Brian's Christmas

Christmas at the Cricket

"No, down there!" Javier pointed towards the bottom of the christmas tree. "Hang it there!"

"But he won't even be able to see it!" Nam looked at Javier skeptically. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Who's the one that actually celebrates Christmas? Do you not trust me, kid?"

"But-" Nam tried to argue back, but was cut by a yelp from the storage room.

"H-Help!" Yuzuru staggered out of the room, struggling as metres of garlands and Christmas lights tangled around him, wrapping his body.

"YUZU!." Javi gaped as he climbed down the ladder. Nam gawked at Yuzuru before bursting into laughter as he ran over to save his teammate.

“Oh my God, Yuzu! What did you do to yourself?” Javi chuckled as he tried to untangle the fairy lights wrapped around him. “You look like...a Christmas tree.”

Yuzuru scowled at Javier,wiggling his hands as he tried to hit Javier. “I was pulling the lights out of the box when everything just…you know...” He frowned, making a falling hand gesture.

“Collapsed?” Nam finished for him as he attempted to free Yuzuru from the entangled garlands. “Man...this thing is stuck. How did you even get it so tangled?”

“I don’t know…” Yuzuru sighed sadly as he resigned himself to the fate of a Christmas tree. “Coach will be here soon…”

“Aw, no!” Javier panicked, glancing at the clock. “We have to hurry!”

“But Yuzu is still-”

“Don’t worry about me! There are more decorations to put up…”

Javier and Nam ran to the storage room, leaving Yuzuru to hop around the Christmas tree. Javier pulled out a cardboard box from the top shelf while Nam crawled below, searching for more fairy lights.

“Is this enough?” Nam pulled out a box of multi-coloured fairy lights.

“Yeah, lemme just find the star…” Javier rummaged through the box, pulling out a giant yellow star. “Let’s go!”

“Brian is here! He’s just outside!” Yuzuru hopped madly towards the storage room, shouting to his teammates.

Brian got out of his car and entered the skating centre, greeted by a hopping Christmas tree.

“Boys, what the hell?” Brian stared at them ridiculously.

“Uh...Merry Christmas!” Javier gave his best smile, holding the star ornament tightly.

“Yuzuru? What’s... this?” Brian shot him a top-down look.

“Um…” Yuzuru looked down in shame. “We…”

“We...wanted to give you a surprise, Coach…” Nam bit his lip, clutching onto the fairy lights. “Guess this isn’t too spicy…”

Coach stared at them silently for a while before letting out a sigh. “Well...let’s get Yuzuru out of this mess first, alright?”

--- ---

“Sorry Coach. We...screwed up…” Javier looked down, slightly depressed.

“Yeah, Coach...we didn’t mean to mess up this place,” Nam looked at Brian worriedly.

“You boys need to relax. I’m not angry,” Brian reassured them as he freed Yuzuru of the last garland, giving him a pat on his back. “I’m just a little...taken aback.”

“We’ll clean up, Coach…” Yuzuru looked at Brian solemnly, holding onto the fairy lights that once took him captive.

“Why? Weren’t you boys decorating the tree just now?”

Javier and Nam looked up. “You mean…” Javier widened his eyes at Brian. “We can continue?”

“Of course! As long as it looks presentable. It’s Christmas after all.” Brian smiled at them, handing the garlands to Javier.

“You’re so spicy, Coach!” Nam jumped up, getting more hyped up. “We’re gonna make the spiciest Christmas tree in the Cricket Club!”

“Uh. Sure. Easy on the spice, Nam.”

The three boys scampered to the half-decorated tree and resumed their ‘surprise’ project, running around the tree like kindergarten kids. Brian chuckled and sat by the benches, watching them happily. Javier turned to Brian, pulling him up.

Brian stood up puzzledly as Javier led him towards the tree with the other boys. “Why, are you guys done?” Brian examined the Christmas tree. It looked somewhat...incomplete.

“The last piece is for you, Coach!” They handed the giant star ornament to him, pointing towards the top of the tree.

Brian smiled and shook his head as he climbed up the ladder, placing the last piece onto the top of the tree, completing it.

“There you have it, Team Brian’s Christmas tree!”

Brian climbed down and looked up suddenly, remembering something. “Before I forget, there’s something for you three.” He ran to his car, taking out a large paper bag from the boot.

“Presents?” Javier’s eyes sparkled like a young child.

“You guessed it,” Brian grinned, taking out the wrapped boxes. “For you, for you… and you.”

“Oh man...we didn’t get anything for Coach,” Nam looked at the other two awkwardly. Yuzuru slapped his forehead, giving Brian an apologetic look.

“I don’t need anything from you three. Seriously… You guys ARE my Christmas presents.” Brian gave them a fatherly smile, patting them on the back. “You’re the best students I’ve ever had. And I’ll only say this once.”

“Awww…” Javier hugged Brian, giving him a tight squeeze. “You’re the best coach ever too, Coach!”

“Omg, Pooh!” Yuzuru gasped softly.

“Did you open your present?” Brian asked amusedly.

“I...peeked…” Yuzuru looked down bashfully. “Sorry…”

“You got me a Mickey!” Javier gasped excitedly, pulling the plush toy out. “Aww Coach, you’re the best!”

“It’s Boo!” Nam grinned as he opened his present. “Eh?” He looked closely and noticed a booklet sticking out.

“What’s this?” They pulled out the booklet from the box and flipped it open.

INTENSIVE TRAINING MENU 2015

“EH??”

Brian smirked and shot them a devilish grin. “Training starts in two days. Merry Christmas!”