Cody sighed, flinging her suitcase onto her bed.

"I've never seen someone come back from Christmas break so exhausted," her dad laughed from the doorway. "It's not as if you did much."

"Don't you have to unpack?" She asked pointedly, sticking out her tongue.

"Alright, alright," Dr. Myers held his hands up in mock surrender, "I can take a hint."

"Glad to hear it," Cody smiled, falling back on her bed. Seconds later, she sighed loudly and stood back up, making her way outside and toward the dorms.

"I have got to show you these new shoes!" She heard Adena's familiar voice as she made her way down the hall.

"Anybody home?" She asked playfully, pushing open her friends' door.

"Hi, Cody!" Tanis rose to hug her friend, "How was your break?"

"Oh, it was okay," she smiled, "my dad and I just hung out with family in Montreal."

"You both went? Isn't that where your mom is?" Adena asked from somewhere in her closet.

"Yeah. So?"

"Wasn't that awkward?"

"Not really," Cody laughed, "they're good friends. They just can't…be married…" she trailed off.

"Whatevs," Adena emerged, "look at these pumps!" She proudly displayed a black pair of shoes.

"Amazing," Tanis said dryly.

"So," Adena plopped herself down on her bed, "I never got to interrogate you, Cody."

"About…?" Cody asked, sounding fearful.

"Nate! Duh! What did you get him? What did he get you?"

"That's right!" Tanis exclaimed, "It's your first Christmas! That's, like, a big deal."

Cody laughed and shrugged, "Not really. I got him some CDs, a couple band t-shirts, a few records. He gave me some books on photography and journalism…"

"Ugh," Adena sighed, exasperated, "that is so boring!"

"Gee, thank you."

"I just mean," she clarified, "that if I had a boyfriend, I'd get him…I don't know! Something romantic!"

"Like what?"

"Well, what does Nate like?"

"…Music," Tanis said at length.

"And…T-shirts," Cody added.

"…Okay. Point taken."

"Come on," Tanis grabbed Adena's arm, pulling her up, "let's go find the boys."

"Why?" Adena asked as she was pulled out of the room. "Boys are gross."

"Hey, girls," Nate waved feebly as he approached.

"Hi, Nate," Adena greeted him cheerfully as the girls made their way out of the school and down the front steps.

"Hi," Cody smiled. He leaned toward her and she deftly turned her head, effectively connecting his lips with her cheek. "It's freezing out here."

"No kidding," Tanis agreed, "come on, let's see if Cam and Squib are in the Open."

Sure enough, the foursome found their pals lounging on one of the plush couches in the Open.

"Hi, guys!" Adena greeted, sitting down beside Squib.

"Hey, girls," Cam smiled, "hi, Nate."

"So," Adena began in her sing-song voice, "how was your break?"

"Boring," Squib rolled his eyes. "So, so, boring."

"What he said," Cam nodded toward his friend.

"What about you," Squib turned to face Tanis.

"What he said," she pointed to Cameron.

"Well," Adena continued, "what did you get?"

"Socks," Nate said dryly.

"A lecture on responsibility," Cameron spoke.

"Incense," Tanis added.

"Skis," Squib said.

"What's wrong with that?" Adena asked.

"I don't ski."

"…Oh."

"Yeah."

"So, was your Christmas really that bad?" Cody asked as she walked toward class with Squib the next day.

"I guess not," he shrugged. "It wasn't really…anything. I just kinda moped around the house for two weeks."

"Now that I can see," she smiled, entering the class and taking her usual seat next to Nate.

"Okay," Wiley called from the front. Cody felt a twinge of pity; the poor woman already looked ready to pull out her hair. "I know you're all excited to talk about your break, but this is class…Which means," she continued when her students kept talking, "we are here to learn…" she sighed loudly above the noise, "Which means NO TALKING!" She watched with a small smirk as her class went silent. "Now, hopefully you all did the required reading over the break…"

"I can't believe she gave me detention!" Squib huffed as the group walked toward the cafeteria.

"You didn't do the reading, Squib," Nate pointed out with a note of satisfaction.

"How was I to know it wasn't optional?" Squib asked indignantly.

"She called it required reading," Cameron informed him.

"Whatever. That woman is out to get me."

"Of course, Squiby," Tanis smirked, grabbing a tray.

"It wouldn't be Cascadia without dry meat and mystery stew," Nate quipped, catching a glance of their so-called lunch. He moved to slip his arm over Cody's shoulder when she quickly turned, grabbing a tray for herself.

"Ah, yes," she agreed, "the Cascadian special- Crap."

"I can hear you," the lady behind the counter said sharply, glaring. Cody looked down, ashamed, and the group kept silent until they were clear of the lunch lady's wrath.

"So, your Christmas was…"

"Good," Cameron finished for Tanis as the two walked down the hall a few days later.

"Good," she nodded. "I was just checking. Because, you know, we haven't really talked lately and…yeah. Good."

"Tanis, are you okay?"

"Fine," she said in a slightly squeaky voice.

"Are you sure?" Cameron asked slowly.

"Totally!" She exclaimed rather loudly.

"Tanis, is something-,"

"Oh my gosh, Cameron, I have to go! I forgot a…thing! In my…somewhere!" Tanis all but ran down the hall.

"Nate!" She called, out of breath, frantically knocking on the door to Bates' office. "Are you in here?"

"Tanis?" He opened the door.

"Help me!" She threw herself into the room. "I need-," she paused, seeing the floor littered with papers. "What's he making you file this time?"

"Order forms for new curtains."

"Fascinating! Okay! I need help!"

"So I've heard."

She sighed, "Don't be smart with me!"

"Fine," he perched himself on the edge of his father's desk, looking reluctant, "what's up?"

"It's Cameron."

"I'm shocked."

Tanis continued as though he hadn't spoken, "He's acting all…normal!"

"Oh no!" Nate gasped, "Not normal! That jerk!"

Tanis sighed, "You don't get it!"

"Evidently not."

"Before break, things were all awkward because he said he couldn't date me 'cause of Adena and-,"

"Wait a second! When did that happen?"

"Squib told me to ask him to the Halloween party! But he said we couldn't go together because he and Adena went on a date and that would be weird," she sighed, "keep up, Nate!"

"…You asked Squib for advice?" He exclaimed, sounding mildly appalled.

"You were off sucking face with Cody somewhere," she shrugged, "desperate times. Anyways, now he's acting like nothing happened!"

"And that's…bad."

"Exactly! How can he act like nothing happened? I asked him out! And he said no!"

"Maybe he just wants to forget the whole thing," Nate offered, "you know, get over it?"

"But," Tanis sighed, visibly slumping, "that means he doesn't want to date me."

"And you do want to date him?"

"Right."

"Then, I don't know," Nate shrugged, "talk to him, I guess."

"But he already said we couldn't date."

"And you're going to take that? I thought nobody messed with Tanis McTaggart?"

"You know what? You're right, Nate-,"

"I usually am."

"-I'm going to talk to him! Tell him what's what! Make that boy realize what he really wants!" Tanis exclaimed loudly, pumping her fist in the air. After a long, slightly awkward pause, she looked down at the sheets of paper scattered about the floor.

"I never realized Cascadia needed so many curtains…"

That's right! I skipped Christmas! What ya gonna do?

I also included that line about Cody's parents for a very important reason:

Mr. And. Mrs. Myers. Just. Didn't. Love. Each. Other.

If I read one more tale about Cody's drug-gambling-alcohol addicted, chain smoking, abusive mother I'll scream.

This was for Nova. Because she has an odd fixation with this story…

One last thing: this hasn't been updated since before season two. Crazy…