A Beatley Christmas

Chapter Nine

    The alarm bells were going off in George's head. He knew something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He scanned the living room and everyone who was talking and laughing, trying to figure out why he was getting such a bad feeling. He counted all the kids and . . . he came up short. They were missing James, Lee, and Stella.

    He opened his mouth to bring it up, but Lee stuck her head around the corner, obviously nervous about something. She turned and whispered to someone and she pulled Stella around the corner.

    She looks different, George thought, but he couldn't quite figure out what was so different. He watched as Lee and Stella calmly and slowly edged into the living room, both sitting down on the couch next to Paul and Linda. He looked over to his right and saw that Barbara was glaring at Lee. Something was obviously amiss . . .

    Her hair. That was the difference. Her hair was a lot darker. She'd always had light, slightly reddish hair, but now it was black. He narrowed his eyes. These dang kids, he thought, recalling Mary and Stella acting suspiciously in the yard. You can't keep track of them anymore.

    Barbara cleared her throat, causing everyone's chatter to cease. "Lee, would you like to explain to everyone what happened to Stella's hair?"

    "What happened to Stella's hair?" Linda asked, turning to look at her daughter for the first time since she'd entered the room. Linda's mouth dropped.

    "What?" Paul said, following Linda's gaze before his eyes fell on his daughter as well.

    "Do you like it?" Stella asked sheepishly.

    There was a sickening silence in the room.

    Linda and Paul were speechless, just staring at her. George watched as Lee reached over and patted Stella's shoulder reassuringly.

    George couldn't take the horrible silence anymore. "I like it," he piped up. "It's nice. Suits you." He sipped his eggnog, looking over the rim at everyone else, mentally saying, I did my part.

    "Very nice," Yoko said, nodding and smiling. John just sat there, petting his cat, ignoring everything. Yoko elbowed him in the ribs.

    "Oh, yes. Very nice," John said, nodding.

    Ringo gave a thumbs-up, looking at Barbara quizzically, obviously wondering why she looked so ticked.

    Stella looked at her parents. "Mum? Dad? What do you think?"

    "Uh . . . " Paul said.

    "Um . . . " Linda stuttered.

    Mary smiled and leaned forward on the sofa next to Paul, looking at her sister. "I think it's great, sis. Matches mine." She fingered a strand of her dark hair in demonstration.

    Linda looked from Stella to Mary and back again. "Yeah . . . It's pretty." She smiled, but George could tell it was forced.

    "I guess there's nothing wrong with it . . . " Paul stalled. Linda and Mary both looked at him pointedly. "Yeah, pretty." He laughed nervously and smiled, before standing up hurriedly. "I need a drink. Who else wants a drink?"

    Before anyone could answer, Julian came running into the living room, tripping over the coffee table. George winced. That kid was going to have some bruised shins in the morning.

    "James . . . needs help," he gasped, bending over, putting his hands on his knees.

    "What?" Linda said, standing up.

    Julian gulped. "Dhani and I told him . . . not to, but he did it anyway."

    "Did what?" Olivia said, already speed-walking to the door.

    "There was ice on the pond and he wanted to . . . slide across it," Julian said, struggling to get his breath. "The ice broke and he . . . he fell in."

* * *

Jules had told Dhani to stay by the pond and encourage James to just keep himself above water. Dhani didn't think he was doing a very good job.

    James had made it quite a ways, almost to the middle of the pond before he hit a thin patch and fell into the treacherous, icy water below. Now Dhani was on the bank, telling him that help was coming, just to keep treading.

    James started panicking, splashing water everywhere, trying to get on top of the ice again, but it kept breaking under his weight.

    "Stay calm!" Dhani called to him, but he didn't sound so sure of himself. It was torture for him to stand there on the bank and watch as his friend drowned. He scanned the ice, thinking. Julian had told him not to try to go out to him, but it was killing him to watch.

    "Help, please!" James cried, splashing, flailing, helpless. Dhani couldn't imagine how cold it was out there.

    "Don't worry!" Dhani said. He was silent for a few moments, trying to make a decision. Making up his mind, he said, "I'm coming." Taking a deep breath, he took a step onto the ice.