Five holiday traditions you have and one new one you want to start. (for 7s_prompts)
1) Like most nine year olds, for Shawn it was a tradition to search every corner of the house, to look for any clue that might lead him to take a peak at his Christmas presents. Unfortunately, the man that had taught him everything he knew was very aware of that. Not just because he was a detective, simply because he was his father.
He was caught red handed. Surprisingly, his Dad didn't ground him, instead, they played a little game. Shawn had to guess what was hidden under the festive electric blue wrapping. Judging the weight and the noise, it was obviously a toy. An action figure?
"Better luck next year, kid." His Dad said patting his shoulder with his big hand.
2) "Shawn, you sure that's not your Dad's?" Gus whispered in an urgent tone. It was the middle of the night, in the middle of Henry Spencer's very dark garage.
"Relax, Gus. Besides, I'm sure this is the Something-Something-Pole he gave me last year."
"How can you be sure of anything?? You can't even see your own foot!"
"I told you I was sorry. It's not my fault if your feet have been replaced with two kayaks."
"Hurry, will you!"
"I'm almost done. Just wait for it.... Waaaait for it..."
"I'll wait on the outside! What if your Dad hears something and he comes down with his loaded gun and mistakes us for thieves, Shawn? I'm too young to die! I can't die before I finish college! What would my parents say?"
"Relax, Gus! Relax and behold the device that will turn us into instant girl magnets during the Leland Bosseigh High School Christmas Ball."
It was almost impossible to see anything since the batteries of Shawn's flashlight were almost dying. Luckily for Gus' eyes, Henry Spencer turned the lights of the garage on just in time for them both to see the wonderful job Shawn had made tying the piece of mistletoe to his father's brand new fishing rod.
3)"Shawn, do you have an idea of how late it is??"
"Four in the afternoon?"
"It's three in the morning! And I have to wake up in four hours to drive to my parent's house!"
"Dude, I'm sorry. You know I always get mixed up with time zones and I'm never quite sure at exactly what time I'm currently living in. In fact, two hours ago I thought I was still living in yesterday."
"......"
"Merry Christmas, buddy."
"Merry Christmas to you too. It's good to hear you, I was starting to get worried after that last postcard from Venezuela. You're still over there?"
"Not at all. I'm in the sweet Florida beaches. It reminds me of home but without Dad ruining things."
"Shawn! There's only three hours of difference between California and Florida!!"
".... I guess you learn something new every Christmas."
"Every Christmas! You do this to me every Christmas! Good night, Shawn! Have an un-Merry holiday!"
"And a jolly new year to you too. Gus? Dude, are you still there? Gus?"
4) They had tried calling, but the addresses and phone numbers kept changing and it was hard to find the other on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. So, they have settled for festive postcards and catching up some time around the holidays. Shawn felt guilty about it, as much as his Mom seemed to be enjoying herself traveling around the world, she was still all alone. At the very least he always had new people to enjoy the holidays with, but of all people his mother shouldn't feel alone in the holidays.
5) "The Christmas spirits, they look! They watch like merry little flies on the wall! And they're telling me someone in this room is on top of our deceased Santa's naughty list!" Shawn moaned as he circled the room, doubled over his stomach as he held the reindeer antlers attached to his head, pointing with them at the several holiday characters in the toy store.
He walked past Mary, Joseph and a baby Jesus who was too old to still wear diapers and who probably needed a shave. He walked past two SBPD elves and a pharmaceutical salesman angel, but his psychic antlers stopped right in front of Mrs Claus. Eleonore Klaus, a woman too young and curvy to pretend she was Saint Nicolas' wife. Unless... Well, Santa could be remarried, but that sort of screws with the stories, doesn't it?
"Mrs Claus! Mrs Klaus with a K! Did you got the memo from the spirit of past? No? Well, he says he's seen it all. He saw you having the affair with Larry the Elf. He saw you getting in between of that friendship between a happy midget man and his boss, he saw how after you've used them both you disposed of them like unwanted coal in a stocking." Shawn whimpered, stabbing his chest with an oversized plastic candy cane. "Let me tell you something, I'm the two spirits that were supposed to visit you and I can assure you I can only see bars in both your present and your future. Take her away, my loyal detective elves!"
The only elves with police badges in the room complied, Lassiter grumbling and Juliet shaking her head as they cuffed Santa's murder.
Adjusting his glowing red nose, Shawn fistbumped his best friend, Gus the angel.
"Dude, I can totally get used to do this every year."
And one holiday tradition you want yet to start:
"Say hi to Santa, Lily." The baby in Abigail's arms giggled, clapping her tiny and chubby hands when one of the many Santas in the street greeted them. It was adorable, really. Like a tv ad. They could be in the NBC's holidays ad and they wouldn't know it.
Shawn just watched from the side, he was still somewhat uncomfortable over this. He didn't really belong in the picture.
Like most wise men, and especially like most wise characters from Coke's commercials, their Santa Claus seemed to notice the psychic's discomfort. The fat man with the fake white beard approached him, holding his probably not so fake jelly belly as he smiled with practiced joy.
"You have a beautiful wife and daughter, kid."
"Oh, no. They're not mine." Shawn chuckled awkwardly as he looked at his girlfriend and the toddler she was holding. "I mean, the tall one is, but not officially. The baby's her niece."
"I see!" Santa laughed his characteristic ho, ho, hoes and Shawn could have sworn his stomach wriggled like jelly for real. The jolly man put a hand on Shawn's shoulder and pointed at Abigail. "You know what? Look at her eyes. You'll probably see this is all she wants for Christmas." He whispered.
Maybe it was too much eggnog mixed with pineapple juice and rum, but Shawn was sure he noticed a special glint in her girlfriend's eyes.
"Thanks for the advice, man. Maybe next year. Or the other one after that one." He smiled as he evaded Abigail's quizzical look. "Some other Christmas."
He was caught red handed. Surprisingly, his Dad didn't ground him, instead, they played a little game. Shawn had to guess what was hidden under the festive electric blue wrapping. Judging the weight and the noise, it was obviously a toy. An action figure?
"Better luck next year, kid." His Dad said patting his shoulder with his big hand.
2) "Shawn, you sure that's not your Dad's?" Gus whispered in an urgent tone. It was the middle of the night, in the middle of Henry Spencer's very dark garage.
"Relax, Gus. Besides, I'm sure this is the Something-Something-Pole he gave me last year."
"How can you be sure of anything?? You can't even see your own foot!"
"I told you I was sorry. It's not my fault if your feet have been replaced with two kayaks."
"Hurry, will you!"
"I'm almost done. Just wait for it.... Waaaait for it..."
"I'll wait on the outside! What if your Dad hears something and he comes down with his loaded gun and mistakes us for thieves, Shawn? I'm too young to die! I can't die before I finish college! What would my parents say?"
"Relax, Gus! Relax and behold the device that will turn us into instant girl magnets during the Leland Bosseigh High School Christmas Ball."
It was almost impossible to see anything since the batteries of Shawn's flashlight were almost dying. Luckily for Gus' eyes, Henry Spencer turned the lights of the garage on just in time for them both to see the wonderful job Shawn had made tying the piece of mistletoe to his father's brand new fishing rod.
3)"Shawn, do you have an idea of how late it is??"
"Four in the afternoon?"
"It's three in the morning! And I have to wake up in four hours to drive to my parent's house!"
"Dude, I'm sorry. You know I always get mixed up with time zones and I'm never quite sure at exactly what time I'm currently living in. In fact, two hours ago I thought I was still living in yesterday."
"......"
"Merry Christmas, buddy."
"Merry Christmas to you too. It's good to hear you, I was starting to get worried after that last postcard from Venezuela. You're still over there?"
"Not at all. I'm in the sweet Florida beaches. It reminds me of home but without Dad ruining things."
"Shawn! There's only three hours of difference between California and Florida!!"
".... I guess you learn something new every Christmas."
"Every Christmas! You do this to me every Christmas! Good night, Shawn! Have an un-Merry holiday!"
"And a jolly new year to you too. Gus? Dude, are you still there? Gus?"
4) They had tried calling, but the addresses and phone numbers kept changing and it was hard to find the other on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. So, they have settled for festive postcards and catching up some time around the holidays. Shawn felt guilty about it, as much as his Mom seemed to be enjoying herself traveling around the world, she was still all alone. At the very least he always had new people to enjoy the holidays with, but of all people his mother shouldn't feel alone in the holidays.
5) "The Christmas spirits, they look! They watch like merry little flies on the wall! And they're telling me someone in this room is on top of our deceased Santa's naughty list!" Shawn moaned as he circled the room, doubled over his stomach as he held the reindeer antlers attached to his head, pointing with them at the several holiday characters in the toy store.
He walked past Mary, Joseph and a baby Jesus who was too old to still wear diapers and who probably needed a shave. He walked past two SBPD elves and a pharmaceutical salesman angel, but his psychic antlers stopped right in front of Mrs Claus. Eleonore Klaus, a woman too young and curvy to pretend she was Saint Nicolas' wife. Unless... Well, Santa could be remarried, but that sort of screws with the stories, doesn't it?
"Mrs Claus! Mrs Klaus with a K! Did you got the memo from the spirit of past? No? Well, he says he's seen it all. He saw you having the affair with Larry the Elf. He saw you getting in between of that friendship between a happy midget man and his boss, he saw how after you've used them both you disposed of them like unwanted coal in a stocking." Shawn whimpered, stabbing his chest with an oversized plastic candy cane. "Let me tell you something, I'm the two spirits that were supposed to visit you and I can assure you I can only see bars in both your present and your future. Take her away, my loyal detective elves!"
The only elves with police badges in the room complied, Lassiter grumbling and Juliet shaking her head as they cuffed Santa's murder.
Adjusting his glowing red nose, Shawn fistbumped his best friend, Gus the angel.
"Dude, I can totally get used to do this every year."
And one holiday tradition you want yet to start:
"Say hi to Santa, Lily." The baby in Abigail's arms giggled, clapping her tiny and chubby hands when one of the many Santas in the street greeted them. It was adorable, really. Like a tv ad. They could be in the NBC's holidays ad and they wouldn't know it.
Shawn just watched from the side, he was still somewhat uncomfortable over this. He didn't really belong in the picture.
Like most wise men, and especially like most wise characters from Coke's commercials, their Santa Claus seemed to notice the psychic's discomfort. The fat man with the fake white beard approached him, holding his probably not so fake jelly belly as he smiled with practiced joy.
"You have a beautiful wife and daughter, kid."
"Oh, no. They're not mine." Shawn chuckled awkwardly as he looked at his girlfriend and the toddler she was holding. "I mean, the tall one is, but not officially. The baby's her niece."
"I see!" Santa laughed his characteristic ho, ho, hoes and Shawn could have sworn his stomach wriggled like jelly for real. The jolly man put a hand on Shawn's shoulder and pointed at Abigail. "You know what? Look at her eyes. You'll probably see this is all she wants for Christmas." He whispered.
Maybe it was too much eggnog mixed with pineapple juice and rum, but Shawn was sure he noticed a special glint in her girlfriend's eyes.
"Thanks for the advice, man. Maybe next year. Or the other one after that one." He smiled as he evaded Abigail's quizzical look. "Some other Christmas."