How to Make It Snow in the Dining Room
A/N: A cute journal entry. I finally found out what Darren did for Christmas.
How to Make it Snow in the Dining Room
"You know it doesn't snow in every part of California, right?"
Despite being in the middle of a phone conversation, Darren couldn't help but let out a deep sigh on seeing the still clear skies. "It's as cold as anything, yeah. But can't it get magical just once?"
"I think you have to go someplace else for that---it shouldn't be too far. Just schedule some time for it, after your plays finish their run," Emil said, his voice coming clear from thousands of miles away. "I'm sure you guys will make time for it."
"Wish it were that easy. Sometimes it was easier when I was still in Manila with you guys; life was slower," Darren laughed. Then again that wasn't entirely true; every time he was around Emil and his other friends, adventures were in store---sometimes literally around the corner. This was pretty much true of the escapade that had landed him a spur-of-the-moment move to California, a new boyfriend, and a suddenly revived theater career.
Apparently good things came from hiding on someone's roof at night, wearing a zoot suit 24/7, or even just having a thing for nerdy boys with blond hair.
"I wouldn't say things are slower---even now. But they're a little less funny without you," Emil replied. "Marce, Andrei, Suzie, Wena, Ron, and even Chito miss you. You need to Skype with all of us soon."
"Get everyone in the same room."
"Will try. Anyway I have to go; it's my turn to take care of Alix. Merry Christmas, drama man. Also to Kale and everyone else there."
"Merry Christmas to you guys too, hep cat." Darren sighed again after his best friend hung up. Why was it life--whether it was work, babies, or sheer insanity---had a way of stealing moments with the people he missed? He definitely loved where he was, but of course there were days when he missed his best college buddies--especially a particularly passionate and slightly troublesome couple.
He stared out at the dark but still rather cloudless skies over the town. "So much for that, Santa Claus!" he muttered. He checked his wallet and counted out some money; hopefully it would be enough for his little twist to his plans.
It took him about an hour to get a whole ream of paper for his revised plan. "Bond paper snowflakes; how crazy is that?" he wondered aloud as he sat down in a corner to begin cutting. He really wished he'd paid attention in art class, or at least the last time that Emil and Marce had tried to make Christmas decors for an apartment all the way back in Manila.
"I'm an actor, not an artist," he groused silently as he succeeded in making some holes and a few scalloped edges in a folded sheet of paper. As far as the gifts in themselves were concerned, he'd gotten enough to fill a good-sized box: a whole package of sweets and cookies (some he'd asked for all the way from Manila), a t-shirt that was actually a 'travel guide' to Middle Earth, and a pen in the shape of a lightsaber. The only thing left was to figure out a memorable way to present these items.
His fingers were a little blistered by the time he'd made enough 'snowflakes' to heap up over the box, and possibly also the recipient's breakfast dishes. It would have been so much funnier to hide Kale's Christmas gifts in a snowman. But if the heavens weren't going to cooperate this Christmas Eve, he would have to create magic in his own way.
So he went on till the rest of the paper was gone.
He succeeded in keeping his plan to himself for the rest of the evening, regardless of the pleading and joking of everyone during dinner. It had to be about five in the morning by the time he figured it would be safe to tiptoe downstairs, place the gift box on the table on top of everything else that was already there, and cover the heap in paper snowflakes. There had even been enough left to scatter all over the chairs, the table, and as far as the front door.
By the time he was through with his hurried decorating, he heard a bedroom door opening upstairs. "Oh well, here goes nothing," Darren thought before hiding behind a snowflake covered sofa to await the oncoming chaos.