Vel and Ven: growing up in the suburbs

🎄CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 🎄

Two days after Thanksglittering, Velvet was happily sleeping in. She and her family had just gotten home from her grandmother's house where they spent the holiday. It was a nice experience, but Velvet had never been a fan of family gatherings, unless there was something in it for her. She opened her eyes groggily and found her twin brother staring at her excitedly. Velvet screamed and jumped backwards, falling out of bed and onto the carpeted floor on the other side. "Veneer, there's this new thing, it's called personal space!"

Veneer could hardly contain his excitement. "Sorry Vel! I'm just so psyched about what's coming up!"

"Breakfast?"

"Ha, you wish! Guess."

"Ven, listen up and listen close. I don't do pop quizzes before breakfast!"

"It's the start of the Glitzmas season!"

"Glitzmas?"

The twins squealed in unison. Glitzmas was the best holiday ever. You got presents, candy, and all sorts of good things. That is, if you were good. If not, let's just say Sparkle Claus would take a shovel out to the Sheendeer stalls to fill your stocking. Of course, the holiday wasn't just about getting things, but about giving back and loving. But that wasn't the case in Velvet's eyes. To her, it was just about all the stuff she could get and how much they decorated their house, inside and out. "We need to decorate!"

Veneer had some important information for Velvet, but didn't know how to tell her without making her mad. "Vel, mom and dad said we won't decorate the house this year..."

"What!? Not decorate?! Aargh!"

"...because we're going to our grandparents house."

"Our grandparents house? Double aargh! We just got back!"

"No, that was mom's mom's house. We're going to dad's parent's place."

"Even worse! I hate that place! Why is it every year I get dragged out of my nice warm bed to go to some stupid old relatives!? Why do we have to go to that stupid farm this year? Why can't they come here where my warm bed is? And why am I shouting?"

"I'm wondering the same thing. I hope my ears still work."

"Well, it's not like we can do anything about this. I wonder when we're leaving."

"Let's ask dad!"

In the kitchen, their father was sitting with his morning cup of coffee. He saw his kids run up to him. "Good morning Velvet. I take it Veneer told you about our plans for this year?"

"Yep. I have a question actually. When exactly are we leaving?"

"We're gonna be there for the entire month of Divacember. Won't that be fun?"

Velvet forced a smile for her father's sake. "Sounds like a blast!"

"Attagirl. The whole family's gonna be there. Your grandparents, uncle Vampire, oops, meant Varnish, aunt Wendy, and their girls, Alkemy and Desire."

Vampire was the nickname Velvet's father gave to his younger brother, purely because he could. Veneer was excited to see his cousins again. "Yay! Alkemy knows the best ways to make friendship bracelets!"

Velvet, on the other hand, didn't like her cousins much. It was nice that Veneer got along with one, but she and Desire had a bit of a rivalry. "I'll be counting the days!"

Her father assumed she meant that she was excited, and that's what she wanted him to think. "That's my girl! You can start packing whenever you're ready."

The twins looked at each other. Veneer smiled, since his excitement was only growing. Velvet scowled at her brother, telling him to tone down the optimism before she made him. This was going to be one long month.