The Christmas Crusade [NaNoWriMo 2015]

❄ Chapter Eight ❄

          This, by far, was the stupidest plan they had ever come up with.

          Moose stood with Babs and Elliot on the doorstep of a house, Marcus sitting in an honest-to-God sleigh. No joke, there was a sleigh and he was sitting it in.

          Babs was in her elf costume, hat and all, trying to keep a smile on; she must've been fucking freezing. Elliot was in another elf costume, but his was red. "To symbolize his closeness to Santa" or some shit, Moose didn't know.

          Her costume was the kicker. She was in a reindeer costume. A reindeer costume with the antlers and everything. She was "obviously" the elf that tended to the reindeer and "obviously" she had to dress like them so that they'll trust her. Obviously.

          "Smile," Babs said, shouldering her. Moose made a face and turned to Elliot who was fiddling with his hat. He'll never get it right. He patted his pockets lightly, but then his eyes grew wide and he started searching some more, muttering.

          He whipped his head to look at the two girls. "Do you have my phone?"

          They groaned and started searching around them, checking all of their pockets three times. Elliot was going crazy, throwing his hat on the ground. He was always losing things, he had, and his parents weren't going to get him another phone until he graduated.

          "It wasn't that nice of a phone, it was bigger than my face," Moose said to Babs, still searching. The other girl elbowed her in the ribs, giving her a look. Moose just shrugged.

          Marcus walked up to them, the bell on his own hat jingling. He tapped Elliot on the back and held up his hand. "Do you need this brick before you knock on the door?" He was holding Elliot's phone.

          Elliot grabbed the phone before pulling Marcus into a bone crushing hug. "You're the best, man, you know that?" Marcus awkwardly patted his back before shoving him off and going back to the sleigh, looking at the girls with wide eyes.

          Elliot pocketed his phone and rapped on the door. Babs and Moose took a deep breath, Babs rocking on her toes, Moose on her heels.

          The door opened to reveal one of the two moms in the house. She smiled at them - she was already in on the plan - and let them in, glancing at Marcus who shook his head and waved, half distracted by his phone.

          The other mom brought out a tray of hot chocolate and placed it on the small table in the living room. She smiled and introduced herself as Macy, shaking their hands. Moose found this way too Hallmark for her liking, but the hot chocolate smelled great.

          "Janie, Tommy, come out here please!"

          A few seconds later, two very sick kids ran out into the living room, sniffling and sneezing. They stopped when they saw the "elves".

          Elliot smiled at them. "Hi. Santa sent us, is it okay if we ask you some things?"

          They looked at their moms who nodded. They nodded too, rushing to the hot chocolate. They couldn't have been more than four. Moose leaned back and watched Elliot and Babs question the adorably sick children.

          "How big do you want your train? Because Santa knows the Polar Express, sure, but he's not so sure you want the ginormous one, huh?" Elliot asked, Babs nodding along. She had asked them questions about themselves and school, just like planned.

          Moose brought out her candy cane notepad and pen. Tommy was mesmerized by it, so she handed him a candy cane he could have.

          "Well," Tommy said, sucking the candy, "We want it to go around the whole house. And we want it to have the other rooms. And someplace to drink hot chocolate, like in the movie!"