Jade & Trina's Very Strange Christmas

A Very Strange Decision

If Jade were being honest, she wasn't a fan of Kelly Clarkson. She was definitely not on any of Jade's playlists. She didn't dislike her, but give her Lzzy Hale or Christina Scabbia over the pop princesses any day.

Luckily, the song Trina had found in the catalog was one Jade had heard about a million times while shopping at the store throughout December. It took her about ten minutes to commit the lyrics to memory.

Jade took the mic and stood up on the dusty karaoke stage that was tucked away in a small corner of the room. "Hey. I'm Jade West. This is Trina Vega. We're going to sing now, because honestly what else is there to do in this place besides eat and get fat?"

The guy behind the bar glared at her, but she didn't care. She smiled and winked at him, then nodded to Trina.

The music started. Jade had to choke down a bit of holiday cheer as the happy pop beat for "Christmas Isn't Canceled (Just You)" began.

Out in the cold
Standing where the trees meet the road
This used to be our favorite spot in this town
Memories of you and me ruin it now

In her mind, Jade thought of Beck, the accident, and everything else that had gone wrong. She channeled all of her negative energy and emotions that she'd been holding in all day into the lyrics. She let that energy flow and guide her movements. Her hips swung. Her legs moved. She fed off the bad vibes and turned them into something wonderful..

That's where we met
Like a winter dream in my bed
I wasn't the first and I won't be last
Underneath that mistletoe, you've been so bad

The music lifted Jade's spirits as the negative energy was excised. She took a moment to observe Trina, who was moving slowly but steadily, focused very much on her movements but loosening up.

The little girl, Alice, was on her feet, dancing around in the corner. Her eyes were bright; she was positively aglow.

You ruined all my favorite things
But you won't take Christmas away from me
I'll be hanging every light I find in this house
Playing Christmas music so loud
This year, Christmas won't be quite so blue

And I'm gonna shop too much and dance in the snow
Drink just enough to let us go
Christmas isn't canceled, just you

Jade joined Trina, grabbing one of her arms and starting to dance as well, guiding Trina's steps with her own. Trina watched carefully and caught on after a few moments. Maybe she's not hopeless after all, Jade thought.

Lost at first
Thinking that I might be cursed
Winter wonderlands weren't made for one
So we've all been told since we were young
But I'm not feeling incomplete
Turns out I don't need a thing underneath my tree

Trina joined in the chorus, and for the first time since Jade knew her, it seemed like she was singing on-key. Holy shit, a Christmas miracle, Jade thought. She placed the mic between them for the chorus. As Trina leaned in to join her, Jade caught the scent of her perfume, which had barely survived the journey. Her heart stuttered again. Oh, damn it.

I'll be hanging every light I find in this house
Playing Christmas music so loud
This year Christmas won't be quite so blue

And I'm gonna shop too much and dance in the snow
Drink just enough to let us go
Christmas isn't canceled, just you

Jade and Trina fell into step together, moving almost as a single person. The energy between them was strong. Jade's heart pounded in her chest at the realization of this unexpected energy. This...dare she say it...chemistry.