Reindeer James

Chapter 1

A row of elves sat hunched over one of the thousands of assembly lines in Santa's workshop. Around them, teddy bears swelled with fistfuls of stuffing, action figures belted out catchphrases, and their coworkers hummed "Jingle Bells" for the twenty-fifth time that day. With Christmas only a month away, not even mugs loaded with hot cocoa and marshmallows could ease the seasonal stress.

The bumbling twelve-year-old wasn't helping.

Half a foot higher than even the tallest elf and dressed in a neon green sweater that smelled like gingerbread, James stood out like a pine tree in a rainforest. He poked his tongue out of his mouth as he fidgeted with the last wheel on a toy car. "I swear these get cooler every year," he said. "You guys have really outdone yourselves this time. I mean, who else would come up with scented exhaust?"

"The same folks who'd really like to see that car move down the line by New Year's," grumbled the elf in charge of snapping the headlights in place.

The elf next to him shot him an annoyed look. "Would you rather he lose our marbles like last year?" she hissed. "I found one by the Board Games Department just last week!"

Before their harsh words could make James even more self-conscious, a shrill beep cut through the conversation. "Well that one works," said a curly-haired elf as she eased her hand off the toy car's horn. "And thank you, James. My son actually came up with the idea for the hidden scent compartment. He's helping the R&D team test out new scents now."

James finally clicked the car's last tire in place and let out a satisfied sigh. "Tell him I think it's really cool! What are they using for the trial batch, anyway? Chocolate?" James rolled the car on the table, ignoring the headlight elf who had his hand stretched out for the toy.

"Why don't you ask him later? I'm sure he'd be glad to let you have a whiff."

But James didn't want to wait to see the car in action. "Just one push," he said as he sent the car zooming toward the headlight elf.

Or so he thought.

A burst of brown gas erupted from the car's engine as its wheels skidded across the table. Elves gagged as a scent that wouldn't be out of place coming out of James after one brussel sprout too many filled the workshop.

BANG! The car collided with the finished toys at the end of the line. They all crashed to the floor in a honking heap, fun-sized car alarms blaring as noxious gas shot out of all their engines. All the elves and even James wheezed as the putrid stench spread. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" he said as he shielded his nose with his sleeve. "There's gotta be a way I can fix this."

"We'll manage," said the curly-haired elf with a sympathetic smile. Or maybe it was a wince. James couldn't tell as his eyes watered.

"Again." The headlight elf slapped one of the bright red and white emergency buttons that dotted the workshop floor, activating a speaker. "We've got a code green." He coughed. "And it smells like a code brown."

Within minutes, a young man in a bright red suit stormed onto the factory floor. Nick always looked like he'd gotten coal for Christmas even at the best of times. Now he scowled as if someone had filled his stocking with reindeer dung.

"Everyone, go to the reindeer stables and grab peppermint-scented face masks. Those should allow you to keep working while we wait for the smell to dissipate." As elves swarmed out of the area, Nick held up a hand, his voice cold. "James, stay here."

"Sorry about the mess." James offered him a nervous smile. "The car just looked so cool I couldn't-"

"Couldn't help yourself. I know. You can't seem to help anyone else either." Nick rubbed his temples. "You couldn't help the stocking stuffers, the Correspondence Department, or even the Bubble Wrap Brigade."

"Aw c'mon! Even you wouldn't be any good at that last one. Who can resist bubble wrap?" All wrap and no pop had practically bored James to tears when he'd been stuck in there. Pure torture!

"Someone who actually cares about Christmas."

James flinched as if he'd been smacked in the face with a snowball hiding a chunk of ice. "You don't think I care about Christmas?"

"With how you act, no." Nick straightened his suit as a draft of polar air dismissed the worst of the stink and announced the arrival of the big man himself. "Nothing to see here, Dad. Just another one of James's little screw-ups."

James cast his gaze to his shoes to avoid the disappointment in his father's eyes and hide the tears forming in his own.

"Don't be so hard on him, Nick," Santa said. "Even I get a little distracted by a new toy at least a few times a year, and I've been doing this for decades."

"He gets distracted every time a snowflake falls!"

Santa sighed. "Why don't you go get settled in for our meeting with Amazon? I'll take things from here."

As Nick left in a huff, Santa put a warm, gloved hand on James's shoulder. "We need to talk."