Tangled In Lights

A/N - Merry (early) Christmas too all of you! This is my short story entry for Stella's Christmas contest. And some of you might recognize the one last name from the summary ;) I hope you all enjoy and have a happy holiday! :) xx

“But Mommy, I want to see Santa now,” the small red-headed child below me urged, pulling at her mother’s jacket sleeve.

“I know, sweetheart. Just a few more minutes and then we’ll be able to see him.” The poor woman tried her hardest to smile, but even from a quick glance the way her lips were shaped did not portray a joyful glow.

“Mommy, now!” she bellowed, her strawberry curls bouncing against her puffy winter coat as she jumped on her toes with impatience.

The woman was three people down the line, noting that the waiting time would still most likely be another twenty or so minutes. I tried to pretend like I was working on fixing a candy cane that had fallen out of place in the mess of faux grass as she looked over her shoulder at me. This was it, the moment of truth on every single Christmas Eve.

“Excuse me,” she whispered softly once. I pretended I didn’t hear her until she tapped on my shoulder to get my full attention this time. Holding in an exasperated sigh, I turned my head to face her. The bell at the end of my green hat chimed against my back.

“Yes?” I asked, putting on my well-practiced fake smile as she started to think up a good excuse to get moved to the front of the line. I knew exactly what she was going to say before the words even left her mouth. She wasn’t the first parent to conjure up some sick idea to simmer the impatience in their budding three year old.

“I was wondering if there was any way we could get moved to the front of the line faster,” she whispered to me once again, casting a glance behind me to make sure the other parents behind her hadn’t heard what she said.

My eyes were about to roll into the back of my head, but I quickly regained my composure as I recited the policy-line we were told to give to every parent when this question arose. I was so used to running the line around this time of year that it became second nature as the words left my lips.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could help. But it wouldn’t exactly be fair to the other parents who are miles behind you. If I let you and your daughter butt in line then I’ll have to do the same once the rest of the people in line see what’s going on. There are only two more kids in front of you, I’m sure the wait won’t be long,” I smiled reassuringly as her fake-joy simmered almost immediately.

All she did was nod curtly at me before turning back around to her daughter. “Ignorant children these days. I hate this holiday.”

Well ba-freaking-humbug to you, too.

This time I let my eyes do their thing as I turned back to the mess the children from the earlier hour had created. Stationing an artificially snow-covered house made for a Santa Claus that was probably wishing he was drinking his holiday sorrows away was probably not the brightest idea this commercialized holiday had come up with. Being placed in the center of the city’s largest shopping mall during Christmas Eve just beckoned for a messy situation that me and the other fellow elves would have to clean up later. Between the hundreds of toddler-aged children running to Santa and bull-dozing our plastic reindeer and the teenagers who strode past us throwing trash all over Santa’s faux lawn, there was never room for a break.

And there was nothing I wanted more than a break.

Finn had come by earlier in the day, pestering me to skip my lunch break so I could leave earlier in the night to meet up with him. Normally, I’d take what I could get when it came to my best friend’s time. Between my busy holiday work schedule and his varsity basketball games, neither one of us seemed to have time for each other since winter break had started. And I sort of regretted being a bit short with him when he’d asked if we could hang out.