1995 Christmas

-Chapter One-

. . .
 
"That's because it's real like I'm really Santa Claus. Oh, go ahead, pull it."

-Miracle on 34th Street

. . .

Evening of December 23rd, 1995

            "We're the Sticky Bandits!" came the sound from the television that shined a radiant light in the kids eyes that night. It was obvious to anyone that one of them was too bored to pay attention. One of them was eyeing the popcorn bowl and the another one was too much into the movie. The ginger girl hogged the bowl of salted popcorn, her thin arms coiled around the bowl. She lay next to the boy who cuddled with a blanket and ignored the loud chewing sounds from the girl.

            The tallest of the group tried to snatch the bowl from the little girl's grasp but she drew the bowl away from him. A couple of popcorn kernels leaped from the mustard colored bowl. "No!" Chelsea pouted. She gasped in horror when the boy next to her stole the bowl, when she didn't have her eyes on the prized popcorn.

            "Andrew!" Chelsea said. Her emerald eyes glowed like the lights on the pine tree next to the TV. Slowly her eyes narrowed as she tried to take back the bowl. "It's my turn to have the popcorn!"

            Andrew shook his head, as his the light brunette curls that rested on his hair bounced. Then a sweetheart smile curled on his olive face as he handed the bowl back to Chelsea. Chelsea cheered, practically jumping off the plush couch before she decided to watch the movie.

            The honey skinned boy rolled his hazel eyes, "That ain't fair. Andy, I want popcorn. You can have the soda." Only Estefan called Andrew Andy because of one late night when Estefan and Andy were stuck in the arcade.

            Estefan Santiago playfully bickered with Chelsea over who should have the popcorn bowl, he reached over tiny table that separated the green couch from the large French club chair to get a handful of popcorn whenever he wanted popcorn.

            Andrew cuddled with the wool blanket that had a bunch of cats imprinted on it. He felt weird that he didn't have five other kids wrestling to use his blanket but the feeling was nice.

            Soon it was impossible to laugh at the two thieves who were against a boy near Andrew's age. Chelsea only lasted so long before she wanted to play another game. Chelsea decided (on the spot) to play a game she called 'The Mighty Popcorn Throw'. She picked a popcorn and tossed it at Estefan's face. Estefan's eyes followed the popcorn until it fell into his mouth. Andrew leaned over Chelsea's shoulder to grab his own popcorn.

            He felt the split ends  of her ponytail whip against his face when she jumped to her feet. While Estefan would complain about being whipped, Andrew was use to people accidently hitting him.

            Suddenly a burst of cold air raced throughout the house when the front door was opened wide. An old teenager ran in, tears filled in her eyes that her mother spotted right away from her office. "Kimberly? What's wrong sweetie?"

            The girl slipped around her short mother and sprinted up the stairs. Unfortunately for the Hispanic girl, she dropped what she tried to hide from her parent. The mom slowly picked the object up and twisted it. The knuckles on the mother's clenched fist whiten like the bitter snow. "Kimberly Jane Anderson! Come down this instant and explain yourself! Paulo! Paulo!" The mom shouted to her husband who was busy in the garage. The daughter didn't walk back down and the mother went into a fit, she shot out words that no one could really understand but the family.