seeing Randall but they ignored him and focused their anger back at Menlo. Vince objected, "A disciplinary lecture?!? Why now?!?"

Spinelli got up from her seat and slammed her palms on her desk, "This is ridiculous Menlo! YOU TELL--"

Menlo cut Spinelli off and he waved his finger at her. He smirked, saying, "Uh uh uh! Remember BY THE ORDER of PRINICPAL Prickly!!" Spinelli murmured and discontent, sat back down on her seat. Menlo ended it saying, "I'll see you six at the entrance...and I'll be there....with a STOP WATCH!" He then walked out of the classroom.

Vince complained, "Aww man! I can't believe this! We're just about to start vacation and then this comes!" The gang sighed and rolled their eyes unhappily thinking over the bad luck that just fell on top of them.

After a couple of minutes, suddenly there was a knock on the classroom door again, this time Ms. Finster crabbily walked up to the door and shouted, "WHAT DO YOU WANT YOU LITTLE---" She stopped dead cold and dreamily spoke, "Oh Hank! I'm so sorry...I thought it was someone else...why don't you come in? I've made some lovely fruitcake..."

Hank was hiding something behind his back, but he blissfully replied, "No thanks Muriel. I wanted to stop by for a little bit before I had to begin my last shift shutting down and cleaning up the place for break."

Ms. Finster insisted, "Please have something Hank... something to eat before you work..."

Hank softly declined, "Thanks Muriel, but you remember that a janitor's work is never done." He looked down on the ground trying to find the words and he slowly brought the Christmas gift in front of him. It was a long, rectangular shaped gift with red wrapping paper and red ribbon. He smiled saying, "I wanted to give this to you."

Ms. Finster's eyes glowed seeing the gift and she quickly hugged him. During the hug, she whispered, "Thank you so much Hank. You always seem to know what I want...whether its sardine and onion sandwiches, dancing to the jitterbug, or Thursday nights at the Bowl-O-Rama.... (Sigh)..." She quickly ripped off the wrapping paper and gasped in delight, "Oh Hank! I simply love it! It's what I always wanted and needed!" Hank smiled again, being glad that she liked the gift.

She placed the gift box on her desk and took out an 'all-in-one' backscratcher and shoe horn. She placed it behind her back and started scratching with it. She sighed in relief, "Thank you Hank! Oh, it was murder on that spot. Yeah, that's much better...my back is singing relief now..."

Only half of the class was paying any type of attention to Hank and Ms. Finster. Spinelli sighed and rolled her eyes "Talk about romantic..."

Ms. Finster teasingly smiled and looked at Hank saying, "Oh...Hank...look what's above us." Before Hank could look up at the mistletoe, Ms. Finster gave Hank a huge lip-smacking kiss on his lips. Hank's eyes bulged out in surprise and he soon responded to her kiss.

The entire class gasped and then soon groaned and whined, "Ewww! NASTY! ICK!"

They stopped kissing after a few seconds and then both blushed in embarrassment since the class had observed them kiss so passionately. Hank breathed a bit harder, trying to compose himself after the kiss. He quickly left saying, "I'll see you later....much later...when everyone's gone."

Ms. Finster sighed again in her 'love-sick' condition and she bubbly announced to the class, "Children, why don't you enjoy vacation early? I'll let all of you leave 20 minutes early."

The students in the classroom all looked at each other in disbelief and suddenly cheered. The class quickly threw away their plastic plates, cups, and utensils while the gang slowly did the same since they remembered that they had to stay afterward. The class gathered their things and flooded out of classroom, and unbelievably (which they never thought would happen) thanking Ms. Finster saying, "Bye Ms. Finster! Happy Holidays!" When all of the class left, Randall felt that Menlo did something suspicious by making the gang stay afterward since Principal Prickly usually left early to begin his vacation. He sneakily left to go to the Secretary's office to speak with Menlo.

The gang grudgingly started to walk out of the classroom after 3 minutes the class had left. The music had ended; the classroom was deserted with only crumbs, empty serving trays, and half-filled liters of pop. The gang could hear the cheering and excitement of the students in the hallways, and it reaffirmed their disappointment. They slowly began to file out of the classroom heading toward the door. Ms. Finster looked up from her desk, after being entranced by Hank's gift, and sweetly asked, "Why children, why are all of you so glum?"

The gang stopped and Gretchen responded, "Ms. Finster, don't you recall that we had to stay after school?"

Ms. Finster giggled, "Don't worry about that children! Just look at the bright side, after that then your vacation will start! I have a small feeling that your lecture will not be what it seems."

Spinelli raised an eyebrow, questioning, "How can you be so sure?"

Ms. Finster warmly looked at them grinning, "Christmas time holds a lot of surprises, just look at Hank and I."

The gang was taken back somewhat by Ms. Finster's response and the connection they saw last year with those two, now seemed much closer by Ms. Finster's blissful facial expression. They then continued to leave the classroom while wishing Ms. Finster a great holiday vacation. They slowly walked together down the hallway, uncertain and curious about what awaited them. Once they arrived at the doors of the auditorium and tried to open the doors, but they were locked, and soon they sat down nearby on the floor waiting for school to end; expecting then, that they would be open.

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Back at the Secretary's Office, Menlo was finishing up some annual school reports when he was rudely interrupted by Randall. Randall quickly opened the door, and then closed the door behind him. Randall quickly addressed Menlo about his concern, "Okay Menlo, what are you doing?"

Menlo just indifferently looked up from his deskwork and continued typing away on his computer. Menlo responded, while typing, in an annoying tone, "As in what Randall? Can't you see I have enough work?" The school bell rung and the students of Third Street were all cheering and excited in the hallways that their vacation had just started.

Randall walked up to Menlo's desk and roared, "You wanna play games Menlo. Fine! Everyone knows that Principal Prickly leaves before school ends around here. So what's your game Menlo? Why did you send T.J. Detweiler and his pals to the auditorium?"

Menlo stopped typing, faced Randall, and snapped back, "Game?!? Are you accusing me of tampering with school administrative power?!?"

Randall smugly replied, "Of course Menlo...that's exactly what I'm saying. Remember last year, how you snuck those two safety rangers to sing the national anthem when they weren't even scheduled to do so?" (Remember the episode when the gang tries to help Mikey become a safety ranger by doing favors for several people.)

Menlo gasped wondering how Randall could have known that. Randall put his hand up to silence him, saying, "Uh uh uh! I have my sources....just as you do and there are plenty more where that came from. Now are you going to tell me the real reason? Or should start telling the faculty that we need a replacement around here?"

Menlo looked at Randall in disgust that he was being blackmailed by him, but he started confessing what it was really about.

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In just 3 minutes after the bell had rung, the hallways were already empty and abandon. The gang just looked around thinking about the scene and excitement they missed out joining in on. They were too focused on the hallways to notice the doors, but when they heard the lock-bolted auditorium doors become unlocked they all turned their heads to see the noise. Only one of the doors was cracked open though.

T.J. called out, "Principal Prickly!?" Yet there was no response.

Spinelli opened the cracked door all the way, but the auditorium was completely dark and unlit. They could only see the bright red 'Exit' signs sporadically located around the place. Spinelli shouted, "Hey is anyone there?!?" Again, there was just silence. The darkness engulfed the auditorium, and the lone beacon of hallway light that couldn't penetrate into it. The wide, open auditorium seemed like a mysterious void. It was so dark that they could barely see two rows in front of them.

Mikey screamed, "Hold me Gretchen I'm scared!" Mikey ran up and gave a bear hug to Gretchen unexpectedly in fright. Gretchen just took a deep breath thinking about Mikey's condition.

Vince complained, "C'mon guys...there's nothing wrong inside. Should we go in though? I mean Prickly didn't show up yet, but...a...how did the doors become unlocked?"

Gus nervously commented, "Guys, I don't know. If we don't go in, Prickly could get us in trouble, but if we do...who knows what could happen in there."

Spinelli rationalized to gang, "It's just the auditorium...it's not some dumb haunted house or anything." The rest of the gang looked at Spinelli suspiciously remembering last Halloween how Spinelli tricked them at the Jones' House (shown in the "Taking the Fifth Grade" DVD.) Spinelli saw their glances, and loudly answered, "Hey! I swear I didn't plan anything!"

T.J. agreed with Spinelli, "Spinelli's right. Let's go in...It's just the auditorium." Gretchen and Vince soon followed behind T.J. and Spinelli. Gus and Mikey tip-toed following the four, nervous and terrified, that something would attack them. The gang made their way down, a few stairs, on the aisle stairway but then the auditorium door they went through slammed behind them. Whatever small amount of light came through the doorway was extinguished and Gus and Mikey screamed. Their screams echoed throughout the auditorium as if they were in some type of torture chamber.

Vince tried to calm the two down, "Whoa guys! It's just the door."

Spinelli sighed and sarcastically said, "Great! We can't see a dang thing now!" They couldn't see the hands in front of their faces, but gradually as their pupils enlarged and adjusted they could make out the depth and dimensions of the auditorium from the dimly lit red 'Exit' Signs. They went to about to the 5th row from the stage and after several bumps; they finally sat down in that row.

Vince looked around wondering what was happening and he causally remarked, "Man! I wish someone would hit the switch."

Spinelli sighed in boredom, "Is something supposed to happen now? I might as well take a nap or somethin'."

Gus and Mikey were still alert and somewhat spooked; they continuously looked around the entire auditorium like owls. T.J. was slightly confused about their situation since the lectures and assemblies they went to before never started out like this. He curiously commented, "Somethin' seems outta place here guys."

Suddenly without warning a booming voice projected from the auditorium speakers, "GET READY!!!"

The gang whipped their heads wildly searching for whatever they were to expect. T.J. shouted, "WHAT THE?!?"

The stage lights were directing their multi-colored lights in several directions. Spinelli yelled, "WHAT THE HANG?!?" The gang's eyes all bulged out and their pulse rate accelerated seeing the auditorium to seemingly have a life of its own.

The stage lights then all simultaneously moved together and then focused directly on the six of them for a moment. Gretchen screamed, "Ahh!! My dilated pupils!" The six of them turned their heads away from the intense, blazing light and tried to cover their eyes with their arms from the powerful beams of light. It was as if somebody had shone a gigantic search light in front of them. In the next few seconds, the six of them would see an unimaginable, assumption-shattering sight they could have never expected.

To Be Continued…

LOL, Prepare yourself….if you thought the past few chapters were emotionally deep; the next couple of chapters will take you beyond that…