Best Different Ever (Boxcar Children/Best-Worst Christmas Pageant Crossover)

Boringness

Our cousins...

I found myself wishing our cousins were more like the Herdman kids, given the fact – well, they were too much like Alice Wendelken. More specifically, I found myself wishing the four were more like the Herdman kids. Alice Wendelkin represented perfection to the point of being boring, leaving no room for imagination. In fact, I didn't think my cousins were very imaginative.

I know it may seem a bit strange, given the fact everyone doesn't like the Herdman kids, yet they're definitely known for thinking outside of the box. How else does one explain Imogene utilizing butter to get a kid's head unstuck from the bicycle rack, or how they dealt with the banning of Halloween. No, I was prepared for a very boring summer, yet my mind drifted towards the times I found myself forced to spend time with Alice.

I wasn't excited at all.

B

Lunch went off without much of a hitch if one could consider the fact Beth and Charlie noticed even more how perfect their cousins were. The Alden children remained perfectly polite, helping to set the table without asking. In fact, the setting of the table suddenly felt mechanized and done to a perfect degree of accuracy.

In the back of their minds, they wondered how these children could possibly be the children who in fact ended up running away from home after their parents died because they definitely acted like children who were polite and obedient. The girls even offered to help with dinner while the boys – specifically the oldest, asked if there were any chores he might help with around the place.

"You're here to enjoy yourselves, but get to know Beth and Charlie. Do the two of you have any idea of what you want to do with your cousins this afternoon?"

"Not really." Beth picked at her food, the thought of dealing with not one, but two Alice's today honestly not appealing to her.

Charlie of course looked at his food, muttering under his breath. "I want to try and avoid the Herdmans."

"Why?" The youngest Alden child spoke up, hugging onto his rather worn-out teddy bear while the dog the children brought with them – Beth found herself surprised her mother even let the dog into the house – let out a slight whine. "See. Watch wants to know too."

"Um." Beth sat up straight, wondering how she should explain the Herdman kids to her cousins without making them feel like bad kids for what apparently was their one mistake in life – taking off and trying to live on their own.

"They're bad kids."

"Why?"

"Because they're mean."

"Why?"

"I don't know why they're mean." Charlie obviously didn't like all of Benny's questions regarding the Herdman children.

Beth let out a sigh. "They're not always mean."

"Oh, don't. Don't go on about how Imogene was nice and got a kid's head unstuck from the bicycle rack."

"Well, that was very creative." Their oldest cousin, Henry piped up.

"They're not really bad kids, just misunderstood." The fact their mother defended the Herdman kids didn't surprise Beth. Her father though gave their mother a look indicating he definitely didn't agree. "I'm not saying they don't get into trouble at times, but their hearts are in the right place."

"I guess." Their father let out a sigh. "Is there anything any of you kids like doing?"

The youngest girl – the quietest and the one who dressed like Alice only for her hair to be much shorter than Alice would ever wear – she looked down at her hands. "I like painting."

"What is that?" Their mother didn't quite hear Violet's response to the question, yet Violet's eyes stood out with their vibrant violet color.

"Violet likes painting. She does watercolor."

Beth looked down at her food, wishing suddenly that her cousins were more like the Herdman kids rather than like Alice, so they might have something more exciting to do. She took a deep breath while her mother pondered the question. "Why don't you go to the park and play? Violet can do her watercolors and the boys can play while – well, I'm not sure what you and Jessie will do Beth."

"I'll figure something out."

"What if the Herdman kids show up? Should we run?"

"Why?"

Beth let out a sigh. "Charlie, running away from the Herdman kids only encourages them. You should know that."

"Well, the teachers lock the doors when they see them coming."

"Why would they do that?" Henry asked.

"I'm sure they don't do that."

Beth, on the other hand, was quite sure the teachers did just that, yet thinking back, she wasn't at all sure when the teachers did start locking the doors when it wasn't school hours to prevent the Herdman kids from causing some kind of trouble. Her mother turned to her. "You could invite your friend Louella to join you."

"I guess." Beth wasn't sure. "May I be excused? I can go and ask her."

"Clear your spot and you can go."

Charlie gave Beth a look, almost as if he felt their mother was more insistent regarding her two children doing what they should be doing around the house. Without hesitation she cleared her leftovers into the trash, briefly remembering the Herdman children didn't always know when their next meal would come before taking care of the dishes in her hand.

She then headed over next door, knocking on the door. Louella's mother opened the door. "Beth?"

"My mother wants to know if Louella wants to come to the park with Charlie, myself, and my cousins."

"The cousins who ran away when their parents died?"

Beth didn't know how to answer the question, given this was apparently true. She swallowed, her eyes looking at the ground knowing her cousin's mother would likely say no if she confirmed the woman's suspicions. A thought crossed her mind. "Violet is going to be working on her watercolors."

"Wait. Your cousin paints?"

"Apparently. Henry asked my father if there was anything around the house he could help with."

"Are these really the children who ran away? They act nothing like the Herdman children." Louella's mother glanced back into the house. "I guess she can come with you."

Beth breathed a sigh of relief.