Reindeer James

Chapter 4

James raced into a room lined with TVs and gaming consoles. Each one flashed with gameplay from the latest titles and a couple classics. He zoomed straight to a console with the latest in the Reindeer Games series beckoning to him like a plateful of freshly baked sugar cookies.

The Games were much more than just the setting of one of the North Pole's most popular video game series. They were a super famous series of events broadcast around the world every December. Hundreds of reindeer of all ages and their caretakers competed every year, but only the best and brightest competitors would be chosen to help deliver presents on Christmas Eve.

James and the rest of his family always got the best seats in the audience, but that could never hold a candle to participating in the Games themselves. The closest he'd ever gotten to that was playing that year's video game until his thumbs ached.

"Come on," Clarice said as she tugged his arm, "Susie's department is further in."

"Aw, can't I at least do one event?"

"If we wait much longer, there won't be any candy left in their break room. Besides, you can ask Dad to get you that next Christmas. It's just a prototype."

James pried himself away from the console and followed her deeper into the game lab.

They passed a room full of machines assembling VR headsets and another filled with elves testing controllers to make sure they worked properly. "That would be so boring," James said with a shudder. "Can you imagine doing nothing but pushing buttons all day? Thank goodness Susie's a playtester."

"Nick thinks you'd do well in there since you're apparently very good at pushing his buttons," Clarice said with a laugh. "And I don't think playtesting means what you think it does."

At last, they reached the Playtesting Department. James's eyes lit up at the sight of countless consoles as the sound of button mashing filled the air. His jaw achingly enormous smile quickly dropped as Susie, an elf with a forest of thick, wavy curls, ejected a game mere moments after starting the first level. "Do they even know how to play?" James whispered.

Clarice snorted. "Of course, but all they need to do is make sure the game works okay. They don't have time to play through everything, just enough to make sure nobody's greeted with glitches on Christmas."

Susie glanced over her shoulder and grinned at Clarice. "What brings you down here so early?" she said.

"The line's shut down. Again." Clarice snorted. "I swear they need to replace that stupid machine. Next thing you know, it'll start churning out mammoths instead of dinosaurs."

"Perfect time for a break, then." Susie set down her controller. "Come on, today's taste testing is all the way from Japan!"

Susie led them to a break room filled with sugar-speckled beanbag chairs. A rainbow of candies beckoned from between an anonymous feedback box and the hot chocolate dispenser. James scooped up a heaping handful of pale green candies.

"Careful," Clarice said as she plucked a single orange crystal, "you know you need to save room for dinner."

"Don't worry, I have a second stomach just for dessert." James tossed the candies into his mouth. Bitterness washed over his tongue as their soft centers burst. "Bleh! Green tea."

"I got ginger," said Clarice. "It's actually pretty good. I just don't think I'll be tasting much else for a while. This stuff is strong!"

Susie glanced up from nibbling a pale orange stick of Pocky. "Looks like I got the best one today. It's hard to beat peach."

They each took a moment to write down their feedback, with James scribbling "Gross!" in broccoli-green crayon.

At last, they each grabbed a mug of hot chocolate with Clarice taking hers plain, Susie adding a single jumbo marshmallow, and James burying a fistful of crushed peppermint under a mountain of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

"Yikes!" Susie said. "A whipped cream day, huh?"

"Nick's being a Scrooge again." James winced as the hot chocolate scalded his tongue. "He and Dad don't think I can do anything right."

"And boy are they wrong," Clarice said. "You were awesome in the Wrapping Department today!"

James beamed at her praise. "Thanks! I don't think I could have stood it for a second if I wasn't hanging out with you though. No offense, but wrapping presents is boooring."

"You know," Susie said between sips, "I bet you'd be a lot happier doing something more exciting. It's like how different characters have different strengths and weaknesses in video games. Not everyone is built for doing the same sort of work."

"Yeah, but it's not like I can do much about that." James sighed and sipped at his hot chocolate. "Dad's had me try a whole bunch of jobs, and I've sucked at all of them until now. I'm probably going to be stuck putting bows on presents for the rest of my life."

"Well, I can't force Santa to reassign you, but are you up for doing me a favor, at least?" Susie asked. "It should get you off the factory floor for the rest of today."

"Yes!" James sent a spray of hot chocolate shooting out of his mouth. "I mean, yes please," he said as Clarice wiped the offending beverage off her face.

"Great!" said Susie. "My brother works in the bakery, and he told me they might not have enough ingredients for Santa's nightly cookies if the reindeer don't bring them over soon. Could you please come with me to see what's taking them so long? I'd go by myself, but I bet they'd be more willing to get a move on if a Claus got involved."

"And I'd be a bit too distracted if I went with her," Clarice said sheepishly. She and Susie blushed at each other like a pair of Christmas lights.

James drained the last of his hot chocolate in one huge gulp. "Count me in!"