A/N: Christmas Eve, whoo! I'll let you know what your Christmas present is at the end of the chapter. Mwahahahaha.
December 24th
The morning went by quickly on Christmas Eve. Everyone's spirits were high and merry, excited for the gala at Mr. Condor's later that evening. For the majority of the morning, nothing was really different. After lunch, around one o'clock, the three fashionista girls began preparing for the party. Straggling along after them, the rest of the group began to prepare as well.
Precisely at 4:00, the chauffeur arrived with the limo for them.
"Hurry up, you slowpokes! We don't want to be late," Connie shouted, fixing her earrings and coat.
As they rushed to leave, they were delayed several times for forgotten handbags and other various items. Finally, they were on their way.
When they arrived at the mansion an hour later, the festivities were only beginning.
"He wasn't kidding when he said it was a mansion…" Sonny whispered under her breath.
As the doormen held the door open, they all entered slowly, gawking at the estate.
The front hall consisted of a large open space of marbled floor decorated with statues, paintings, and columns. Two staircases curved down from the left and right, and directly underneath and was a pair of white doors.
"Right this way, please," the doormen guided, ushering everyone behind the white doors after their coats had been collected.
Inside was an enormous Victorian style ballroom. Several small chandeliers hung from the ceiling, surrounding a larger one in the center. The ceiling was domed with arches for support. A balcony that could only be accessed from the second floor surrounded the edges of the room. On the ground level, round tables laced in red and green with poinsettia flower centerpieces were laid out on the edges of the room, leaving plenty of space to dance in the core.
In the back of the room was a stage-like platform with a microphone stand and a grand piano on it. Behind it was a huge white screen. Lining the front of the stage were four medium sized speakers.
"Ahh, very Victorian era," Chase commented. "I approve."
"Man, I wish I had my sketch book," Luke whispered.
Taking her digital camera from her handbag, Cassie quickly snapped a few pictures, and then dropped it back into the case.
"You can look at the pictures later," she whispered back with a smile.
Soon, the group dispersed in order to mingle with the directors, writers, producers, and other actors and actresses.
About a half hour after their arrival, all the guests had gotten settled and Mr. Condor made his way to the stage and turned on the microphone.
"If I may have your attention for just a few moments," he announced into the mic, quieting the guests as a camera crew in front recorded his lengthy spiel.
"I would just like to thank you all for attending the Condors' First Annual Holiday Benefit," he began as the crowd whispered amongst themselves, wondering if they had missed the memo about the gala being a charity benefit. "It really warms my heart to see how many young people who want to make a difference in society..."
"Oh boy, this is going probably to be another ten minutes," Rider grumbled under his breath.
Sure enough, he rambled on for exactly seven more minutes before making one last announcement after the camera had stopped rolling.
"Some of you may be wondering what the camera crew was doing a few moments ago and why this gathering has become a benefit. Well, throughout the evening, we will be having special musical performances. After each, there will be a time where donations may be made for the Make-A-Wish Foundation," he explained.
"Oh! That's a great idea," Sonny whispered to herself.
"My apologies for not giving you any notice on the change, but the idea was pitched to me only a few days ago. I know that those of you who were informed already have things planned, but if there are some that would like to improvise, you may. But remember, the performances will be broadcasted live to the Condor TV Network, in order to reach a greater audience," he stated, sending the crowd chattering with excitement.
"Once again, thank you all for coming. I guess there's only one thing left to say… Dinner is served!" he concluded.
As everyone applauded and dug into their food, the Randoms and Drama-snobs turned to each other at their tables and planned what they would be doing up until New Year's. Towards the end of the astonishing five course meal, they began discussing who wanted to perform and who did not.
"I think it'll be fun!" Sonny grinned.
"I'm in," Skyler nodded.
"We will too," Penelope agreed with a secretive smile, motioning to herself and Portlyn.
"I never pass up a chance to perform," Tawni replied nonchalantly, smoothing out her dress.
"Anyone else?" Sonny asked, looking around at her friends.
"If I think of something when the time comes, I will," Rider shrugged.
"Same," Cassie nodded.
Everyone else shook their heads and quickly made their escapes to avoid another one of Sonny's pep talks.
Over at one of the tables sat Cassie and Luke, keeping an eye Caleigh. They watched as everyone mingled, but neither was in the mood to talk to anyone.
Twirling around, the little blonde girl nearly fell, but instead stopped and giggled.
"Stop spinning, Caleigh," her sister scolded. "You're going to hurt somebody."
"But I'm bored!" she whined, stomping her feet and frowning.
"Then find someone to play with. There are some girls over there. One of them looks about your age," Cassie said in an irritated tone.
"Come with meee," she pleaded.
Luke glanced at her and said, "I'll go with her if you want."
She smiled weakly and nodded, "Thanks, Luke."
As soon as they had left the table, two energetic girls bounded over to the table and sat down.
"So, what's new with you and Luke?" the brunette asked.
"Nothing, Zora," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Are you absolutely sure?" asked other blonde.
"Yes, Audrey. I'm positive. I already told you two, I don't like him like that," she stated firmly.
"Whatever," Zora shrugged. "It's so boring just sitting here. Come with us and have some fun!"
Just then, Mr. Condor's voice resonated through the ballroom once again.
"Excuse me for just a moment, please. We will be commencing the musical performances shortly. If there is anyone who would like to be a part of them, please meet at this table immediately. Thank you," he announced, motioning to a table to the left of him.
"Are either of you planning to sing or anything?" she asked.
"Nah," Zora shook her head.
"What about you?" Audrey inquired.
"I was thinking about it…" Cassie admitted.
"You should! I've heard you sing," the brunette smiled.
"Of course you have," the older blonde rolled her eyes, remembering their hidden cameras in the hallways.
"Go sign up now!" the younger blonde prompted.
"But there are so many people!" Cassie exclaimed.
"So? I heard your brother talking about how you want to be a famous singer or actress. There's no better time or place to practice," Zora shrugged.
"…Alright. Thank you, Dr. Seuss," she sighed with a small smile, motioning to Luke that she would be somewhere else.
When he nodded back at her, she followed the girls reluctantly.
Elsewhere in the room, a certain brunet boy had spotted who he was looking for. Making his way across the floor, he tapped her on the shoulder.
When she turned around, he smiled, "Hello, Sonny."
"James?" she said in surprised tone.
"In the flesh," he nodded.
"I didn't know you were going to be here," she smiled politely.
"Yeah, well—" he started.
"James Conroy?" Tawni's voice said from behind him, Portlyn right behind her.
Spinning around, he answered, "Oh. Hello, girls."
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
"I was just telling Sonny that I—"
"Conroy?" Chad asked confusedly, appearing next to Sonny.
"Hey, Chad," he replied, only half surprised to see Chad standing there.
"What are you doing here?" he asked calmly, though his heart was beating quickly with fury in his chest as he clenched his fist.
"Mr. Condor invited me," he explained. "I wasn't going to come at first, but then I heard that So Random and Mackenzie Falls would be here. So I came to see—"
"Me!" Portlyn exclaimed, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.
"Actually, I was going to say Sonny," he smiled, turning to face her.
"Oh, really?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, really," he confirmed, taking a step towards her.
Backing up subtly, she said, "I distinctly remember telling you off in the arcade about two years ago…"
"About that… Can we talk?" he asked hopefully.
The brunette glanced at her friends and nodded, following him off to one of the tables.
Once both were seated, she sighed, "So…?"
"I'm really sorry about the way I acted back then, Sonny. I was stupid and juvenile. Ever since then, I've been working on being a better person," he explained.
"Do you think that… maybe…" the brunet trailed off.
"Maybe, what?" Sonny asked softly.
"Do you think you could give me a second chance?" he asked with sincerity in his eyes.
She took a few moments to collect her thoughts, thinking in silence. Could she really trust him? The way he had asked had seemed genuine enough…
"I don't know…" she said quietly.
"How about you give me a week to change your mind? Please?"
"Alright," she said with a faint smile.
"Great," he grinned. "Also, I have a proposition for you. You watch Glee, right?"
Quirking an eyebrow, she said, "Yeah... How did you know?"
"Please, I read magazines. Plus, you talk about it all the time on Twitter," he replied. "Anyways, how would you like to sing with me and the cast later?"
"Um, I'd love that! But are you sure it would be okay with them?" she questioned.
"Yeah, it's fine. In fact, that's the whole reason we're even having performances tonight. I pitched the idea to Condor a few days ago," he grinned.
"That's amazing," she smiled. "What would we be singing?"
"Did you buy their new Christmas album?"
"Yes, I did."
"We're singing 'Extraordinary Merry Christmas.'"
Over at the table where Cassie sent her sister and Luke, the two girls and Caleigh were having a tea party.
"Kari, you're going to spill it," the eleven year old named Lexi scolded her six year old sister.
"I am not!" Kari defended defiantly, dribbling the water they were using as tea as she attempted to pour it into a teacup.
She passed the cup over to Caleigh who took a sip and said, "Oh, this tea is wonderful! Thank you very much!"
Lexi rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically as Kari tried to pour another cup of "tea" for Luke.
Just then, a small brunette girl plopped down in one of the chairs, seemingly fuming.
"Who are you?" Caleigh asked, tilting her head to the side.
The girl raised an eyebrow with her arms folded across her chest, "I'm Dakota Condor."
"Oh. What are you doing here?" Kari asked, tilting her head in a similar fashion.
"Her dad owns this place, stupid," Lexi said.
"Yeah. What are you dweebs doing here? Besides you," Dakota said, pointing to Luke. "You're on Mackenzie Falls. Why are you three here?"
"Our dad is a director. We're here with him and our older brother," Lexi explained, shrugging.
Dakota nodded, turning to Caleigh.
"And you?"
"My big brother and his friends are here," Caleigh nodded seriously.
Dakota glanced at Luke for clarification. He merely pointed to Chad, who was currently deep in conversation with Chase and Rider.
"Your brother is Chad?"
"Yep!" she chirped, taking a sip from her teacup.
"Her brother Chad?" the brunette asked Luke, not believing her.
In return, he nodded nonchalantly and shrugged.
Glaring disapprovingly at her, Dakota said, "I didn't know he had a little sister."
"Cassie said no one knows about us because Chaddy doesn't want them to know," she shrugged.
"Cassie?"
"Mhm! She's my big sister," Caleigh nodded, nearly tipping over her cup.
Before Dakota could say another word, her father sauntered over to the table with a smile on his face.
"Hey, pumpkin. Are you being nice to the guests and making new friends?" he asked, kissing the top of her head.
"Of course, daddy!" she grinned angelically. "It's boring down here, though. Can we go play in my room?"
"Sure, sweetheart. But the performances start in about a half hour if you want to watch," he smiled.
"Okay. Thank you, daddy," she hugged him.
Once he had disappeared from view, she slid off her chair and turned to leave.
Pausing, she turned to face them again, "Well, are you coming?"
"Do you want us to?" Lexi asked.
"I don't care. Come if you want," she shrugged, proceeding towards the main doors.
Kari looked at her older sister, hopped down from her chair, and ran after Dakota. Sighing, Lexi followed them.
Looking over at Luke, Caleigh asked, "Can you tell Cassie I'm going with them?"
As soon as he nodded, she slid off her chair and trailed behind them.
Once the table was empty, Luke stood up and left to find his friends, letting the waiters tidy up the table.
When the three mischievous girls reached the front table, the two younger girls shoved the oldest towards it, almost causing her to stumble.
"Um, hello," Cassie said to the man sitting at the controls.
"Hey! Here to sign up for a performance?" he smiled warmly.
"Yeah," she nodded, glancing back at her smiling friends standing behind her.
"Awesome! What track do you need?"
"Oh, uh. The instrumental for 'Merry Christmas Darling'… Preferably the Glee version," she told him.
Nodding, he replied, "Alright, it's downloading. There's going to be a lot of Christmas 'Glee' tonight."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well," he said, leaning towards her. "The cast of Glee is here. They've been planning some special numbers for later," he smiled.
"Oh, cool!" she grinned.
"Mhm! Now what background do you want me to project?" he motioned to the laptop screen.
Walking around to the other side of the table, she analyzed the different settings.
"Um… That one," she confirmed, pointing to a background of snow covered Christmas trees, which mimicked the ones in the Glee Christmas episode from the year before.
"Perfect," he grinned, glancing at the clipboard. "According to this, you're going to be the first slot unless someone that wants to go before you comes by in the next five minutes."
"Oh…" she swallowed nervously.
"Don't worry too much. I'm sure you'll be great."
"Thanks," she smiled, just as some of the Randoms and Drama-snobs arrived at the table.
"Hey, Cassie!" Sonny grinned. "Are you performing, too?"
After she nodded, she asked, "What song?"
"Merry Christmas Darling," she stated.
"Ahh, good choice," Skyler nodded in approval.
"Oh? I was planning to do that one," Tawni said, frowning a bit.
Before Cassie could apologize, Sonny suggested, "What about 'Last Christmas'?"
"Great idea," Tawni beamed. "Thanks, Sonny!"
"What are you guys planning on singing?" Cassie asked curiously.
"I haven't decided yet," Skyler shrugged.
"Oh, don't worry about that. You can actually sign up at any point tonight," the coordinator smiled.
"Okay. Thanks, man," Skyler nodded.
"I'm going to do 'Last Christmas.' Also, Mr. Condor said he wants to promote our holiday album. Since the guy who voices Kermit the Frog is here, I'm singing 'I Believe' too," Tawni shrugged.
"Well, apparently I'm going to sing with James Conroy and the cast of Glee," Sonny sighed.
"Conroy's here?" the tall boy asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Yep," she nodded.
"Ugh. I don't even want to hear his name," Penelope lied, writing her name down on the sign-up sheet.
"What are you going to sing?" Cassie asked her politely.
"Well, I'm doing background vocals for Portlyn, Amber Riley, and Naya Rivera. They're singing 'All I Want for Christmas Is You.' I'm going to sing lead with Naya for 'Santa Baby,'" she stated, setting the pen down on the table.
"Oh, sounds fun," Cassie nodded.
"Would any of you want to go first?" she asked hopefully.
"Nah, we wouldn't want to take the first spot from you," Sonny smiled.
Before she could protest, the stage manager said, "Okay, we need Cassie Demetria Cooper first."
"Break a leg," Skyler grinned as she walked toward the stage.
As she was handed the microphone, Mr. Condor was explaining the program on stage to the viewers watching and the make-up team fussed about her. They'd ended up taking her peacoat and knit hat from the coat room and putting them on her to fit the scene. Once they had scattered, she heard a voice behind her.
"Hey, Cassie," Audrey smiled.
As she turned around, Audrey continued, saying, "We just wanted to wish you good luck."
"Thanks, guys," Cassie nodded.
"Yeah, and we just wanted to remind you that nothing bad is going to happen. Just don't think about the crowd out there. Or the ones at home watching you on TV. Forget about all of that. Just sing," Zora said, her smile hinting of mischief.
"Zora!" Cassie exclaimed as they walked swiftly away.
"Knock 'em dead!" Audrey shouted back, following Zora.
"Without further ado, our first song will be 'Merry Christmas Darling' performed by Cassie Demetria Cooper," Mr. Condor's voice announced.
As the music began, the lights dimmed until the chandeliers twinkled, and Cassie positioned herself at the top of the stairs.
"Greeting cards have all been sent," she sang, moving nervously towards the center of the stage.
The Christmas rush is through,
But I still have one wish to make,
A special one for you.
Looking up at the ceiling, as if there was a wishing star there, fake snow floated down from the balcony.
Merry Christmas, darling.
We're apart, that's true.
She slowly walked across the stage, weaving in between the small artificial Christmas trees that the crew had set up while the make-up team crowded her.
But I can dream and in my dreams
I'm Christmas-ing with you.
Taking Zora's advice, Cassie stopped thinking about the crowd. She let her feet take her across the stage as she sang, thinking about one person in particular.
Holidays are joyful.
There's always something new,
But every day's a holiday
When I'm near to you.
Her mind wandered, wondering where they boy from FAO Schwarz was. What was he doing? Was he celebrating at home with family? Or maybe he was with a girlfriend? She really hoped it was the first option.
The lights on my tree,
I wish you could see.
I wish it every day.
From where he was sitting in the room, a teenage boy with blue-green eyes watched the girl on the stage. Though he could barely see her, she vaguely reminded him of someone.
Logs on the fire
Fill me with desire
To see you and to say,
Scanning the crowd, Cassie smiled down at them. She watched as the young couples waltzed around on the dance floor.
That I wish you Merry Christmas.
Happy New Year, too.
Closing her eyes, she paused in the center of the stage, before opening her eyes once again and moving across the platform.
I've just one wish
On this Christmas Eve.
I wish I were with you.
As the short instrumental played, she smiled softly, vocalizing and looking around the room, spotting a few of her friends who gave her thumbs up.
Logs on the fire,
Fill me with desire.
To see you and to say,
The boy listening in the back of the room sighed quietly, mesmerized by her voice.
That I wish you Merry Christmas.
Happy New Year, too.
I've just one wish
On this Christmas Eve.
She stopped in the center of the stage once again, looking past the large cameras stationed on the floor and balconies.
I wish I were with you.
I wish I were with you.
Merry Christmas, darling.
When the song concluded, everyone in the ballroom smiled warmly and applauded for her. Waving and smiling shyly as the cameras zoomed on her, she said, "I'd just like to thank you all for letting me live one of my dreams tonight. Together we can help the dreams of the Make-A-Wish Foundation kids come true. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!"
Once she had stepped off of the stage, the make-up crew took her coat and hat back to the coatroom as Zora and Audrey greeted her.
"That was great!" Audrey grinned, hugging her.
"You were amazing, Cassie," Zora nodded in agreement, smiling. "There are some people at the table we were watching you from that would love to meet you."
"Okay, let's go!" she grinned, following them.
As they made their introductions and got settled at the table, the boy with dirty blond hair and blue-green eyes, dressed in a light blue polo shirt and dark gray slacks, was heading towards the table.
During the performance, he had watched the girl sing. Her blonde hair had been curled and pinned back along the sides of her head for the occasion. She was wearing a sky blue satin dress lined with iridescent sequins.
As he listened, he ran his thumb over the small C charm still in his pocket and thought about how much reminded him of one of the snow faeries in the Nutcracker ballet. That's when he made the connection.
As soon as he reached the table, he tapped the blonde girl gently on the shoulder. Turning around, her mouth fell slightly open.
"You're―" she began, cutting herself off, unable to speak.
"I thought it was you," he said with a smile. "Hi, I'm Demetri."
Somewhere else in the ballroom while Tawni and Kermit the Frog were performing, a small brunet with hazel eyes was gently shoved into a tall boy with brown hair and green eyes.
Turning around, the shorter of the two apologized, "Oh, I'm sorry! Are you alright?"
As his voice trailed off, all either of them could hear in that moment of speechlessness was, "I believe in the miracle of love…"
The moment their eyes met, it was all over. No one else stood a chance.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you?" the taller boy replied slowly.
"Yeah…" he nodded.
"…You're—" the green-eyed boy began, failing to finish the sentence.
"Oh, yeah! Hi, I'm Darren Criss," he said, smiling up at him.
The boy could only nod his recognition.
"You're Skyler DeVane, right?" Darren asked, extending out his hand towards Skyler.
"Yeah… You know who I am?" Skyler asked bewilderedly, as he shook Darren's hand.
"Mhm, Mackenzie Falls, right?"
"Correct... I'm sorry I'm acting like this. I guess I'm just a little starstruck. I love watching you on Glee," Skyler smiled, blushing sheepishly.
Smiling, the older boy said, "Oh, so you're a Gleek?"
"Yes, I am," he grinned proudly. "How did you know I'm on Mackenzie Falls?"
"Well…" Darren began as he sat down at the nearest table with Skyler, where they would be deep in conversation for a good portion of the evening.
At one of the tables in the back of the room sat Chad and Chase who seemed bored by everyone's enthusiasm.
Chad was mumbling to no one in particular about how much he hated James Conroy while his friend read through the book he brought out of anticipation that the party would bore him.
"She doesn't like him, you know," Chase said, glancing at his friend.
"How do you know? She likes everyone," he muttered.
"If she really liked him, she would've given him a second chance right away. But she didn't. I overheard her say she'd give him a week to change her mind," the older boy stated.
"So? She's giving him a chance to change her mind. Doesn't that mean she likes him?"
"That's the way she is. Unless the person has done something completely terrible, she'd give the person a second chance. Hence, why Conroy's been given another chance."
"Yeah, I guess so…" the blond sighed.
Shutting his book, Chase looked Chad in the eye and said, "I am sick and tired of hearing you whine about Sonny. Go ask the girl out already."
"What? Psh. I don't like Sonny!" Chad said, waving off the command.
He didn't know Sonny had just come within earshot of the boys when she heard him say it. Luckily, neither of them noticed, so she scurried off to find someone else instead.
"You're right. You don't like her. You love her. It's blatantly obvious," the boy in the glasses spat.
"So what if I do? It's not like we'll ever happen! She probably hates me by now," he blurted, trying to keep his voice down.
"Damn it, Chad! Skyler was right. You are a giant squid of ignorance."
Over at the table of young teens, almost all of them had left to find their families or dance out on the floor to Tawni's rendition of "Last Christmas," which was subtly dedicated to James. Soon, only Cassie and Demetri were left.
"So…" Cassie said, smiling shyly.
"I feel like we should reintroduce ourselves since no one else is around now," Demetri smiled back.
"Hello, my name is Cassie Demetria Cooper. Call me Cassie," she said jokingly, extending her hand towards him.
Shaking her hand, he laughed, "Hello, Cassie. My name is Casey Demetri Carson, but you can call me Demetri."
"Hmm. Let's just get all the basics out of the way," she suggested. "How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"Fifteen," she smiled.
"So I'm guessing you're a sophomore too?"
"Yep. Do you live in New York, or are you just visiting?" she inquired.
"Well, I live with my mom for most of the time in New York, but we visit my dad in California over the summer. We're here with my dad right now. He's a director for Condor," he explained.
"Oh… Who's we?"
"My two little sisters, Lexi and Kari," he smiled.
Smiling back, she asked, "How old are they?"
"Lexi's eleven and Kari's six."
"Aww," she grinned, taking a sip of her water.
"What about you? Where are you from?" he asked.
"Los Angeles, California," she stated nonchalantly.
"Sounds cool. Any siblings?"
"Yeah, Caleigh and Dylan," she nodded. "Six and seventeen."
Before he could say anything else, Cassie's brother approached the table.
"Hey, Cass. Would you happen to know anyone that could play the electric guitar for us? Rider talked me and Chase into singing with him. And since he's the only one of us who can play the drums…" he rolled his eyes.
"What are you guys playing?" Cassie said, raising an eyebrow.
"'The Girl of My Dreams' by the Jonas Brothers, but we're changing the lyrics to 'The One of My Dreams.' Don't ask. It was Rider's idea," he shrugged.
"Oh, uh. I can play guitar for that song," Demetri offered.
"Awesome. We're on in ten minutes. Thanks, man," Chad nodded, swiftly walking back towards his friends.
Turning back to Cassie, he asked, "You know Chad Dylan Cooper?"
"Yeah, I told you. He's my brother," she shrugged.
"You told me your brother's name is Dylan."
"Oh. Sorry, that's what I call him. Force of habit," she smiled apologetically.
Laughing, he said, "Alright, well I'd better get up there. I'll be back in a bit."
In return, she nodded understandingly, "Knock 'em dead."
"Please welcome Chad Dylan Cooper, Rider Kingston, and Chase Alteau of Mackenzie Falls with their last minute guitarist, Demetri Carson," Mr. Condor introduced before briskly walking offstage.
Looking around at his friends, Rider nodded and clacked his drumsticks together, "1, 2, 3, 4!"
The beginning of the song kicked off with Demetri on guitar and Rider on the drums.
This Christmas time there's just one thing I want.
It tops them all, it's better than eggnog.
It's cold outside, my boots are full of snow.
I'm just hoping for some mistletoe.
As Chad sang the first verse, he ran across the platform between each of the other boys before returning to his mic stand.
You can take these presents underneath my tree.
Running back to where Rider was, Chase took his scarf and draped it around his friend's neck, grinning.
You can take this awesome scarf my grandma made for me.
You can take these boxes tied up with string.
'Cause all I want for Christmas is the one of my dreams.
As the second verse began, Chad jumped down from the stage, followed by Chase, and the duo walked amongst the crowd. In the back of the ballroom, four little girls had come down from upstairs, peering inside to watch the performance.
The lights are going up, it's Christmas time.
Approaching a girl of about sixteen, Chad took her hand and winked, singing, "I just want you to be mine."
The stocking's full but I'm not satisfied, no, no, no, no.
But I'll just wait until you're by my side.
On the other side of the ballroom, Chase was singing to another girl before approaching a long, rectangular serving table.
Chad approached an identical one on his side of the room as well, nodding to the older boy before jumping up and standing on top of it.
You can take these presents underneath my tree.
You can take this awesome scarf my grandma made for me.
Following suit, Chase also jumped up on his table. Both boys ran across as the workers rushed to remove the finished platters out of their way.
You can take these boxes tied up with string.
'Cause all I want for Christmas is the one of my dreams.
The boys ran back across the tables, the spotlights and cameras following them, performing stunt jumps and flips they had learned during filming.
"Fa la la la la, la la la la," the boys left on stage sang. "Fa la la la."
Jumping down from their tables, Chase and Chad wove through the crowd, serenading various people.
You can take this presents underneath my tree.
You can take this awesome scarf my grandma made for me.
Joining their friends back on the platform, the boys grinned with delight at the energy surging through the crowd.
I would give it all just to let you see,
That all I want for Christmas is the one of my dreams.
The four boys chorused one last time together, clapping their hands to the beat as the audience did so as well.
You can save these presents underneath my tree.
You can save this awesome scarf my grandma made for me.
I would give it all just to let you see,
That all I want for Christmas is the one of my dreams.
As Demetri played the outro riff, the whole ballroom burst into applause and cheers. Almost instantaneously, Tumblr was sent into a frenzied fangirl riot over the boys.
After catching his breath, Chad smiled and said, "Thanks, you guys. Let's have another round of applause for our awesome guitarist and new friend, Demetri Carson!"
The youngest boy grinned and waved, leaning forward towards his microphone, "Thanks everyone. We hope you have an amazing holiday! And don't forget to make a donation to Make-A-Wish!"
Once the boys dismounted the stage, their friends rushed to greet them. Feeling a bit awkward, Demetri slipped away and headed back to the table where Cassie was waiting for him.
"You guys were awesome," she grinned as he reseated himself.
"Thanks," he grinned back, blushing the slightest bit at her praise.
"You're really good on the guitar. Do you practice often?" she asked curiously.
"Nah… Actually, I haven't played that particular song since last year when I learned it for my sisters."
"Huh. That's pretty amazing," she smiled.
"As are you," he said softly, his eyes glinting in the light.
This time, it was Cassie's turn to blush. The pair spent the rest of the evening together, laughing, talking, and watching the performances happily, dreading the moment when they would have to part.
A/N: Okay, here's your present... You get another chapter today because Christmas Eve ended up being two chapters. You may all bow to my awesomeness... Hahahaha, no. But feel free to review before you read the next chapter.