Cape High Christmas: A Side Story (Cape High Series)

by R. J. Ross

  "Yeah, I can do that, tomorrow, right?"

  "Yeah," she says, looking at the clock. She hesitates, knowing she hasn't had enough sleep today, but if she tries to go back to bed now, she might be asleep when everyone else is. That wouldn't be good.

  She sits in her bed, staring at the wall and trying to stay up until it's well past three in the morning. Finally she gives up and lies down, dozing fitfully. She wakes to the sound of a soft knock on the door. "Piper?" Max calls through the door. "I brought the supplies."

  She looks at the clock and climbs out of bed, yawning once again. "Thank you," she says, opening the door and looking up at him. "Where are they?"

  "In the gym," he says. "Come on, Ace is already there." He leads her along, glancing over his shoulder to make sure she's following once in a while. "I didn't expect you to ask for help from villains," he says.

  "I needed help," she says. "But I didn't think you'd both agree," she admits. She tugs her cloak around her, realizing she's still in her white and blue pajamas. Her soft white hair is tugged by the wind and hits her in the face until she shoves it away. Her skin is a dark reddish brown, contrasting sharply with her hair and her pajamas. Her feet are bare. She looks at them thoughtfully as they cross the campus.

  "Why wouldn't we?" Ace asks as they reach the gym.

  "Wouldn't what?" she asks, yawning.

  "Help you," he says, only to look at Max. "Is she always like this?"

  "Usually she's not even this awake," Max says with amusement. "I brought in snacks, too," he tells her, motioning to a table laid out with junk food, juice, and hot chocolate machines. "Since we're having a sleep-over, right?" he asks.

  She gives him a shy little smile, pushing her hair out of her face. The floor of the gym is literally covered with pillows, blankets, and stuffed toys. She walks over to a massive stuffed teddy bear, and sits on it. "We need a stage, please," she says, leaning back happily. The pillows and blankets move, leaving a large empty spot in the middle of the floor. "I should get everyone," she realizes belatedly, getting to her feet again.

  "Everyone please proceed to the gym," Ace's voice blasts over the speakers. "If possible, wearing pajamas, if not, well, you can take your shoes off when you get here." Before Piper can blink, the doors swing open and the student body starts pouring in. A few drones float in, as well. She looks at them curiously before sitting back down on her teddy bear throne. Soon everyone has picked their favorite place and are looking up at her expectantly.

  "Hi," she says, holding up a hand, only to cover a yawn with it a second later. They all grin at her, calling back their greetings. "I'm here to talk about stories," she tells them. "There are a lot of Christmas traditions--like Jimmi and her papa showed us. That was a Posada, wasn't it?" she asks the Hispanic girl with a curious smile.

  Jimmi blushes slightly, but smiles. "It was sort of one," she admits. "But it wasn't a proper one, and they were hungry, so I thought it wasn't the time to go into details."

  "A Posada is a Mexican tradition where either neighbors or family members go from house to house, acting out the scene where Mary and Joseph try to find a place to stay," Piper explains for her, yawning as she goes on, "It's followed by a big party, and it all leads up to Christmas day, right?"

  "Yeah," Jimmi says. "There are usually piñatas--which is why Papá brought so many. It's a... touch of his past, back when he lived in Mexico," she admits.

  "I love stories like that," Piper says with a smile. "Things that are done with families, and passed down... I've always been a little jealous of that," she admits. "I don't know who I am, or why I can do what I do. But I have a family now, right? So why not start a new tradition?" she says. "So with Ace's help, I'm going to tell you a story... if that's okay with you?" she asks shyly.

  "Totally fine," Jack says, lounging back against a pile of pillows. He's got a few bags of chips and a bottle of pop next to him. "Let's hear a story."

  "Since the Posada is about this... how about... a long, long time ago, there was a woman named Mary," Piper starts out. Suddenly a woman appears in the middle of the room, wearing a dress. "She was engaged to marry a simple woodworker named Joseph, but before they married an angel visited her." The room lights up and an angel appears in the sky.

  "A MALE angel," Piper says dryly, glancing over at Ace. The angel's gender abruptly changes, much to everyone's amusement. "He tells her that she's going to be a mother," Piper says. "But she has no clue how, because she's still a virgin. He tells her that God is going to give her a son. And that's where this story truly begins," she says, looking over the group, "because that son turns the world upside down, even as a baby."

  The world warps around and plays out in front of them as she describes a dangerous voyage on the back of a donkey, and a birth in a small stable, where the Son of God is laid to rest in a manger. The group sits on a cold hill covered in sheep and shepherds watching as the sky is filled with angels singing. They watch a train of wise men and their servants cross mile after mile of desert on camels to get to the baby boy, only to be waylaid by a jealous king.

  They watch the wise men come to visit the family, bearing gifts. They hear the screams and sobbing of mothers as their sons are slaughtered when the king tries to kill the unknown baby that threatens his position. They watch the small family travel to Egypt to hide, only coming back when the king is dead. They see the boy start to grow.

  The world seems to shake as the story comes to an end, and everyone realizes that they aren't in the past. "That's not the end of the story," Trent says softly.

  "Of course it's not," Piper says, yawning. "That one has to wait for Easter."

  "Let's do another!" Emily says eagerly, only to blink. "She just fell asleep, didn't she?" she asks as Piper lets out a little sigh and curls closer to the teddy bear.

  "I'm surprised she was awake this long," Max says.

  "Yeah, remember that time we were doing a show and she started snoring while holding your mic for you?" Rocco says, laughing.

  "I will never forget it," Max drawls, getting up and grabbing a blanket. He drapes it over the sleeping Piper and picks up a pillow. "Who wants to have a pillow fight?" he asks with a grin.

  The entire room cheers, leaving Piper sleeping soundly as they continue her Advent Calendar day without her. Only Ace heads over, dropping to the ground next to her teddy bear and falling asleep on its arm. That big of a story had taken a lot out of both of them.

  Advent Calendar - Day Twelve

  Nico looks at his phone, raising an eyebrow for a moment. "It is Brandon's day, yes? The invisible boy?" Tatiana asks. The fact that her son has come halfway across the world for breakfast makes her happy, but also makes things a bit tense. Marie had excused herself almost as soon as he showed up.

  "Yeah," he says.

  "What's on the phone?" Superior asks, closing his newspaper.

  "Our... friend... says he wants to sponsor Piper," Nico says, not yet replying to the message he just got. "It'd probably get me off the list."

  "Is it worth it, handing over a promising telepath?"

  "Hell no," Nico says, sending a quick, concise message back with a wave of his hand. "If he wants to sponsor someone, he'll have to get that right just like everyone else--by going through Mastermental and the kid, herself," he declares, digging into his pile of pancakes.

  His phone rings. His hands are full, so the phone floats in front of him. For a second he just stares at the empty room on the screen. "Brandon," he says after swallowing, "the whole point of talking like this is so we can SEE each other."

  "Oh, um, sorry," the teenager says, appearing.

  "I do not know why you are always so invisible!" Tatiana scolds him, looking over Nico's shoulder. "You are such an adorable young man!"

  Brandon promptly goes invisible again. "Mom, you're not helping," Nico says dryly. "What's the problem, kiddo? Do you need the bus for today?"

  "Yeah, but, um--you once mentioned how you could get bicycles for us, right? Can y
ou get enough for everybody?" he asks.

  "I could, sure, but Double M can do it faster. The bus is yours, no charge, and fitting twenty some bicycles on it won't be a problem. But the one you want as your helper isn't me, it's him."

  "But I don't know what I can trade him," Brandon says.

  "I'm sure Double M will help you come up with something. In fact, any of the Hall Leaders would bend over backwards to get your call. Pick which branch you want to work in and give them a call. Even if you're planning on going villain, they'll STILL jump at the chance."

  "Okay, thanks," Brandon says, hanging up. Nico goes back to his pancakes.

  "You're using this to get the kids extra benefits from their Hall Leaders, aren't you?" Superior comments.

  "Wouldn't you?" Nico asks.

  "Of course I would."

  ***

  Brandon stares blankly at his list of contacts, feeling his brothers' eyes on him. Once again he's hanging out with Freddy and Lance--since he plans on asking an adult, they can't help, but they CAN give moral support.

  "South!" Lance says. "Definitely South--that's where our group is going, you can come along!"

  "I don't think he should be tied to any of them," Freddy says. "If I could get away with traveling the world and getting paid for it, I would. If you're going villain, you don't NEED to pick one particular Hall, do you?"

  "I think you do, actually. I mean, Panther's strictly Central, and Skye's South, right? Well, unless you're a traveler type, like Rocco. Brandon isn't," Lance says, "so he's going to have to pick a Hall. He might as well get something out of it now, right?"

  "What really matters is that he waited until TODAY to start asking," Freddy drawls. "What Hall leader can get you some twenty five or more bikes before we actually need to go?"

  "Mastermental," Brandon says, letting out a sigh and tapping on the screen. Mastermental appears, only to look slightly confused.

  "Hello?" he says.

  "Brandon, you dork, you're invisible again," Lance says, throwing a pillow at him.

  "Oh, sorry," Brandon says, appearing. "Mastermental, can you be my helper for today? I was thinking, um, that we could get some bikes and ride through Christmas in the Park?" he offers. "I saw it online, and it looked like fun, you know, something everyone in the group can do, well, if they know how to ride a bike... and I guess Malina would need a little kid's bike, but I bet if we get a My Little Pony one, or something, she won't complain too much. It's not like they need to be new, right? I bet we could rent them."

  "It sounds like an enjoyable trip. Do you know if it happens tonight?" Mastermental asks.

  "Um... no?" Brandon says, feeling like an idiot.

  "Don't worry, I'll arrange something," Mastermental tells him. "And how do you plan on getting all of this there?"

  "Nico says I can use the bus--if you can't get the bikes, I mean, we can just ride the bus for it, I guess--"

  "I'll get the bikes," Mastermental says. "And as for payment... am I right in that you plan to go villain?"

  "I was sort of thinking about taking Jack up on his lackey offer... I mean, I'm not really impressive enough to be a big name--most of the time people literally can't even see me," Brandon says. "But I can offer to be a lackey for you--I mean, if you want me to."

  "Rather than being a lackey," Mastermental says, "I could use you for a... more discreet job later on, in payment. Is that agreeable?"

  "Yeah, sure, I can do that," Brandon says, grinning slightly. "Like a... cape for hire, right?"

  "Exactly. You'll get your bikes, and I'll arrange for the bike trip," Masteremental says. "It's a pleasure doing business with you, Brandon. I hope this becomes a beneficial relationship for both of us. Have the bus and your classmates ready by six tonight, please."

  "Yeah, I can do that, too," Brandon says. "Thanks for this, Mastermental--I really appreciate it," he says as he hangs up. "Okay, now I've got to get everyone together," he says, heading for the door.

  At six on the dot, every single kid in the school is waiting outside the school campus, looking both nervous and excited. The bus Nico made them is parked in front of them, flashing Brandon's name and lit up with Christmas lights. Nico, though, is nowhere to be seen. Brandon is starting to get nervous--it shows when he keeps fading in and out of sight as he looks around.

  "Do you think they couldn't get it?" he asks, looking at Freddy. Just as he says that, a giant truck pulls to a stop in front of the school.

  "Merry Christmas everyone!" Firefly declares, appearing on top of the truck.

  "Unfortunately, we had a bit more trouble getting into the Christmas in the Park setting," Mastermental says, landing beside her. "They aren't ready for the midnight ride tonight, and I didn't want to put Brandon off, so I called in a few favors of my own. Don't worry, Brandon, I'll be the one owing on this. If you'd all board your bus, we'll lead you to our special treat," he says. The school rushes onto their bus, eagerly watching as the truck heads off in front of them. Liz hops into the bus as well, taking the driver's seat with a wide grin.

  "Let's get going, guys, this is going to be a blast," she announces as she starts the bus and takes off. They drive for a while, crossing over into Kansas. They head deep into the country, finally stopping at a farm. "We're here," Liz says, parking. "Everyone out, please!"

  They pile out, heading for the truck as the back slides open. Black suits come out, wheeling glowing bicycles of various sizes, some with logos on the wheels. Two of them are built more like motorcycles than bikes--the logos for the Liberty boys on their wheels explain why. ALL of the bikes have some sort of symbol on them, actually. Even the smallest has a raindrop theme. Malina heads straight for it.

  "This is just an empty field," Brandon says as Mastermental heads over. "I thought, you know, there'd be lights?"

  "We got a little creative," Mastermental says. "Don't worry, it'll be just fine. Go get your bike," he encourages him. Brandon looks around, seeing all the bikes already claimed.

  "What bike?" he asks finally.

  "It's right here," Liz says, waving to an empty spot. "But you might want to turn this off if you're going for a leisurely ride," she adds, leaning down and flipping a switch. The bike appears. The crowd cheers. "The path's been marked out by reflective lights, and your bikes will glow with the little red button. I'm not going to brag, I'm not in Nico's league, but I can put together a really cool bike or twenty--well, with a lot of parts and a handful of black suits," she adds, posing proudly. "So everyone mount up and stick to the path!"

  Brandon gets on his bike, glancing around to make sure everyone seems stable, and then takes off slowly down the path. A light flashes over him and the world changes. The field is now covered in snow, with snowmen scattering the area. As they go further down the path, the Christmas lights come on.

  More and more displays light up as the group rides past, snowmen with top hats, elves with presents, snowflakes, everything one could imagine in a light display. The fake snow underneath them reflects the colorful lights beautifully. Brandon even glances back at Ace to make sure he's not creating the snow. The illusionist looks as surprised as the rest of them. Brandon gives up trying to figure it out and just enjoys the show. It's no time at all before they're pulling to the end of the path and the world they just traveled flickers once before going dark again.

  "That was so pretty!" Emily says. "You did great, Brandon!"

  "Um..." Brandon says, barely stopping himself from going invisible. "All I really wanted to do was ride through Christmas in the Park," he admits shyly. "This is all Mastermental--"

  "It's still your idea," Mastermental says, making them all look up. "This is an opportunity for me to apologize to you, and your brothers and sisters," he says as he slowly lands in front of them. "I should have found you earlier. Nothing I do now will make up for that fact, but I can at least help you make good memories. Thank you, Brandon, for giving me an opportunity."

  Brandon gives him a shy little grin. "Thank you," he say
s. "I mean, you're welcome? I guess?"

  "These bikes are capable of going as fast as you're capable of making them go," Liz says, butting in cheerfully. "Even you, Carla, although I DID break into the Hall's selection of experimental materials to pull it off. So, consider this MY Christmas gift to all of you!"

  "YEAH!" the group cheers.

  "Thank you, Firefly," Brandon says. "But--but really, neither of you had to go this far. I mean... I just wanted to go for a bike ride with friends," he says with a little shrug. "I don't mean I didn't like it, of course," he adds, quickly. "I just... thank you. It was um... above and beyond."

  "Brandon," Nico says, making all of them look up as their principal and Blackjack appear overhead. "On behalf of the ones that did it, you're welcome," Nico says. "Now, since I know you're all dying to try--everyone can ride their bikes home!" he declares to cheers. "The clearest path will be announced by your com bracelets, and Blackjack and I will be overhead if you need us."

  The group takes off, with Carla streaking into the distance even in front of the fastest of the rest. "You just HAD to make it as fast as she could make it go," Brandon hears Nico drawl before he races away at top speed.

  Brandon lets his little grin stay on his face long after both he and his bike go invisible.

  Advent Calendar - Day Thirteen

  *One Week Ago*

  "I've got nothing," Alyssa says, dropping down on her bed in a dramatic movement. "It's not like I can run around healing them. Can I just PASS on my day?"

  "No, you cannot just PASS on an Advent Calendar day," Aubrey says, sitting at Alyssa's desk and playing on her computer. "Why don't you think of something you can do--it doesn't have to be powered related."