Accidental Christmas Miracle

24.

Miracle

When our faces had been drawn on, we were sent to the bathroom where there was a large mirror.

Four faces showed in it as it should be.

Jules had been given a goatee and mustache while the twins had been each given the drawn face of a nutcracker, with the rosy cheeks and all.

It wasn't a surprise that both Noel and Gabriel's faces were the same as they were done by the same person - Dot.

However, Christi just doodled, rather than making any type of additions to my face. I had to admit, she was a pretty good artist, even with markers that weren't drawing on paper.

The doodles on my face were Christmas related. Fitting.

Ha, such a funny joke.

Around my eyes were two pretty wreaths whose ribbons flowed down my cheeks and smack dab in the middle of my forehead was the Christmas star. To finish it off, there was a small whirl of blue snowflakes from my temple down my cheekbone.

The other three looked at me jealously.

"Why does yours have to look so good?!" Jules whined.

The twins agreed.

I shrugged. "Christi is just better?"

Right then, from the living room came Christi's laugh and protests from Dot and Meg.

"How could you say such a thing, Miracle?!" Dot asked me, dramatically acting as if his heart had been broken. "I really thought we had something between us." He joked.

I laughed and ruffled his hair. "Nah." I turned to Christi. "By the way, you're great at drawing. Like, a hundred times better than I."

Meg nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I've seen Miracle draw. Her specialty is a happy stick figure."

"That's for the support there, Meg." I said, sarcastically. "And, for your information, I add little details to make them special."

She gave me a look. "There's only so many ways you can draw stick figures."

Our nice little conversation about how to draw stick figures was cut short by Sandy opening the front door - apparently she had left somewhere between the time that Christi found that her truck had been sticky noted and the chase - and on a shocked expression forming on her face. "What do you four do?" She asked my group.

"We stick noted Christi's truck, half of Dot's room, and Meg's suitcases." Jules told her.

"Oh. I remember the thing with Christi's truck but I left directly after, figuring that you all had to work out your differences." She told us. "And, well, I guess you did..." She gave us a sympathetic smile before heading to the kitchen to put down some groceries. Sandy smiled when she got closer to me. "I see you got Christi to draw on your face."

Christi nodded.

"And they have to wear it all day." Jules added.

"Interesting." She put away a few things before turning back to us.

I love how chill she was with her children - and former neighbor - drawing on other people's faces. Somehow I didn't think it was the first time this had happened.

"Even to the Conner's Christmas Party?" Sandy asked, regarding Jules' last comment.

Her eyes widened, as did Christi's, Dot's, and Meg's.

"That's tonight?!" They all said in unison. It was kinda freaky to be honest.

Sandy nodded while I gave all of them a very confused look.

Meg rushed to explain. "The Conner's are a pretty rich family and ever year they have this fancy but fun Christmas party."

I nodded but was still somewhat confused. "What's so special about it?" I asked.

"It's, like, the big party of the whole season. However, there is an age you have to be before you can go as there is alcohol involved and they don't want to be responsible for a minor to get liquored up." Christi told me.

She got a look from her mom after she said the last phrase. She sighed. "Sorry. I meant to say that they don't want to be responsible for a minor to get drunk. That better, Mom?" She asked her with a sassy tone.

Sandy sighed. "Yeah."

"Anyway, what's the dress code and when's it at and are we invited?" Dot asked his mother.

She nodded. "Yes, you are invited. You too, Miracle. I wouldn't bring it up otherwise. The dress code is 'Dressy Christmas' and it starts at nine." She answered her son as she put the rest of the groceries away.

Jules squealed. "I love Dressy Christmas!"

"What?" I asked, confused. I had no clue what half of the stuff they were saying meant.

"Dressy Christmas. It means to wear a dress that radiates the Christmas vibe with tights and pretty shoes, though they aren't forced to be heels. That's for the girl choice, of course. The male choice is a dress shirt with a Christmas tie, no bow-ties. Dress pants to accompany the shirt and nice shoes, no sneakers or work boots." Christi explained. "They don't want anyone to look bad. Well, if you choose things that do not match whatsoever, that's your fault. Not theirs."

I nodded in understanding, surprised how much Christi knew about fashion. I wouldn't of pegged her as a fashion girl.

Jules turned to face me, as she hadn't been - she'd been chatting excitedly with Meg while Christi explained. "Do you have a good dress?" She asked me, studying me as she did.

My cheeks grew hot as I didn't particularly enjoy being stared at. "Umm..."

"That's not the correct answer. We're going shopping!" Jules thrust her arm in the air as she said the shopping part, looking as excited as ever.

"You get easily excited, don't you?" I asked her.

Everyone nodded their heads while Jules gave me an innocently confused look.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She told me, grinned.

"Uh huh." Dot steered her towards the garage door. "Get into Christi's truck, Jellybean." He pushed her forward but she spun back around, accidentally whipping him in the face with her hair.

"Oops. Sorry!" She shook her head. "No. That's not what I was going to say. I was going to say..." She paused to recollect her thoughts. "Oh, yeah!" She snapped. "You can't just give me random food nicknames that start with the same letter as my name." She frowned and then wondered aloud, "Is a jellybean classified as a food? I know it's a candy but..."

"I can too." Dot argued with her, ignoring her last question. "I call Meg by the nickname Nutmeg."

"No, you don't." Meg butted in.

He flashed her a grin and a wink. "I do now."

I swear Meg blushed which she rarely did.

Jules rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "That's not the same thing. You're giving her that nickname cause-" She pauses for a split second, barely even noticeable but I noticed it and it told me that she was hiding something. "It's a cute nickname, like Jellybean." She paused, not registering what she had just said. "Wait, what?"

"Ha! You can't take it back. You like the nickname!" He grinned like a little child.

"Oh my goodness. You two keep a stupid fight going on for ages. Let's just go shopping." Christi groaned.

I smiled and looped her arm in mine. "Let's go."

Once we were out the door, the other three - Dot, Jules, and Meg - followed after us.