[advent 08] december nine
Tomorrow, I am taking the day off from stand-alone Advent to work on my novel again. Thursday and Friday will probably be excerpts. They may not be excerpts of what I write on that day, depending on what I do write, but they'll both be novel excerpts. Those of you who have been reading along since the beginning can skip. Those of you who haven't will probably skip anyway XD
This is... I don't even know. I wrote it in fifteen minutes. I timed myself. I am insane.
***
advent - day nine
tww - the art and artistry of alpine skiing - josh is just nine years late.
***
The first Christmas in the White House--well, the ninth Christmas, really, but the first Christmas when it's their White House, Josh manages to get them three days off in a row. Donna doesn't know how he does it or who he has to bribe, but he goes so far as to lock his BlackBerry in his desk as they leave the office on Christmas Eve and doesn't look back as they get into the car.
He won't tell her where they're going, claims that he's already packed for her as they head straight for the airport. She's a little apprehensive about that--the last time he packed for her, he forgot a hairbrush and clean socks--but he swears up and down that Helen and Annabeth helped. He seems almost maniacally gleeful as they get on a plane to Colorado, and he still won't tell her where they're going or what they're doing. She gave up three days with her parents, who she hasn't seen in months, for this, and she reminds him of that, but he just gets that smug, glowing smile on his face, like he's done good and he knows it, so she rolls her eyes and leans back to watch the in-flight movie.
He's bouncing in his seat like a child when they get in the car, and every time she turns to stare at him in confusion, he points out the window at the snowy landscape that's flying by them as their driver winds around mountain roads, heading up up up.
They pull to a stop in front of the main lodge of a ski resort.
Josh stares at her, waiting for a reaction.
"Skiing?" she says blankly.
Josh deflates just a little.
"Yes!" he says. "Remember? 'Ski pants, ski boots, ski hat, ski goggles, ski gloves...?'"
"Josh," Donna says with a sigh, "that was nine years ago."
Josh deflates a little more.
"So? You still want to learn, don't you? I got you..." He gestures animatedly with both hands. "You know, all that crap! And ski lessons! I got lessons for me, too, because if there's some hunky European in charge of teaching you, I'm going to want to keep an eye on him." He frowns a little, a flicker of disappointment shining through. "I thought it was a good present."
Donna rolls her eyes. "It is a good present, you idiot," she says, and then she kisses him. It is a good present, after all, and there are worse things in the world then being consistently nine years late.
This is... I don't even know. I wrote it in fifteen minutes. I timed myself. I am insane.
***
advent - day nine
tww - the art and artistry of alpine skiing - josh is just nine years late.
***
The first Christmas in the White House--well, the ninth Christmas, really, but the first Christmas when it's their White House, Josh manages to get them three days off in a row. Donna doesn't know how he does it or who he has to bribe, but he goes so far as to lock his BlackBerry in his desk as they leave the office on Christmas Eve and doesn't look back as they get into the car.
He won't tell her where they're going, claims that he's already packed for her as they head straight for the airport. She's a little apprehensive about that--the last time he packed for her, he forgot a hairbrush and clean socks--but he swears up and down that Helen and Annabeth helped. He seems almost maniacally gleeful as they get on a plane to Colorado, and he still won't tell her where they're going or what they're doing. She gave up three days with her parents, who she hasn't seen in months, for this, and she reminds him of that, but he just gets that smug, glowing smile on his face, like he's done good and he knows it, so she rolls her eyes and leans back to watch the in-flight movie.
He's bouncing in his seat like a child when they get in the car, and every time she turns to stare at him in confusion, he points out the window at the snowy landscape that's flying by them as their driver winds around mountain roads, heading up up up.
They pull to a stop in front of the main lodge of a ski resort.
Josh stares at her, waiting for a reaction.
"Skiing?" she says blankly.
Josh deflates just a little.
"Yes!" he says. "Remember? 'Ski pants, ski boots, ski hat, ski goggles, ski gloves...?'"
"Josh," Donna says with a sigh, "that was nine years ago."
Josh deflates a little more.
"So? You still want to learn, don't you? I got you..." He gestures animatedly with both hands. "You know, all that crap! And ski lessons! I got lessons for me, too, because if there's some hunky European in charge of teaching you, I'm going to want to keep an eye on him." He frowns a little, a flicker of disappointment shining through. "I thought it was a good present."
Donna rolls her eyes. "It is a good present, you idiot," she says, and then she kisses him. It is a good present, after all, and there are worse things in the world then being consistently nine years late.