Happy holidays everyone! This year I decided to switch it up and do a Christmas story with another of my favorite couples: Rhonda and Tad (aka Curly). I do want to say there might be a potential Trigger Warning: for stalking in this story just in case. More of an explanation for 4th grade Curly and not the actual deed, but I don't want someone reading this to get a nasty Christmas surprise I didn't mean to deliver.
As always nobody in this story is mine. They all belong to Craig Bartlett and Snee-Osh and I thank him for allowing us to play in his sandbox. Enjoy!
Silver bells surrounded the upper vestibule where the chorus stood singing Christmas carols during the Christmas Eve afternoon service.
Rhonda sat placidly on the bench next to her parents, a pleasant smile on her face as the music went on
And on…
And on…
To the parishioners surrounding her family, Rhonda appeared to be the very picture of contentment.
Privately, Rhonda Wellington-Lloyd was bored stiff.
The Wellington-Lloyd's always maintained the position of poise, grace and wealth. They were respected members of the community and always presented themselves as if every movement was on display to the general public of Hillwood…because usually it was. Even now, during Christmas Eve service, the family was perfectly situated in an optimum position where everyone else in the church could get a look at them if they chose. They were that family.
And when Rhonda was with them, she had to be part of that façade. Even if she was bored stiff.
Stifling a soft sigh, she expertly cast her eyes down without moving her head, towards her lap where her hands were folded. Her hands covered the cell phone sitting on her lap, where she'd been silently texting her best friend throughout the service without being caught.
What time r u getting out of there?
She'd perfected the art of texting with only her thumbs in a manner which didn't bring notice to her activities. Her mother cleared her throat beside her and she paused in her texting for a moment to cast a quick glance towards her mother. Brooke had her eyes closed and a small smile on her face. Anyone looking their direction would think she was listening to the music when in reality, Rhonda was almost 98% positive her mother had fallen asleep. She continued her texting.
Hopefully soon. They won't stop singing!
She cast her gaze around the church as she waited for Nadine's response. Most of the parishioners looked bored. There were a select few that actually appeared as if they were enjoying the music but on the whole…even the preacher looked bored.
A flash of black caught her eye and she glanced towards her right. Across the aisle about five rows in front of her, she spotted a mess of black hair resting all the way back on the top of the bench so the owner could gaze up at the ceiling. Her heart stuttered when she recognized Thaddeus Gumblethorpe. The song change to Carol of the Bells and an amused grin came across what she could see of the boy's face. His head came up and he leaned towards his father who was sitting beside him, whispering something in the man's ear. A soft amused snort came from the older man causing the dark haired woman beside them, Rhonda recognized as Tad's mother, to glare at both males.
She cast a glance down at her hands and added to her text.
T is here.
A mere second later she felt her phone quietly vibrate and looked again.
The gang is going 2 Slaussen's 8 to hang.
Rly? Do some eye flrting grl!
Her lip quirked up, the only response to the message. Of course she wouldn't engage in silent flirting.
First, she was in church. In a public setting with her parents. It wouldn't do to be seen as anything other than respectable.
Second…
Nadine was the only one who knew about her crush on Tad Gumblethorpe. He was her own personal stalker in fourth grade. He was mostly harmless, more annoying. When they all went to fifth grade he just…stopped.
And Rhonda found she missed the boy following her around constantly. It was creepy and weird but she couldn't help it. She tried to put it out of her mind, instead focusing on middle school and becoming as popular as possible. She was a Wellington-Lloyd, after all.
She didn't see Tad again until their freshman year, when he was in Biology with her. She didn't recognize him until the teacher called his name.
The gangly awkward boy with the bowl haircut and the coke bottle glasses had grown into a tall lanky teen. His hair had grown out shaggy and his glasses had been traded in for contacts which somehow managed to bring out the almost light brown of his eyes.
For four years they circled around each other; still maintaining the same group of friends since grade school but never really alone together in the same place. There had been some silent flirting on occasion but nothing serious. Over those four years, he had grown from lanky to lean and sculpted, his hair still shaggy. And over those four years, Rhonda found herself more often than not watching him as he moved, laughed, talked with his friends. And on those rare time when their eyes did meet, she would feel her hands shake, her heart stutter, her mouth grow dry.
When she finally couldn't take it anymore and told Nadine, the teen had laughed herself silly, telling Rhonda that the irony was just too rich to pass up. Nadine was right, Rhonda now chasing, even if only mentally, after Tad was a special type of ironic. She wondered if he would be at Slaussen's this evening with the rest of the group. That was, if service ever ended.
She sent another text.
One does not flirt in church.
Satisfied, she folded her hands back over her phone and looked up. Across the aisle Tad was now looking around aimlessly, actually turning in his seat to look up at the chorus with such a look of bored annoyance that it caused her lip to twitch upward again.
That's when his eyes landed on her.
Her heart stuttered again and her mouth went dry…inwardly.
Outwardly she merely raised one eyebrow and waited.
He watched her for a moment before his lips curled upward. Then with a wink he turned back in his seat not knowing he had left her breathless. Her phone vibrated on her lap and with shaking hands she glanced down at the message.
Shame. Wouldn't be boring.
Three and a half hours later, she finally pulled into the parking lot of Slaussen's Creamery. She could see the gathering was already in full swing as she drove past, but a Wellington-Lloyd was always fashionably late. Wrapping her Caprini scarf around her neck, she quickened her steps against the cold as she hurried towards the entrance. The small silver bell above the door jingled as she stepped in and she was immediately assaulted with warmth and the comforting smell of waffle cones and brownies.
"Well look who finally decided to grace us with her presence."
Rhonda smiled at the blond at the counter staring at her with her hands on her hips.
"Darling, I am exactly on time." She purred as she pulled off her scarf. The redhead beside the blond smiled and nudged her.
"Helga, you know Rhonda is always fashionably late. It's her signature move."
She gave another smile before greeting Nadine who handed her a hot chocolate and took her place surveying the crowd before she sat down. It didn't matter who was friends with who, every year the same group from Mr. Simmons' fourth grade class met at Slaussen's to celebrate the holidays and reconnect.
Well, everyone except one.
She watched Lila and Helga talking about something, noticed not for the first time that Helga's smile didn't reach her eyes. She was surprised by that friendship. The two girls had been rivals for so long that a friendship was the last thing she ever expected. But she supposed they had a common bond. Her gaze travelled towards Gerald and Phoebe, who were standing near Helga and Lila talking with Brainy. That was a relationship that had and probably would stand the test of time. She had no idea how as they were so completely opposite, but…in their case, it worked perfectly. Her gaze traveled around the room to the rest of her old friends and ex-classmates.
Shelia, in her bohemian chic, eating a sundae at a table across from Eugene who was making huge flamboyant gestures as he spoke about something. Harold, Sid and Stinky standing next to the old jukebox deciding on music and laughing uproariously over something.
"So, how was church?" Nadine asked as they sat. "Anything…interesting?"
Rhonda rolled her eyes. "Nothing to speak of. Although it took them long enough to finally stop singing. I think half the church was asleep by the time service finished."
The chair next to her was pulled back and Tad dropped into the seat, leaning over to drop a kiss on Nadine's cheek.
"Not quite half the church. Maybe a fourth of the church. But definitely Pastor Douglass, he was completely zonked out."
Nadine reached out to snatch the cherry off of Tad's shake and he gave her an indulgent smile.
"Sweetheart, you know you're the only one I'll let take my cherry." He teased.
"Oh please," Rhonda muttered. Nadine had the grace to blush but Tad…
He turned his attention to her and she felt her stomach clench. A slow smile crept across his lips.
"I'm sorry, next time I'll ask if you want my cherry."
"Could you be crasser?" She asked, trying to ignore the knots in her stomach. The smile remained on his face.
"I could. Are you daring me?"
"You are horrible." Nadine laughed, popping the small piece of fruit into her mouth.
"So, what exciting things were you two texting about during service?"
Rhonda eye widened. "What?"
"Please princess, don't insult me. I knew what you were doing over there, and there's only one person you would've been texting. Everyone else might not be hip to your well-practiced skill of covert texting but I've seen you do it too many times to not know the tells."
"You're spying on me?"
"Merely admiring your technique." He countered.
"Tad!" Helga called out. "Come here and tell Lila about your encounter with Destinee with two e's."
He inclined his head as he stood, taking his shake with him. "Ladies, always a pleasure."
The two were silent for a moment as he walked away. Rhonda gave Nadine an arch look.
"Sorry, I wasn't flirting, I swear!" Nadine insisted.
"I should care if you were?"
Nadine fixed her with a look. "Rhonda, don't insult me. I saw the flustered look on your face when he sat down." She leaned into the table, closing the space between them across the table. "So, anything happen? Did you know he was watching you?"
"I caught his eye once," she finally admitted. Nadine knew when she was holding something back and would've just pestered her until she told anyway.
"And?"
Rhonda shrugged. "He smiled and winked at me before he turned back around, not much to speak of."
Nadine's face fell. "I'd hoped he put some effort into it." She pouted, picking up her hot chocolate mug. Rhonda did the same as a burst of loud laughter came from the jukebox catching Nadine's attention.
She'd had some of the hottest and most popular guys in the school flirt with her. And to be honest, none of them made her feel the way she did when Tad winked at her.
Slaussen's officially closed at seven on Christmas Eve. Mr. Slaussen stayed until ten for the small yearly gathering because he had a fondness for the group of teens that came back every year to catch up. And because Rhonda had gone to him in their freshman year and offered to pay for his time after seven if he agreed to let the group have the space for the extra three hours.
At five minutes to ten while everyone was gathering their coats and getting last minute hugs, Rhonda approached the older man.
"Thank you as always for letting us have our party here."
"It's my pleasure." He placed a hand on her wrist as she reached into her purse. "Not this year."
She looked up with a frown. "But…"
"For the last four years I've watched you kids grow up. And no matter what any of you do during the rest of the year, every Christmas Eve, like clockwork, you all arrive here and for three hours it's like the group of you never went your separate ways. To tell the truth, I'm going to miss this next year. I've enjoyed watching all of you grow up into responsible young adults. So Merry Christmas Rhonda."
She gave him a bright smile. "Thank you Mr. Slaussen. Merry Christmas."
Gathering her scarf, she left the shop, stopping only to give Nadine a hug before walking to her car.
Tad was standing by her car as she approached.
"Give a guy a ride?"
She stopped at the front of her car. "Did everyone leave you?"
"My parent's just dropped me off here after church. And, truth be told, I told Helga to go ahead home. An little elf told me she might be getting a present by way of Skype tonight."
Rhonda smiled. She couldn't help herself. "She'll love it."
"Yep. And I kind of covet your car."
"Really?" Walking towards the passenger side, she tossed her keys towards him, covering a giggle as she stumbled to grab the keys before they hit the ground. "You drive then."
His eyes lit up. "Really?" Without waiting for her confirmation, he scrambled towards the driver's side, opening the door and sliding into the leather seats.
"Cold!" He yelped.
"The sooner you start the car, the sooner you can turn on the seat warmers."
He grinned as he turned the key and the car roared to life. "I could live in this car."
"I should hope not. And try not to crash it."
He gave her a brief glance, before putting into first. "I would die before I put a scratch on this sweet, sweet baby."
He pulled out of the parking lot before Rhonda could come up with a clever retort. She clamped her hands tight in her lap and watched the road pass by as he drove through Hillwood in the now silent evening.
"Where to princess?" He asked as he turned a corner.
"Could we…could you not call me princess?" She asked. As far as she could remember, Helga was the only one who had ever called her that and she had allowed it because after a time, it went from being an insult to almost a fond nickname for the blond teen. Almost like…football head. Hearing to from Tad's mouth, however…
He gave her an odd glance and shrugged.
"Where would my goddess care to go?" He asked again, causing Rhonda to smile.
"Take me to Tina Park." She said. "I'm not quite ready to go home yet."
He made the next left, and drove towards the large park in the middle of town. The radio was playing something from the Top 40's station and he flipped the channel. Christmas music filled the silent car as he returned to driving.
"Don't you have to get up early tomorrow?" He asked.
"I knew it, you are still spying on me."
He drove through the entrance of the park and pulled the car into one of the empty spaces. He put the car in park but didn't shut off the engine.
"I'm not spying on you, Rhonda. You make no secret of what you do during Christmas vacation." He answered. "And we have too many mutual friends for me not to hear about your yearly Christmas excursions. And honestly, I'm not the only one wondering why your family isn't going on your annual skiing trip."
"We are, we're just taking a weekend instead of an entire week. Daddy has a last minute meeting before the New Year." Her mouth lifted up. "I didn't know everyone was so concerned."
"Less concerned, more curious." He looked out the window at the park. "Did you want to walk or just sit here?"
Let's walk for a bit. I need some fresh air." She reached into the back seat to grab her wrap, her heart pounding as her shoulder brushed his. He pulled the keys from the ignition and pocketed them as he got out of the car.
She climbed from the car into the cold air and tugged the wrap a little tighter around her. She could almost smell the snow in the air and knew they were going to have a white Christmas this year.
"It's going to snow soon," Tad said looking up at the sky. She walked over to him and the two began walking silently through the silent park. Rhonda kept her hands in her wrap and noticed that he had his hands shoved in his jacket pockets. They walked silently the short way towards the arched bridge crossing the lake.
"Can I ask you a question?" She asked as they reached the wooden bridge. He cast a quick glance towards her and lifted a shoulder.
"Go for it."
"What happened in fifth grade?" She saw his shoulder's stiffen. "I mean…not that…"
"You mean, why did I suddenly stop stalking you?"
"I wouldn't call it stalking."
He stopped in the middle of the bridge and leaned against the wooden railing. "I would." He let out a heavy sigh and cast another look in her direction. She moved so she was leaning against the railing next to him, waiting.
"Right before fifth grade, my mother inherited a…admirer. At least that's what he called himself. It started innocently, so we thought, but my mom always had a weird feeling about him. Then he started coming around more. It got to the point where my dad would either send one of the other employees out to help the guy or he would go out there. The guy refused to do business with anyone except my mother and eventually my dad told him he wasn't welcome anymore. Then we started seeing him at the store, restaurants, the alley of our apartment."
"I didn't know," she gasped. "How horrible."
"My mom usually went upstairs during the lunch hour to do deposit for the store but I happened to be home sick that day. I heard the door to our apartment open and poked my head out of my room to ask her a question. He was in the kitchen, poking through all the cabinets. He didn't know I was there."
She reached out to touch his arm, listening in horror to his story.
I locked my bedroom door and called the police. I was on the phone with them when I heard the door to the apartment open again and then my dad's voice yelling. Turned out that day my mom was in the middle of a cleaning and couldn't get upstairs so my dad offered to check on me. I heard sounds of a fight and then the sounds of police yelling. They arrested the guy and as far as I know he's still in jail. They found some really creepy crap at his house so they were able to get him on breaking and entering and stalking. It still horrifies me to think what would've happened if I hadn't been sick and it was my mom that went up there like she usually did."
"You can't think about things like that." She insisted, squeezing his arm reassuringly. "There's a reason you were sick that day and there's a reason your dad went up instead of you mom."
Another shrug. "I watched my mom go through all that and it hit me like a lightning bolt. It was the exact same thing I was doing with you. Minus the breaking into your house. But the blackmailing you to be my girlfriend for a week, the always following you around, not taking no for an answer."
"We were ten Tad."
"Still, I got sick when I thought about it. I liked you, but stalking you wasn't going to make you like me back."
She grabbed his other arm and tugged him to face her. "You listen to me Thaddeus Gumblethorpe. Yeah, you were a bit weird in grade school."
His lips twisted into a wry grin. "I believe the term used was twisted little freak."
She ignored him. "But you were never as bad as the guy who stalked your mom."
"Because I was ten."
"So, what about now?" She asked. He looked down at her, his hair moving in the breeze coming off the lake. He made no move to shake off her hands so she took that as a good sign.
"What about now, what?" He asked.
She licked her suddenly chapped lips, noticing his eyes dropped to her mouth.
"You liking me. Was it all just a fourth grade infatuation?"
His brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what she was asking.
"Oh God, Rhonda." He said, his eyes widening as understanding lit his face. "I never stopped liking you, I just learned how to not to express it so dramatically." He moved his arms from her grasp only to take hold of her hands. "I know that when a lady says no, she means...mphnh."
She leaned towards him, using the hold he had on her hands to tug him forward and kiss him. His lips were cold and he froze in place for a moment before pulling his hands from hers to wrap them around her waist and pull her closer. Angling his head, he kissed her back.
He still tasted like bananas and chocolate and she wrapped her arms around his neck to tug him closer, digging her fingers into the shaggy hair at the nape of his neck. It was better than she had imagined in her daydreams.
She pulled away feeling something wet fall on her cheek. Not moving from the warmth of his arms, she looked up at the sky, squinting against the snow now falling down around them.
"Now it snows." She muttered.
He opened his eyes and looked down at her. "That didn't feel like a no."
She looked back at him, smiling. "That was definitely not a no."
He tilted his head, still refusing to relinquish his hold on her. "May I ask how long it hasn't been a no?"
Her smile widened. "A couple of years now."
Groaning, he lowered his head to brush his lips against hers. She giggled against his mouth.
"Next time, could you let me know when plans change?" He asked against her lips before kissing her.
They stood together on the bridge wrapped around each other as the snow fell around them.
"I could be convinced to make sure you get the announcement next time." She teased when they broke apart once again.
"That would be wonderful. You know I'd follow you anywhere goddess, I'd just like to know where we're going."
Giggling, she pulled an arm away to pull her phone from her pocket to check to the time.
"It's getting late. I have to get home."
He let her go and pulled her keys from his pocket. "You want to drive or shall I?"
She smiled, reveling at how easily they'd slipped into this. She's wasn't sure what she'd expected, but for him letting her take the lead on what she wanted was astonishing. Every other guy she'd dated over the years had taken almost an immediate possessiveness to her.
"You can drive."
He smiled, holding out his hand. She took it and together they walked back to her car.
Ten minutes later, Tad pulled up in front of his family's dry cleaning business. There were lights shining in the apartment above the shop and a Christmas tree was silhouetted against the large front window.
"This is my stop," he said, putting the car into park. She turned to face him.
"I want to see you tomorrow."
"Okay," he answered easily, a pleased smile slipping across his face. "Just name the place."
"Do you mind if I come over here?"
"Not at all. Dinner's at six."
She pushed the car door open and crossed in front of the car. He was standing in front of the driver's side door when she reached it.
"You're sure about this?" He asked suddenly. "You're not just feeling sentimental or something?"
Lifting up on her toes, she brushed her lips against his.
"Tad, in all these years, have you ever known me to not know exactly what I've wanted?"
"Good point." Wrapping his hands around her waist, he kissed her once more.
This time, the sound of his phone ringing broke them apart. He pulled his phone from his pocket and grinned at the screen. "Looks like Santa already dropped off a gift."
"Go on." She stepped from his arms and let him move away from the car. "I'll see you tomorrow."
He gave her a lopsided grin. "I'll be looking forward to it, my goddess." Stepping onto the sidewalk, he swiped his phone keeping it away from his ear. "Okay, scream." He said into the phone.
Rhonda could hear the muted screech of Helga followed by muted laughter of whomever else was on the phone. He shook his head, grinning and waved at her as she climbed into the car. She watched him walk through the door on the side of the building that led to the upstairs apartment before she drove off to home.
She had kissed Tad. She was seeing him tomorrow.
A giggle escaped her lips as she drove home.
It looked as if she'd gotten an early Christmas present too.
Still smiling, she pushed a button on her hands free and listened to the phone ring. She had some squealing of her own to do tonight.