Alicia

As they followed the Brightons towards the pitch, Alicia felt optimistic. It had looked a little dire for a second when Sterling and Zeke got into that almost-shoving match, but thankfully, Herb had stepped in just in time. Things were still a little tenuous, but as though things might be turning around.

Or at least Sterling and Zeke were content to ignore each other.

So far, so good.

For now.

Celeste nudged Alicia, pulling her from her thoughts.

"What are you up to?" she asked.

Alicia batted her lashes, doing her best to appear innocent. "What do you mean?"

Celeste wasn't fooled. "Don't pretend. You told me to trust you, so I know you have got to be up to something. I've been growing suspicious..."

Alicia felt a flutter of panic in her chest. Suspicious?

"...that you've been trying to mastermind something between Sterling and Zeke," Celeste finished.

Alicia let out a breath. That hadn't been what she was thinking.

"Oh, y-yeah," Alicia replied. "You n-noticed that, huh?"

"Kind of hard not to," Celeste said, leaning close to whisper. "And don't get me wrong, I appreciate your help. But you're really going above and beyond. More than necessary."

"A-Am I?" Alicia said, fighting the hitching of her voice.

"Uh, yeah. But what I can't figure out is... why. Why are you doing so much?" Celeste pressed. She leaned closer and narrowed her gaze as if she could see the truth written in Alicia's eyes if only she had gotten close enough.

Alicia felt that flutter of panic again. "I-I just... I just wanted to make this Christmas special!"

Celeste pulled back and tilted her head.

"Special?" she echoed with a raised eyebrow.

"It's our last Christmas together," Alicia explained.

Celeste paused, thinking it through. "It is, isn't it? Oh, I'd been so wrapped up in this Sterling and Zeke kerfuffle, I hadn't even realized..."

"Well, I did. And that's why I want to help smooth... things over. I wanted our last Christmas together to be perfect, not tied up in all this drama, so we'll have a great memory to look back on."

Celeste lunged forward and pulled Alicia into a tight hug that almost made her drop their own basket.

"Aw, Alicia," she said, her voice going thick. "You're so sweet to worry like that. You know, I think I didn't realize it was our last Christmas together because I've been trying not to think about us going our separate ways at the end of this year. I'm going to miss you so much." She squeezed her tighter. "At least I get you for one more semester..."

Alicia felt a sharp pain in her ribs that had nothing to do with Celeste's herculean squeeze. It cut deep to imagine having to tell Celeste that what she said wasn't true, that they wouldn't have one more semester together...

But then she realized...

Maybe this was it.

Maybe this was her chance to come clean.

She swallowed hard. "Cee, I have..."

Celeste perked up, listening intently.

Overhead, the speakers crackled as the Mayor's booming voice came through. "The first bracket for the Fruitcake Fling is about to begin! Teams in Bracket 1, take your positions on the pitch now!"

Ahead, Lydia turned around, waving their registration form. "Oh, that's us! Come on, everyone!"

All Alicia could do was focus on her feet as they were dragged along.

As they reached the pitch, the teams began to split up. The catcher took the basket to one side of the pitch while the thrower carried the bag full of sponges to the other. The Brightons, Zeke, and Sterling silently marched to their respective spots.

Alicia and Celeste lingered back. Alicia realized her plan had already backfired—with both guys on opposite sides of the pitch, they weren't going to do a lot of socializing.

But maybe that was for the best after the basket fiasco...

Currently, Zeke is glaring down the pitch at Sterling.

"Do you want to catch or throw?" Celeste asked. "Your choice. I won't fight you for the position, 'cause I'm not great at this kind of stuff."

Alicia shrugged, disinterested. "Well, in that case, maybe I should throw—"

But something caught her eye.

Sterling was watching them. And a smile crossed his face as an idea seemed to come to him. He left his post and hurried over.

"Decided on your positions yet?" he asked.

"Almost," Alicia admitted.

Celeste added, looking up at her boyfriend. "I was telling Alicia that I'm not much of a sports girl, so she said she should throw—"

Sterling shook his head. "I think you should throw, Celeste."

Alicia gave a laugh. He had to be kidding.

But by the severe look he gave her, he wasn't.

"But she just said she wasn't good at sports," Alicia argued. "Let her be the catcher. Catching is easier."

Celeste nodded vigorously. "And I have terrible aim!"

"You'll be next to me, so I'll help you," Sterling offered. "Alicia's fine with that, aren't you?"

Alicia was confused by the request until she remembered the pitch layout. If Celeste was the thrower and was next to Sterling... then Alicia would be stuck with Zeke on the other side.

She frowned, about to object—

Sterling stared her down and mouthed something.

If you really want to make it up to me...

"Are you sure Alicia?" Celeste asked, looking hesitant.

Alicia was still frowning, but Sterling was right. She had said she'd make it up to him as an apology for volunteering him for this. And he had played along so far, even without knowing why, just because he was a good friend.

"Sure," she relented. "Why not?"

Celeste still looked unsure, but Sterling leaned over and patted her head. "Don't worry. Alicia's a great catch."

Sterling led Celeste and her bag of foam fruitcakes away, leaving Alicia to join Zeke on the other side.

Zeke scoffed as Alicia took her spot beside him.

"What's with the long face?" he sneered. "Not enjoying yourself?

"Shut up," Alicia snapped. She had no patience to deal with him right now.

"Oh come on," he shot back. "Did you really think this was going to work? That if you forced Sterling and I to play together, that we'd become best friends like a couple of little kids?"

"Maybe," Alicia said. "You certainly act like a child."

"Ha ha," Zeke said, his voice flat. "How long are you going to keep this up?"

Alicia shot him a glare. "As long as it takes."

"Let it go. You're wasting your time."

Alicia ignored him and instead focused on Celeste and Sterling across the way. They looked like they were having fun, playing with the foam fruitcakes and laughing together. Celeste was in a much better mood now.

Alicia stifled a sigh. She had been so close to telling Celeste about the exchange, and it had slipped right out of her fingers...

"Maybe I am wasting my time," Alicia mumbled, her thoughts still a million miles away. "Or maybe not. But I have to try, at least. Or I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

"Why would you need to forgive yourself?" Zeke asked, sounding confused.

"I don't want to disappoint Celeste more than I have to."

There was a pause. "Why would you disappoint Celeste?"

Alicia snapped to... and realized what she had said. Without thinking, she had been a little too honest. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and it had nothing to do with the cold.

She averted her eyes. "It's nothing. Forget it."

But Zeke wouldn't let it go. "Is this about your 'perfect' Christmas again?" He hooked his fingers around the word.

Alicia breathed deeply and closed her eyes as though she could pretend he didn't exist if she couldn't see him. She wished she hadn't admitted to any of that... Especially now that Zeke wouldn't let it go.

"You think not having a perfect Christmas is going to disappoint Celeste?"

She sighed. "No—"

"Because, as Christmas-crazy as Celeste is, I doubt she would ever blame you for any of this. None of this is your responsibility—"

"It's not that simple. I don't care about you. I just wanted for us to have one last good memory of Winter Grove before I—"

She stopped herself. She had said too much—again.

"Before you leave," Zeke finished, already catching on. "You're worried Celeste will be disappointed that you're not staying for the last semester."

Alicia sighed.

"One last good memory of Winter Grove," Zeke said, echoing her words. He stared at the sky, glowing purple as it reflected the light below. "I don't get it. I can at least understand what Celeste sees in a place like Winter Grove..."

His gaze fell on his sister and Sterling across the pitch, laughing together. He frowned, then turned to her. In the low light of the evening, his green eyes seemed to glow.

"...but what about you? Why are you so protective of Winter Grove?"

Looking into Zeke's eyes gave her the strangest feeling... Like she didn't want to hide anymore.

"Because Winter Grove saved me."

Zeke's brows raised. "Saved you?"

Alicia blinked and shook her head, coming out of a daze. What the hell was she doing, confiding in Zeke?

Zeke opened his mouth, about to continue his questioning, when thankfully, the Mayor sauntered into view. In his bright red suit and with swooping white mustache, he looked a bit like Santa's more modern brother. He hurried up the pitch with a megaphone that gave a keening squeal as he turned it on.

"Take your positions, people!" he called into it, his voice cracking with static. "Are you ready to r-r-rumble?"

"Seriously?" Zeke said with a laugh. "What is this, the WWF? Worldwide Wrestling Fruitcake?"

Unable to stop herself, Alicia snorted.

Zeke noticed. He smirked.

Alicia cleared her throat and looked away.

The Mayor carried on. "Before we begin, I want to go over the rules one more time. When we've run these games in previous years, it can get quite, uh, competitive. So let's just make sure we're on the same page before we begin!"

Everyone paid rapt attention except Zeke, who was rolling his eyes and groaning. Alicia elbowed him.

"So, rules," the Mayor continued. "First, the team who catches the most fruitcakes wins! Second, each player must stay on their side of the pitch. Third, you can only throw one fruitcake at a time—"

"Dang, there are a lot of rules..." Zeke muttered.

"Shhh," Alicia hissed.

"Oh come on. How complicated can a game with fake fruitcake be?"

The Mayor was still talking.

"—and finally, the catcher must hold the basket at all times, or your team will be disqualified. Now, let's begin! Best of luck everyone!"

Alicia and Zeke readied themselves, holding the baskets and taking their positions. Alicia hoped Zeke would focus on the game and forget what she said, but by the way, he was looking at her, she might be out of luck.

Though, maybe if she distracted him...

"I bet I can catch more fruitcakes than you," she challenged.

Thankfully, Zeke took the bait.

"With my sister throwing?" he sneered. "Doubt it. But if you want to make it interesting..."

"Alright!" the Mayor's megaphone voice shouted over them. "On the count of three!"

"Sure," Alicia said. "Name your stakes."

"If my team wins," Zeke began, "then you have to accept that Sterling and I will never get along, and I don't have to go to anymore of these stupid events."

"Three..." called the Mayor.

"Deal. And if my team wins, then you have to be nice to Sterling, and come to every single one of the events... including the ball on Christmas Eve."

Zeke's face fell, his eyes widening in horror.

"You wouldn't..."

Alicia couldn't help but grin.

"Two..." continued the Mayor.

Alicia waited for him to agree, but Zeke mashed his mouth together.

Were the stakes too high? Alicia wondered as she watched his jaw flexing as he thought it over.

Then, finally: "Fine. Deal," he said with a smirk. "This should be easy. Remember, I played softball."

"Oh, yeah?" Alicia said, returning his smirk. "Well, I have some news for you... So did I."

"ONE!" the Mayor cried.

The first fruitcake flew across the pitch. Soon, it became a frenzy of foam as fruitcakes sailed to and fro.

Celeste attempted her first throw and it went clear over Alicia's head.

"Oops!" she called. "Sorry!"

Next to her, Zeke chuckled as Sterling got a perfect basket. "This is going to be easy..."

Alicia bit into her lip. Maybe the bet had been a mistake. She watched as Celeste readied another shaky throw while Sterling tried to give her tips. Alicia gritted her teeth.

She wasn't going down without a fight.

Celeste threw the next fruitcake, and this one was far too short.

But Alicia dove forward, scooping it up without leaving the line. Celeste cheered, jumping up and down.

Alicia turned to Zeke with a smug smile... distracting him enough that he missed one of Sterling's shots.

"Are you alive over there?" Sterling called.

Zeke spared him a quick flash of a frown before turning back to Alicia. His green eyes seemed to spark.

"Oh, it's on."

Their next moments were a flurry of fruitcakes as they leaped back and forth, catching every fruitcake they could. Alicia practically had to dance to catch Celeste's misguided foam missiles, but she had managed to keep up, fruitcake for fruitcake.

Until one of Celeste's throws bounced off the rim of the basket.

Zeke gave a victorious cheer. They were ahead now, and it was tight. The clock was running down, and only a few more fruitcakes were left...

And worse, across the pitch, Celeste held up a finger. She needed a moment. She pointed at her foot—the lace on her boot had come untied. She bent down to tie it...

Alicia wanted to yell that a stupid shoelace wasn't important, but that seemed ridiculous, even in the face of her and Zeke's bet. He and Sterling were still going strong. They looked sure to win it.

As Zeke looked at her, his grin was as smug as ever...

Across the pitch, as Celeste rose from her knee, she staggered. Her foot caught on some packed snow, and her one leg out from under her. She reached out and grabbed whatever was closest—

Which was Sterling's arm, mid-throw. The throw went off-kilter, and the fruitcake flew across the pitch and...

Smacked Zeke right in the face.

As the fruitcake tumbled to the ground below, Zeke's face flared red.

"You did that on purpose!" he bellowed.

"What?" Sterling said, barely noticing what had happened as he pulled Celeste back up to her feet. "No, I didn't!"

"You absolutely did!"

Alicia smacked Zeke's arm. Not this again. "Stop it!"

"Why would I try to hit you in the face?" Sterling retorted.

"I don't know... Revenge? Pettiness?"

"Who's being petty? It was an accident, dude."

"Yeah? But I thought you were some great baller? Someone who doesn't miss!"

Alicia smacked Zeke's arm even harder. "I said STOP!"

Zeke shrugged her off and dropped his basket, ready to stalk across the pitch and get in Sterling's face—

"DISQUALIFICATION!"

Zeke froze. The Mayor was suddenly at his side, pointing directly at him. They all looked down at the basket on the ground at Zeke's feet.

Zeke stared at it for a second before he let out a roar of a groan as realization washed over him.

Alicia couldn't stop herself from giggling at his misfortune.

"I think you'll really like the ball," Alicia said. "I hope you bought your festive best."

✨