Cape High Christmas: A Side Story (Cape High Series) Read online

  CAPE HIGH CHRISTMAS

  A SIDE STORY

  by

  R. J. Ross

  Cape High Christmas

  A Side Story

  Amazon Edition

  Published by Book Candy Publishing

  Copyright © 2016 by R. J. Ross

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover design by 336Love Books

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ~Other works by R.J. Ross~

  Sundance's Syn

  The Winstead Files Series

  Courting the Beast * Snow White, Snow White

  Seasons of the Fae Series

  Raven's Return * Death of a Dryad * Water Wielder

  Cape High Series

  Super Villain Dad * America's Grandson * Hello Kitty * Don't Know Jack * Daddy's Girl * Aces Wild * Steampunk Time * Fire Hazard * Ditto Ditto * Sunny Daze * Life Light * Guitar Hero * Super Girls * Shadow Boy

  Cape High Side Stories

  Cape High Christmas

  Cape High Series Side Stories

  Cape High Christmas

  Advent Calendar - Day Zero

  Advent Calendar - Day One

  Advent Calendar - Day Two

  Advent Calendar - Day Three

  Advent Calendar - Day Four

  Advent Calendar - Day Five

  Advent Calendar - Day Six

  Advent Calendar - Day Seven

  Advent Calendar - Day Eight

  Advent Calendar - Day Nine

  Advent Calendar - Day Ten

  Advent Calendar - Day Eleven

  Advent Calendar - Day Twelve

  Advent Calendar - Day Thirteen

  Advent Calendar - Day Fourteen

  Advent Calendar - Day Fifteen

  Advent Calendar - Day Sixteen

  Advent Calendar - Day Seventeen

  Advent Calendar - Day Eighteen

  Advent Calendar - Day Nineteen

  Advent Calendar - Day Twenty

  Advent Calendar - Day Twenty-One

  Advent Calendar - Day Twenty-Two

  Advent Calendar - Day Twenty-Three

  Advent Calendar - Day Twenty-Four

  Advent Calendar - Day Twenty Five

  Christmas Eve

  Christmas Diamonds

  Deadly Darlin's

  ~A Note From the Author~

  Hi, everyone! I promised a few people I'd put out the Advent Calendar I did last Christmas on my blog, and here it is! But I've added to a few scenes and tacked on a few short stories at the end that I think you'll enjoy--I really enjoyed writing them! In fact, this entire book (which is pretty much a book of bonus chapters) made me extremely happy. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

  I'd like to take the time to say thank you to a few people, here, as well. Thank you, Brett and Bob for your constant hard work as my betas, you guys are amazing! Thank you, Nathan, for the awesome tech suggestions, I'm using one in Deadly Darlin's! Thank you, Chey, for all the support and book covers you've made for me! And thank you, everyone that's bought this book--a Christmas Story in May is a bit ridiculous, I know.

  Also! For those of you that'll wonder where this fits in the series timeline--I think it's safest to say that it takes place towards the middle, or even the end of the Cape Cells Arc, which is about to begin with my next book. Why am I putting it out now? Because those that follow my blog have already read some sixty percent of this, and wanted it in ebook form, and nothing in this will affect the main storyline much at all^^

  Now, on to the show!

  Advent Calendar - Day Zero

  The entire school sits in the main dorms' den room--at least all of the students that Nico could drag into it. He's sitting on the couch, looking them over with a slightly evil grin. "Hello, boys and girls," he says.

  "Okay, I'm officially freaked out," Jack says from where he's lounging on the ground next to his brother with a massive bowl of popcorn.

  "Absolutely," Trent agrees. "Whenever he takes that tone you know you're in trouble."

  "I am hurt that you feel that way," Nico says, lying blatantly. "But since I've been called out, I might as well get to the facts. Tomorrow is the first day of December, and since you're such a close-knit little group, we're going to do a special activity. Consider it training for your future in the limelight."

  "I'm not going into the limelight," Morgan says, raising a hand.

  "But you ARE going to act as a teacher for pre-teens, so you're perfect for this idea," Nico says.

  "What IS the idea?" Sunny asks, lounging against his girlfriend and playing on his phone. "'Danna, think Cubby would like this?" he asks, turning the phone to her.

  "You aren't buying Cubby a playhouse sized gingerbread house," Adanna scolds him, barely glancing at the picture. "He'd make himself sick."

  "But he'd LIKE it!"

  "Sunny," Nico says. "Do your Christmas shopping AFTER the meeting. This involves you, too." He waves a hand at the wall behind him, bringing up a large calendar on the wall. The 25th is circled in bright red, but they don't even notice. Each of the days, 1-25, have a name written on them. "This is an Advent Calendar," Nico says. "For the next twenty-five days, one of you will do something as a surprise for the school. Vinny, for obvious reasons, you get the big day."

  "What obvious reasons?" Vinny asks, looking up from his newest cookbook. "Wait, what's going on?"

  "You're cooking Christmas dinner," Lance says as everyone else starts laughing.

  "The rest of you, well, I just tossed you onto random days," Nico says, shrugging. "You can ask for help, as long as you keep it to two people or less, and pay them back in return. If you ask an adult, you can only have that one adult, and you owe them a favor of equal size. That means no asking me to make the entire school new computers--you can't afford to pay me back. Don't ask Zoe for that, either, because she will have you as an indentured slave until they're paid off."

  "I wouldn't--" Zoe protests. "Well, no more than a year, at most," she adds thoughtfully. Every single kid in the room silently swears not to ask at that statement.

  "So, this calendar can be found on your phones--you'll each get an alert the day before your day, as well--"

  A bell rings and Adanna almost jumps, pulling her phone out of her pocket and looking at it. "Like that," Nico finishes, motioning to her. "Try not to repeat things too often--a movie once in a while is acceptable, but not every night, and ONLY if you make enough snacks for everyone. The more creative you get, the better I make your Christmas present, though, so I suggest you take this seriously."

  Adanna hesitates for a moment before raising a hand. "Nico? Can we arrange for the class to GO somewhere for our day?"

  "If you can follow the rules and run it by me and Mastermental, sure," he agrees.

  She nods, looking serious, but a little smile pulls at her lips. "Then I need to go--I have a call to make," she says, getting up when he nods and racing away with her phone in her hand.

  "Now, if there aren't any other questions, I'll leave you all to get started," Nico says, st
anding.

  "Hey, Dad, whose idea WAS this, anyway?" Sunny asks curiously. "It doesn't seem like one of yours."

  "Well, if I have to be honest," Nico admits, "I can't tell. But it seemed entertaining, so I went along with it. Now I've got my own Christmas plans to put together, so have fun, and make sure nobody dies, got it?"

  "Got it!" the group says, far too used to that statement by now. They all rush off, their minds racing with ideas--and wondering what Adanna will do.

  Advent Calendar - Day One

  "Okay, we've put the chairs back in the bus, we've made the cookies and decorated the cat's areas," Adanna says, looking at her clipboard, "and--am I forgetting anything?" she asks her mom, looking vulnerable. "Do you think this is too obvious?" she adds.

  "They will love it, I promise," Amara says, trying not to laugh. She'd been flattered beyond belief that her daughter had come to HER and not her husband for this. In fact, she's even pulled a few strings that Adanna doesn't know about, just because she can. "But you will have to explain the claw marks in the bus--we don't want them freaking out on us, right?" she says as she straightens her "Mrs. Claus" outfit.

  "You look so beautiful," Adanna says, drawn by the little self-conscious movement. "You're the best Mrs. Claus EVER," she declares, hugging her with a wide smile.

  "I have to agree," Pan says. "Which is why I'm still a bit offended that I don't get to wear the Santa Claus outfit," he complains as Adanna turns to him.

  "Nico says I can only ask for ONE adult's help, and I asked Mama," their daughter lectures, holding up a finger. "And Sunny kept trying to sneak in while we were decorating, but I can't have him helping, either. This is just me and Mama, got it? I'll ask for your help next year," she promises when she sees his face. "But this year I really want to show everyone the cats--and I wanted to make treats for after the tour--you can't cook, Papa," she explains.

  "It's true," he admits, "but I can still complain to Nico about being left out."

  "Of course," Adanna says, heading into their bus. It's not a full length one, and most of the time it's converted to move large cats across the country, but when you have super strength turning it back to a short bus for kids isn't that big of a deal. "Mama, are we ready?" she calls out to Amara.

  "Absolutely!" Amara says, heading into the bus and taking the wheel.

  "Thank you for doing this," Adanna says earnestly. "I only had the one day, you know? Which I really am irritated about--"

  "But you pulled it off wonderfully," Amara says. "Obviously Nico knows when to NOT underestimate us!"

  "Exactly!" Adanna says, her worried look changing to a proud expression. They head out, Amara silently grateful that she has her license to drive the bus--of course she does, she thinks, it's an important part of their life, but never before has she been so grateful for that fact. She pulls to a stop in front of the school, swinging the door open to the crowd of teenagers standing there.

  "Merry Christmas!" she says with a brilliant smile.

  Adanna gets out, moving to the side with her clipboard in her hands. "Okay, everyone, one at a time! Keep your hands and other body parts in the bus at all times, and don't worry about any claw marks you might see--we usually use this to transport our cats," she explains, checking off names as each of the students climb in. "Everyone that hasn't met her already, this is my mama, Amara Panterus," she adds as she sees them look at her with hints of worry--at least the zoo kids do. "She's the one I chose to be my helper."

  "This should be entertaining," Nico says as he climbs in last, looking around the bus. "Amara, nice to see you again," he says. "You do realize she has to pay you back for this, right?"

  "My daughter owes me nothing, Nico," Amara says sharply.

  "But I will!" Adanna says. "I'm definitely going to repay you for this," she adds stubbornly. "I'll make dinner for two weeks!"

  "If you let me help, I'll agree to that," Amara says, smiling back at her. She waits until everyone is seated and starts the bus up, heading for their home. She watches as the kids--some towering over her--exit the bus (it rocks a bit when the Liberty boys get off.) The idea of heroes wandering her halls strikes her a bit abruptly--and is dismissed the next second. Adanna heads to the front of the group, looking slightly nervous.

  "Welcome to our home," she says, motioning to the massive house. "For today you're all entered into the security system, but obviously you'll be taken out if you're a hero, later on. Follow me," she says, leading them all through the system and to the back of the house. The rumbling mix of snarls and growls has the group suddenly looking excited and nervous. "Okay, I know the zoo was a bit hard for some of you, so I should explain--all of these cats are either in rehabilitation, where they'll enter the wild soon, or aren't capable of surviving on their own. We go to great lengths to make sure they're all healthy and happy--since we can talk to them. So if you'd follow me, I'd like to introduce you to the... furrier half of my family," she says, leading them into the enclosure.

  There are ornaments hanging from the ceilings and decorating the front parts of the cats' cages. The cats themselves have toys in their massive cages, and are playing happily. Adanna stops by each cage and introduces the cats. The kids watch in wonder as she gets into a tiny argument with one of the older cats. Sunny starts laughing. The others stare at each other, wondering what to do as Adanna finally opens the cage door and grabs the cat before it makes a run for it. "Everyone meet Melber," she says dryly as the Lynx jumps into her mother's arms. "Now we'll have hot chocolate and cookies in the play area, and um... call it done," she finishes.

  "Not completely done!" Amara says as the group heads for the large area where the cats that get along come to play on a daily basis. The walls are painted with massive, beautiful murals of large cats (done by Ace, who has the grace to point out his handiwork--would that be called grace?) and there are massive, beautiful trees and flowers everywhere. Right in the middle of all this is a Christmas tree that's well over fifteen feet and covered in lights and decorations. Adanna looks at her mother.

  "What do you mean, not completely done?" she asks.

  "Well I arranged for a special surprise!" Amara says, giving her daughter a smile. "We're going to have Christmas pictures taken!" She claps her hands and her favorite professional photographer comes out with his group of people. "For you that are working I had your uniforms brought, and I called up Kim and got the rest of your sizes, so we all have special Christmas outfits for the shoot! Now! Everyone go get changed--the bathrooms are that way!" she directs them.

  "But--I--" Adanna says, only to blink as her mama pushes a box into her hands.

  "No arguments--I've wanted a new picture of you for YEARS,kitty, so consider this part of your payment," she says, pushing her towards the bathroom.

  Amara just waits after her daughter disappears into the bathroom, not surprised as Nico walks over to her.

  "She can't pay you back for this, you know," he says. "At least not at the moment."

  "It's Christmas, Nico. Live a little--and go change, we want a picture of you in your uniform, too!" The disgruntled look on his face is so brilliant that she motions someone to take a shot of it.

  Best Christmas idea, EVER, she thinks happily. And the children's families will love them!

  "Next year I am DEFINITELY asking Papa," she hears her daughter complain. "HE never makes me wear pantyhose."

  Advent Calendar - Day Two

  "HOW am I going to beat that?" Lance demands, pacing in Vinny and Flame's front room, his fingers running through his hair and leaving it sticking up. "I have no chance of beating what Adanna did--and anything I try is going to look pathetic!" he says, shoving his hands up in the air.

  "What were you planning on doing?" Vinny asks, lounging in his chair and watching his brother with amusement.

  "I was--it even sounds stupid to me, man," Lance admits.

  "Go on," Flame says, abruptly interested. He looks up from his comic book.

  "Something like... um, this?"
Lance shifts, turning into a dog, and starts barking out Jingle Bells. The two fire types are roaring with laughter before he even gets to the second verse. He turns back to human, giving them a disgruntled look. "What? I don't have a famous super villain dad with a cat obsession to fall back on--or even an ex-model mom!" he complains. "I haven't seen my mom in years," he adds, looking down.

  "You can ask for help with something, though," Vinny says. "You don't have to be related to them, right?"

  "Well, yeah, but I don't exactly KNOW anyone other than our classmates, the teachers, and Nico--and I can't afford to pay Nico back, he made that one obvious."

  "You don't have to--they're heroes, they LIVE to save the day," Vinny says, holding up his phone and waving it. "Or you can ask me--but I would put you on kitchen duty for a month in exchange."

  "But who should I ask?" Lance asks, looking at the phone hesitantly.

  "I know a certain hero that REALLY wants you on his team," Vinny says casually. "Sure, he wants all of us, but it gives you a bit of leverage--except it all depends," he admits. "How do you feel about moving south?"

  "Century?" Lance asks.

  "Century."

  "What would I ask him to do, though?" Lance asks.

  "Whatever you want, I bet."

  Lance pulls out his own phone, looking at it for a long moment. "I gotta think about it," he says, heading out the door. He steps into the cool night air, looking up at the moon for a moment and wondering if a simple Christmas thing is worth signing over his career for. Like, he could just do the Jingle Bells thing and write it off as a joke gift, right? Those two thought it was funny! But this entire thing is turning into a... a really important gift to all of his brothers and sisters. He hadn't thought of it like that at first--it was just another crazy idea that Nico sprung on them, but after seeing the others staring in wonder at the cats, or posing ridiculously for their photos, it had become something more.