The Christmas Crusade [NaNoWriMo 2015]

❄ Chapter Nine ❄

There was a rapid fire knock on Moose's door.

"Someone better be sick, dead, or giving me a shit load of money or I swear-" She stopped in her tracks. "What are you doing here?"

Elliot stood there, rocking on his heels. "Well...your mom wanted me to wake you up because she said she wasn't in the mood for a screaming match in the morning so...we need to go and buy some stuff, c'mon."

Moose huffed and slammed her door in his face. She went to her closet and threw on one of her ugly sweaters, a jacket, and her moose antlers because if she has to deal with Elliot in the morning, he better get used to her stupid ass antlers.

She also put on pants, but it's not like she had to mention it, you know? They're pants, it's not like you can go out without them. Unless you do, which in that case, power to you.

She tore her door open, Elliot falling backwards he thought it'd be a great idea to sit on the ground, leaning against Moose "Don't Think About Me Until I've Had Coffee" Delancy's door. She stepped over him ("I should have stepped on him") and went to the kitchen.

She looked at her mom before grabbing a cookie that her aunt made before she left and one of the coffee's that her mom had put on the counter. She sat on the table and took her sweet time finishing it all off, pissing Elliot off to no end.

He was trying to be as polite and patient as ever but it was after lunch and they needed to get going. Moose was not a morning person. Not at all.

After about 573,932,452 years, Moose finished off her food and stood up, finally partially awake. She walked outside with Elliot to start their journey to the town square where most of the shops are because their town is kind of really stupid. Moose loves it, but it's stupid.

Elliot pulled out his brick of a phone. It was like the size of an iPhone 6+ but it wasn't an iPhone and it was just really big. It was bigger than Moose's face which is just insane.

"Okay, Google," he said, lifting it up to his mouth. Moose watched in fascination as the phone came to life. Elliot went on. "Text Emily. Going shopping with girl you think is funny. Do you want anything?"

He put his phone away and looked at Moose who just looked at him. He shrugged and they kept walking in silence. They walked. And walked. And walked. The silence wasn't awkward, but it was silence.

They reached the edge of the "Marketplace" and stared. They had wheeled in the ginormous Christmas tree that was in the middle of the square. There were lights on every single thing that stood at least five feet tall and there were wreaths on lots of the doors.

"This'll be fun," Moose said, heading over to the Starbucks. Elliot tried to stop her but she held up a hand. "I'm going to get us some coffee, go to a store, I'll meet you there."

Elliot went to the store that anyone who was anyone went to for wrapping paper. It was packed, as usual, but he was able to carve himself a place in the store. He texted Moose and looked around. There were lots and lots of decorations, but he saw something that caught his eye.

He picked it up and looked at it. It cost 75 cents and it was small, easy to fit in a pocket. There was a red ribbon attached and it felt pretty real. He bought a small box of them, because the box kept them fresh, and raced to the register to pay. He pocketed the box just as Moose walked inside.