Santa's Lock Down

chapter two ☃

❝ Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. ❞ -- The Grinch, "The Grinch who Stole Christmas."

chapter two ☃

“She’s gorgeous.” Was the first thing Jake said when he saw the brunette girl walking towards his house in awe.

Ginger quirked an eyebrow at Jake, then wiggled them, making him look retarded. Jake slugged his friend’s arm, then turned to glance out the window again, watching the girl trudge up his driveway.

“Yeah, well, thank me later.” GB said as the doorbell rang once, then twice more. Jake rolled his eyes, and tore his eyes away from his window.

“I thought I remembered her clearly from whatever time, but obviously not.” He said, lumbering lazily out the room. Gingerbread shrugged, and followed pursuit. “She’s prettier than I remember.” Jake continued, muttering words that GB didn’t catch.

Jake watched from the large marble stairway, seeing his butler rush up to the door and open it with a bow. Kayla stared at him in awe, then turned, catching Jake’s eye. She smiled shyly, then daintily stepped inside the house, murmuring a grateful thanks to Jake’s servant, who bashfully nodded with a smile.

What was the pretty girl’s name again? Jake struggled to come up with a name that began with a ‘K’, noticing the girl standing there with a pained smile, looking like she struggled to keep it on her face. The silence was overbearing, and Jake couldn’t stand it. Without confirming the name he had thought of with the red-headed boy standing next to him, he stepped forward, eager to put a stop to the tension.

“Katie.” Jake said with a small smile. However, as soon as a smile adorned his face, the girl frowned, and took a small step back. “I’m Kayla Cardinal?” She asked, unsure and timid. Jake’s eyes lit up in recognition, and a chuckle erupted from Kayla’s mouth.

Shrugging nonchalantly, her eyes shifted away from Jakes, darting to the floor. “It’s okay. I’m used to being called the wrong name.” She said softly. Jake’s eyebrows furrowed, then he took another step forward as if to comfort her.

Kayla looked up suddenly, and the sadness was replaced with a smile. “It’s okay. It doesn’t matter.” She repeated, louder than before. Jake glanced sideways at Ginger, but all the boy did was grimace in reply. “Okay, Kayla. Do you know about Santa’s shooting and everything?” Jake asked cautiously, after a long moment of silence.

The brunette girl nodded, a stronger smile appearing on her face. “We’ll be working together.” She said simply, expressing a minimal amount of emotion. Jake nodded, and the silence lapsed over them once again.

Ginger sunk down slowly on the stairs, sitting comfortably, while Jake stood, his back stiff from his proper posture. “Anyway,” He began, clearing his throat. “Would you, uh, like a drink or some food?”

Kayla politely declined his question, making another silence appear. The air was still, as none of them moved. Ginger coughed into his fist, and his foot nudged Jake off of the stair he was standing on.

Jake let out a cry of surprise, nearly falling face first into the ground, if a green Christmas sash with bells dangling at the tip hadn’t caught him. He glared at GB who was waving his finger with a mischievous grin.

“Hey, Jake. Smile, or else one flick of my finger, you’ll be down on the ground.” GB said with an exaggerated wink. Jake glared for a few seconds longer, before plastering a fake smile on his face. He’d rather not risk it.

Kayla giggled as GB twirled his finger, small golden sparkles floating out of the tip, and Jake went splat, falling abnormally slowly to the ground. Finally, after a few seconds of Jake cowering in fear, GB stopped the consistent stream of golden dust, causing Jake to literally fall flat on his face.