...and a partridge in a pear tree

[04] four calling birds

                        [in which your character gets out the decorations]

        Holly was excited; not only was she on the search for the ‘four calling birds,’ but tonight with her parents, the Mistletoe family was getting out their Christmas decor, and of course, decorating.

        Dumping her books on her desk, she glanced sideways at Luke. “I’ll meet you at the bus stop today; I’m busy after school.”

        Luke yawned. His sour mood from yesterday had evaporated after the car ride home, when Holly had accidentally let her excitement get the best of her and started humming Christmas music loudly. Scott, of course, didn’t appreciate this while his classic soul was playing lightly in the background, and had glared at her through the rearview mirror countless times. Of course, she never noticed.

        He smiled tiredly at the memory. “What are you doing after school?”

        Holly stopped singing the classic Christmas tune in her head once she heard Luke speak. “Oh. Uh. I’m decorating my house for-”

        “Christmas?” Luke raised his brows. Of course it was Christmas.

        Holly nodded. “You catch on quite quickly, Mr. Scrooge.”

        “I thought that Santa’s elves would have already had their house decorated by the first day of December.” Luke teased. Living near Holly his whole life, he was well aware of the Mistletoe’s wild Christmas spirit. He always saw the many lights that illuminated the entire street, their lawn topped off with a new air blown up figure smack in the middle of the snow covered grass. Last year, it was a skating penguin.

        “We’re running sort of late this year.” Holly shrugged.

        Mrs. Delmont rushed in then, her profuse apologies for running late once again falling on deaf ears. Holly turned, facing the front of the classroom.

. . .

        The Mistletoe attic was a rarely visited location, its dust and cobwebs scaring off the two younger Mistletoe children regularly. This year, Holly figured she was brave enough to venture off into the vast darkness and dirt, ignoring her father’s protests at doing it himself; she wasn’t eleven years old anymore.

        Breathing heavily, the box of Christmas lights weighing a ton in her arms, she wiped the mock sweat from her brow. “That was a close one.”

        Her father, impressed with his daughter’s strength, slowly clapped. “Well, Holly. Will you be putting the lights up, also?”

        She paled at the thought, shaking her head briskly. “And break my neck? No thank you!”

        Outside of her house, Holly and her mother watched her father climb up the metal ladder in the harsh wind, the snow blowing angrily against their already red faces.

        Maybe it’s too cold to go anywhere today.

        Quickly, Holly tried to erase that thought from her head. Nothing would delay The Hunt for any longer. No matter the weather, Holly had to finish. She lived in Canada anyway; what did she expect of the winter weather? Hopefully Luke wouldn’t chicken out.

        Carefully climbing down the ladder, Holly’s mother rushed to help her father down. Though his face was red and his eyes were watering, he was grinning triumphantly. Looking up, the twinkling of reds and blues met Holly’s eyes, the snow falling causing the scene to be picturesque.