posted on 16-Dec-2001 7:38:04 PM
Title: ( I haven't come up with a title yet)
Rating: G / PG
Author's Notes: This story's AU. Michael and Liz are brother and sister and Kyle's their cousin. The rest is pretty much the same except for the fact that Tess isn't a blonde haired little b*tch and this happens when they're all 8 years old. Max, Michael, Isabel, and
Tess are still aliens.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything so don't sue!

Going Christmas Crazy * Max POV *
"This tree sucks. C'mon, we gotta get a better one!"

She's only heard about Christmas for a day and she's already going crazy over it. Yeah, that blonde haired psycho looking for a perfect tree is unbelievably my sister, Isabel. See we got stuck on picking out a tree while Mom and Dad are out shopping for some decorations to put around the house.

Oh great now people are staring at us. Does she not know the embarrasment she's putting me through at this moment?

"Max, let's go. Will you stop standing around. We've still got..." Blah. Blah. Blah.

Sometimes tuning out your sister is the best thing to do.

People are now staring even harder at Isabel running around tugging at my arm and poking fun at the trees that don't fit her category of perfect.

Why again did Mom and Dad have to tell her about Christmas?!

Not that I'm complaining. The presents that they've *hidden* sure look great, but Isabel is making this hell... I meant heck... heck! I don't curse.

"Max are you paying ATTENTION?!"

Noooooooooo. That's why I am looking at you and listening to what you're saying, stupid.

I don't say that out loud of course, she might do some damage to me.

"Sure."

"No you weren't! You weren't paying attention."

Then why'd you ask?

I just stare at her and the tree next to her.

"Can we get that one?"

"No."

She turns around and looks through more trees.

"Wow Evans, you take orders from a girl!"

I clench and unclench my fist as I turn around to come face to face with Kyle Valenti. Did I mention I completely hate him?

"Kyle quit it. Will you just pick out a tree and get on with it?"

The person who yelled at Kyle comes into view and I think I've lost my voice and my head all at once.

"Hey Max."

Liz Valenti, Kyle's cousin, gives me one of these killer grins as she tugs at Kyle's sleeves. Not only does she have the nicest smile in this entire universe. She's got those... Evans get a grip.

"H-hi."

I am such a dork when I come anywhere near her. It's like my brain turns into mush, my thoughts have all blanked out and I can't move.

"Hey guys I found the perfect tree!"

"Nuh-uh Michael I found it first!"

And here we go. Round one. Ding ding ding. Michael and Isabel can never get within two feet of each other without getting into some sort of argument. Actually, Michael's like that with everyone except his cousin and his sister.

"Michael c'mon there are other trees here."

Liz gives her brother a look as she tries to get him away from Isabel. Isabel and Micahel look ready to get into an argument.

"NO! I found this tree."

"I found it first!"

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not. Did not. Did not."

"Did too times infinity."

"Did not times infinity times two!"

"GUYS!"

Liz and I try break up the fight and avoid the eyes that seem to be glued on us while Kyle has a blast watching the whole argument. Much help he is.

Mom and Dad are gonna get so mad at me and Izzy.

Somehow between all that did not's and did too's that flew around and Liz and I screaming at the both of them to be quiet, Liz lost her balance and we both ended up on the ground.

Her on top of me and my arms around her waist. I swear they just ended up there, like a reflex. I just kept it there longer cuz it felt nice...

Did you know her hair is really soft and it's nice color shade of brown? And... OK I need to get a grip, but wow. If Christmas is like this every year, I won't mind having Isabel screaming about the perfect tree anymore.

Kris Kringle * Liz POV*

School sucks.

The old lady who's our teacher sucks even more!

Don't blame me for how my mind works, blame it on my imaginary friend. Yes, I know I'm a little to old for those type of things, but I swear I had one when I was like five. He cursed up a storm and hated everyone. He was the coolest.

"I'm giving you each a slip of paper to write your name on. Then you'll put it int his pail and we'll pass it around the class. Does everybody get that?"

Don't you hate it when morons ask you if you understood what they said? It's like they think your IQ is in the negatives.

Everybody drops their names in the pail and when that ugly puke yellow colored pail reaches me. I pull out a piece of paper.

Max.

Of all the people in the class I get him. I'm not complaining. Just wondering why my luck seems to be good today.

"Who'd you get?"

I turn around to face Max Evans, the only boy, other than Kyle and Michael, but they don't count cuz they're family, in class who doesn't seem to care that the other guys think girls have cooties. He's got these really nice amber eyes and we're pretty good buds. We're friends, and I completely did not think twice about his arms around me when I had fallen on top of him.

Nope. We're good friends.

You are convinced right? If not to hel- HECK with you

"Michael." I pull of my best innocent look and stare at him hard.

"Ummm... Tommy."

His eyes fall onto th ceiling. He's lying, but I won't ask him again. Nah, I'll just wait and see who he got. I'll wait and be patient...

"So who'd you really get."

"Kyle."

He's lying again cuz now he's staring at the desk top and avoiding my gaze. Now he's drawing circles on it with his finger. Yea, Evans, totally smooth. NOT. Well, two can play this game.

"I lied too."

His eyes get big and he stares at me for a while. I give him my best trademark Valenti smirk.

"Who'd you get?"

His voice is a small whisper.

"Did everybody get a name?"

I turn around to look at the teacher holding up the empty pail. No, idiot, someone ate up all the paper that's why it's empty.

Who hires these teachers?

"You'll just have to wait til the last day of school."

I smirk at him for about a few more seconds before turning around. He taps on my shoulder a couple of times, but I don't turn around.

This is going to be so much fun.

"Alright children we're going to practice the play again so put your things away."

Did she have to go and ruin my fun?!
---
Leave feedback or I probably won't continue the story.


[ edited 4 time(s), last at 23-Dec-2001 10:20:23 AM ]
posted on 18-Dec-2001 6:35:04 PM
Thanks for the great feedback *big*

Santa Michael * Michael's POV*

I look like those stupid fat guys and I look even stupider in this red suit. To sum it up I look like the moron who sits in the mall and asks people what they want for Christmas.

"You look so adorbale Michael." Mrs. Smith gushes as she dresses me up in the stupid Santa suit for the stupid Christmas concert this stupid school is holding.

Who made up Christmas anyway? Certainly, not us ailens.

Maria DeLuca, the girl I completely hate, just stares at me while trying not to hide her laughter.

"What are you laughing at MRS. CLAUS?!"

I glare at her hard in her stupid little costume and she shuts herself up.

I hate this play. It's so idiotic and stupid and so not me, but somehow I got voted to be Santa Claus.

I hate democracy.

"I think someone needs to go to Weight Watchers." Max mutters as he passes by in his elf costume.

People think he's a helpless little... um boy. He's not. He's got this evil dark side!

"Evans you think you can signal in some cable with those ears of yours?" I mutter right back.

He glares at me through the side of his eyes. He hates being teased for his rather large ears. I think that's why the teacher picked him as one of the elf. One less pointy ears to make.

Mrs. Smith sits back and tells me to stand at my floor spot. Right next to Rudolph, who's played by Alex Whitman. Alex isn't that bad, but I just can't help being sarcastic to just about everybody. It's like stamped into my alien encoded genes.

"Whitman, the red-nosed reindeer." I sang under my breath while getting a glare from Alex as the teacher raised the curtain.

"Alex Whitman turn around!"

Snickers come up from around me and I give a tiny bow right before my teacher starts screaming again.

Now I know why Liz never answers right away when I call her. She's gone deaf through all these screamings.

"Michael Valenti, do you want to play Santa Claus or not?!"

My ears. My ears. My ears!

"No ma'am."

She shoots me this look and turns around. See she can't afford to loose cute adorable ol' me since the show is tonight.

More laughs come in my section and even Max is grinning.

See, I'm funny.

"Start from the beginning again!!"

She points over at Tess Harding, that blonde haired blue eyed girl who's suppose to be stage manager and NOT making googly eyes at Kyle.

She's got this crush on him so huge it's not even funny.

Kyle blushes when the teacher gives him a mean look as she notices that he was the reason that Tess wasn't paying attention to anything.

"Kids, kids pay attention!"

I think she's trying to break the sound barrier.

"I think I've gone deaf."

Maria grins at me and turns back to face the teacher.

"If you've gone deaf, think about poor Max. He's got much larger ears. The receptions a little louder!" I mumbled back.

Maria starts laughing softly, but it gets louder when I point to Max and then my ears.

"Maria. Get down that stage right now!"

Maria quiets down and shoots me an annoyed look.

"Stupid Michael." She mutters in under her breath, but that girl is loud the whole stage can here her!

Today's gonna be so fun if like just about everyday since I've been on this planet, she's gonna try to get me back for getting her into trouble.

---
TBC??

scifidreamer: um about them growing up in the fic... I dunno yet. I was just gonna do this whole thing for Christmas and stop it there.





posted on 20-Dec-2001 3:53:12 PM
Wow, thanks for the awesome feedback. You guys are great.

pandas2001: This part wil answer your question
TD Dreamer Behr: They're 8 years old in the story
scifidreamer: If I find some time to write up a follow up story, it'd probably have the basic plotline with my own twist.


Payback * Maria's POV*
Michael's walking around on the stage like a dork as he says a couple of his lines while leading the 9 "reindeers" around.

Must say from this angle, he does look like he needs to give Jenny Craig a call.

You know how the poem goes, Santa's belly shakes like a bowl full of jelly? Well in Michael's case, the teacher went a little overboard, the costume's a size to big, and it shakes like a "bowl full of jelly" almost everywhere,

How does Santa get down all those chimney's anyway, if he's so fat? You know there are those really small chimneys in the world. I'm not complaining though, s'long as I get my presents, I don't care if he tries squeezing that stomach of his down something like a small vent.

Michael walks around a couple more times and sticks his tongue out at Max who's giving Liz that longing look again while Liz tries not to look over her shoulder at him.

Everybody knows Max and Liz have crushes on each other, which is really nasty. Guys have cooties and they're jerks, just like Michael, who I'm gonna get back so bad later.

Max leans over " unobviously" and whispers something to Liz who's standing in front of him in her own little elf costume.

Liz looks back at him and shrugs while Max just looks at her before he leans back in to "whisper" something to her. It's not exactly whispering. I mean, sure he's saying something to her, but by the look on his face, he's also smelling her hair. He's so obvious about it. The only thing is, Liz is a little unperceptive with these things so she can't exactly tell.

Kids these days!

"Maria turn around!"

Mrs. Smith glares at me and points towards the white wall I'm supposed to be staring at.

Stupid teacher.

You know her and Mickey compete for the number one spot in my Death List.

Being in time-out stinks. All I ever do is stare at the stupid wall and think about why I hate the teacher and Michael so much.

"That was great." The teacher claps like it's one of those great plays playing in Manhattan that people are always talking about or one of those Hollywood movies that receive so many Oscar nominations.

She's a liar of course. That play is absolutely... s- trash.

I walk back to class and to the cafeteria in silence while staring at the back of Michael's head wishing that my eyes somehow had lasers and they burned through him!

Michael's not gonna know what hit him today, though. No. Today is gonna be the day I finally win a battle!

"Hey pixie, who said you could sit here?" Michael stares at me as I sit right across from him.

"It's a free country."

Michael just glares at me while he stares at the junk the cafeteria people call food. It looks more like brown gooey stuff mixed with oher multi-colored gooey stuff.

He shoves the poison into his mouth and grins at me while I make gagging noises.

How can someone eat cafeteria lunch?!

It's like shoving puke down your throat!

"Stop."

"Don't like it, get out."

"Make me."

You know how I said guys are jerks? Well they're also nasty too.

Kyle gets the message and shoves a spoonful of the goo into his mouth along with Michael.

"Yum."

"Well if you two like it so much why don't you get mine?"

Without even thinking about what I was doing, I took a spponful of it and dumped it on Michael's head while he stared at me speechless.

I reach into that thing he calls a "masterpiece" of a hair and smush the whole thing in with all that gel he puts on everyday.

His hair is the one thing that he cares about more than life itself. You touch it, you end up on the floor cuz Michael will body slammed onto the ground WWF Smackdown style. He will die for his hair, but the sad thing is that that thing is trash.

Before Michael or Kyle can even react I take off into the direction of anywhere away from them.

Wohoo. Score one for Hurricane DeLuca! Who's the greatest? Who's the...

SLAM

I slam into Mrs. Smith right before I can reach the girl's bathroom and that old lady isn't looking so happy. She looks like one of those bitter old ladies right now with her hands on her hips and her eyes looking narrowed down you can barely see it.

Uh-oh.

Michael and Kyle slam into me and she turns her evil gaze onto them.

"SHE DID IT."

Way to go, guys. Blame it on the innocent one!

I give Mrs. Smith the most innocent look I can come up with as she starts on her rant.

"Young lady-"

"I can... There's an explana.... Sometimes my brain gets disconnceted from everything else." I mumbled lamely.

If you're listening to this Santa, I swear it was all Michael's fault!

---
TBC???
posted on 21-Dec-2001 8:15:34 PM
Thanks for the feedback *big*

pandas2001: Um... I can't say... I was going to try to make him overprotective of her, but I remembered how little boys are not the most perceptive bunch... like that kid I babysit. Maybe if I write a follow up, I'll make him more overprotective of her...
scifidreamer: smartassiness? I like! *big* Anyway, if I have time, I guess I'll see if I could work my way up, but it's hard with school and everything.

Author's Note: OK I wrote these in a rush since I've been trying to get it out before all the hell of the holiday season catches up so it probably will seem like crap... well on with the story.

Problems Walking Home * Kyle POV*
"So what happened?"

I turn to look at Maria trying to wipe off that smirk on my face that's dying to come out as she trudged along with the group.

The thing I wonder about everyday is how all 8 of us are still alive. Alex, Isabel, Tess, Liz, Max, Michael, Maria , and me. We're all enemies, yet, we all walk home the same way. We all stay at Maria's place afterschool everyday.

And to my horror... some kids actaully think we're friends. Not just friends BEST friends.

"Hey shorty tell Auntie A I'm hanging out with my friends." Sean DeLuca, Maria's annoying 10-year-old cousin yells as he passes by our group with his friends.

Maria just ignores him and keeps on glaring at Michael and me. Hey it's not me that ratted her out. It was my conscience. I swear it was! It started yelling at me, telling me the truth shall set you free, and know what it did...

... and got Maria into deep trouble!

"You two are going down!"

"Keep saying that and maybe, just maybe it'll come true." Michael grins.

"NOT!"

We slap high-fives as we walk across the street still laughing at Maria. We're not mean. We're not! Just SOMETIMES we seem to lack a conscience. It's sad really.

"Shut up!"

"Maria, did you hear me?!"

Both DeLuca's scream at the same time.

I wonder how those two live with each other without having any ear plugs or having to need hearing aids.

"I heard you!" Maria snaps at Sean before storming past everyone and walking quickly towards her home.

"What crawled up her ass?" Sean muttered walking away rolling his eyes.

I will never understand those two, and I hopefully will never because they just scare me.

"Don't you two feel bad?!" Liz glares at both me and Michael.

I am so not gonna say sorry to Maria even if Liz glares at Michael and me all day cuz my cousin is just another girl. Just another kid I am never gonna listen too...

"Fine we'll say sorry, right Kyle?"

"Yeah."

Why is it Michael is bringing me down with him?! Alright, so I've always been nicer to Liz than anyone else just cuz she's been my best friend since forever, but ever since Michael entered our lives last September, I've been doing it more often.

I even said sorry twice this month!!!!!

It's time he, (OK, OK me too!) finally learns how to unwrap himself from Liz's little finger.

Michael mutters something under his breath as he kicks a couple of rocks on the ground.

"You two better be nice about it."

Michael glares at Isabel, " Nobody asked you Christmas Nazi."

You can just see Isabel's ears smoke up as Michael and her have a little stare down.

"What... what did you call me?" Isabel steps up to Michael.

Fight. Fight. Fight!

This is gonna be entertaining!

"Michael c'mon."

Liz grabs him by the arm and pulls him hard.

"Isabel, he's not worth it."

Alex gets there before Max can and tugs her arm.

"Christmas Nazi, wanna make somethin' of it?! It fits you, too, ya know. You try make everything perfect and making everybody misrable as you go on your little warpath of perfection."

Michael pretends to shoot everybody and falls down on the lawn behind him pretending to have died.

"Michael c'mon, leave her alone."

"Is it my fault that I want everything perfect?! Is it Max?!"

Max has already backed away a certain distance and is on the porch of Maria's house standing next to Maria with panic in his eyes.

Smart boy.

I'm pretty sure if he stayed, he wouldn't be standing there and breathing.

"Isabel c'mon he's just teasing you."

Tess tries to get in front of Isabel before she could lunge at Michael while Liz pulls Michael off the lawn as he laughs his butt off.

"C'mon you gotta admit it's funny."

He grins at Liz and tries to get her to laugh by tickling her, but she just frowns at him and steps back.

"You know if you act bad you won't get any presents for Christmas?"

So that's why Liz, who's just as evil as Michael and I has stopped with the pranks.

I swear she's a little psycho!

"Don't believe in Christmas, much, especially Santa." Michael shrugs while 3 jaws drop down to the ground.

But it is true. Santa's just as unreal as aliens.

"Hey kids you don't want to keep your backpacks on when you go to the mall will you?" Mrs. DeLuca grins coming out of the house, completely unawawre of the fight that almost took place on her lawn.

Mall? Santa? Wohoo!

Oh boy will this be fun. I get to meet a jolly old fat man and sit on his lap!

... I was sorta being sarcastic!

Meeting Santa * Tess POV*
The line to meet that old fat guy with a red suit is longer than the line at the Toy Store!

What's so great about him anyway? Sure he gives out a billion presents on Christmas and he seems nice, but he looks sorta.... evil.

If this guy was so popular how come Sara's never mentioned him anyway?

Sara Harding is my foster mother for the time being. I might get switched soon or even adopted, though.

She's always talking about how much Christmas is the best time of the year. She's sorta cool like that.

"Santa must be busy with one of his ho, ho, ho's!" Kyle says in a sing-song voice as Santa disappears in the elf house behind his seat for the second time that day.

Liz smacks him on the back of his head and gives him a look before she turns to her brother who's picking on Max again.

His excuse for teasing Max? And I quote, " Cuz he was staring at Liz too long!"

Where you ask is Mrs. DeLuca through all of this?

Well we said she could trust us while she did a "little" Christmas shopping... She's been gone for 30 minutes now.

"What are YOU gonna ask America's Most Favorite jolly man?"

"Kyle, buzz off."

I give him a look before trying to concentrate on whatever Maria and Isabel are talking about to keep my mind occupied.

Yes I know I'm somewhat of a moron. Here is the guy I've liked since I saw him ( OK I only liked him cuz he was the first to say hi to me) and he's actually talking to me about something. What do I do? I tell him to buzz off.

I loose my mind when I'm around him. Everything seems to go haywire and my mind draws a complete blank!

"Alright, doll." He gives me this weird grin and puts his arm around me.

He's lost it.

"Kyle get off!"

He just laughs his head off and stares at Santa again with this weird look before making starting up another scene.

"C'mon ya fatso, hurry it up!"

"Kyle shut up!"

Alex glares at him before walking up closer to the front of the line and goes on to talking with Max.

We wait a couple more minutes before the eight, well 5 out of 8 of us run up to the man in the red suit as fast as they can.

"One at a time." The grumpy elf glares at all eight of us.

"He's fat enough to fit all eight of us!" Michael argues stepping up to fit the elf twice his size.

Aren't elves s'ppose to be tiny little things?

Santa doesn't seem to happy and lets Maria get on his lap first while the grumpy elf tells us to get back onto the front of the line.

"Were you good this year?"

And guess what that spitfire mutters.

"Yup."

Ri-ight. We all believe ya there Maria!

I have to wait another 15 minutes for my go on his lap and tell him what I want. Let's see there's Kyle, then maybe that new doll I saw at the toy store, and then maybe...

"Were you a good little girl this year?"

I haven't lived through the whole year, fatso!

Great Kyle's rubbin' off on me.

"Yup."

"What would you want Santa to give you this Christmas?"

"A family."

Where did that come from?!

"Well, I think I can pull a few strings to make that happen."

He grins at me, gives me a candy cane and before that little elf can take a picture I jump off and run.

I think it was instinct because right when I got off, Kyle threw something at the guy and took of the same way I was going. Before soon all 8 of us were running down elevators and up and down the 5 floors of the mall.

BOOM

We slam into two people and shopping bags scatter around us.

"Where are you eight going in such a hurry?"

Uh-oh.

I stare up at Mrs. DeLuca's green eyes that are exactly the same like Maria's and over at Sara who was the other person we had bumped into.

"No good reason."

"Hey kiddo how was Santa?"

Sara grins at me while she helps collect the shopping bags on the floor.

"Great. I asked him for a family, and since Santa can do anything. I'm getting a new family!"

She stares at me before dropping all the bags back on the floor and marching back towards Santa.

"Where are you going?"

She looks ready to rip someone apart!

"I wanna see how fast Santa can run!"

Um... isn't there a law against this?
---
TBC??

posted on 23-Dec-2001 10:17:13 AM
Thanks to everybody who left feedback for the story *big* I posted the last three parts of the story since I don't know if I'll be around much in the next few days.

The Christmas Nazi Strikes Again *Isabel POV*
I knew it! We spent too much time at the mall! Walking around doing nothing could've been used for checking light bulbs, decorating the tree, decorating the house, and the other million things to do!

"All hail the Christmas Nazi."

I give Max an evil look as I pass by to check up on his work. He somehow thinks that nickname is funny. I will tear him apart is he wasn't doing something to make Christmas perfect!

He's checking every single bulb for me. EVERY SINGLE ONE!

All I want is to be normal! All I want is a perfect Christmas! Can't anyone give it to me?!

"Don't call me that!"

"Oh my god, Isabel I think one of the decorations just fell."

I look around frantically for it. Nothing should ruin this Christmas! Nothing! Besides it's my first. It should be perfect!

Max falls on his butt in laughter when he sees that I fell for it.

"Can I go watch football with Dad now?"

"WHAT?!"

Dad's suppose to be putting up the lights Max already checked and NOT watching football!

Where is he?!

"DADDY!"

Run up the stairs one at a time. Breathe, Isabel, breathe. There is still 5 days before Christmas. 5 days should be enough.

Dad is in his room watching football and eating chips. Is this some sort of joke?!

"Daddy, aren't you gonna put up the lights?"

"I will honey."

"But we only have 5 days left."

"The game's-"

"MOMMY!"

Call me spoiled, but I am going to get that perfect Christmas! I want my family to be happy and have the best Christmas they ever had!

Mom comess running in all out of breath followed by a grinning Max.

"The lights..."

I stick out my bottom lip, pretend to almost, yada, yada. Before I know it, my father's on a ladder putting up the lights.

I told you just a couple more steps before this perfect Christmas is complete.

"Lower. Lower. NO higher. Higher. No Daddy that's too high."

Max's snickering can be heard from outside.

"Isabel!"

"OK, OK. Just a little lower."

"To your left!"

"No Dad! Your other left!"

"ISABEL!"

Max's laughter can definitely be heard out here!

"Alright I checked them all Iz!"

He comes out running with the lights unknotted and with a smirk on his face. He's up to something. I can feel it! He's up too something!

"Is this fine, Max?"

"Don't ask me, ask the Christmas Nazi!"

Dad starts laughing.

Am I the only one who doesn't find something funny about it?!

"That's perfect Dad. Now all you need is to hang this up on the roof."

"Isabel I-"

"It's gotta be a perfect Christmas!"

"Where's the longer ladder Max?"

"In the garage."

Max takes off in the direction of the garage and 2 hour of yelling and screaming later, the lights are up!

Finally!

"Mom c'mon we're turning the lights on!"

Max screams while he runs in to get Mom.

It's not until five minutes later when we can turn the lights on.

"Drum roll please."

"There's no drum."

"Just turn on the lights Philip, it's cold!"

"Alright, alright."

Max stays quiet with a smile on his face.

That boy is up to something!

5...4...3..2...1

The lights turn on and it looks great. Perfect...

... That is until I heard that POP . The sound of one lightbulb popping means all the lights are about to go KABOOM too! And they do!

I am gonna kill Max.

In between Max's gasp for air as he laughs his head off, he managed to understand why I was giving him an evil look!

"You said you checked all of it."

I am dangerously close to him. 3 feet away...

"I did."

He takes off right before I lunge at him.

"You better sleep with one eye open tonight Maxwell Philip Evans!"

Gifts *Alex POV*
Today's the day for Kris Kringle. Today is the day we're supposed to exchange our gift and I'm sure Isabel will kill me for what I got her.

Yea, of all the people in the world I got the Christmas Nazi.

I stare at the wrapped present again.

Maybe it's not too late to back out now. Maybe I can run back home and...

"Hey Alex." Max starts smirking at me as we walk slowly towards the classroom.

"So did ya get Isabel EXACTLY what she wanted? You know something that you THOUGHT hard about and you were SURE she wouldn't get herself and something that comes from the HEART."

Is he mocking me?

We reach the door and Max places a hand on my shoulder.

"It was nice knowin' ya."

He shakes his head and laughs as he takes his seat behind Liz.

Let's see who's gonna be all high and mighty before this day is over because Liz ain't that easy getting a present for either!

"So Alex what'd you get the Christmas Nazi?" Michael sits in front of me and grins.

"Something she would like." I muttered.

Hopefully.

I look over at Isabel who sits by the window behind Tess. Something's mixing with my fear. Something I can't exactly tell, but it's... weird.

"Earth to Alex. Houston I think we lost another..."

"What?!"

"OH hey I didn't noticed you crashing back down to join us." Michael smirked.

"Whatever."

"So what'd..."

"Michael turn around!" Mrs. Smith yells standing right beside Michael's desk, " I don't want any trouble from you young man! Especially from that stunt you had pulled the other night!"

The other night, also known as pagaent night, was a total bomb. Michael played around with his lines and pretty much blew the play up.

Instead of saying Ho! Ho! Ho! he screamed Hey! Hey! Hey! and the reindeer names? Stupid, Idiot, Moron, Jerk, Dummie, Whitman-the-rednosed reindeer ( not funny), Fatso, Slowpoke, and the Christmas Nazi ( yup, Isabel was another reindeer)

Michael just smiles back innocently, " I swear Mrs. Smith, it was written in the play!!"

She just glares at him as she walks back to the front of the class.

"OK, why don't we start off with exchanging the gifts?"

No! No! No! Not yet. I haven't lived yet!

Michael gets up immediately and walks over to Maria to dump her "gift" on her desk.

"Here pixie, my mom said to give ya somethin' nice."

Don't open it Maria. Don't!

If nothing pops out of it, or blows up, it's either a gerbil, mouse, or a snake.

Maria opens it slowly in fear and her expression changes immediately when she sees it.

She starts screaming and hugging Michael and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

Ewwwwwww!

"Cooties! Cooties! I've been infected!!!!" Michael screams, but he's turned red as he pretends to have died.

Tess heads over to me and drops the present on my desk. She mutters something under her breath that sounded like Merry Christmas before storming back off to her seat.

Kyle stares at her for a minute before shrugging. What did he do now?

Evans isn't doing much of a good job too! I can tell from the frustrated look on his face and that angry one on Liz's.

A little eavesdropping won't hurt and Isabel won't mind if her not-so perfect present comes late.

"I swear I'll give it to you during Midnight Mass. You're going right?"

"I was your Kris Kringle?!"

"What?!"

"YOU LIED!"

"You lied too."

"That's no excuse!"

"I got your present somewhere, OK? I just sorta want to give it... at the perfect time."

"Yeah fine."

Max catches me listening and glares while I just smirk back.

Who's gonna die today, huh, Evans?

"Hey Alex." Isabel's got this smile on.

A smile that really has me scared.

"Michael said I was your Kris Kringle."

"Um....."

Die Michael Die!

"So... ya gonna gimme my gift?"

"Um-"

"Whre is it? Is it that one?"

I stare at my hand.

"No."

"It says my name on it."

She's starting to frown.

"I guess it's yours."

She takes it from me and opens it really slowly. Not the way Maria did it, like she feared what was inside, but more like she wanted the surprise to last a bit longer. Like she was excited, but... well she looked happy alright?

I slowly back away from her. Will a 3 ft. radius be far enough?

"Alex... it's wow."

She gives me that smile and I can't help, but smile back. She tries on the necklace and keeps that grin on her face.

It's doing something weird to me. The smile, I mean. Sorta like...

NOOOOOOO....

... I can't be liking Isabel. Can I?

Midnight Mass * Max POV*
I stare at the ring on top of my desk. I still don't know how I ended up having one in my pocket and loosing my nickel!

Somehow I shoved my hand in and BOOM the nickel vanished and instead a ring was in there.

A ring that has L.V. + M.E. 4ever engraved in the inside.

Coincidence? I think not!

I've always known I was alien... just not one with superpowers.

Gotta remember to ask Isabel more about powers!

"Max c'mon were gonna be late for mass."

Isabel pops her head in the door of my room and gives me that Hurry up look.

"I'm coming."

I know Liz is gonna be at mass, and if I can have the guts I can give her her present.

"Well?"

"I'll be downstairs in a second!"

I send Isabel an annoyed look waiting for the door to close until I opened the drawer of my desk. The small book that was supposed to be her real present laid there and looking between the book and ring, I slammed the drawer shut and shoved the ring in my pocket.

"What took so long?"

Dinosaurs attacked me!

I shrug and trudge to the car while staring at the ground.

"We're gonna be late."

It's 12:45! We're not gonna be late.

"Whatever."

The drive is short, but I still can't focus on anything.

Completely blank is the state my mind is in. Actually the only thing I can think off is how exactly I'm gonna use my charm and make it the perfect moment to give Liz her gift.

It's gotta be PERFECT!

How about... no... that's too conceited.

"Max are you paying attention?!"

Do we have to go through this again?

Why do idiots for sisters ask you if you're paying attention, but know that the answer is a no?

"No."

Liz is sitting two rows in the front with Michael and Max.

She's here. Right now.

I'm going to make a complete fool out of myself! I'm going to make a complete fool out of myself! I'm going too...

"Well pay attention."

"I can't."

Long brown hair, doe eyes I can... I've lost it... I'm telling you Liz Valenti has some sort of spell on me! She's got me crazy about her!

"Will you stop staring at her!"

Isabel glares at me before focusing back at the mass.

Easy for you to say.

"I'm trying! Can't you see I'm trying."

Maybe Liz is also an alien with superpowers and she's put these powers over me that I can't seem to stop looking!

"Try harder!"

I turn around and glare at Alex who was sitting right behind us this whole time.

"I don't like her."

"Somebody's living in the land of denial!"

"I don't like her!"

Alex just nods his head and turns back to listening to the mass.

Great. Just what I need one more person to know I have huge ( which is such an underestimate of what I feel) crush on Liz! So two people isn't such a big deal, but you never know how fast word flies!

I don't know how long I musta spent staring at her hair, but by the time I finally was able to pull my stare away mass was over and people were filing out.

OK. I can live. I can find my brains. I can find my voice. I will be man enough to do this.

Liz is standing just 3 feet away and all of a sudden I can't talk anymore.

I told you she's got some sort of spell over me!

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon Evans, have some guts!!

"Hey."

"Hi."

Her eyes drift down to the ground and her hands ball up into a fist at her sides.

"So..."

I shoved my hand in my pocket and my fingers brushed against the ring.

Awkward silence is the asnwer. You know what I hate about awkward silences? It proves how much a wuss I am! Can't even make an entertaining conversation!

"Anything up?"

"The roof."

She stares up and then looks over at me.

"So..."

This has got to go down in history as the most awkward conversation ever!

"Spit it out already Evans. Michael's calling me!"

She throws me another one of those looks I can't exactly describe, but it gives me this weird feeling int he pit of my stomach like I did something bad... really bad.

"You know how I told you I'd give you that... I'd give you..."

"Gimme what?"

You know, it's her fault my mind is going haywire! It's her own fault! Why is she getting annoyed at me when it's her fault?

I guess this is what my Dad calls one of those things about women a guy will never figure out!

"Your present."

I curled my hand around the ring and held it tight.

I can do this.

I will not chicken out!

I don't know what came over me after I pulled it out though. I swear it was like a magical force... almost alien! I grabbed her hand, slid the ring through, and then leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. You know an innocent one, not like what you're thinking people!

I swear I didn't know what came over me!

Before she could react to anything, I ran as fast as I could.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

God, help me when I go back to school next year!

~The End~

Author's Note: OK I was wondering if I should make it into some sorta series cuz I do have some ideas for a few one/two parters that follow this story and sort of like another story that ties to this. So would anybody want to read stories of them growing up?

Oh yeah, before I forget... Happy Holidays to everybody *big*