Modern Day Santa Claus

MDSC [4]

Chapter 4

"Why do you want to sleep on the couch again?" Pauline, Jae's mother, gave her a skeptical look, her arms crossed in front of her.

Jae gave her mom an innocent smile. "The kids would be sleeping in my room. I'm ok with sleeping on the couch, seriously, mom."

It was past midnight. The night was already over, the food half-diminished, the dishes were washed. But the presents lay underneath the bright Christmas tree in their living room, waiting to be opened at first light.

"You hate sleeping on the couch. And it's going to be so cold this night. I could call your brother so he could sleep on the couch while you go sleep in his room." Jae's mom made a motion to call for her eldest but Jae already stopped her.

"Really! I'm fine, mom! Adams is likely asleep by now. It's really okay. Besides, Ashe would be here with me." Jae motioned to the dog, a black-and-white-spotted, pure-bred shih tzu. The dog barked in return. It was her aunt's dog that they dropped by because they're on a vacation right now.

Her mom shook her head, still slightly opposed by this, but there was nothing she could do. It was only for a night anyway. "Fine. Ashe, bark whenever you see someone suspicious, alright?"

The dog leaned as she wagged her tail eagerly.

Jae couldn't help her grin. "Good night, mom." She figured that the tiredness made her mom subject easily to her wishes. Her mom waved at her dismissively before climbing up the stairs, leaving the teenager alone in the living room.

Jae lie awake on the couch, the ticking of the clock was her only companion. She gazed at the bracelet on her wrist absent-mindedly as she hummed a quiet Christmas tune. An hour passed. Ashe was already asleep beside her and drowsiness was already seeping at the back of her eyes. Santa Claus was late.

She was on the verge of slipping into dreamland when she felt a freezing breeze flow past her. Her senses were immediately alert but she refrained from opening her eyes. The windows were supposedly closed. Someone just opened the window.

Her heartbeat thrummed against her chest as a memory from last year's Christmas was relieved. Santa Claus disappeared right in front of her. He didn't need to open a door or a window. He has that unique magical ability that only he can use. Her excitement was slowly turning into fear.

Ashe stirred beside her arm and she wished that the dog wouldn't wake up just so she wouldn't face the intruder.

Jae heard the scrunched of snow inside the house. Whoever slipped inside their home was wearing boots. She heard his footsteps heading towards her and Jae had never felt so afraid in her life. A bullet of sweat ran down her forehead as she continued faking her sleep. Her fingers were slightly shaking but she hid them under the blanket.

A hot breath fanned her face and it took all of Jae's willpower not to cringe. She wanted to whimper and cry for help but she was afraid of what he would do to her. In the next second, a loud thump was heard and something crashed onto the floor. Ashe jumped awake from her arms and barked.

It was an alarming bark but it was surprisingly soft. Jae's eyes flew open as she sat up quicker than a flash of lightning. There were two figures in the dark. An unfamiliar unconscious body was sprawled on the floor. And Santa Claus was looking straight at her.

"Are you mad? Why the hell did you forget to lock the windows?" Santa Claus hissed.

Camilla Jae forgot her words. She wasn't dreaming. Santa's here again. Last year was not some crazy hallucination from lack of sleep. He's here. And he just saved her a*s.

Ashe ran up to the man and whimpered. Santa knelt and ruffled her hair. Jae could only stare. The dog was already familiar with him. She was still at lost for words when he stood up and headed towards her, a peek of his silver-white hair under his hat glinted in the moonlight. His eyes roamed from her head to her feet, scanning for injuries.

His eyes stopped at the bracelet wrapped around her wrist. He huffed slightly. "So that's where I dropped it," he murmured.

"O-oh!" Jae made a move to take off the bracelet. "I was planning on giving it back but I wasn't sure if I would meet you again." She fumbled with the chain and she cursed herself mentally for acting like an i***t in front of him, again. She finally took off the clasp and then handed it to him.

Santa took the bracelet from her without so much as giving it a glance and slipped it inside the pocket of his red suit. And then he crossed his arms. "So..."

Jae shifted her feet. "So...?"

Santa huffed. "I can't leave."

Jae leaned her head to the right. "What do you mean you can't leave?"

"It's all your fault." He heaved a sigh and then raised his arm to comb a hand through his hair. He completely forgot he had his hat on, again. Jae didn't notice that she left her mouth slightly open while looking completely infatuated with the man.

"M-my fault? What did I do?"

"You didn't lock your windows," he answered, his eyes squinting just a little bit.

"And?" she asked, exasperated.

"And now I have to use the remnants of my power to teleport this guy out of your house," he said nonchalantly, as if he didn't say anything really, really off.

Jae was in a daze. "What?"

Santa reached for the unconscious thief and then in a flash, both of them disappeared right in front of her. Jae blinked once. Then twice. And then a couple more times, just to slowly finish processing what had happened. She collapsed on the couch and Ashe went up to cuddle beside her once more.

"Power?" Jae murmured. She was right. Santa Claus did have powers, just as she guessed. He was able to teleport. About the limitations are, Jae doesn't know. She'll have to ask Santa about that. If he would be cooperative enough to answer her questions.

She waited for his return. He did say that he can't leave. And she didn't have to wait long. Santa Claus appeared right beside her and she fell off the couch in shock. She dusted herself off, looking extremely casual. She wanted to speak, but she can't form any words as of the moment.

"My schedule is ruined. Again," he finally said. "I don't have any reserved power so I'm out for the whole night."

"I'm sorry," Jae sincerely apologized. She figured it was her fault for leaving the windows open. If she hadn't, then Santa wouldn't have to waste his "power".

Santa groaned and spread his arms on the couch. "Do you have any cookies left?"

"Cookies?" Jae repeated.

"Yes. Cookies Mrs. Smith baked. I need some before I get scolded for being irresponsible," he grumbled. Scolded?

"I think I did hide some cookies in the kitchen. I'll be right back." Jae stood up and went to the kitchen. She rummaged through the jars until she found the right one. She went back to the living room and handed Santa the container.

He silently grabbed the container from Jae and popped a whole cookie into his mouth.

Jae suddenly felt conscious that they were too loud. She was afraid they'll wake her whole family up. So she went and grabbed a sweater from her room and then pulled Santa out of their house.

The whole neighborhood was quiet. Jae slipped on her sweater and cursed when she forgot to grab some gloves too. She rubbed her hands together and then put them inside the pocket of her jeans. "Oh, it's snowing," she murmured as snow started to lightly fall.

Santa began to walk in a direction and Jae ran to keep up. They walked side by side for a few minutes. Neither of them talked. It seemed like they were headed to the park. And Jae was right. They stopped by the neighborhood park.

Santa sat down on one of the benches and Jae sat right next to him. "Where's your sack?" Jae asked.

"Left it at the Smith's. Thought to check if the kids were on your house first before carrying that heavy bag of trash."

Jae snorted. "You sound like you hate being Santa Claus."

Santa's brow lifted. "You have to put on a mask for a whole entire day. And I'm telling you, it's not fun acting like somebody else," he grumbled.

Jae could imagine. Acting joyful and happy in front of kids. Won't your cheeks hurt from smiling for a whole day? Also, you'd have to sacrifice your Christmas Eve so you can do this job. Why did he even agree to do it in the first place?

"I have a question. Do you really live somewhere in the North Pole?"

Santa barely turned his head to Jae, an are-you-serious- look on his face. Jae shrugged. He furrowed his eyebrows together and pursed his lips. Jae wondered if he had heard this question a thousand times before. "We don't," he answered flatly.

"Then where do you live?"

Santa's lip twitched upward. "And why do you want to know where I live?"

Jae blinked twice. "Just a question," she said casually, pink tinging her cheeks. Fortunately, it was really dark. Unfortunately, Santa can see really well in the dark as amusement lightened up his eyes.

"I have another question," Jae said to break off the awkwardness trying to envelop them.

"I'm sure you do," Santa said. He has never talked to anyone as Santa Claus before. Except for kids. He tries to stay hidden as much as possible because he hates small talk more than ever. But this girl has found him twice in a row. And she was nice enough to offer company while his power regenerated.

"Do you get paid for this?"

He couldn't help it as a small laugh bubbled out of his lips. "Hmm... let's say this is more like my responsibility than a job," he answered at last.

Jae looked curious. "Why so?"

"It's like... a family business."

Jae's eyebrows furrowed. "But you don't get paid," she said flatly.

"I don't. Unless I stop messing up." Or what he would rather say was, unless you stop ruining my schedule.

A cold breeze passed by and Jae rubbed her palms together. "So, wait, do you go to school like a normal kid?"

"Of course. It's not like I have to be Santa Claus for the rest of the year. Christmas only occurs once a year."

"The thief?"

"I teleported him in front of the police station with a card that said, 'I'm a thief'."

Jae gave him a disbelieving look. "Teleported?"

"I can't really explain it right now since even I couldn't understand it but," he turned to Jae with a ghost of a smile on his lips, "yes, I can teleport."

"Do humans even have that kind of capability?"

Santa raised both of his hands up. "Like I said, can't explain."

"We're you born with it?"

Santa furrowed his brows as he tried to think. "I don't actually remember. But, I think so."

Jae was about to fire a hundred more questions at him but he suddenly stood up, as if he remembered something important. "Oh right. I should leave the Smith's presents under the tree before I go."

"You're going?" Jae asked. She sounded disappointed and mentally slapped herself.

One of the corners of Santa's lips curled up. "I'll see you again soon, Jae."

Jae didn't know what to say to that. The walk back to the Smith's house was quiet. When they arrived, Santa pulled a couple of presents from his sack and put them under the tree. Jae asked another question, "Do you really have a list?"

Santa didn't so much as glance at her while he rearranged the presents. "To confirm that myth, we do."

"Huh. How do you measure if someone is good or bad?" Jae asked out loud, mostly it was meant to herself.

"That's what I thought. But Grandpa has had a list all his life. He can't break the traditions," Santa replied.

"But don't all kids deserve presents? Even if they're good or bad?"

Santa's smile widened. And then he stood up and stretched his arms, completely dismissing her thoughts. "Well, at least most of my power had returned. Christmas is beginning. You should head home." He grabbed his sack and prepared to disappear.

"Wait!"

Santa was surprised that he indeed waited. He only lifted a brow in her direction.

Jae silently muttered to herself. It was too late to back out now. She fished out a small, wrapped box from behind her. A small present in which she secretly grabbed when they walked out of their house. She had intended to give it to him earlier, but only mustered enough courage now. She handed out the box in one hand.

Santa couldn't keep his eyes off of it. "You... prepared me a gift?" he asked, surprised.

Jae shrugged and tried not to act flustered. "I assumed I was gonna see you again. And I thought," her voice became quieter, "if you give gifts on Christmas, then who gives gifts to you?"

Santa raised his eyes to meet hers. He didn't whisper another word. He only smiled and then disappeared in thin air, taking his gift with him. When Jae was sure he was gone, she exhaled a shaky breath.

She slumped down right in the middle of the Smith's living room.

And then noticed a something small at the corner of her eye.

Right there, that spot where Santa was standing before he disappeared was the bracelet he left last time. But this time, a new charm had been added to it. A little, red Santa hat.