Winter Wonderland
Mercedes: POV
I shut my book and climbed from my bed when I heard Mrs. Gonzales calling for me. I left my room and walked down the steps. "Yes, Mrs. Gonzales?"
She held out a large white envelope. "It is your escuela!"
I took the envelope from her, excited. "No way! I can't believe this!"
"Open it! Open it!" She clapped.
I ripped it open and tore the papers out to read them quickly. "We are pleased to inform you- class of 2016- welcome! Ah! I got in!"
Mrs. Gonzales jumped around with me. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you! Thank you! I have to call Lucy and Mikey and Noah and Marcy and everybody!"
She handed me another envelope and said, "This came for señorita Marcy."
My eyes widened. "It's a big one, too! She had to have gotten in!"
"She will be home soon."
She was right. After her first class, Marcy came home until her last class. "Yes. We can wait to find out."
The doorbell rang and Mrs. Gonzales opened it. "Hola, señor Puck."
"What's up, Mrs. G?" He asked.
"No-No, I have the greatest news! Look at this!" I pulled him inside.
"Hey, baby." He snuck a kiss. "It's so nice to see you, too."
"Noah, just read the paper."
He set Rae down and took the papers from me. He looked them over. "Wow! Go, Mama! You got in!"
I danced in place. "Isn't it exciting?! I'm so happy!"
He kissed me again. "I'm happy for you."
"Have you gotten any acceptance letters yet?"
He sighed. "Nope."
"You'll get them." I was sure. My man was smart.
"Tia Me?" A tiny voice asked.
I looked down at Beth. "Yes, sweetheart?"
"Can I watch Little Einsteins?"
"Are you going to stay a little bit?" I asked Noah.
"We can." He shrugged. "I ain't got nothin to do."
"You can go watch Little Einsteins honey." I told Beth. "Papa and I need to speak upstairs anyway."
"I can take señorita Raven to Marionette." Mrs. Gonzales offered.
"Thank you, Mrs. Gonzales." I smiled at her.
She picked up the car seat and took Beth's hand. "Are you hungry?"
"Can I have a banana?" Beth asked as they disappeared.
"What we gotta talk about, Mama?" Noah leaned against the door.
I crooked my finger at him. "Upstairs. So no one will hear us screaming."
He made a face. "What I do now? Please don't scream at me."
I took his hand and led him upstairs. I closed the door behind us and pushed him onto the bed and climbed atop him.
"We're going to be doing a bunch of screaming, ain't we?" His eyes widened.
I lifted his shirt. "Oh yeah."
He grinned salaciously. "Bring it on, Mama. Bring it on."
MAP
Puck: POV
After I dropped Beth off at Q's, I went to get something to eat at Sally's. I was hungry and Moms was at work. I took it to go and came home.
I grabbed the mail. That was weird. It came early. We usually didn't get our mail until the afternoon. I threw it on the table and turned on the TV.
I didn't like what was on so I changed the channel as I dropped onto the couch. Once I found something I liked, I put the remote down and picked up my food.
I ate and laughed at the stupid show on but I kept looking at the mail. I didn't know why. I didn't care about mail. But I was waiting on letters from school…
I snatched the mail up and went through it. I found two letters addressed to me. I opened the one for the community college.
I read it over carefully and was just fucking shocked. I got in…
I almost didn't care what the other one said. I had a plan for next year! But I opened it anyway. I was even more shocked. The University of New York wanted me?!
I had to sit there for a minute.
When I could breathe again, I realized I had a choice of schools to go to. I had a choice of schools to go to.
So I called up Mama and told her. She told me that of course I got in and that those schools knew good students when they saw them.
I loved her faith in me. I was going to make sure she kept it.
We talked for a few minutes before we both had to go. She was ignoring Mike and Q and I wanted to call Finn.
So we hung up and I called Finn. He answered but sounded like he was still sleep. "Hello?"
"Are you still in bed?"
"Yeah. I stayed up all night playing video games."
"I go to bed when my kids go to bed…"
"That sucks. I finally found the green flame key in Dragon Slayers."
"It took you long enough."
"You found it?! When?!"
"Last week. Wheels took pity on me."
"Man!"
I smirked. "Go check your mail."
"What? Why?"
"To see if you got any letters from school."
"Oh right!" He made sounds that made me feel he was getting up.
"Do you think everyone is getting their letters?"
"I don't know. Did you get yours?"
"Yeah."
There was quiet until… "So what'd they say?!"
"Look for yours first." I didn't want to brag if he didn't get in.
He huffed. "Fine. Don't tell me- hey! I got two letters!"
"Open them!"
His breath was coming down the line like an excited dog. "Okay! Okay! I got into NYCC!"
Yes! "Congratulations, buddy!"
"Man, I can't believe this! I can't wait to tell my mom!"
"Open the other one."
"Oh right!" I could hear paper ripping. "We are proud to inform you- class of 2016- yes! I got in!"
I fist-pumped. "Yeah! I got in, too!"
"Yes! We're going to New York!"
MAP
Anna: POV
I slid three letters across the table silently. At first I didn't think she noticed but then she picked them up. "Congrats, A."
"Thanks." I smiled slightly before pouting. "I don't know where to go though."
"Go where your heart lies." She gave the three acceptance letters back.
"But I don't know where my heart lies, Marcy."
She gave me a look. "Yes, you do. You can't be scared all the time."
"What am I afraid of?" I looked down.
"You're afraid of getting hurt, being alone, being hated. But life is pain, we're always alone and Jesus was hated."
That didn't make me feel better. "Come on, Marcy. Tell me what to do."
"Aren't you sick of people telling you what to do?"
I looked up but she was writing. "If I was, what am I supposed to do? I burned my bridges. I don't want to burn any more."
"Take control of your life, Anna. No one can live your life but you. Some bridges can be repaired while others are better off disintegrated."
"What would you do?"
"I'd make the choice to be happy."
MAP
Mercedes: POV
I shifted Rae on my hip. "I'm so glad we're here together."
"Me too." Lucy danced with Beth. "This is going to be the best festival ever."
"I just wish you didn't invite your friends." Maddie groused.
"Let it go, Maddie." Laura rubbed her arms.
Maddie pouted.
"We can go our separate ways." Finn suggested. "We run into each other, cool; we don't, fine."
"Thank you, Finn." I put a hand on his arm.
Our friends scattered except for Noah, Jake and Nic.
"You feel better?" Marcy lifted a brow.
"Yes!" Maddie had no shame. "Now let's go ride the Dragon!"
MAP
I wanted to invite Noah back on Saturday to the festival but Maddie insisted that we go alone.
That child know she bad…
Anyway, we explored the fair grounds and ate food and rode rides. It was pretty fun. We even got on stage twice to perform. We usually did at the festival and everyone loved us.
We performed yesterday and we go on tomorrow but most people came on Saturday. We sung old songs and new songs, love songs and party songs. We went there.
We were on stage now, singing a Christmas song. One of our favorites that we sung in December all the time.
Me: "Sleigh bells ring
Are you listening
Lucy: In the lane
Snow is glistening
Both: A beautiful sight
We're happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
Laura: Gone away is the blue bird
Here to stay is the new bird
He sings a love song
As we go along
Walking in a winter wonderland
Marcy: In the meadow we can build a snowman
And pretend he is Parson Brown
Maddie: He'll say are you married
We'll say no man
But you can do the job
When you're in town
Mal: Later on
We'll conspire
Marcy: As we dream by the fire
Both: To face unafraid
The plans that we've made
Walking in a winter wonderland
Marc: Sleigh bells ringing
Are you listening
Laura: In the lane
Snow is glistening
Both: A beautiful sight
We're happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
Mikey: Gone away is the blue bird
Here to stay is the new bird
He sings a love song
As we go along
Walking in a wonderland
Marcy: In the meadow we can build a snowman
And pretend that he's a circus clown
With Mal: We'll have lots of fun with Mr. Snowman
Until the other kiddies knock him down
Mikey: When it snows
Ain't it thrilling
Me: Though your nose
Gets a chilling
Both: We'll frolic and play
The Eskimo way
Walking in a winter wonderland
All: Walking in a winter wonderland!"