Drops of Holiday Cheer

Have you ever written a story with someone where you write part and your friend writes the next part? You each go back and forth like this until you have a completed story. This is the result. Enjoy!

Section 1 – Chris

The house is dark and quiet, except for the rain pattering on the roof of our log cabin style house. I sit awake in my bed on the second floor of our little house, not able to sleep. It is five weeks before Christmas, and I have no present yet for my sister or my parents.

Even though I am a senior in high school, I still don’t know what to get anyone. All I know is that I want the new video game, Super Mario: Jupiter Rising. It is to be released two weeks before Christmas; enough time for anyone to get it for me.

I run my hands through my short, jet black hair and scratch behind my ears. Each year, my parents ask me if I want a puppy, and each year I say, “No!”

My parents just don’t understand that the Mushroom Kingdom needs a hero to save it from the villainous, King Bowser. They don’t understand the bullying that goes on when we don’t find the next secret star before the next day at school.

I head out the front door into the cool, humid night air. I walk to the edge of the covered porch and look out over the steps and front lawn, at the slow falling rain. I close my eyes and hold out my hand to catch some of the falling drops of water.

“Can’t sleep either?”

The voice of my little sister startles me. I turn and see her sitting in the large porch swing wearing her favorite light green night gown. I walk over and sit down next to her. I put my arm around her, and she lays her head onto my shoulder. I breathe in the scent of her hair, and it makes me smile. Not only is her hair the color of black cherries, she uses shampoo with the same scent.

“I have no idea what to get Mom and Dad for Christmas,” I say as I continue to look out at the rain.

Section 2 –Sherry

As my head rests against his chest, I can hear his heart beat. It’s not fast, but it’s not quite a resting beat either. “To be honest, I haven’t even thought about what to get them. I know that Mom would want something for the kitchen, but I have no idea what; she has everything. And Dad, oi, he spends all his time on the lake, fishing, when he is not working. I don’t know anything about fishing.”

I stop talking and continue to hold my brother. At school, he keeps his guard up for my sake, but at home, he is like a big teddy bear. In his embrace, the world is silent, and I can relax and think.

After a few minutes of silence, a thought comes to mind. “Maybe I could draw them something.” I sit, listening to the rain fall on the roof as my mind searches for something I might draw for them. I sigh. “I love you, big brother,” I say and give him a squeeze.

“I love you too, sis,” he replies, and I feel his embrace tighten slightly.

As I listen to the rain, I feel content with my brother next to me, but I start to get sleepy and desire my bed and pillows. A little yawn escapes my mouth, so I stand and stretch. “Good night,” I say to him before heading through the door and up the stairs to my room. I shut my bedroom door and collapse on the bed. Before I drift off to sleep, I let my mind wander about what I would need to get everyone for presents. A few things come to mind, and I jot them down in my notebook. Sleep comes quickly after that.

The next morning, I wake up and stumble into the kitchen. I am still half asleep and look around the cabinets for something to eat. I decide on cereal and pour a bowl for myself. I hear Chris coming down the stairs. “Morning,” I mumble through a bite as he enters the kitchen.

He rubs the sleep from his eyes and sits down at the table across from me. “Morning, Sherry.”

“You want me to make you some cereal, Chris?” I ask and push the dark pink cereal box towards him.

His face brightens into a big smile when he sees the cereal box. “Franken Berry! You saved me a box! Yes, I would love a bowl.”

I know this is his favorite cereal and that it is only sold around Halloween, so I saved him a box. I love to surprise him. I pour him a bowl full, and we eat quickly for we only have a few minutes before we need to leave for school.

“Are you ready to go?” he asks when we finish.

“I just need to brush my teeth and hair.”

“Same,” he replies.

I laugh. “You don’t have enough hair to brush, silly!”

Ten minutes later, we were in Chris’ car and on our way.

Section 3 – Chris

Sherry and I walk through the stone archway onto the grounds of Ridgecrest Haven Bartholomew Jordan Academy. I carry all my homework and books in a large backpack while Sherry carries her books in her arms; she does not like to wear a backpack. I see other students eying her, desiring to knock the stack out of her hands. All it takes, now, is a cold stare from me, and they back down.

There is a gush of wind, and a thud behind us greets our ears. “All praise to Zira!” he shouts and pushes his way between us. His dark brown wings fold behind him and disappear into his back as we part to give him space.

Paxonimus is the son of Zira, the immortal guardian of the air. Pax thinks himself superior to everyone else, hence the lack of any response to his shout.

“Watch this,” he says as he waves the fingers of his right hand in front of us. A portly freshman boy slips on what appears to be an ice-covered patch of sidewalk and falls hard, dropping everything he was carrying. Nathan emits grunts like that a pig would make as he scrambles to pick up his fallen items.

“Meanie!” comments Sherry, as she rushes over to help their fallen friend.

“Now, Chris,” continues Pax, “you are going to get the new Mario game, right?”

“I don’t know, Pax. I’ve let my family know that’s what I want for Christmas, but they don’t usually get me that kind of stuff, and I don’t have the money to buy it myself.”

“Look, I’d buy you a copy,” replies Pax, “but I’m going to be spending my money on the accessories. And if you don’t get a copy and help me figure out its secrets, you’re gonna owe me, big time! Much more than the cost of the game. So, think about that.” He shoves me aside, into the wall, and enters the main school building.

I hurry over to Sherry, who has just finished picking up Nathan’s things. I help Sherry with her books, and we enter the school building.

Section 4 –Sherry

As I hand the stack of books and things back to Nathan, I watch Pax enter the building. I am irritated to no end at his rudeness. I smile at Nathan, who takes his things with a squeaky, “Thank you,” before hurrying inside.

“Somebody’s gotta do something about him,” I mumble to Chris as we walk into the hall.

“Hey, Sherry! Over here!” I turn to see Zora waving her hand excitedly over her head as she stands with Songkura and Joanna next to our lockers.

I turn to my brother. “See you in art class, Chris.” He waves as I rush over to my friends.

Joanna puts her arm around me. “I saw what you did for Nathan back there. You are too kind.”

“Yeah, that Pax is so rude!” comments Zora. “He seems to just get worse around happy holidays, like Christmas.

“Pig!” barks Songkura.

Zora pats him on the back. “Good choice, Song. A rude, self-centered Pig!”

Three periods pass by with nothing out of the ordinary, but something happens in History class. “I’ve lost it!” cries Sebastian. “It’s gone.”

The teacher stops speaking as Joanna goes over to Sebastian and puts her arm around him. “What did you lose?”

“My grandmother’s brooch. Whenever I wear it, it feels like my grandmother is right here with me.”

“I’m so sorry,” continued Joanna. “When was the last time you had it?”

“This morning. I always take it out and say a prayer before school starts.”

“Thank you, Joanna. Please take your seat,” says the teacher. “Sebastian, do not worry. I’m sure your grandmother’s brooch will show up. You must be careful when bringing things like that to school. You know that, don’t you?”

I feel sorry for him, but what could I do? I have no idea where the brooch is.

After history, I meet my brother in the cafeteria for lunch.

Section 5 – Chris

Ah, pizza, my favorite. I take the empty seat next to Sherry at our normal spot in the cafeteria and take a bite of the rectangular pan pizza covered with small cubes of pepperoni.

“You’ll never guess what happened in second period this morning,” I say to Sherry.

“And you’ll never guess what happened in fourth period. But you go first.”

“Betsy hit Pax right in the jaw!”

“Oi vey! Why did she do that?”

“She claims he stole her pen,” I reply.

“Well, did he?” Sherry asks.

“Don’t know. He said he didn’t. Until it’s found, we will never know. What happened with you?”

“Someone stole Sebastian’s grandmother’s brooch from his bag this morning.”

Two things stolen in a school of over five hundred students doesn’t seem like a big deal, but these are people we know, and Sebastian is our cousin. “Keep a watch on your stuff, Sherry,” I say to her. “I don’t like it when anything is stolen from anyone.”

“So, what do we do?” she asks.

“Ask around. Someone must have seen something.” I don’t know if it will work, but I need to give her some hope and something to do.

After lunch, we have art class, together. It is an experiment by the school to see who would want to take an optional class each year. The school calls them electives. Since so few signed up to take it, the school combines the grades to make a full class. It is also fun to not have a class period with Pax looking over my shoulder and making me give him a copy of all my class notes.

“Ok, Chris, let’s see what you got. You’ve been working on this for the past week.” I show her my canvas, which just has a mass of black lines. She screws up her face and squints. Tilting her head to the side, she comments, “What do you call it?”

“Messy hair day.”

She ponders the image for a few moments. “Well, you do have thin lines.”

She walks off with a grin, and I sigh with relief.

I look over at my sister, who has her back to me, and I see an amazing image of large crystal snowflakes that she has drawn on her canvas. It sparks an idea, so I grab my painter’s palette. I fill it with shades of green and a bit of white paint and begin. I turn my canvas away from Sherry. Thirty minutes is not long, but it is enough to get started. I cover the canvas when the bell rings.

Section 6 – Sherry

I look at my art work, and frown sadly. Stressed, I pick up my canvas when the bell rings and throw it away and walk out. I lean against the wall, waiting for Chris to come out.

"What did you do that for?" Chris asks and takes the canvas out of the trash, dusting it off. “This is beautiful!”

“I’ve done much better,” I mumble.

“I’m keeping this and putting it on my wall. I need a reminder of what snowflakes look like. Heaven knows the ones around here don’t stick around long enough.” He smiles and walks off with my canvas. I stand there for a minute or two before following.

I'm walking behind Chris, rather slowly, looking at my feet as I think about the things Pax has been doing to my friends. I can’t help but feel miffed at the thought of him bullying people. The fact that he's so mean just makes my stomach churn. I sigh, sadly, while these things cross my mind, too distracted to look up at my brother walking ahead.

As the school day comes closer to an end, I still haven't found Sebastian's grandmother's brooch, and no matter how many people I ask, they all have the same answer. “I have no idea who took it.”

Zora looks around constantly, giving everyone the stare, asking if anyone took the brooch, while Joanna keeps Zora from hurting people. Song just barks, “Talk!” at everyone until they answer. This works most of the time, but they all still say they do not know anything.

That evening, I warm up our plates of ribs left by our parents while Chris runs some warm water over two cloths. We are messy when we eat our ribs with our fingers!

“Did you find out anything about the missing items?” asks Chris.

I shook my head. “No one knows anything, or chooses not to admit it.”

“Same.” Minutes pass in silence until Chris changes the subject. “Have you decided what to draw for Mom and Dad for Christmas?”

“Nope. You saw what I did with my drawing from class. Trash.”

“Don’t down yourself, Sherry; I love it! It’s so much better than mine. How about this. Picture mom in your mind cooking. Do you think you can draw that? Then you could picture dad out on the lake fishing. What do you think?”

I was still too upset by what happened at school that day to think properly. I nevertheless nodded.

We sat in silence for the remainder of the meal. Even when Chris got up to do the dishes, I still sat there. When Chris saw me wipe a tear from my cheek, he spoke. “Come with me. We’ve got to get your mind off this.”

I follow him to the basement, where he has his games and my easel. He loads my palette with paint, like I always do, and hands it to me. I am grateful; really, I am, but all I can do is stare at the easel and speak to it. “Let me put it this way, if looks could kill, you’d be dead.” Chris sits down and turns on his game console to play. “I’m going to need my spare if I’m going to do this properly.”

Chris puts down his controller and walks to the closet. He gets out the spare easel and canvas and sets it up next to the other one. I position both so that I cannot see the TV; otherwise it will be too distracting.

I have just enough sanity left to start work on the backgrounds for each painting, Mom’s kitchen and Dad’s boat.

Section 7 – Chris

I sit on the floor in my bean-bag chair playing the latest Super Mario game. Thankfully, I have given Pax all the secrets, so I am free to play in peace. But that peace only lasts until Christmas. If I am lucky, I will get a copy of the new game as a present. If I can plan it, I will earn enough to buy my own copy. But if I buy my own and get a copy for Christmas, what will I do with the extra copy? Maybe I can give it to Nathan. I’m sure he can use something exciting.

Thinking about Nathan and Sebastian makes me sad and sleepy. “Sherry, I’m just going to go to bed.” I reach to turn off my game when she shouts at me.

“No, you’re not! I’m mad, and if I’m going to stand here and paint, the least you are going to do it sit there with me and play that silly game!”

“Yes, Ma’am,” I say and continue playing.

“Thinks he’s just going to go to bed,” I heard her mumble, “and leave me down here all alone? I don’t think so.”

I smile. At least she’s talking through her anger.

Two hours later, we both sleep soundly in our beds.

Over the next two weeks, more students have things disappear. It’s the strangest thing. Nothing like this happens at our school. We start looking for strange people who may not belong there who might be stealing our stuff, but we see no one new.

I sit in the cafeteria for lunch with Sherry and her friends. I am glad it is raining as the patter of the drops on the roof help to calm her sour mood.

“I’m going to get that Pax, if it’s the last thing I do,” she says through gritted teeth.

“Me too,” adds Zora, pounding her fist on the table.

“Scum!” utters Songkura.

Joanna puts her arm around him and says, “There, there, Song. He’s not that bad.”

“Junk!”

“Pax did it; I just know he did,” continues Sherry. “He’s the biggest bully in the school!”

“I totally agree,” added Zora. “What ya gonna do, sister?”

“I’m going to make him pay.” Before I could stop her, Sherry stood and walked over to where Pax was eating. She slams both hands onto his table, startling him. “I want you to give back everything you have stolen, Pax!” she shouts.

“Just who do you think you are, little girl, to accuse me of stealing,” barks back Pax. He stands and spreads his wings wide, knocking everyone and everything near him to the floor.

Sherry sticks her finger in his face. “You stole some pretty priceless things, Pax! You’ve made my friends sad, and that makes me mad. You’re gonna pay for what you have done.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Principal Julian stands in the doorway of the cafeteria surveying the commotion. Everyone falls silent. “Pax, Sherry, my office, now!”

I take my tray to the shoot and follow after my sister. Since I can’t enter the office with them, I sit outside. Our principal is normally a well-mannered guy, so when he shouts, he means it. I cringe when I hear, “Sherry, I don’t care if he stole anything or not, you don’t yell in the cafeteria!” And my ears sting when I hear, “Pax, you don’t open your wings indoors! Your mother is going to hear about this.”

Ten minutes later, the door opens, and Pax storms past. Sherry comes out with her face in her hands, crying.

“Chris,” says Principal Julian from the door of his office, “you should probably take her home. You will be excused from the rest of your classes today.”

As we walk down the hall, she steers me towards the girls’ bathroom. I let her go inside and go to our lockers to gather our stuff. After I take some books and things to my car, I go back and wait outside the bathroom for her. Song is standing outside the door as well. I can hear her friends inside talking to her.

Section 8 – Sherry

I sit in the bathroom, on the floor, trying to bring myself to a calm state as my friends try to talk to me.

"Sherry, it's ok; you stood up for us." Joanna says in her soft voice.

Joanna and Zora nod in agreement, and I dry my tears quickly and get up. I look in the mirror at my face, red and blotchy from so much crying.

"I know he stole them; I know he did. He had to have!" I say, gripping the sink tightly. I look up, taking a deep breath. "Ok, let's get out of this place, guys."

I walk out of the bathroom, and they follow. I see Chris leaning against the wall, and my heart sinks. What would my parents think of my actions today? My eyes start watering again, but Song shoves a water bottle in front of my face before I could gather enough tears to cry.

"Drink. Stops crying. Need to crack Pax over head." Song grins, and I laugh.

"Thanks, Song." I take the bottle, smiling.

My friends walk me to the exit, and I give them all a hug before walking with Chris to his car. I am quiet the whole ride home, not because I am upset with Chris, but because I have nothing to say.

“How are you doing?” he asks me as we get out of the car in our garage.

“Fine,” I reply. “I’m going to go lie down.”

I enter my room, close the door, and turn on the colored lights that line the ceiling. They help me relax. I power on my full-room speaker system and play a track of the sound of rain falling in a tropical forest.

I look around at the many decorations and wonder what I would do if any of my treasures were ever stolen. The thoughts that come back are too depressing, so I lie on my bed, close my eyes and fall asleep.

Section 9 – Chris

It pains me to see Sherry like this. I go to my room and unlock a treasure chest that I keep in my closet. I withdraw a bottle of clear liquid. “Whatever you paint this on, the liquid within will make it shine like crystal,” I remember my mother telling me when she handed me the bottle years ago. I put the bottle back into the chest and lock it. As soon as my gift to Sherry is done, I will use this paint to make it shine, like Mom said. It is just the right present that Sherry needs this Christmas.

I quietly walk to the kitchen and grab a few paper plates and head down to the basement. I find a spare canvas in the closet that I had been saving and place it on one of the easels, carefully setting aside what Sherry had been working on for Dad.

I place my finger through one of the paper plates at just the right angle, for I own no painting palettes. I take some green paint and white paint and place it on the plate like I had done at school. I mix the two colors until I get the right hue. I then start my work in the center of the canvas, using the outer edges of the canvas to continue to test my hue levels.

Five hours later, I am getting hungry. Thankfully, Sherry has not come down and caught me working on her present. I cover the canvas and hide it behind my “wall of gaming,” careful not to have anything press against the painted center. Since Mom did not leave us anything cooked for supper that night, I cook up a large box of Kraft Mac and Cheese.

Minutes later, Sherry comes walking down the stairs and sits at the table with her famous expressionless face staring into the space in front of her.

“Hungry?” I ask.

“You know I can’t resist it when you make Mac and Cheese.” I see a faint smile begin to curl on her lips. I set two large bowls of the macaroni onto the table and sprinkle a generous amount of cheddar cheese on top of each bowl. I then grab a cooking torch and slightly burn the cheese to make it crispy. I then top each bowl with bread crumbs that have been toasted with a little butter.

Her face lights up with a big smile as she takes her bowl and digs in.

As I eat, I look up at Sherry. Even though she isn’t saying anything, I can tell the meal has cheered her up. It warms my heart whenever I am able to help her through a tough time.

When our bowls are empty, I take them to the sink to wash them. As I begin to wash, I ask, “So, would you like to go downstairs and continue working on your presents for Mom and Dad?”

“No. I want to play your Mario game.”

“What?” I say in shocked surprise and drop the bowl I was cleaning onto the side of the sink causing water to fly everywhere!

Sherry bursts into laughter, pointing at me and stomping her feet.

I can’t help it; I burst into laughter as well as I set the bowl in the sink and grab a towel to clean up my mess.

As her laughter turns into chuckles, she lowers her face onto her hands and says, “Thanks, big brother; I needed that.”

I sit down in the chair next to her, and we embrace. “Sure thing, dear sister. Yes, you can play my Mario game.”

She sits back and looks me in the eyes. “I am still mad, and I just want to stomp something. I’ve seen you do it plenty of times when you are frustrated.”

I lean in close and gently kiss her forehead. “I understand.”

We walk down the stairs into the basement, and I fire up the game for her.

As she plays, I look around for something to do. I am of course not going to work on her painting while she is in the room, so I ask if I could have one of her blank canvases. She points me to where she keeps her blanks, and I grab one. I begin to paint the only thing I could think of, the phrase, “Best Mom and Dad, Ever!” in large letters.

I start by painting the outline of the letters in black lines. “Looking good, Chris. Nice and thin lines,” comments Sherry.

I move on to painting the insides of the letters once I have let the lines dry for a few minutes. I decide to paint each letter a different color. “You will want to use red there, not blue,” says Sherry. “No, you should use blue there,” she says a few minutes later. “Stop!” she shouts, “make the letters of the word ever all in purple. It’s Mom and Dad’s favorite color. Are you sure you don’t want me to do that?”

“No,” I say back and shake my head. “This has to be from me. But thanks for the tips.”

She turns back to the game and continues to play.

I finish what I can on the painting before Sherry decides she has had enough stomping and goes up to her room for the night. I hide the painting and go to my room and fall asleep.

Section 10 – Sherry

I wake up the following morning and head downstairs. I’m done being mad; it’s time to get real. I get my cereal from the counter, pour a bowl full and eat it quietly. I pull out my phone and scroll through my social media for a bit, waiting for Chris to wake up and make his way downstairs. I look up, see him come down and walk by. "Food is on the counter," I say, going back upstairs to get dressed and ready for school.

As I look at myself in the mirror, I can’t help but sigh. I grab my backpack, which I haven’t worn in years, stuff it with my books and things and go back downstairs. This girl’s on a mission, and anyone who gets in my way is going to get it, and get it good!

When we get to school, I quickly find Zora, Joanna, and Song. “Listen, we’ve got to keep an eye on everyone. Christmas break is only a few days away.”

“What would you like us to do?” asks Zora.

“Pass the word around that if anyone sees anything odd, to come find one of us and let us know right away. I’m going to Principal Julian and see if we can leave classes ten minutes early and arrive ten minutes late so that we can patrol the hallways.”

“Song punch!” says Songkura.

“Yes, dear, I know you want to,” replies Joanna as she pats the big guy on the shoulder, “but let’s try to show a little restraint until we can prove who is doing the stealing.”

Song grunts and points down the hall. We turn to see Pax shoving a kid against the lockers. I start to dart towards him, but Zora holds me back. “Let me take care of this, Sherry.” I lower my fists and follow behind.

Zora approaches Pax first.

“So, trying to steal something again, aye, Pax?”

“No. I’m teaching this little punk a lesson for giving me the wrong answers on the test yesterday,” says Pax.

Song raises his fist to punch, but Joanna puts her hand onto his hand, and he lowers his fist. She then places a hand onto Pax’s shoulder. “Let him go, Pax. It’s not worth another trip to the principal’s office.”

Pax releases the kid, but he sticks his finger in the kid’s face. “If you ever pull anything like that again, you’re dead!” The kid runs off, and Pax turns to me. “Has your brother got the game yet? You know it just came out.”

“No,” I reply. “And what if I get it, hmm? Are you going to be man enough to ask a girl for help?”

My friends and I laugh as Pax storms down the hallway.

I leave my friends in the hallway to pass the word, and I go to the principal’s office. I tell him my plan, and he looks at me, concerned.

“Sherry, after what you pulled in the cafeteria the other day, I’m hesitant on allowing this.”

“But sir, I just held back from punching Pax’s lights out just now in the hallway,” I plead. He continues to stare at me, not speaking a word. “I promise I won’t do anything like that again.”

“Ok, but no more than ten minutes either way, understood?” I nod, and he takes a permission slip from his desk and writes a note instructing the teachers to give them the extra time to patrol the hallways. He hands the note to me and says, “Now if I hear of you being out of line with anyone, this privilege will be taken away, and you will find yourself in detention. Am I clear?”

I nod again and leave the office.

I find Zora and the others and show them the note. “It’s time to get started,” I tell them. “Zora, you go down hallway A. Joanna, you take Song and go down hallway C. I will go down hallway B. If nothing is happening, meet back here at five minutes past the start of the next period.”

“Song solo.”

Joanna turns to face Songkura. “Come on, big guy, you’re with me. We don’t want anything to get out of hand, do we? No.” Her voice is the same soothing voice that always calms down Song, her boyfriend.

They go down their hallways, and I go down mine.

For the rest of the day, we patrol the hallways, before and after each class period. The only thing upsetting to happen is Pax turning around at just the right moment and knocking Nathan to the floor, spilling his things. I rush, again, to help him.

“He’s such a bully,” I comment to Nathan.

“Yes,” he replies, grabbing for his things. “I wish someone would put him in his place.”

“We are trying,” I say back without thinking. “Someone needs to knock him off his high horse and make him realize he’s no better than the rest of us. Say, Nathan, why don’t you wear a backpack? It would help.”

“I can’t afford one,” he replies. “My parents have just enough to afford books and supplies. I would love a backpack, though.” He sounds so sad.

I would give him mine, but it’s green and very girly-looking.

After the final bell rings for the day, Chris and I wait for Nathan to leave. We then head over to the school store and pick out a nice-looking, sturdy backpack to give to Nathan as a present. We take it home and wrap it. We plan to give it to him on the last day before Christmas break.

“Good night, Chris,” I mumble, half asleep, as I walk up the stairs to my room.

“Good night, Sherry,” I hear him reply. “Sweet dreams.”

Section 11 – Chris

The following day, Sherry and her friends continue to patrol the hallways between periods. Her resolve to catch this crook is encouraging.

I catch up with Zora while she is patrolling her hallway and convince her that she needs to take Sherry somewhere fun after school that evening to take her mind off things. I also want to finish my present for her before the last day before the Christmas break. Sherry left school with Zora while I head home.

I take my canvas from its hiding spot and place it onto the easel. The image just needs a small amount of touch-up. I put some black paint onto my paper plate and pull out a very thin brush that I brought home from school. I paint a few very thin lines to give the image some boundaries before stepping back from the work.

I look at the completed image and smile. It is my heart, painted onto canvas, and there is only one person I want to give it to. No, it isn’t the image of a real heart but one of a cloudy green faceted stone in the shape of a heart. I walk up the stairs and enter my room. I unlock the chest and take out the bottle of clear paint my mother left me.

I take the bottle down to the basement. I lay my canvas flat and pour the liquid over the center. I spread it over the image with my brush; there is just enough to cover it.

The liquid dries quickly, leaving a shine like I have never seen before. A beautiful crystal image stares up at me. It must be protected, but I left the protection at school, with a teacher. I find one of Sherry’s non-stick pieces of plastic paper and cover the image. I then fold the canvas around the image into something small enough I can put into my backpack.

The following morning, I wake to the savory smell of sausage cooking. I change into my fresh school clothes and walk down to the kitchen. I find Sherry cooking a full meal of eggs, sausage, and what looks like strawberry shortcake! She must be in a good mood, because she greets me with a smile as I enter. “Good morning, big brother.”

“Good morning, little sis,” I reply.

The meal is excellent! I go to school that morning with a full stomach.

Thankfully, the teacher’s classroom where my item is hidden is down the hallway being patrolled by Joanna and Song.

“Where ya going?” asks Joanna.

“I need to get part of Sherry’s Christmas present,” I reply. “I left it with a teacher down here.”

“Ooooo,” she says back, “can I see it?”

“Only if you promise not to tell her.” She nods, and I open my backpack and pull out the folded canvas.

After unfolding it, she gives a sharp intake of breath. “That’s beautiful! Did you paint that?”

“Yes.”

A second later, Nathan walks by and sees us. “What ya got there, Chris?”

“Shhh!” I quickly hiss. “Keep your voice down. It’s my Christmas present for Sherry.” I quickly show it to Nathan before folding it back up and putting it back into my backpack. “I can’t be showing it to everyone. Remember to keep your mouths shut. I don’t want anyone spoiling her surprise.”

“Don’t worry, Chris, your secret is safe with me,” whispers Nathan.

I quickly enter the classroom where we have history. I tell the teacher that I need the item, and she hands me a golden picture frame with daisies engraved around the edges. I take the canvas from my backpack and remove the back from the frame.

After placing the canvas over the back of the frame, I turn to the teacher. “Could I use your scissors?” She hands me the scissors, and I trim the excess canvas away and place the image of the heart and the backing into the frame.

“That looks absolutely beautiful,” comments the teacher. “Did you paint that?” I nod. “Be sure to show that to your art teacher. She will be pleased.”

With the back now in place on the frame, I place the completed present into my backpack and head out of the room. “Good luck catching this thief,” I say to Joanna as I make my way down the hall.

The next few class periods pass in a blur because my mind is focused on the present for Sherry and the smile it would produce on her face when I give it to her. At the start of the third period, though, I feel the strong urge to use the restroom. I excuse myself to the restroom, but before I return to the classroom, I see a strange sight from the entrance to the building.

I rush to the atrium to find Pax holding a large sack. “Here,” he starts, sounding out of breath, “here are all of the stolen items.”

In a flash, Song is standing right in front of Nathan. Before anyone could stop him, Song punches Pax in the face, sending him flying to the floor. Pax slides several feet. “Thief!” barks Song as he holds up the sack that Pax had been carrying.

“I can’t have that,” comes a voice from behind me. Before I can turn to see who spoke it, I feel my backpack pull from my shoulders as Nathan surges past me. He grabs the sack from Song. “You’re right, muscles. He is a thief. He just stole these items from me!” Nathan then rushes to Pax before Song can respond.

“Nathan,” I shout, confused, “what is the meaning of this?”

“I’m done with being pushed around!” Nathan shouts back. “It’s time I take matters into my own hands.”

I see him pull the golden frame from my backpack. “What do you need that for?” I ask.

“The liquid left by your mother does more than just make something look shiny. I’m going to use it to create a crystal more powerful than even Zira!”

“But the liquid has already dried,” I reply. “It’s now part of the painting.”

“I have ways of turning the paint back into liquid form,” he barks. “This should keep you guys busy,” he says and lifts his head towards the ceiling and makes a loud call like an animal would make. After a minute of nothing, I start laughing, but a low rumble causes me to stop.

By that time, Zora, Joanna, Song, and Sherry have joined me.

“What is that noise?” asks Zora.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” adds Joanna.

“Quake,” mumbles Song.

“Look!” says Sherry as she points towards the entrance.

Suddenly, the tall windows surrounding the entrance doors shatter, and dozens of nightmarish looking wolves swarm past us barking up a storm.

“Watch out!” I yell.

The wolves run past us and split up down each hallway. They don’t attack us, but they crash through the doors to the classrooms, and I hear screams from the students.

“What have you done?” I say to Nathan. “Call them off, now!”

“I can’t do that,” he replies. He then places his hand onto the back of Pax. Pax groans in pain. Suddenly, dark brown wings sprout from the back of Nathan. “Good bye, fools!” Nathan leaps into the air and flies through an open window.

Sherry and I rush over to Pax, who is beginning to move. “Are you all right?” I ask.

“What happened?”

“It appears Nathan has stolen your wings and flown off. Can you stand?”

Pax shakes his head. “There’s no time.” He lifts his head to the ceiling and calls out, “Zira, Mother, give Chris the power to go after Nathan and give Sherry the power to save us!” Pax falls back, unconscious.

I stand and look at Sherry. “What do we do now?” No sooner than those words come out of my mouth then I feel something shoot out of my back. I turn my head and see two brilliant white wings on either side of me. I look at Sherry, whose hands begin to glow. “I will go after Nathan,” I say to her. “You go see what you can do about the students.” I turn to Zora. “Zora, protect her and get rid of those wolves! I will return.”

“I got this,” replies Sherry, as she and her friends rush down the hallways.

I run out of the building and leap into the air. It takes a few tries, but I manage to get the wings working. After a minute of circling the school building, I spot Nathan. He must not have thought that anyone could follow him; otherwise, I am sure he would have flown around things to hide his course.

I want to surprise him, but the only way I can see of doing that is to climb above him and dive. I do so, but I miss him by inches. Quickly opening my wings to their fullest extent, I ram into him from below.

Since his hands are full from carrying the frame and the sack, I just grab onto him and begin to tug him towards the ground. “Get off me!” he yells.

“No! You release the things you have stolen!”

Since he can’t use his hands, he begins to kick me. After a few seconds of struggle, he frees himself from my hold and gets ahead of me. I try a different approach and land on top of him, trying to use my weight to force him to the ground. I push, kick, shove, but nothing is working. How can he fly this well if this is the first time he’s had wings?

I try the only option I have left. I fold my wings as tight as I can get them, grab both hands onto the golden frame, and push off his back, allowing my full weight to pull the object from his grip. It works! I spread my wings as far as they will go and fly back towards the school as fast as I can.

I hear his angry cries behind me as he tries to keep up, but he is not overtaking me. I pull out my cell phone and send a text to Sherry, letting her know I am on my way back and to be ready.

Minutes later, I see the school. Zora and Song are waiting for me. I assume that Sherry and Joanna are still inside the building tending to the injured and the wolves.

As I walk up to them, Zora hands me my backpack. “Here. I thought you might need it.”

I stuff the frame inside. “Thank you.”

I look up to see Nathan hovering overhead. I step behind Zora and Song. “Ok, you two,” I say to them, “do your thing.”

Song pounds both of his fists onto the ground. There is a slight vibration, and Nathan drops from the sky like a stone.

Zora emits a sharp whistle, and all the nightmare wolves leap from the school building and surround Nathan. After a second whistle, one of the wolves brings the sack of stolen items back to Zora. A third whistle comes from Zora’s lips, and the wolves snarl and bark, pawing at Nathan, preventing him from standing up. “Watch him, Song, while I go get Joanna and Pax.”

Nathan makes various animal sounds, but the wolves do not let up. “Why aren’t you obeying me?” he cries out.

“It seems they like Zora more than you,” I call back.

Minutes pass, and Zora and Joanna walk out of the building carrying a limping Pax. They set him next to me. He looks up and says, “Nice wings.”

“Make a path!” calls out Zora, and the wolves move aside to let Joanna through.

She makes her way to Nathan and puts her hands onto his back. He groans in pain as his wings disappear. Joanna walks back through the wolves and over to Pax. She places her hands onto his back. With her help, he stands, and his dark brown wings spread from his back.

Pax turns to me. “Chris, when all is back to normal, let’s race.” He then takes off and flies away. “I returned all the stolen stuff!” he yells to us. “You’re welcome.”

I turn back to the building in time to see Sherry walking out. She is wiping her hands on a bloody cloth. “Sherry!” I yell and rush up to her and put her in a bear hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe.” Her head rests on my shoulder, and she does not let me go for several minutes. “What happened?” I ask when we break apart.

“When we entered the classrooms,” begins Sherry, “we found the wolves scratching and biting the other students. With just one whistle from Zora, the wolves all calm down. She is part wolf, you know,” she says with a wink. “I then walk up to one injured student and place my hand on his shoulder. Instantly, his wounds begin to heal. At that point, our mission is clear. Zora races to each classroom, taming the wolves, while I heal those who have been injured. I just finished healing everyone before I came out.”

“What are we going to do with him?” I ask and point to Nathan.

“Smash!” replies Song as he slams his open palms together.

“Let him stay there until the authorities arrive,” answers Zora.

The authorities arrive minutes later and take Nathan into custody. They take all of our statements about what happened. As they wrap up, Principal Julian approaches us.

“Thank you,” he says to us, “for saving us from that monster. I had no idea he was capable of such things. Sherry, your patrol idea was spot on. I was glad you all were out there when Nathan showed his true colors. Now if you will excuse me, I need to have a final word with the officers.”

Zora, Song, Joanna, Sherry, and I remain at the school and help the other students as they are either picked up by their parents or taken home by the school buses. We are about to depart when Sherry gasps and points over my shoulder. I turn to see a beautiful lady approach us. She is covered in a full white dress with elegant silver wings and a silver crown on her head. She carries a silver scepter adorned with large diamonds.

“I am Zira, mistress of the air,” she says when she gets near to us. “Your bravery and compassion have caught my attention. Chris, you and Sherry may keep your powers that I have given you, but they must be bound to an item.”

With a wave of her scepter, a simple ring of white gold appears, which she hands to me. “This will fit on the middle finger of your right hand. Never forget to only use your power for good. And should you ever feel like tapping to the rhythm of your favorite song, do not worry, the ring will not scratch.” She winks at me.

“Thank you,” I say and bow and place the ring onto my finger. It fits perfectly.

With another wave of her scepter, a bracelet of the same white gold appears. As she puts it onto the wrist of Sherry, she says, “Compassion is something that is fading from the women of today. For every person you aid, your heart will be strengthened. Their joy shall be your joy.”

“Thank you,” Sherry says with a smile and tears in her eyes as she too bows.

“You’re welcome.”

“If our powers are bound to an item, does that mean?” I ask.

“Yes,” interrupts Zira. “It means that all the items that Nathan stole have a power bound to them for each student he stole them from. He sought to steal power rather than earn it. Let that be a lesson to you all that greatness is not taken by force, but it is given to those who are worthy.” After saying this, Zira spreads her wings and flies away.

“Did you see what just happened?” says Sherry in amazement. “How cool was that? Oi vey!” She looks down at her bracelet. “A gift from Zira herself.”

“It’s simply amazing,” I reply and put my arms around her. “You will make a wonderful healer.”

“And what was that thing Nathan took from your backpack?” she looks up at me and asks with a sly grin on her face.

I look down at her and reply, “That is something we shall discuss at a later time.”

She giggles.

We say our good-byes to our friends and head home.

Section 12 – Sherry

“Let’s walk home,” I say as I look down at the shiny bracelet on my wrist that was put there by the most powerful woman in the world.

“Sure,” says Chris.

We begin the long walk home. Chris talks the entire way, and I just nod and say, “Uhuh…” I am just way too preoccupied to listen. When I am not looking at the bracelet, I watch my feet and Chris’ feet. Before I know it, I see my feet walking up the steps to our porch.

As soon as Chris opens the door, I bolt up to my room to hide Chris’ present, which I just remember I had left out on my bed. It’s not like he ever comes to my room, but leaving it out on the bed makes it seem exposed. I sit on the bed and quickly hide the present in a drawer.

I take two canvases out of the closet and lay them on my bed. I then set up the easel and place one of the canvases on it. I sit there for a few minutes, looking at the blank canvases, trying to let ideas of what to paint drift into my head. I take out my brushes and load my palette with paint before starting on the first painting. The first idea comes quickly. As I paint it, the second idea comes to mind.

I lay the first canvas on my bed and set the second canvas onto the easel. This one will be easy as it just involves a silhouette. I switch back and forth for hours, ignoring my brother’s calls to come down and eat. “You go ahead,” I call out, “I’m too busy to eat.” I am just too excited to stop.

I continue late into the evening when I hear a knock on my door and hear Chris say, “Good night, Sherry. I’m going to bed.”

“Good night, Chris,” I say back.

I lay the two canvases on my bed, step back, and say, “Perfect.”

I cover both of the canvases and place one on the easel. I then clip the other to the back of the easel and go to the bathroom that is next to my bedroom to wash my hands, humming happily to myself.

I walk down the stairs into the kitchen because I was hungry, and I was not going to bed on an empty stomach. I open the fridge and find a bowl of pasta with a sticky note stuck to it with the word, Sherry, on it. I smile, warm it up in the microwave, and eat it. Feeling satisfied, I go back to my room and fall asleep.

The following day, we enter the building from the rear as the entrance was blocked while a construction crew is rebuilding the entrance. It is a somber morning as students walk slowly into the same classrooms where just the day before, they were viciously attacked. My mood changes when Principal Julian asks me to hand back each of the stolen items to their owners that morning. I spend the first period going from classroom to classroom, bringing smiles to every student who had something stolen from him.

It is that one period that carries me through the rest of the day. Yes, my best friends, Zora, Joanna and Song are there beside me, but it is the smiles and gratitude of the students that gives me the joy I needed.

That evening, I am downstairs in the kitchen doing the dishes. Yes, I do the dishes too. I don’t make Chris do them every night! I hear a door close upstairs. It’s not the bathroom door, and it doesn’t sound like Chris’ door either. Chris comes walking down and enters the kitchen, so I question him. “Did you go into my room?”

He shakes his head. “Just closing your door,” he says.

Somehow, I just don’t believe him.

The following day at school, we all exchange cards and small gifts with classmates. Song didn’t know what to get anyone, so he just hands out candy canes while repeating the same phrase over and over. “Brush your teeth. Brush your teeth. Brush your teeth.”

We all laugh.

I promise Zora and Joanna that I would be on social media every day. Song would only be on if he is with Joanna as he only uses a phone for emergencies.

The next week flies by, with me getting more excited as Christmas day approaches.

Section 13 – Chris

Christmas morning is here at last. Mom and Dad cook breakfast while Sherry and I sit in front of the Christmas tree like little kids wondering what our presents would contain. In a family of artists, we knew that many of them would be paintings of some kind.

Dad sets the table and calls us to eat. We all sit down, and he looks at us over folded hands. “During this day of gift giving, let’s remember those who are less fortunate than we. We may not all be in the same boat, but we are definitely in the same storm. When I think back on what you both did at your school, I am proud. You caught the attention of Zira and earned some amazing powers. Never take those for granted. Always be willing to come to the aid of another, and they will look up to you and respect you.”

He raises his glass followed by our mother. “And I am proud of you both as well. It warms my heart to see my children putting others above themselves.”

Sherry and I raise our glasses as well and nod, but we are silent as we are lost for words. We eat our fill and go back to sitting in front of the tree, waiting.

Finally, after Mom and Dad have cleared the table and put all the dishes into the dishwasher, they join us in the living room. Sherry and I pass out the presents, eyeing Dad for the signal to open them. He does.

My first present I open is a long one; it is from my parents. Since I am graduating that year, they have given me a very fancy looking suit. I then open two small canvases containing a painting of Mom and Dad together with trees and snowflakes and a painting of a silhouette of me, standing on the porch, watching the rain. But it is a small present that I save for last.

I open it and gasp. It is the new Mario game that I didn’t know if anyone was getting me. The label says that it is from Sherry.

I look over at her, holding up the game, and smile. She smiles back, but I notice tears in her eyes. She is holding the golden frame with the painting of the green heart I made for her. “It’s beautiful,” she says, holding it close to her heart. “And you used the liquid Mom gave you. I love it.”

Mom and Dad love the paintings we made for them, saying they would find somewhere on their wall to put them.

That day, Mom and Dad join us in the basement for the things that Sherry and I like to do together. Mom stands with Sherry at her easels and gives her painting advice while they both paint amazing things. Dad joins me to play the new Mario game and reminisces about his old days playing video games.

Then, a few hours later, we switch. I stand with Mom as she loads the easels with fresh canvases, and she helps me develop my painting techniques further. Sherry joins Dad at my Mario game. She replays the game from the beginning.

I am a little sad to see the day come to an end, but it is one of the best days I have had in a very long time. It begins to rain, and I find myself out on the porch, sitting in the swing, watching it rain.

“Can’t sleep either?” I say to Sherry when she walks out a few minutes later.

She sits next to me, puts her arms around me, and rests her head onto my shoulder. “No, I just want to be with my big brother.”

“Did you have a good day?” I ask.

“Loved it,” she replies, and I feel her arm squeeze a little tighter.

“I saw you got further on the game than I did.”

I feel her start to giggle. “Yes, I did. And you know what? I think I’m going to find all the secrets and force Pax to admit that I am better than he.” We both laugh.

“You do that,” I say.

I feel her relax; her breathing slows; she is falling asleep. I am comfortable and content in that moment. I will always protect her and be here for her whenever she needs me. “I love you, Sherry,” I whisper.

“I love you too, Chris,” she mumbles. “Can I get a cat?”

I give her back a rub and reply, “Sure. You may get a cat.”

The End