Theater Cubicles

An Idea for the Holidays

The winter break was going as restful as I had hoped. With nothing like homework and rehearsals to worry about to worry about, my mind was at peace as I binge watched old tv shows online. Complete with fuzz, holiday-themed socks, hoodies, sweats and warm drinks, there was nothing better than relaxing on my bed with my laptop or a book. Currently, being that I had finished all my other books and was waiting to stop by the book store, I was re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird. That is, until my mother called me from downstairs.

"Oh, Juliette!" she called with a fake French accent she knew I couldn't compete with, "Come hither and help me with some preparations!"

That's what happened when you taught a class of French Cultural Anthropology each semester. The brain was washed. 

Overjoyed by the idea of participating in holiday festivities, I jumped off my bed and ran down. Bored with the character Mayella miserably failing at lying, I was eager to help my parents with making a meal. One of my favorite things was to help my mom and dad around the house. Learning and cooking new recipes was my great source of family time and, might I add,  fairly entertaining with two clowns as parents. Mom messing up recipes when baking and dad unable to fix the broken things around the house was quite the laugh.

"You're here. Come help me with this menu. It's going to be the three of us this year so let's try some different things," my mom said handing me a list of food items on holiday themed stationary.

I read it out loud, "Stuffing, Holiday Wreath Salad, Non- Alcoholic Mimosas, Holy-iday Guacamole, Chicken Salad, Leg of Lamb, and Pumpkin Bread a la mode for dessert... this sounds like a feast for the three of us."

"Well, you know my doctrine," my mother signaled me to quote her. 

"'Try new recipes alone so they're not a fiasco with guests. Yet, don't expect it to be as good when you make it for them,'" I said lengthily. 

"It's going to hold us over if we're going to be having a Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life marathon," my dad said.

"Honey, you ruined it! Well, there goes the surprise..." my mom rolled her eyes.

"Wait, what surprise," I inquired eagerly.

"We bought you the box set for your present. Here you go..." my dad said picking up a box I had been eyeing from under the tree for five days now.

About to rip off the wrapping paper, I regained my maturity and proclaimed, "I'm old enough to be patient now. I'm in high school after all."

"You're getting old too fast. You're still my little baby," he teased taking my under his arm, "What is this I hear about your new boyfriend?"

"Dad, no. I'm not having this conversation and ruining the mood."

"And what liberty do you believe you are endowed with to make such an end to a conversation. He's a senior?"

"Remind me again why you dropped law school? You're so talented with slamming someone with well-worded, stumping questions. Also, mom, why do you have to go around telling dad everything?"

"There are no secrets in this family," was her simple answer. 

I thought by acting maturely I would receive some Brownie points. Instead a subject was opened that I'd been trying to avoid for days. Obviously, it was eating him up this whole time.

"Seriously, nothing is serious. The Academy only changed me for the better. I am advancing myself in what I want to pursue, I am more confident now, and I'm actually social. Would you rather go back to the old days where everyday I was either quiet or crying in my room?" 

"No, sweetie. That's the last thing we want to see. It's just that I can't believe a school would change you so much. The changes are for the better but, well, there are a lot of them. In a semester I'm afraid I might have lost my Juliette."

"That's not the case. My heart is the same old Juliette you know and love for fifteen years now. Mom can vouch for that."

"When I was your age, in the year of 1979, I did not think of dating anyone. In fact, the idea made me want to pee my pants it was so intimidating. It was customary to eat dinner with ones family and all... let's just say I was a bit of a nerd," my father explained.

I could imagine. The person standing in front of me was a college professor with dark rimmed glasses. My parents had met each other when they stared being teacher's aids in the same college after they had graduated. Sociology 101. Ironic... 

"And so my dear were the olden days. You should know considering how much you love the movies of my time."

"You know the way you put it dad," I said as I started mashing up some avocados, "I really don't like old movies now."

"What? I spent all that money for nothing?" he exclaimed.

"Honey!" my mother eyed him furiously.

"I was just kidding dad," I said as I reached over to give him a hug, my hands in the air with guacamole on them.

"We love you, you know Juliette? You're our only child so we want to protect you."

"I know, dad."

---

The next morning, when I woke up and took a look at my phone, the date said December 24th. It was Christmas Eve at last! The radio downstairs was playing the song White Christmas. Outside my window there was no snow as always. Another California green Christmas. Instead the sun was shining and the weather was somewhere around 60 degrees fahrenheit. I decided to call Germaine.

"Hi, Juliette!"

"Hi, Germaine. I just wanted to call you and wish you a Merry Christmas Eve. I know its going to be pretty hectic tomorrow and all."

"Aww, thanks for calling. How are things going?"

"Alright as always. It just feels weird, you know? I don't have any obligations. No homework, no lines, no rehearsals to be at... I feel guilty to be just sitting around." 

"Hello! Nerd in the house!"

"Okay, you're not in my house."

"Your technicality is nerdy which proves my point."

"Why are you trying to prove anything? I called you to wish you a Merry Christmas?"

"Okay! Seesh! Calm down. Wow, you've been deprived of my humor so you can't even get my jokes."

 "Goodbye!" I said playfully.

"Bye, Juliette," she said in a girly tone.

I hung up my phone. Debating whether I should be calling Nolan, I simply texted him. There's was something a little less awkward and a little more awkward when voice wasn't involved in communication.

Me: Merry Christmas Eve and Happy Holidays!

Nolan: typing

For a long time I waited for his reply. Had I said something wrong while we were texting throughout break? Questions raised in my head making me re-trace all the steps I had taken the past five days. However, ten minutes later I gave up in a rather dismal mood.

---

At around three o'clock in the afternoon, I received a call. Running upstairs to my phone, the called ID read Nolan. Slightly overwhelmed by the fact that my heart was beating at a more accelerated rate since Nolan had never called me before, I answered.

"Hello?" Nolan said in a tone that sounded extremely depressed.

"Nolan... What's wrong?"

A/N: Cliffhanger! Read on to find out what's next! I love to see votes and comments so make sure to leave those if you liked this chapter filled with Holiday cheer in the middle of August.