Katja and Sapphire on the Polar Express

by Sapphire Jacqueline Stone

Not your ordinary Polar Express story, I can tell you. Anyway, two good friends, Kat and Sapphire, are reunited just before the NZ Christmas holidays. On Christmas Eve, they go to bed, not expecting to have noticed much until the next day. However, they both receive genuine tickets to ride on the Polar Express. Reason as to why I'm putting this up now is found in the story.

16. Chapter 16

Christmas Day

AN: The sixteenth chapter of Katja and Sapphire on the Polar Express. Enjoy, it's "Christmas Day." Well, in the story, at least. :)

Sunshine flooded the streets of Silverstream, the flowers waking in its brilliance, and if one listened carefully enough, they would hear the delighted cries of adults and young children alike. They would think that several people were having a large party of some kind, and they wouldn't be wrong. For that certain day was one that everybody looked forward to for sometime: Christmas Day.

The sun's beams had just reached a pale green tent, and warmed the inside, not to mention it's occupants. Sapphire Stone's closed eyes began to flutter under her long lashes, and the warm sunshine woke her up.

She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, and yawned. She smiled thoughtfully as she recalled her wonderful dream; she and Katja had caught the Polar Express and had gone to the North Pole, meeting Santa Claus, and then had caught the train back.

Speaking of Katja, Sapphire's eyes flicked from the ceiling to her friend, and her eyes widened in astonishment, as she was lying in a strange position.

Somehow, durring the night, she had ended up by the tent's entrance, with her left knee tucked under her chin, and her right leg was lying across Sapphire's sleeping bag. Her head was lying on top of her left arm, and her right arm was drapped across her chest.

Sapphire then leaned towards her, and poked the tip of Katja's nose. She then burst out laughing when the girl, still asleep, sat up and sneezed.

Taking her chance, Sapphire yelled, "BLESS YOU!" causing Katja to jump, and opened her chocolate brown eyes. "What did you say?" She asked sleepily.

"I said "bless you," 'cause you sneezed when I poked your nose." Sapphire said, and Katja gave a sleepy laugh.

Then her eyes widened, and she said, "OMG, Sapphy!"

"What?" Sapphire asked, wondering if something had startled her friend.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Kat yelled jovially, and both friends embraced one another warmly.

"Merry Christmas to you, too." Sapphire said warmly, before her eyes lightened, and she said, "Let's go wake up our parents."

Hurriedly, they dashed out of the tent, and raced inside. Sapphire ran into her parent's room, and leapt right on top of her mum. "Wake up, Mum! It's Christmas!"

In the spare bedroom, Katja was doing the exact same thing, and five minutes later, the six of them were opening their Santa stockings. There were chocolate bars, and costume jewelry, coke, socks, perfume, and in Sapphire and Katja's stockings, there was a novelized dramatization of the Polar Express.

The two girls stared at the books, and then at each other. When they opened the book, they spotted their tickets: CONCENTRATE and BELIEVE.

"Maybe it wasn't a dream," Sapphire said quietly to herself as she took a bite from her Moro bar, looking thoughtful.

Katja was also looking thoughtful, but they were soon pulled out of their thoughts when Sapphire's dad turned on the Christmas radio station, and Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas" began to play. As Sapphire's mum and Katja's mum cheerfully began to make breakfast, the two friends danced around to the happy music that filled the air.

Some five minutes later, Katja's uncle came around, and gave his niece a hug. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart." He said warmly, and added, "You looked absolutely gorgeous in that silver dress last night."

Katja smiled, before helping Sapphire set the table for seven. Aside from the cutlery, and the condiments, there was also bottles of orange juice, and two bottles of alcohol, one called Bailey's, the other called Crème De Menthe.

The teenagers eyed the other two bottles, wondering what kind of alcohol they were. Seeing their puzzled looks, the adults informed them that Bailey's was a chocolate liqueur, and Crème De Menthe was a peppermint one.

"Perhaps later on, you girls could try the two together, but in the meantime, there's juice, coke, lemonade, LLB, and grapefruit juice."

Kat looked confused as she swallowed a rasher of bacon. "LLB?"

"Lemon, Lime, and Bitters." Sapphire clarified with a smile as the adults finished their breakfast, knowing that it was time to open presents.

AN: Another chapter finished :) Please R & R.