Christmas Eve

AN: Sorry it's taken me a while to get this chapter up. So, in part of this chapter there is the lyrics for the song "Fairytale of New York," originally sung by Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl. So the words written like this is the male part, words written like this is the chorus, which they sing together, and words written like this is the female part. Hope you enjoy it. :)

The next few days after Sapphire's Christmas production were filled with a manner of all things Summer and Christmas. Sapphire and Katja spent every waking hour ahead of them singing Christmas songs, putting up the tent, swimming, Christmas shopping, and eating a lot of ice cream and foods that are native, (for want of a better word) to New Zealand.

"You're so lucky to have such amazing weather at Christmas time. All I ever get is a biting cold wind." Katja said in an envious tone one afternoon, as she and Sapphire lay outside in the sun, sunbathing and drinking L&P.

Sapphire smiled over at her, looking just as envious as she said, "Well, let's put your statement into account, shall we? You get to sunbathe on the 27th of July, whereas here, it's cold."

"That's your birthday, right?" Katja asked, taking a sip of L&P, before wondering why it was called that. "Why is this drink called L&P?"

"It's an abbreviation. The "L" stands for lemon, and the "P" stands for Paeroa, which is the name of a town here." She said, taking a sip of her own, before adding, "Yes, that is when my birthday is."

Katja's mum came out just then to join them, with a glass of gin and tonic in her hand. "Well, hello you two." She said smiling.

"Hi, mum." Kat said, before sitting up straight to examine her legs, which she attempting to tan. There was a fair brown colouring on them, making her smile as she reached for the sunblock.

Then she suddenly screamed loudly, causing both her mother and her friend to jump in alarm.

"What's the matter?" Sapphire asked, before yelling as well, as her Dad sprayed her with the garden hose. He chortled with derisive laughter, and his daughter eyed him angrily.

Then she noticed that her dad was standing right beside another hose. With a slight smile, she jumped up, turned it on, and aimed at her father, laughing herself.

He leapt backwards, and suddenly lost his footing as he plunged into the swimming pool, yelling out in shock as he did so.

Sapphire yelled out to him, asking him if he was alright. He came back to the surface, whilst appearing to gurgle in a most unpleasant way. It turned out that he was laughing and shook his head, in an effort to get the water out of his ears.

"Run Sapphire, before I pick you up and throw you into the swimming pool." He said, his light brown eyes alight with mischief. Sapphire paled, and wasted no time in running away, her guests cheering her on with laughter.

Her mum came out, wondering what on earth was going on. As she watched her husband and daughter running around, she smiled a fond smile, and cheered her husband on.

Sapphire ran past her, her dad close behind. He was laughing as he managed to grab Sapphire's t-shirt, and lifted her up.

"Oh shit!" She swore, knowing what would happen as she struggled to get out of her father's arms. His grip, however, was quite strong, and he threw her sideways into the pool, yelling, "Now we're even."
Katja couldn't help the laughter that came bubbling out of her mouth, and was in a fit of hysterical laughter. Sapphire, swimming back up to the surface, laughed too, as Katja's father and uncle joined them for lunch.
PAGE BREAK

After six whole days of Summer fun, it was now the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Katja's mother and Sapphire's mother had gone to do a last bit of shopping, and Sapphire and Katja were playing hide and seek. Katja was the one who was hiding, and she was currently sitting on the window sill of her friend's bathroom. Her legs were tucked up under her, and the curtain concealed her.

Downstairs, she heard her friend yelling, "Ready or not, here I come."
Katja chuckled to herself, wondering how long it would take Sapphire to find her. After about ten minutes, she heard her coming into the bathroom, and looked around, before her blue eyes spotted the semi-closed curtain.

"Found you!" She exclaimed triumphantly, as she heard her name being called by her mother.
The two girls ran downstairs, and were instantly given a wrapped parcel. "You'll wear these tonight. Katja, I bought you a silver one, because I didn't think that you would like the others that I saw."
Kat paled somewhat, and muttered, "Please tell me that you did not buy me a dress." She unwrapped the present, and looked at the silver dress in dismay. It was certainly nice enough, and Sapphire would have looked nice in it, but she had to wear it. Then she took a deep breath and smiled; it just wasn't worth it to be upset on Christmas Eve.

"Thank-you." She said, and hugged her mother. Sapphire did too, when she spotted that she had a gorgeous cream-colored dress.
"It's beautiful, Mum." She said, as Kat's father announced that dinner was ready. It consisted of a huge barbecue, complete with salad and potatoes.
"Don't eat all of the potatoes, and I'll fry them up to have with breakfast tomorrow." Sapphire's mum said, as the two friends sat together, eating succulent pieces of steak, juicy and covered in butter.
After finished with eating, Katja forced a smile on her face as she picked up the silver dress that was hanging over a chair. "Well, it's not pink, at any rate." She said, as she and Sapphire hurried upstairs to change.
"I'm sure your mother wouldn't be that cruel." Sapphire said with a smile, as she slipped the cream-colored dress on, along with the cute flats that her mother had found.

PAGE BREAK
Katja gasped as her brown eyes took in the magnificent decor of the church in which they were going to hear the Christmas Story and sing Christmas Carols. The entire room was covered in banners proclaiming different Christmas verses such as "Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." There was also a Christmas tree, which was covered in what she was sure to be edible candy canes.
Despite the dress, Katja was having so much fun with singing and dancing, and she secretly enjoyed the swishing sound her dress made when she move from side to side in sync with her friend. At the end of the singing and the telling of the Christmas Story, they all sang "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," only she did it in Greek:
"Sas efchómaste Kalá Christoúgenna
Sas efchómaste Kalá Christoúgenna
Sas efchómaste Kalá Christoúgenna
Kai kali chronia."
"Kalí eídisi férnoume
Se sas kai tous syngeneís sas
Sas efchómaste Kalá Christoúgenna
Kai kali chronia."
Sapphire smiled at her friend and felt a warm glow as she heard the familiar song in a foreign tongue.
PAGE BREAK

Sapphire smiled at her friend as they changed back into a t-shirt and shorts. "I loved your singing, Kat."
Kat smiled too, and the two of them made their way downstairs, listening for some hours to Christmas songs, including "Do They Know It's Christmas?" "Deck the Halls," "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," "Snoopy's Christmas," and a number of other songs.
At twenty past nine, Sapphire's mum said, "Ok, you two. You can both name a Christmas song to listen to, and then it's time for you two to go to bed."
"I'd like to hear that one that's sung in that really strange language." Kat said, and then added, "I think it's in Swiss or German."
"O Tannenbaum?" Her friend asked, and Kat nodded.

"Wouldn't you prefer to hear it in English?" Sapphire's dad asked, and she nodded again. After playing the Boney M version of the song, Sapphire said, "Well, dad. I think we should do our Christmas song."
Her father raised an eyebrow, before smiling and saying, "Very well then."
"You sing a Christmas song with your dad?" Kat asked, as her friend stood up with a grin. "We sure do, and we usually sing it together on the eighteenth." There was a sad look in her eyes as she muttered something that sounded like "Poor Kirsty," making Kat wonder who Kirsty was.
The sounds of piano music reached her ears a moment later as her friend's dad started singing:
"It was Christmas Eve, Babe
In the drunk tank
An old man said to me
"Won't see another one.
And then he sang a song
The rare old mountain dew
I turned my face away
And dreamed about you.
Got on the lucky one
Came in eighteen to one
I got a feeling
This year's for me and you
So Happy Christmas
I love you, Baby
I can see a better time
When all our dreams come true.
Kat smiled at the lyrics, thinking that they were rather sweet. She watched as her friend spun around, undoubtedly making herself dizzy.
They've got cars big as bars
They've got rivers of gold
But the wind goes right through you
It's no place for the old
When you first took my hand
On a cold Christmas Eve
You promised me
Broadway was waiting for me

You were handsome
You were pretty
Queen of New York City
When the band finished playing
They howled out for more
Sinatra was swinging,
All the drunks they were singing
We kissed on a corner
Then danced through the night

The boys of the NYPD choir
Were singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells were ringing out
For Christmas day

Kat smiled warmly as she watched her friend being spun around by her dad, and felt that the song they were singing could become a favorite. However, when the two of them began insulting each other, she wasn't so sure.
You're a bum
You're a punk
You're an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy Christmas your arse
I pray God it's our last

The boys of the NYPD choir
Still singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells were ringing out
For Christmas day
Even though it was only a Christmas song, Kat was quite shocked by the names her friend was seemingly taunting her father with. She only hoped that the last verse wasn't as rude, and to her relief, it wasn't.
I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you
I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can't make it all alone
I've built my dreams around you

The boys of the NYPD choir
Still singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells are ringing out
For Christmas day
PAGE BREAK
When the song ended, Kat clapped and smiled, before wishing her parents a "Good night, and see you on Christmas Day." Then the two of them headed outside to the tent, and Kat asked, "So, who's Kirsty?"
Sapphire smiled sadly and said, "She originally sang the female part of the song, and even did it live. Then she saved her son whilst on holiday in Mexico, who was in the path of a boat that shouldn't have been in the water, because that area was off limits to boats. Unfortunately, she was caught by the boat herself and was instantly killed."
"Oh." Kat said sadly, as she ducked into the tent and her sleeping bag. "Good night, Sapphire." She said, as Sapphire did the same.
"Good night, Kat. See you on Christmas Day."
Almost two and a quarter hours had passed when both girls woke up, feeling extremely cold, as if it was winter instead of Summer.
"What on earth?" Kat mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. Sapphire was rubbing her eyes and her arms in an effort to be warm.
"I second that." Her friend muttered, and unzipped the tent. Instantly, her hand was covered in snow. "What on earth is going on? It's snowing outside, in the middle of Summer!"
Then both girls heard the sound of a train, and looked at each other, bewildered. Crawling out of the tent, they watched in utter astonishment as an Express Train pulled up not far from where they were standing.
However, that wasn't as astonishing as what they saw written on the train : The Polar Express.

AN: And that's how we get into the world of The Polar Express. Will we get on board? Hope you like it.