𝕽𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖘-𝕊𝕡𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥

Seven-"Dutch people can be crazy"

"Spottie" That voice alone made Spot roll his eyes at this point. 

He loved Race he really did but he wondered why he wouldn't just call him Spot. 

"What do you need Racer" He asked, spinning around in his chair. 

"Well it's already a few days into the new year and I was wondering if you wanted to go to the beach with a few boys" Spot gave the younger boy a confused look. 

"I couldn't sleep last night and went to search for new years traditions from other countries and in the Netherlands there's this thing called the new year's dive" Race started to explain. 

"It's basically that thousands of people in the Netherlands jump into the ice-cold sea or lakes wearing bright orange hats on the first of January" Spot gave the blonde an almost horrified look.

"I thought it was fun and I got almost all the boys to go with me will you too" Race asked, giving Spot puppy eyes. 

Those eyes are going to be the end of me Spot thought as he agreed to Race's idea. 

"Alright be ready in about half an hour. You need your swimming trunks and warm clothes for after" Race said as he quickly left the room. 

Spot packed his stuff before searching a video to confirm that Race was speaking the truth. And the truth he spoke he found a lot of videos from just a very very big group of people in their swimming clothes like it was summer running into the water all with an orange hat with on the edge the flag of the netherlands. 

And so like the idiots they were, all the newsies were on their way to the beach. Crutchie and Elmer were coming but weren't actually going to come into the water with them. As soon as they arrived at the beach everyone laid their towels and warm clothes ready. 

Elmer made sure that he recorded as the group ran into the water. Some stayed for a bit in there but others immediately ran out of the water. Spot was about to get out when someone pulled him down making him fall back in the water. 

"What" He asked as he started to shiver a bit. The water was really cold. 

"Enjoy the water some more" Albert chuckled. Race had been one of those who had run out as soon as he had entered and took a dive. 

"You're crazy" Spot said with a soft chuckle before going out and running over to his clothes. 

He quickly dried himself off before pulling on his clothes. 

"Dutch people can be crazy" Spot muttered. 

"Yeah just like how they traded New York for Suriname, if they wouldn't have done that maybe we all would speak dutch" Race said. 

"How do you even know this" Spot asked as he looked at Race before looking at the last boys who were coming out of the water. 

"After I found this I started to search for more things" Race shrugged. 

"In December they have christmas but also something called Sinterklaas" Race tried to pronounce it as good as possible. 

"And what is that supposed to be"

"Well it's a big thing let me explain short" Race said and Spot was interested of what was about to come.

 "The festivities traditionally begins each year in mid-November, when Sinterklaas "arrives" by a steamboat at a designated seaside town, supposedly from Spain" Race started to recall what he read on wikipedia. 

"His Zwarte (black) Piet assistants throw candy and small, round, gingerbread-like cookies, either kruidnoten or pepernoten, into the crowd, if they see the things and they look so delicious" Race said before showing Spot a quick picture. 

"Then there are a few weeks where he is said to ride his white-gray horse over the rooftops at night, delivering small gifts through the chimney to the well-behaved children. And he puts them in their shoes" Spot found it all sounded a little crazy. 

"Then on 5 December it's Sinterklaas evening or packages evening and kids just get a bunch of presents" 

"This doesn't make sense anymore" Spot interrupted Race. 

"Yeah it's all a little crazy and then when the children are about 9 or 10 they get told that it is one big lie" Race said, making Spot widen his eyes. 

"You should search it up, it's crazy" Race said before Spot could say anything else Jack called them saying they were going back home. As soon as they sat in the car Spot spoke up to Race again. 

"You mean they get what you just explained and Christmas" 

"Yep but most times christmas is celebrated smaller until all the children of the family know and they don't celebrate Sinterklaas anymore" Race said. The rest of the drive home was silent and Spot didn't mind. 

As they got home everyone took turns showering. Spot was one of the last ones to go and as he got out it was Race's turn. He walked back to their shared room and something caught his eye. It was a green rose. 

"Wow, not creepy at all" Spot mumbled as he walked over to his bed where the rose was laying on. 

He knew for sure that someone in the house was the one leaving them. But that was something he had figured out already. 

'Green roses stand for the beauty of peace. It creates a sense of stability and balance for the mind. Stability is something this new year hopefully is going to bring for you and we're going to help as much as we can. And peace of mind is hopefully something that the year is going to bring for you because you deserve it. Love Us ' 

As Spot put away the rose and note by the others he smiled. He secretly started to hope the one who was sending them were of course his crushes but how would he ever get that lucky. 

Maybe it was going to be a sick joke after all. Before those thoughts could cloud his mind, Spot quickly went to look for Jack. 

He had promised that he would update him on what was going on after all.

Words: 1032

A/N I want to say that everything in this chapter is real. I can't believe I used to believe the whole sinterklaas thing but it's like crazy. I also never have done a new years dive myself since I don't want to get sick. And the New york thing is something what I believe is one of the most stupid things somebody in the netherlands has done. But on the other hand musicals are so much better in english.