Elf in the Shed (Santa Clause/48 Christmas Wishes Crossover)

Broken Candy Canes

Mindy craned her neck trying to see her name on the list, yet she didn't see Mindy Elfbright anywhere on the list of students who would become toymaker elves at Santa's workshop. She even stood on her tiptoes next to her two friends trying to see her name when one of the other graduating elves piped up. "Well, I guess the great Mindy Elfbright isn't so great after all."

"Shut up Pepper," Mindy commented. "I don't see my name."

The young elf who'd commented about Mindy not being so great pointed at a list which wasn't the list of toymaker elves, her mouth breaking into a smile, her golden curls cascading elegantly around her shoulders. The only thing about Pepper indicating she was even remotely related to Patty, the elf who kept the records for the Christmas division at the academy was, in Mindy's opinion, the looks. "Your name is here."

Swallowing, Mindy looked at where she pointed and then at the top of the list. "I'm in the letter department?"

"Oh, good!" Cam piped up, pulling his friend into a rather uncomfortable hug. "That means you're with Sammy and me. I didn't know where I'd end up."

"That would be because you didn't apply to any of the departments specifically, Cam," Sammy piped up, frowning. Mindy smiled at her friend, thinking she too saw how out of place putting her into the letter department at Santa's workshop was, but making matters worse, Mindy could see that Pepper was in fact in the toy-making workshop.

"I liked the surprise! That's why I wrote 'surprise me' on my application!" Cam continued hugging onto Mindy while Pepper and her friends giggled at the sight of one of Cam's awkward hugs going on far longer than a hug should.

"Well, I'm actually not in the letter department. I'm..."

"Say what!" Cam's mouth twisted into a frown, finally letting go of Mindy. His nose wrinkled up in disgust. "How wrong is it that we're not in the same department!"

"Well, considering I wanted in the toy-making department and Sammy isn't very good at that..."

"Thanks, Mindy," Sammy sighed.

"I'm just saying it makes more sense for us not to be in the same department." Mindy's mouth twisted slightly. "What department did you end up in?"

"Records," Sammy replied.

"Oh." Mindy's mouth twisted in disgust. "I guess where I ended up could have been worse." Except, Sammy's jaw dropped as if Mindy had said something wrong. "What?"

"Idiot," Pepper piped up. "Almost nobody gets assigned to the records department but being in said department means you're working directly under the Head Elf."

"And?" Mindy glanced over at the other elf.

"What do you mean and? That elf is Santa's number one, but they're in charge of the entire workshop when Santa's not around." Pepper stood there, glaring.

"Santa's always around," Mindy felt amusement at such a statement. The idea of Santa not ever being at the North Pole seemed silly. "I mean unless you mean on Christmas Eve when he's delivering all the packages. Sounds like a rather boring job."

"Mindy!" Sammy shook her head. "Santa can't be everywhere in the workshop at once."

"Oh. I guess that's an important job."

"You guess?" Pepper shook her head at Mindy.

"Do you think the Head Elf likes hugs? And Santa too?" This comment from Cam made a few of the elves give him a look.

"This must be a mistake. Me not being in the toy-making department."

"Well, me being in the record department must be a mistake, because I'm not that great at, well, anything."