Saint Joseph School

Peeking out from her room, Roxy saw that everyone was either out or was busy with something else. Spinning on her heels, she rushed back into her room and started to pull out her shopping bags from under her bed. Emptying the bags, Roxy began sorting through her massive pile and dividing them into separate piles. Opening one of her last bags, Roxy pulled out a small box and opened it. She looked at its contents and smiled placing it aside as she turned he attention to all the other things around her on the bed.

Roxy gave a little sigh and looked over to her cohort, a plushie penguin. "So Mr. Wiggles, where do we start? We have lots to do..."

The penguin simply stared back blank, with an all cheerful look upon its soft face. Roxy tilted her head as if she heard it speak and gave a small smile, "Your right, we need to decorate the room..."

Roxy looked around her small corner of the world and looked back to the piles of items she had bought. Grabbing a box, she opened it up and pulled out a string of rainbow lights. Roxy paused for a minute as she looked around her room figuring out where to place them. Slowly she floated up to the top of her room and began to string the lights around her walls holding them up with tape. When she finished she looked at them and happily realized that she didn't even have to focus to keep herself afloat.

"Look Mr. Wiggles, I'm getting better at this!" Roxy happily chirped as she floated down and grabbed another box of lights. She looked up at the ceiling and smiled. Stringing the strand from one corner of the room and then another crossing it, Roxy managed to make a her room have a little rainbow starry sky. Plugging the lights in, she smiled as she looked at the soft rainbow glow above.

"Um... Needs something else though, right Mr. Wiggles?" Roxy asked the penguin as she continued looking at the ceiling.

Grabbing a small box, Roxy began to add tiny plastic icicles with sparkles on them hanging on the ceiling and on other pieces of furniture in her room. "There we go Mr. Wiggles, I think that's enough for the room. So now what...?"

Looking at the remaining piles, Roxy quickly realized her gifts were out in the open for everyone to see. Landing back on the floor, she quickly peeked out of her room and found still no one around. Grabbing some wrapping paper, Roxy quickly went to work wrapping the gifts up. After finally having them all safely hidden with wrapping paper, Roxy carefully began to add ribbons and bows to presents, finally finishing them off with little tags personalized to each person.

"There we go Mr. Wiggles. One for Cricket, one for Matt, and one for Saskia." Roxy counted as she looked at each present while she counted them.

Looking back to the penguin, Roxy gave an affirmative nod as if the penguin said something, "Your right, they need to go under a tree..."

Grabbing a small box she opened and looked at the start, Roxy reached in and pulled out a very tiny christmas tree that already had lights in it and placed it on her small dresser. Placing the presents around the tree, Roxy looked back and smiled. "There we go Mr. Wiggles! Our first Christmas..."

Sitting back on her bed, Roxy picked up the penguin and gave it a hug as she looked around the room. "It may not be much... But, I hope that at least my friends will be happy. I really hope this cheers up everyone... Especially Cricket... I'll have to show her this! And you too Mr. Wiggles! She has to meet you, maybe that will help cheer her up... I just hope she comes back soon..."

Cricket entered the quad with a sigh. She carried her bags over to her room and put then down to open her door, as she reached for it she heard something odd from Kairi's room...it was Kairi talking to someone named ...Mr.Wiggles? She tossed her bags of gifts into her room and shut her door. well there was an easy way to figure out what was going on..."Hey Roxy, you here?"

Roxy jumped a bit when she heard Cricket's voice. "Oh she's back Mr. Wiggles!"

Sliding off the bed, Roxy quickly ran over to her little tree and grabbed the present marked for Cricket and ran out of her room, "Yes I'm here Cricket!"

Roxy almost ran right into Cricket, but managed to come to a stop just before colliding, "Um, I got you something for Christmas..."

Roxy brought the present out from behind her back and handed it towards Cricket, "Um... I hope you like it..."

Roxy paused as Cricket took the present, and tilted her head as she waited to see if Cricket would open it now or later.

Cricket smiled at Roxy and leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Thanks...I got you something too, but it's not wrapped yet sooo...you gotta wait!" Cricket shook the present slightly and glanced at Roxy once more. "Maybe I should wait til I give you yours...?"

"You did?" Roxy asked surprised. "Well then we can open them together later."

Roxy gave a smile as she glanced at the door to Crickets room, "So um... I've got to go give Saskia her present, I'll be back in a few minutes. Maybe we could um... Get something to eat after?"

Roxy rocked slightly back and forth on her heels while she waited and stared happily at Cricket.

Cricket nodded smiled again and stepped out of Roxy's way,"Yeah, I think I could eat...now scoot you! I got wrapping to do, hehehe". Cricket turned and went into her room closing the door behind her. She waited to hear Roxy leave before pulling the younger girl's gifts to be out of the bags. Looking at the book she held in one hand she says,"You I'm not to sure she'll love...but a promise is a promise...",then holding up the stuffed animal with the other smirked,"You on the other hand? yeah...you she'll love!". Cricket got to work...

Quickly running back into her room, Roxy grabbed the present for Saskia and began to make her way down to Saskia's room. She had never actually gone to see Saskia in her room, but she wanted to make sure that she got her christmas gift. Seeing the doorway Roxy slowed and looked around unsure of what she should do. Quietly Roxy walked up to the doorway and knocked on it.

"Um... Saskia? Are you there? Its me... Roxy..."

Saskia yawned and blinked as the door opened. She'd intended on napping, but it hadn't really happened. The season always got to her, with kids scampering about with their festive little hats, their cheery little smiles. Even Tolliver had gotten all Christmassy this year. Biff and Jack had both headed home to see their families, too, leaving the green-skinned girl with little to do over the past few days and nights.

She looked up when she heard Roxy's voice, and smiled.

"Foxy," she said, her voice sounding gravelly from disuse and the heavy blanket of sleep that had never quite claimed her. "Come on in, don't mind the mess."

Roxy slowly opened the door and peaked in seeing Saskia's room for the first time and in much disorder. "Um... I'm not interrupting I hope...?"

Stepping into the room, she hid the small box behind her back and looked at Saskia. "I haven't seen you... for a while... So I um, wanted to come and give this to you in person... Um... Here..."

Roxy slid the box from behind her back out towards Saskia, and gave a big smile, "Merry Christmas Saskia! Um... I know its late... but um... I didn't see you often... so..."

Saskia smiled, but also looked embarrassed. "Oh, Rox... oh hey, you didn't have to get me nothing."

Roxy smiled and offered the box a second time.

The green girl slid out of bed, her bare feet twitching when they touched the cold floor. She ran a hand through her snarly hair and looked around the room, searching for some token she might give her younger friend. "I don't..." she mumbled, kicking over piles of clothes and scattering books. "I mean, I didn't..."

Roxy frowned a little bit. "Saskia, stop worrying about it. Just take it, will you? Merry Christmas!"

Barrier grinned, and snatched something from the floor. "No, no," she said, trading a small foil packet for the box. "Here, merry Christmas."

Roxy peered at the packet and giggled. "Wow, Saskia. Nutrimax Protein Drink Mix. You shouldn't have," she said with a grin.

Barrier met the girl's eyes with a frown, and for a moment Roxy worried she had overstepped with her sarcasm. She was trying to hard to match Saskia's strange modes of affection: subtle jibes, little smirks, all in fun. But maybe she'd gone a step to far.

"Hey," Saskia said, still frowning. "That crap is like six dollars a packet! That ain't no Kool-Aid. And plus... you can use it for... cheer practice. Or, something." The green girl broke into a grin and scooped a gym sock up from the floor. "hey, it was that or this. Give me a break."

Roxy laughed relieved that Saskia's offense was only play. She would get used to it eventually, she resolved.

Barrier plopped back down on the bed, and started to unwrap the box. "So?" she asked. "What is it. If it's pom-poms, you hit the wrong room. Stasis lives down the hall."

"Um... Well I didn't have much money this year, but I wanted it to be a nice christmas this year since I didn't have anyone to really spend it with. So I got my friends something to remember me..." Roxy explained as she slowly watched Saskia unwrap the box. "I hope you like it..."

Saskia pulled apart the lid of the box and pulled out a small frame carefully decorated with little flowery and star designs. Inside the frame was a picture of Roxy with written on the side, To Saskia - My Friend. Kairi Sato. Next to her name was a little heart filled in with red glitter. Under the picture in the box was a small envelope. Roxy watched as Saskia slowly opened the envelope and pulled out a gift certificate for Image Inc natural supplements.

"I know you like to um... stay in shape," Roxy said shyly as she looked at the packet of Nutrimax, "But I didn't know what you um... get so that should help you... At least that's what the clerk said..."

Barrier smiled, blushing slightly deeper green. "Thanks, Foxy, this is-- well, thanks."

She turned and swept her hand across the corner of her desk, scattering papers and wrappers to the floor. She propped up the picture in the space she created, and looked at it for a moment.

"This is really nice, Rox," she said again. She looked down at the gift certificate. "I'll use this, don't worry. I'm almost out of protein shake mix, and everything."

Roxette smiled and kicked her feet a little. "Well, I'm glad you like it, Saskia," she said nervously.

"I do," Barrier replied, stepping forward and hugging Roxy roughly. "Merry Christmas."

Roxette blushed a little. "Merry Christmas, Saskia." The green girl stepped away, and Roxy smiled. "Well, okay," she said, "I have to... I mean, I have other gifts to give out."

Barrier grinned. "Sure thing, Rox. Thanks again."

"You're welcome," Roxette said, stepping back out into the hall. "And Happy New Year, just in case."

Saskia smiled as Roxy closed the door.

Roxy smiled to herself as she skipped down the hallway back to her quad. She was happy that Saskia liked her gift. She looked at the drink mix again and smiled, 'Saskia's right, I can use this for cheer practice... I hope it tastes good...'

Entering quietly Roxy checked quickly to see if Cricket was in the main room before fully walking in, "Um... I'm back Cricket! I'll be in my room if you need me..."

Roxy quickly floated over to her room, and sat down onto her bed, picking up her plushie penguin. "So Mr. Wiggles, we have to wait now for Cricket and then you can meet her. She's really nice... She even got something for me... Oh! I wonder what she got us?"

Cricket hears Roxy call her form the main room and gets up from her bed. Picking up the two gifts now wrapped in festive green paper with gold ribbons, she reached the door in one bound, without effort. Crossing the room to Roxy's door she wondered if the girl would like her presents, Cricket knocked on the door. She listened as from inside the room the sound of someone shifting on a bed came to her. Then another...the slight noise Roxy made as she hovered around....the door opened. "Here ya go!", Cricket said as she thrusted the 2 packages towards Roxy,one a wide cylinder the other a a flattened rectange. "Hope you like em!", She grinned and waited.....

"Oh! Two presents!" Roxy said excitedly as she floated. "Um... You should go get yours so we can open them at the sametime..."

Cricket smiled as she quickly grabbed Roxy's present to her.

"Um... You open yours first then..." Roxy said cheerfully as she floated back over to her bed and waved Cricket to come join her. Roxy smiled as she looked at Cricket waiting.