My Christmas Star ( A Santa Clause Story Ft Bernard x OC)

Chapter 5: Christmas Day

"Stella! Stella!"
"Mmmmm," I groaned.
"Stella! Get up, sleepy!"
"Noooooo," I moaned.
"Stella! Come on, get up! See all the neat toys!" Charlie yelled. I opened my eyes and rubbed them. I was back in my room. I sighed. Maybe it was just a dream...
"Errrrr," I groaned. Charlie then hit me in the head with a pillow.
"Get up, Grumpy. You got presents!" Charlie said as he shook me.
"Okay, okay," I grumbled. I sat up and stretched.
"Whoa. Did Judy get you those pajamas?" Charlie asked as he looked me up and down. I looked down and then realized I was wearing the pajamas that Judy gave me. So it was real!
"Yeah, she did," I said.
"You have to tell me what happened with you and Bernard. Tell me everything," Charlie said, eagerly. I giggled.
"Well, let's open presents first. Go wake Dad up and I'll meet you downstairs," I said as I got out of bed.
"Okay!" Charlie yelled in glee before he left my room. I got up and headed downstairs as Charlie yelled for dad. Most of the presents were opened.
I sat down by the tree and waited for Charlie and dad. Charlie came downstairs first.
"Go on, Stella. Open your presents," Charlie said with a smile as he grabbed a gift and handed it to me.
"This one's from me," said Charlie. I smiled and took the gift and started to tear it open. It was a Tamagotchi.
"Wow, thanks Charlie. I've been wanting one of these," said Charlie.
"You're welcome," Charlie said as he picked up another gift. Just then I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, quite fast. I looked to see a glimpsed of what seemed to be Dad going out the front door. I couldn't tell but it looked like he got a new pair of pajamas too.
"Here. This one is from mom," Charlie said as he handed me another gift. I opened it and it was a box. I opened the box and it was a green soccer jersey.
"Umm, mom knows that I don't play soccer, right?" I asked.
"Well, yeah. She made you a copy of the one I wear to my soccer games so you can show your support," Charlie replied.
"Oh. Okay, makes sense," I replied as I turned it over to admire it. I placed it down next to me and Charlie handed me another gift.
"This is from dad," Charlie said as he handed me another gift. Just then, dad came in, out of breath and sat down on the couch. Charlie and I got up to check up on him.
"Are you okay, Dad?" asked Charlie.
"Yeah. Just fine. Just fine," Dad replied.
"Are you having a heart attack? I know CPR," Charlie said, uneasily. Dad chuckled. He then looked at me up and down the same time I looked him up and down.
"Nice Pajamas," we said to each other in unison. Dad then looked down at the engraving on the breast of the pajamas.
"S.C.?" my dad questioned.
"Yeah, Santa Claus," Charlie replied. "Hey. Same initials as your name, Dad," Charlie said in realization. "Scott Calvin," Charlie traced the letters with his fingers.
"Mine have S.C. on it too," I said to Charlie.
"It must be for your name too! Stella Calvin," Charlie said as he pointed to the initials on my PJs. I nodded just as the doorbell rang. Charlie went to answer it.
"I guess it wasn't all a dream, dad. You're the big guy and I'm your assistant," I said to him.
"What?" Dad said in disbelief.
"--Oh, Charlie! Oh, merry Christmas, honey!" came my mother's voice. Ugh. "Did you have a good time?" mom asked.
"Great time! The best!" Charlie replied as he returned to the living room. My dad strolled Charlie's new scooter down the hallway. My mom laughed at him.
"Great. Oh-ho. Scott. Nice P.J.s. Very festive," my mom told my dad. I walked to the hallway to greet her, just out of instinct.
"Oh, I see Stella here is matching. Where did you get them?" my mom asked.
"I don't know," dad replied.
"Macy's," I replied, sarcastically.
"Nooo. Judy gave them to you," Charlie interjected.
"Judy. Really?" said mom.
"Yeah. We went to Macy's and a woman named Judy suggested them for us," I said.
"No, Stella, not Macy's. Up at the North Pole," Charlie corrected.
"Ah, one of Santa's little helpers," my mom replied in a somewhat playful tone.
"Last night, Dad, Stella and me went with the flying reindeer. It was really neat, Mom. Dad was Santa, and Larry showed me the workshop," Charlie rambled on as he gathered his gifts together.
"You know, where they make all the toys?"
"Gee, thanks for...keeping his feet on the ground," my mom said to my dad, sarcastically.
"You bet," my dad replied in the same tone. Charlie then came back with his sack of gifts.
"Honey, you go wait in the car for a minute, okay? I'll be right there," mom told Charlie.
"But, wait! Stella has to tell me what happened with her and Bernard!" Charlie said, looking at me.
"Bernard? Who's Bernard?" my mom asked, briskly.
"Uhhh..." I trailed.
"He's the head elf. He gave me a snow globe that comes to life!" Charlie said, excitedly.
"A snow globe. Wow, okay, um–"
"--Charlie, I'll tell you later, just go wait in mom's car," I said to Charlie.
"Oh, okay," Charlie sighed and my dad kissed him on the head.
"Merry Christmas," my dad said to Charlie.
"Bye, dad. Bye Stella. Thanks for a great night at the North Pole," Charlie called out to us.
"So, uh, what have you been telling him?" my mom asked. Before my dad could answer, I cut in.
"--Charlie and I are playing a game," I replied.
"A game?" my mom asked.
"Yeah, basically he turns any normal situation into a Christmas-y themed situation and my job is to try and keep it normal and whoever breaks first, wins," I explained.
"Um, okay. How long is this game supposed to last?" asked mom.
"Until one of us loses," I replied.
"So did a Judy really give you those pajamas?" my mom asked.
"Yup," I replied.
"Wait," my dad said in realization. He then grabbed Charlie's scooter and went outside. Mom and I exchanged looks and followed him.
"Charlie," said dad.
"Scott," said Neal.
"Hey, Dad," said Charlie.
"Nice Jammies," Neal said as my dad handed him the scooter.
"Thanks," my dad said before facing Charlie who was getting in the car.
"About what you said in the house. Who showed you the workshop?" Dad asked.
"The elf," Charlie replied as he buckled his seat belt.
"How'd I get the pajamas?" dad asked.
"I told you. Judy," Charlie replied as he fixed his seat belt.
"Oh, wait. Wait. Judy was the name of the waitress at the restaurant last night," Dad said in realization.
"The fact you remember that astonishes me," I said as I approached him.
"Some waitress gave you pajamas?" my mom asked.
"What's this all about?" Neal asked.
"Dad and Stella took me to the North Pole, and Larry showed me the workshop," Charlie replied.
"The North Pole," Neal said as he gave my dad an sarcastic smile.
"Yeah. Dad's the new Santa and Stella is his new assistant," Charlie replied. "The regular Santa fell off the roof, and Dad put on the suit."
"Charlie, we'll discuss this at home," Neal said to Charlie before he nodded to my mom. My dad closed Charlie's car door. Normally I would get defensive when Neal says something like that but I already knew that regardless of what he said to Charlie, Charlie wouldn't give in to Neal's mind game because I know Charlie believed in what he saw and so did I.
"The clause. The Santa Clause," my dad muttered as mom and Neal's car left.
"It's just a game. Stuff like that doesn't happen. It was a game. Come on!" My dad called after the car. Charlie stared at both of us through the window with a smile on his face.
"I don't even wear pajamas! Normally I sleep naked. Buck naked. Ha!" my dad yelled just as one of our neighbors passed by with her daughter.
"Morning, Mrs. McGloin. Mary Catherine," dad said to the neighbors.
"Eyes front, Mary Catherine," Mrs. McGloin told her daughter.
"Sometimes boxer shorts. You know–"
"Dad?" I said as we made our way up the front porch stairs.
"Yeah?"
"Stop talking."

The two of us went back inside.
"Stella, do you really believe what happened last night...happened?" asked dad.
"Don't the pajamas speak for themselves?" I asked as I made my way back to the tree.
"Wait, what's with that necklace?" Dad asked as he gestured to the silver Christmas Star necklace around my neck. "Who gave that to you?"
"Bernard," I replied as I sat down in front of the tree and grabbed a present.
"Bernard?" Dad replied.
"Yeah. Once you and Charlie went with Judy, Bernard took me to a dressing room to give me a manual on becoming your assistant, get my measurements, and gave me this necklace," I replied.
"He what?" Dad asked in disbelief. I then checked my person for the manual and I eventually found it in the breast pocket. I took it out and showed it to him. He flipped through it and shook his head in disbelief.
"Wait, it's saying you're going to get sick then grow elf ears?" dad asked in disbelief.
"Don't worry, dad. As soon as I feel something as small as an itchy throat I'll go back to mom and let her deal with it," I said with a small chuckle.
"No. Stella. This isn't something I want you to get yourself into. You could end up in the hospital," dad said, concerned. "Well then I'll make sure the hospital bill goes to mom," I said, cheekily.
"No, that's not the point, Stella. I'm not going to tolerate you getting sick for the next what–" Dad checked the manual. "Three months. You'll miss school, you won't graduate–"
"--Dad, I'll be fine. I'll just play catch-up and besides. None of that is going to matter anyways. I accepted a contract. We both did. And whether you accept or not is on you. But don't be surprised when your hair starts turning white and you start to gain weight," I said before I grabbed a present and opened it. It was a Discman.
"Sweet," I said to myself.
"Well, what about that necklace? Why did Bernard give that to you, huh?" my dad asked in a mock tone when he said Bernard's name.
"Well, the transformation from human to elf will be difficult so this necklace will signal either Bernard or another elf to come tend to me," I replied.
"Tend to you?" Dad questioned. I shrugged.
"That's what he told me," I replied.
"Oh yeah? Signal it right now and let's see if he or another elf comes," Dad said as he crossed his arms.
"Not until I'm sick and miserable," I replied as I placed the Christmas star charm inside my shirt. My dad sighed.
"Just finish opening your presents," he said with a sigh. I sighed and grabbed another gift. It was from Neal. Ugh. I opened it and it was a sweater. Almost like the ones he wears.
"Hey, dad! Get a load of this!" I said as I held up the sweater.
"Jeez, it's like Neal is trying to make you and Charlie his clones. First Charlie learns all these phrases from him and now he's giving you his sweaters," Dad said, half-heartedly. I laughed.
"Don't worry, dad. Ain't no way in hell am I wearing this," I said as I threw the sweater aside.

Once I was finished opening my gifts, I placed them in my room. Dad and I then got dressed for the day and we both decided it would be nice to have a movie marathon of Christmas movies. Usually he complained or made fun of the Christmas movies but, this time he just sat still and watched them as we drank hot cocoa, which was definitely a surprise. We then decided to go ice skating at the lake, which was something I loved to do. We then tried the whole Christmas dinner thing again, this time I made the food since we wanted to avoid a second performance of last night.

This was definitely a different Christmas than the ones I've had in the past and I knew they would never be the same again.