Have Some Cake

Christmas: Allentown, PA (1/12)

Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA

The small, two-room apartment Connor Bunnaman shares with Carter Hart is as festive as the twenty-year-old can make it: In the small living room, a strip of garland hangs on the mantel with a few ornaments. Next to the luminous fireplace is a small, fake Christmas tree with more sparse ornaments and a star-shaped ornament on top. Across the fireplace, right by the front door, is a frosty window. The window has another strip of garland hanging below it with a couple more ornaments.

The window panel is open, letting in the soft, brisk air. On the windowsill is a single tennis shoe. Then a pair of bright brown eyes with short dark brown hair pops up from behind the shoe. This is German Rubtsov, a fellow teammate of Connor's that is staying at his apartment for the holidays.

German holds up a different tennis shoe into view and places it on the windowsill next to the other shoe. He then straightens up, revealing his full face. His hands clasp together before he rubs them with excitement.

"Ooo! Can't wait!" he remarks in his Russian accent.

"Rubtsy!" Connor is heard shouting from behind him.

German whirls around on his knees. His eyes fly open.

Miscellaneous items from umbrellas to a rubber ducky fly across the living room from the coat closet, which faces the living room perpendicularly.

"Where's my other shoe?" Connor's voice echoes from the closet.

The Russian's face lights up. "Oh!" He pats the shoe on the windowsill. "I have it right here!"

Connor's head appears from the doorjamb of the closet. He stares at his shoe on the windowsill from across the room. Bewilderment forms on his face.

"What?!" He steps out of the closet, revealing the ugly sweater he is wearing. A fishing pole caught onto the hem of his jeans drags against the carpet as he approaches his teammate. "Why is my shoe on the window?" He shakes the fishing pole off his leg and scoops it up.

"It's for Saint Nicholas!"

Connor tosses the fishing pole into the mess spewed across the living room before facing him with his hands on his hips. "You mean Santa Claus?"

German dips his head in deep thought. "Well, yeah—" He lifts his head at him. "—but Saint Nicholas!"

"Okay, why would Santa want our shoes?" Connor eyes their shoes close to the twilight outside.

He throws his hands in the air. "To put gifts in it!"

"But he puts gifts under our tree." Connor holds his hand out to the small Christmas tree. "That's why we spent all of yesterday putting it up."

The Russian shakes his head. "No, no, no, he puts MORE gifts in our shoes!" He hops to his sock-covered feet and explains: "You see, tomorrow is December sixth, which means tonight, Saint Nicholas will come and put gifts in our shoes!"

Connor knits his eyebrows in suspension. "Why not on Christmas Day?"

"Because December sixth is Saint Nicholas Day!"

Connor dips his head. "Huh. Okay." He then gazes at his shoe next to German's shoe. "How would he fit my new skates in there?"

German cracks a smile and chuckles. "No, no, that's for Christmas Day! Tonight, he brings tiny gifts such as fruits, candies, and other small treats!" He rubs hands with anticipation.

Connor raises his eyebrows. "Cool! I can go for candy!" He holds up his hand. "Sign me up!"

With a proud smile, the Russian holds his hand out to his teammate's shoe on the windowsill.

Connor nods with his eyes on his shoe. "Thank you for already doing that."

German then goes down on his knees and peers out the opened window.

Connor gazes at him with confusion. "And the other part of the tradition is also to stare out the window?"

German whirls to gaze up at him. "Oh, no! Actually—" He motions him to come closer to him with a wave of his fingers.

Connor settles onto his knees and leans his ear toward his mouth.

He cups his mouth and whispers, "—I wanna see Saint Nicholas in real life, so I'm going to stay here all night to see him and thank him." He then pulls away with a nod.

Connor leans away with a sly expression. "What time does he come?"

German shrugs. "All I know is at night."

He gapes. "You're gonna be staying up for the whole night?!"

German gives him a sheepish grin.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" He plops into a sitting position next to him. "I'll join ya! Grocery shopping can wait!" He shoots him a smile.

"Alright!" German turns back to the window with eagerness. "This is gonna be exciting!"

* * *

The night falls and persists, dipping the apartment into its inky darkness. The full moon shines vividly through the window in place of the dormant fireplace. Its rays illuminate the two sleeping hockey players curled up against the wall below the window.

Footsteps creak from outside, increasing bit by bit with each slow step taken.

Connor blinks his eyes open. He perks up at the window with a crane of his head. His eyes fly open.

Looming above them through the window is a large, furry silhouette.

He gasps and turns over to his teammate. German is still sound asleep with his hands against the side of his face. He grabs his shoulders and shakes him.

"Rubsty!" he hisses. "Rubsty!"

German slowly opens his eyes. "Chto...? Chto...?" he slurs in his native language.

With excitement, Connor jabs his finger at the window.

The Russian turns his weary eyes up at the window. In an instant, his eyes brighten with newfound energy. He straightens up and shakes his teammate by his shoulders. "It's him! It's him!"

Through the window, the apartment is dark and silent. Then, two pairs of curious, exhilarated eyes slide up into view from behind the shoes. They lift, stay still, then instantly fly open in horror.

Staring down at the two teammates from the outside is a giant, furry, orange monster with massive, glowing googly eyes.

Connor and German spring up to their feet and hug each other. "AAAHHH!!!"

They then whirl around and rush down their apartment, disappearing into the darkness.

The creature holds its furry hands up, revealing that each one has a candy cane. It slips a candy cane into each shoe.

The monster then peers ahead at the window and declares innocently, "It me, Gritty!"

The End.