AN: I hope the stuttering at the beginning doesn't annoy people too much. And I hope this chapter doesn't suck too much. I struggled a little with this chapter. The first part kind of stinks, but it gets better imo.

Chapter 3 – Yes, Lindsay, there is a Santa Claus

It was about two hours later when four shivering boys trekked into the resort.

"I-I am s-so c-cold." Geoff stuttered.

"D-dude. Quit w-whining already!" said Duncan. "Th-that's all I-I've heard ou-outta y-you the p-past two hou-hours."

"D-dude, you've b-been whining much m-more than I have!"

"H-have n-not!"

"Have t-too!"

"H-have not!"

Trent sighed in exasperation.

"I-I'll settle th-th-th-th-this!" said Trent. "D-duncan, you've d-definitely been wh-whining much m-more than G-geoff."

"Wh-what? I have n-not!" Duncan whined.

"Would you idiots shut up already?" said Noah. "Your stammering is annoying and you sound like five year olds arguing."

"I-I do not!" said Duncan, stomping his foot.

"W-we can't h-help it if we're st-stammering! W-we're cold!" said Geoff.

"So shut it and sit by the fire, genius!" said Noah.

"O-oh."

While the four boys ventured over to the fireplace Heather stopped Owen.

"Not you, big guy!" Heather said. "I've got a job for you."

"A-aw m-man!" Owen whined.

"Come on! It's a special job, just for you!"

"I-is it a s-super s-s-s-s-special job?"

"A super dee duper special job." said Heather.

"Oooh….w-what is it? What i-is it?" said Owen. "D-does it involve e-eating?"

"Nope. But you'll get to wear a warm jacket!"

"O-okay, I'm in!"

Heather started to head for the door.

"W-wait, I don't have t-to go back outside, d-do I?" Owen asked.

"Of course! How else will we get to the prop trailers?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

"Exactly! Let's go!" Heather said. She skipped out the front door while a frowning Owen followed her.

A little while later they came back carrying boxes. Owen was dressed as Santa Claus while Heather was wearing a skimpy Santa-girl outfit.

Ezekiel's jaw dropped.

"Wow. I think I should convert, eh?" he said.

"Yeah, I wish I was Jewish so I could convert too," said Cody, drooling.

"Okay, that made no sense," said Noah.

"Guess what I've gooooooooot!" Heather exclaimed obnoxiously.

"Ooh! Cheese!" said Geoff.

Everyone looked at him.

"What? I like cheese!" he said defensively.

"Nope, not cheese!" said Heather. "Guess again!"

"Uhhhh…presents?" said Katie.

"Nope! Guess!"

"More decorations!" Duncan exclaimed while collapsing in a chair, horrified.

"Nope!"

"Thank God!"

"Guess again," said Heather.

"Explosives!" Izzy said with a cackle.

"Nope!"

"Darn!"

"Guess again!"

"WOULD YOU JUST TELL US ALREADY!!!!!" several people yelled at Heather.

"Hmpf! You're all no fun." Heather said with a pout. Then she smiled cheerfully. "I've got...wait for it…"

Several seconds passed.

"Drum roll please!" she ordered Owen. He put down his box and started drumming on it. Everyone sweatdropped.

Several seconds passed while Owen pounded on his box.

And then a few more seconds.

"WILL YOU JUST TELL US ALREADY!" LeShawna yelled.

"Yeah, I'm kinda losing interest," said Gwen.

"I didn't have any to begin with," said Noah as he turned a page in his book.

"It's…" Heather started to say.

She paused dramatically. Several people foamed at the mouth.

"COSTUMES!!!!!"

Everyone stared at her while she stood there with a huge, idiotic grin plastered on her face. Then everyone groaned.

"Costumes, what for?" Duncan grumbled.

"Yeah, you don't expect us to do a play, or something, do you?" said LeShawna. "Cuz there ain't no way—"

"Actually, I was thinking just for fun," said Heather. "But that's a good idea! Thanks LeShawna!"

Grumbles of "Good going, LeShawna." went around. LeShawna laughed sheepishly.

"Anyway! Costume time!" Heather exclaimed.

More groaning ensued. Heather's Christmas mood was starting to get old.

Heather distributed random costumes to everyone: reindeers, shepherds, tin soldiers, wise men—

"A gingerbread man?" Harold exclaimed.

"It's better than being a camel," Justin muttered.

"Here Cody!" Heather chirped, handing him a costume. "You get to be an elf! You're perfect for it!"

Cody frowned while Noah snickered beside him.

Noah stopped and his face filled with dread as Heather beamed at him.

"Now Noah…I've got a special costume for you…" she said with a grin.

"Spare me," Noah muttered.

Heather thrust a blanket at him.

"What am I, Linus from Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown?" Noah said with a raised eyebrow.

"It's actually called A Charlie Brown Christmas."

"I'll be sure to jot that down under 'Important Facts I Need to Know for the Rest of My Life'."

"Good idea!"

Noah stared at Heather.

"Yeeeeah, so what's the blanket for?" he asked.

"You get to be the baby Jesus!"

"Uh…beg par? Baby?"

"You're the perfect size!" Heather said. She pinched his cheek. "And you're such a cutie wootie wittle boy!"

"Okay, that's it. I'm not a baby! I'm outta here." Noah said. He got up and stomped off like a little baby.

Heather ran up to him and stopped him.

"Awww Noah, what's the matter? Are you not in the Christmas spirit?"

"That, but mostly you're just annoying me."

"Awww. Does someone need a little help? Does Noah need a Christmas hug?"

Noah eyed Heather's outfit with a sly grin.

"Yeah, I guess that might help a little."

Heather smiled.

"OH SANTA!" she yelled.

"Uh…Santa?" said Noah.

Owen came over.

"Noah here needs a Christmas hug!" said Heather.

"N-no! Th-that's alright." Noah said. "I-I can feel that good old Christmas spirit coming to me. See…uh, 'Frosty the snowman…had a, uh, very shiny nose...'"

"Ho ho ho!" said Owen, pulling Noah into a bone-crushing hug. Owen released Noah who fell to the floor in a wordless heap.

"See, isn't that better?" Heather asked.

"Meep," Noah squeaked.

Suddenly a gasp was heard behind them. Everyone looked over to see Lindsay, Eva, Tyler, and Beth on the stairs. Lindsay and Eva's eyes were wide with excitement.

"Santa!" Lindsay exclaimed. "Is that really you?"

"Uh…Lindsay," said Beth.

"Of course it's Santa!" said Heather.

"B-but, I thought you said Santa isn't real," said Lindsay. "And that he's dead!"

"Yeah, you evil, little witch!" Eva sneered.

Heather laughed.

"Why would I say such a silly thing like that? Of course he's real! And alive!"

"Really?" Lindsay asked, eyes widened.

"Yes, Lindsay, there is a Santa Claus," said Heather. "And he's right here in this room."

Eva and Lindsay exchanged happy grins and ran over to Santa Owen.

"Santa! Oh my gosh! I can't believe it's you!" Lindsay exclaimed.

"Uh…ho ho…" Owen said lamely.

Eva and Lindsay stared blankly at Owen. Then they beamed.

"It really is him!" they exclaimed.

"Uh…that's Ow-." Noah, who was slightly recovered, started to say. He stopped when a hand gently laid itself on his shoulder.

"Now Noah," said Heather. "Is that really necessary? Spoiling their fun like that?"

"Uh…but that's not Santa, that's Owen."

"So? Does it really matter that that's not Santa? Isn't it just enough that they're happy?"

"And let them believe in some lie? They're dumb enough as it is! Don't encourage their stupidity."

"Noah, why do you hate Christmas?" Heather asked.

"I don't hate Christmas. I'm rather apathetic towards it, actually."

"Why do you hate other people's happiness? I've seen you today. All you've had is disdain for the festivities."

"I don't have disdain! Okay, so it's annoying but I don't hate the day, just how people behave on it."

"Noah, I think you hate Christmas and the happiness it brings others because you are not a happy person yourself."

"What?"

"Why else would people's happiness annoy you?"

"Because people don't know how to express their joy this time of year without being irritating! They sing annoying songs, they cover their houses with headache-inducing lights, half of the decorations they put up are tacking and atrocious, their chipper moods are over the top..."

Noah stopped himself. He was beginning to sound like Heather…well, before she become eligible for the insane asylum that is.

Heather patted him on the shoulder.

"Just think about what I said, Little Noah. Just think about what I said."

Noah watched her retreating figure, pondering. Then his eyebrows furrowed.

"Would you stop calling me little?" He exclaimed.

There's only one chapter left! Hope you enjoyed this!

Beg par = beg pardon. I'm probably the only person who says that...