MERRY CHRISTMAS MY LOVELY READERS!


Photo #85: Jingles My Bells

Ah, yes, it's that time of year again. Well, it is in terms of the photos on the wall. In Eadlyn's current time, she hasn't moved from her spot ever since she got here but none of that matters since she's here to erase her mind from what just happened. These photos give her happiness and safety in her current feeling of fear and sadness.

Just like this Christmas photo. It has America and Marlee sitting at a desk together. On the surface of the desk are a series of opened Christmas cards and envelopes. Both America and Marlee sit with pens in their hands and Christmas tinsel wrapped around their necks - and that was the most holiday spirit that was present.

Little does Eadlyn know the struggle America and Marlee had to face while writing these cards. And little do America and Marlee in the photo know that Eadlyn's situation just jingles her bells.

-o-

As a promise the Elite girls made with one another near the end of Maxon's selection, America and Marlee are in the midst of writing the Christmas cards that will be sent to Natalie, Kriss, and Elise. The two of them decided that they would go with blank cards so they could write their own messages that were personalized and tailored for each recipient. No Hallmark card could properly express their own thoughts and feelings. They thought that this was going to be an easy task but boy, were they wrong, very very wrong.

"How's this," America starts, "'Happy holidays!'"

Marlee's face doesn't budge one bit. "Basic, much?"

"I'm all out of ideas."

"That implies that you actually had ideas."

As Marlee smirks and laughs a little to herself, America narrows her eyes. The two women look down at their blank cards and opened pens with no motivation to actually write a heartfelt message in the cards. Both women sit back in their chairs, sipping their eggnog and contemplating deeply on what words to write in fancy cursive.

"Why is this hard to do?" Marlee questions. "We have known these girls for years."

"We're just trying to not make it cheesy," America replies. "Or write the same thing we did last year."

"What did we write last year?"

"No clue."

The girls sip on their eggnog some more, hoping that some inspiration will come to them the more they drink. America and Marlee look at one another, seeing if inspiration will come from them even though nobody has any ideas. Their mugs of egg nog are finished, and just like their mugs their minds are empty.

"I don't know what to say," Marlee states, running her hair through her hands as America refills their mugs.

"We'll find the right words eventually," America replies optimistically. "A person's thoughts could get so mixed up that their words no longer make sense."

"I think that happened to us when we decided to wear tinsel around our necks because it would 'envoke our holiday thoughts'."

America pauses, setting down the egg nog jug back on its tray just so she could examine their situation. In addition to their egg nog in order to boost the Chritstmas writing vibes, they were wearing decorating tinsel around their necks.

"This was your idea," America tells Marlee, gripping the tinsel in her hands. "Just think of these as feather boas."

"With itchy and plastic non-looking feathers," Marlee responds.

"Hey, we're trying to let out our inner Santa, not Scrooge and it was your idea."

"Maybe we could just sleep on this and three spirits will come to us in the middle of the night with a message to write."

"We have to mail these by tomorrow if the cards are going to get there by Christmas."

"Speaking of the postal service, maybe we send everyone a package of candy canes they won't notice the absence of a card."

America actually puts that thought into consideration. Candy canes would make a good replacement. Even if people don't like candy canes, they still keep them around for longer than they would a card. But no, these women were committed to writing cards and that's what they are going to do.

Marlee suddenly gasps, startling America.

"I have a message!" Marlee exclaims. "'The fact that I can't think of a message really jingles my bells.'"

America laughs a little. "I'm writing that down!"

"Hey!" Marlee screams as America starts writing on her card. "I came up with that first!"

"Too bad," America says, capping her pen with a grin on her face. "I already wrote it in ink!"

Marlee grabs America's card and with her own pen, she writes in quotation marks around her statement and signs her name under her quote. Marlee thrives out of America's death glare as she caps her pen.

"You ruined my card!" America exclaims.

"I made your card better with my quote and signature." Marlee flips her tinsel over her shoulder with pride.

"Just for that, I'm not writing you a Christmas card this year."

"Considering the messages you've been wanting to write to other people, I'm okay with that."

America is so offended, that her jaw drops wide open. "When did you become so sassy?"

"No idea."

"Your sass jingles my bells."

"You stealing my messages jingles my bells."

America and Marlee stare at each other with this Christmas-infused tension in the air. Then, they look back at the fact that they're both wearing Christmas tinsel around their necks and burst out laughing. Marlee refills their mugs of egg nog again and the two women clink their glasses.

"Maybe we should just send candy canes," America says.

"Yeah..." Marlee agrees. "Hope that doesn't jingle their bells."


Apparently in Celeste's chapters in Happily Ever After, the Elite girls said they would keep in touch with Christmas cards.

THIS IS LITERALLY ME WRITING CARDS! I cannot write cards for the life of me. In fact, when I give gifts to people, I will never write a card. I don't even buy a card.

Stay Tuned - Don't fall asleep before 12...

And please go vote on the poll on my profile since it has something to do with what story I will publish in the future!