Roasted Chestnut/Strawberry/Peanut Butter malt smoothie
Authors: Marina and Casey
Story: Shifts universe (Shifts)
Challenge: Roasted Chestnut 6 (Christmas tree), Strawberry 21 (swing) [Marina]; Peanut Butter 7 (light) [Casey]
Toppings/Extras: Sprinkles, Smoothie [both]; Malt (pfah - swing : Ellen : see you in June) [Marina]; Malt (Potluck, Sara - “Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.”) [Casey]
Word Count: 1,205
Rating: G
Summary: Swings and Drew’s company help Ellen feel a bit better.
Notes: Follows this.
Ellen inspected the swingset with a critical eye. She had had her doubts, but it appeared that Drew was right-it was not too wet to swing. The little bit of dampness left by yesterday’s rain would not hold up against her sturdy raincoat. "Okay," she said, and plopped down in one.
His brother smiled and sat down next to her, giving the swing a kick. "You know, you're welcome to invite a friend from school when we do this, if you want," he said easily.
She merely shrugged. So far, she had not made any friends she liked well enough to invite. Spending time with her brother and his friends was something private, sacred even. Besides, she did not feel like explaining her odd family to outsiders.
"Joy said you were going to decorate the apartment for Christmas tomorrow," said Drew.
"She is." Ellen unconsciously placed a tiny emphasis on the word she. "She has a lot of ornaments and stuff."
He said nothing for a moment. She knew that kind of silence well-it was the kind her mother always fell into when she had no idea what to say. He probably knows, Ellen thought, and tensed a little.
Sure enough, his next words confirmed it. "She told me about school and the letter to Santa."
"Really?" She kicked at the sand. Drew was excited for Christmas, because Lynne was coming home, and because there were supposed to be a lot of good things to eat and presents and the big party. He probably thought she was stupid for not liking it.
"I suspect Christmas at the compound was rather dismal," he said, with surprising sympathy.
Ellen shrugged again, hoping that would get him to drop it. He merely looked at her, waiting. "We didn't really have Christmas," she said.
"Is that why you don't like it?" he asked gently.
"It's just stupid, that's all."
"Why?"
"It's just another day. Except it means you don't have to go to school, and you're supposed to spend time with your family even if it sucks and you're not allowed to see your mother and you have to be really quiet and good or Father gets mad and-" She stopped abruptly, staring straight ahead into the deep brown, crumbling bark of a nearby tree.
Drew reached over and squeezed her shoulder. "Not anymore, Ellen. Not ever again, I promise."
Ellen barely heard him, hardly felt the touch. The only thing holiday break had ever done for her had been to strip away what little freedom boarding school had given her from her father’s control. Bad as it had been, home was always worse. The bruise from the worst slap she had ever had was long gone, but she could still feel the pain if she thought about it long enough. "I don't want to go back there," she said, to the tree.
"You won't, kiddo. And Christmas out here is a lot more fun, I promise that too."
This time, she heard him more clearly, and turned his way just a little. "Everybody says that."
"It's true, even without believing in Santa."
She made a face. That was the worst of all. "Nobody really believes that, do they?"
"Little kids do. I think eight's usually a pretty normal age to stop believing, but it depends. Grayson ruined it for me when I was six." He smiled in memory. "My mom was about ready to strangle him."
"It's so dumb though," she insisted. "What's the point of Santa if he can't be around the whole year? It's like, everything else sucks, but at least a fat man in a red suit brings you presents on Christmas!"
He tilted his head. "That's a good question. I guess it's a way to say just that. That everything doesn't have to suck all the time. To try and give people something to look forward. You'd have to look it up, but Santa's not really the point of Christmas."
"Somebody should tell Mrs. Groves that." She frowned, but Drew's point did at least make some sense. Maybe it did make a difference to some people. Not to her, though. It was too silly. "I'm not going to let my kids believe in Santa ever."
"A lot will change between now and when you have kids," Drew said, diplomatically, which she hated. "It’s really fun to talk to the twins about it."
"I don't want them believing things that aren't real."
"It's pretty harmless, Ellen."
Ellen scowled. "I don't care."
His forehead creased as he regarded her. "Why not?"
"It's just pointless. You could be telling them better stuff." Frustrated, she attacked the damp sand with her heel, leaving a mark that looked like it had been left by a pickaxe.
"I don't think the twins are lacking in learning anything and everything people will tell them," he pointed out gently. "But it's okay not to have your kids believe. That's the nice thing about a myth or legend. It's your choice."
"Good."
He smiled. "And once you're your age, or my age, it's not what's important about Christmas or what's nice about it."
"So what is it?"
"It's an excuse to eat a lot of good food, get some awesome presents and, most importantly, spending time with the people you want to see."
"I get that all the time now except for the presents," Ellen informed him. A smile began to form on her face despite the words.
"So consider it a bonus. Plus, you get all of us in one place. One very small place all at the same time. Talk about family bonding," he said with a wink.
She made a face. "I'd rather we were somewhere bigger."
"I have no doubt that, after dealing with this, Isabelle and Michael will offer the mansion," he said, "but this year's the first so it's kind of a trial run all the way around."
"I like Isabelle and Michael's house."
"It is pretty awesome, isn't it?" He reached over and irreverently ruffled her hair.
"Hey!" She swatted his hand away.
He looked at her with a decent innocent expression. "What? You're my little sister. That is totally allowed."
"Is not," said Ellen.
"Is too."
She made a face at him. "You're mean."
"I am not!" Drew said righteously.
She reached over and poked him. "Are too."
He grabbed her hand and then tickled her with his free one. "Nope!" he said cheerfully. She squealed and tried to run away, but got tangled in the swing. Drew let her be for a moment, sobering a bit. "I don't ask you to love Christmas, Ellen, but try and let yourself enjoy it this year, okay? It can be a really fun time of year."
Ellen thought about how much he was looking forward to it, and how excited her mother seemed to be about decorating their tree. It would not be right to ruin that for them. "Okay," she said.
"But," he added, holding up a cautioning finger. "If you're mad or upset about it, don't hide it, okay, kid?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
"Promise?"
"Yes, I will."
"Good," he said and then hopped out of his swing and started tickling her in earnest.
Story: Shifts universe (Shifts)
Challenge: Roasted Chestnut 6 (Christmas tree), Strawberry 21 (swing) [Marina]; Peanut Butter 7 (light) [Casey]
Toppings/Extras: Sprinkles, Smoothie [both]; Malt (pfah - swing : Ellen : see you in June) [Marina]; Malt (Potluck, Sara - “Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.”) [Casey]
Word Count: 1,205
Rating: G
Summary: Swings and Drew’s company help Ellen feel a bit better.
Notes: Follows this.
Ellen inspected the swingset with a critical eye. She had had her doubts, but it appeared that Drew was right-it was not too wet to swing. The little bit of dampness left by yesterday’s rain would not hold up against her sturdy raincoat. "Okay," she said, and plopped down in one.
His brother smiled and sat down next to her, giving the swing a kick. "You know, you're welcome to invite a friend from school when we do this, if you want," he said easily.
She merely shrugged. So far, she had not made any friends she liked well enough to invite. Spending time with her brother and his friends was something private, sacred even. Besides, she did not feel like explaining her odd family to outsiders.
"Joy said you were going to decorate the apartment for Christmas tomorrow," said Drew.
"She is." Ellen unconsciously placed a tiny emphasis on the word she. "She has a lot of ornaments and stuff."
He said nothing for a moment. She knew that kind of silence well-it was the kind her mother always fell into when she had no idea what to say. He probably knows, Ellen thought, and tensed a little.
Sure enough, his next words confirmed it. "She told me about school and the letter to Santa."
"Really?" She kicked at the sand. Drew was excited for Christmas, because Lynne was coming home, and because there were supposed to be a lot of good things to eat and presents and the big party. He probably thought she was stupid for not liking it.
"I suspect Christmas at the compound was rather dismal," he said, with surprising sympathy.
Ellen shrugged again, hoping that would get him to drop it. He merely looked at her, waiting. "We didn't really have Christmas," she said.
"Is that why you don't like it?" he asked gently.
"It's just stupid, that's all."
"Why?"
"It's just another day. Except it means you don't have to go to school, and you're supposed to spend time with your family even if it sucks and you're not allowed to see your mother and you have to be really quiet and good or Father gets mad and-" She stopped abruptly, staring straight ahead into the deep brown, crumbling bark of a nearby tree.
Drew reached over and squeezed her shoulder. "Not anymore, Ellen. Not ever again, I promise."
Ellen barely heard him, hardly felt the touch. The only thing holiday break had ever done for her had been to strip away what little freedom boarding school had given her from her father’s control. Bad as it had been, home was always worse. The bruise from the worst slap she had ever had was long gone, but she could still feel the pain if she thought about it long enough. "I don't want to go back there," she said, to the tree.
"You won't, kiddo. And Christmas out here is a lot more fun, I promise that too."
This time, she heard him more clearly, and turned his way just a little. "Everybody says that."
"It's true, even without believing in Santa."
She made a face. That was the worst of all. "Nobody really believes that, do they?"
"Little kids do. I think eight's usually a pretty normal age to stop believing, but it depends. Grayson ruined it for me when I was six." He smiled in memory. "My mom was about ready to strangle him."
"It's so dumb though," she insisted. "What's the point of Santa if he can't be around the whole year? It's like, everything else sucks, but at least a fat man in a red suit brings you presents on Christmas!"
He tilted his head. "That's a good question. I guess it's a way to say just that. That everything doesn't have to suck all the time. To try and give people something to look forward. You'd have to look it up, but Santa's not really the point of Christmas."
"Somebody should tell Mrs. Groves that." She frowned, but Drew's point did at least make some sense. Maybe it did make a difference to some people. Not to her, though. It was too silly. "I'm not going to let my kids believe in Santa ever."
"A lot will change between now and when you have kids," Drew said, diplomatically, which she hated. "It’s really fun to talk to the twins about it."
"I don't want them believing things that aren't real."
"It's pretty harmless, Ellen."
Ellen scowled. "I don't care."
His forehead creased as he regarded her. "Why not?"
"It's just pointless. You could be telling them better stuff." Frustrated, she attacked the damp sand with her heel, leaving a mark that looked like it had been left by a pickaxe.
"I don't think the twins are lacking in learning anything and everything people will tell them," he pointed out gently. "But it's okay not to have your kids believe. That's the nice thing about a myth or legend. It's your choice."
"Good."
He smiled. "And once you're your age, or my age, it's not what's important about Christmas or what's nice about it."
"So what is it?"
"It's an excuse to eat a lot of good food, get some awesome presents and, most importantly, spending time with the people you want to see."
"I get that all the time now except for the presents," Ellen informed him. A smile began to form on her face despite the words.
"So consider it a bonus. Plus, you get all of us in one place. One very small place all at the same time. Talk about family bonding," he said with a wink.
She made a face. "I'd rather we were somewhere bigger."
"I have no doubt that, after dealing with this, Isabelle and Michael will offer the mansion," he said, "but this year's the first so it's kind of a trial run all the way around."
"I like Isabelle and Michael's house."
"It is pretty awesome, isn't it?" He reached over and irreverently ruffled her hair.
"Hey!" She swatted his hand away.
He looked at her with a decent innocent expression. "What? You're my little sister. That is totally allowed."
"Is not," said Ellen.
"Is too."
She made a face at him. "You're mean."
"I am not!" Drew said righteously.
She reached over and poked him. "Are too."
He grabbed her hand and then tickled her with his free one. "Nope!" he said cheerfully. She squealed and tried to run away, but got tangled in the swing. Drew let her be for a moment, sobering a bit. "I don't ask you to love Christmas, Ellen, but try and let yourself enjoy it this year, okay? It can be a really fun time of year."
Ellen thought about how much he was looking forward to it, and how excited her mother seemed to be about decorating their tree. It would not be right to ruin that for them. "Okay," she said.
"But," he added, holding up a cautioning finger. "If you're mad or upset about it, don't hide it, okay, kid?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
"Promise?"
"Yes, I will."
"Good," he said and then hopped out of his swing and started tickling her in earnest.