Twelve Days of Christmas

Day Three

ᎾN ᎢᎻᎬ  ᎢᎻᏆᎡᎠ ᎠᎪY ᎾF ᏟᎻᎡᏆᏚᎢᎷᎪᏚ YᎾᏌ'ᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᎪᎠ FᎡᎾᎷ NᏆNᎬ 'ᎢᏆᏞ FᎾᏌᎡ, ᎢᎻᎬ NᎬᏔᏚᏆᎬᏚ ᏔᎾᎡK ᏆN Ꭺ ᏟᎻᎡᏆᏚᎢᎷᎪᏚ ᏚᎢᎾᎡᎬ

***

"There's no place like home."

Jack smiled as he entered the toy store. The store hadn't even opened yet and it seemed like one of his coworkers already wanted to go home.

"There's no place like home. There's no place like home."

The heel clicking was coming from Finch. His eyes were closed as he pictured himself anywhere but here.

"Was yesterday that bad?" Jack laughed.

"Worse," Finch groaned. "The parents are worse than the kids! I'm not working here next year, Jack. No way, not if they paid me a million dollars."

"I'd work here for a million dollars. Heck, I'd work here for fifty," Race said.

"That's because you're broke," Jojo replied, rolling his eyes.

"I am too, but I don't want to work here either," Albert said.

"That's because you hate kids and have no Christmas spirit!" Romeo chirped, straightening his elf hat.

"I hate these stupid things," Albert complained. He scowled at his hat before pulling it onto his head.

"Consider yourself lucky. Spot's boss has got him dressed head to toe in an elf costume! We're talking tights and everything," Race snickered.

The boys messed around and tried to ignore the feelings of dread as the clock hand moved closer and closer to the nine. Finally Jack had to get up and change the sign to open and unlock the doors. It wasn't long before the store was full of shoppers looking for a last minute Christmas gift.

"No ma'am. Those don't come in red," Finch said for the fourth time.

"Maybe if you check in the back-"

"We don't have any in red."

"Well maybe I should help you look. I'm sure that you're just overlooking them."

"Ma'am, I'm completely sure that there aren't any in red. We have a large selection of other race cars though. I could show you those if you'd li-"

"No! My grandson wanted this car."

"We only sell those in blue and black."

"But his favorite color is red!"

Jack laughed as he watched Finch struggle with the woman. He'd been lucky enough to get wrapping duty which was far better than assisting customers. Another plus was that he was working in the station next to Katherine Plumber, even if the red haired girl wouldn't speak to him.

Albert on the other hand hadn't been so lucky. He was stuck at the register. The register that happened to be next to the light up Santas and singing snowmen. The ones that the kids couldn't keep their hands off of.

Every time a kid restarted the snowman's rendition of 'Let It Snow' he was pushed even closer to his breaking point. He tried to keep his smile on, if only for the sake of his job.

As a group of children excitedly started up all of the snowmen it became hard for Albert to resist the urge to turn them all off. All he had to do was take the batteries out...

He would've too, if his boss hadn't chosen that moment to 'check in' on the store. Really the boys knew it was just Mr. Wiesel looking for any reasons to fire some of them. Albert hated that men more than all the little brats in the store, so he strengthened his resolve and decided to suck it up until the man was gone.

Race and Romeo, who were stationed by the Elves, were having the time of their lives.

"I want this one!" A little boy exclaimed, grabbing an Elf on the Shelf from the rack.

"No you don't," Race said quietly.

The boy turned to face him and cocked his head. "Why not?"

Race looked around to ensure that they wouldn't be witnessed by any adults, then leaned down. "He's dead."

The child jumped and looked at the elf in his hand. "What?"

"You touched him," Romeo agreed sadly. "Once a kid touches them, they die. You don't want to take that one home. He won't be able to tell Santa anything!"

"Plus he'll stink. Dead things smell really bad," Race added.

The boy paled, put the elf back on the rack, and sprinted down the aisle.

"Wait! Come back!" Race called. "Don't you want a different one?"

"He looked surprised!" Romeo scoffed.

"Yeah, it's like he's never read the book."

The boys grinned at each other, ready for the next kid they could terrify. Instead the kid from before returned, this time dragging an angry woman behind him. He was pointing at them.

Race and Romeo looked at each other nervously before making a dash towards the back of the store.

"Hey, Jack! I think I'm gonna take my fifteen minute break now," Race said as he passed his friend.

"Yeah, me too! Then we might have to use the men's room!"

"And maybe take our lunch break."

"What'd you guys do this time?" Jack rolled his eyes as the two disappeared into the back room of the store.

Two more hours of Christmas music and headaches passed and it seemed like all of them had their eyes glued to the clock. It was a Sunday and the store closed at two. They were almost done, just forty more minutes...

The announcement went off, warning shoppers that they only had fifteen minutes to make their purchases. All of the boys breathed a sigh of relief when the last guest left.

Albert slammed the door shut behind them locked up as quickly as he could. "Thank goodness that's over!"

"Just think, only one more week and this'll be over," Jojo said.

"Don't remind me!" Finch cried, dropping his head into his hands.

"You like working here?" Jojo asked incredulously.

"No. I don't want to think about the whole week I have left!"

Jack's eyes caught on a small bag that Albert had in his arms and looked at the boy in amusement. "What's that? You got a present?"

Albert opened the bag and pulled out one of the singing snowmen. "I think I'm gonna run it over."

"Healthy anger management," Race smirked.

"Sure is."

The snowman, seeming to sense its demise, waved its arms one last time. "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"