Everything Sucks! Season 2 (KEMALINE)

Chapter 3, Part 1 - Christmas 2.0 and Unexpected Adventures

[A/N - I wanted Kate's mini Christmas for the O'Neil's to be a montage, I thought it would be really cute that way, but I don't know how to write a montage in a non-screenplay format. So, I tried my best, and that's what this first section is.]

- Omniscient -

December 26, 1996

Kate pulls down the needle on a record player. Bing Crosby's classic "White Christmas" plays overtop a montage. Kate, wearing cheesy Christmas pajamas, is struggling to wrap several books, scarves, socks, and other small knick-knacks. She has particular trouble with a tiny clay giraffe and ends up defeatedly stuffing it in a gift bag. Eventually, she finishes and stares proudly at her poorly-wrapped pile with scotch tape in her hair. Ken appears at the door wearing jeans and a red sweater with embroidered snowflakes on it. Kate hurriedly grabs a present off of the pile. It has a little heart sticker on the side. She hides the gift behind her back. She runs upstairs, present in hand. Ken walks into the kitchen and hangs a sprig of mistletoe from the top of a window. Kate comes back down, having left the present in her room, wearing an outfit almost identical to her dad's, only her sweater is green. He smiles when he sees her.

The O'Neils' car pulls up in the Messners' driveway. They get out of the car, also wearing cheesy Christmas sweaters. The smiling foursome enters the living room and takes turns opening gifts. Notably, Sherry opens the bag with the giraffe and gives Kate a hug. They then pile into the O'Neils' car, all wearing new white beanies, and sing happily while driving. They park and get out at a diner, and when inside, we see them sat at a table, each with a huge pile of pancakes in front of them. They all laugh and joke with each other during their huge breakfast.

We then see the group back at the Messner house, watching the cartoon version of The Grinch, Home Alone, and Miracle on 34th Street. Cut from shot to shot of the group being engaged, talking and ignoring the movie, and all asleep on the couches/floors.

Everyone is in the kitchen, making a huge, flour-y mess in an effort to make some cookies. Ken and Sherry are mixing ingredients into a bowl. Kate pulls a tray out of the oven. Luke is using cookie cutters to cut out shapes from another batch of dough. Eventually, they all end up at the kitchen table, using candy and frosting to decorate the cookies they made.

Kate, Luke, and Sherry are sitting at the dining room table as Ken comes in with a large dish of spaghetti and a plate of garlic bread. The group hungrily grabs from the serving dishes and has the time of their lives while eating.

Sherry and Ken are drying dishes in the kitchen. They walk over to a window, where Ken looks up at the mistletoe from earlier. The two share a laugh, then a kiss.

Kate and Luke are in the living room, cleaning up stray popcorn and half-full cans of soda from their movie marathon earlier. "Thank you," we see him mouth to her. She smiles back. In this moment, we see they really feel like a family.

They all exchange hugs as Luke and Sherry head out the front door to go home for the night. As Ken and Kate watch their car drive away, he hugs her from the side and gives her a kiss on the forehead. Everyone is happy.

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- Kate -

December 26, 1996

"You really outdid yourself with that one, Kitty Jean," Dad says. The name strikes me a little, but I let it make me happy. Mom would have loved this. I'm so glad I did it. Everything has been so great recently, and that was just another awesome thing to add on top. I should call Emaline, that would make today even better. Or, should I hold off until tomorrow? To seem cool and mysterious and - yeah, no one's gonna buy that from me. I'm gonna call her.