Chapter 8 Clara
EIGHT
CLARA
I’m not going to lie, ticking off Mayor St. Grumpy-pants last night was like an early Christmas present to myself.
The image of him at his window with his eyebrows raised and a stare that would rival the laser beam from the Death Star was now permanently etched in my brain.
I counted it as a win as I watched him tug his curtains closed.
But this morning I wasn’t feeling so victorious.
I was currently standing in my open front door at the butt crack of dawn, wearing my nightgown and robe with my hair disheveled, and staring at some pencil pusher named Todd.
He was wearing a black jacket over a grey suit and muttering to himself.
He’d knocked at six a.m. and I’d done the stupid thing and answered.
I should have just pretended that no one was up.
I yawned as I watched him glance over his shoulder to my front yard and nodded his head like he was counting.
I was proud of the work I accomplished yesterday.
I’d spent the night decorating and got up half of what I’d brought to Grinchland.
My decorations filled out the yard quite nicely, but I still had more to go.
My goal was to have no empty spots when I was done.
And no one, not the mayor or his minion who used too much hair gel, was going to stop me.
“Did you not get the citation yesterday?” Todd asked as he turned his attention back to me.
A gust of wind blew past me, causing me to shiver, so I wrapped my robe tighter around my body. “I got it,” I said matter-of-factly.
He flicked his gaze to mine. “So…you put up more things?”
“Decorations not ‘materials.’ And yes, I did.” I clenched my jaw. “This is still America. I have free will, don’t I?”
Todd studied me for a moment. “Sure, but you do know that any sort of Christmas festivities have been banned here in Grinchland, right?”
I glanced over to Silas’s house. “I’ve been informed,” I said under my breath with my teeth clenched. “But I’m choosing to revolt against ridiculous laws that feel unconstitutional if you ask me.” I folded my arms to punctuate my words.
When Todd didn’t move to pat me on the back and give me an “attagirl”, my confidence wavered just a bit. I didn’t want to be the only person here fighting for Christmas. Though, based on the Grinchland residents I’d talked to, it was going to have to be a solo revolutionary.
“Don’t you miss Christmas?” I asked, softening my gaze and attempting to plead with him on a human-to-human level.
A flash of something—sadness maybe—glinted in his eyes, but the next moment it was gone.
He dropped his gaze to his jacket pocket and pulled out a pad and pen.
“It’s the way things are. There’s no use fighting.
Mayor St. Nick got the bylaws changed. I would suggest you just get on board.
It’ll help make everything go smoother.” He started writing out what I could only assume was my second citation.
“What a jerk,” I muttered under my breath. Only a jerk would change the laws to force people to not celebrate a holiday. Only a jerk would strongarm people into not doing something that felt as natural as breathing.
When Todd didn’t respond, I glanced up. His expression was solemn. He wasn’t defending Silas, but he also wasn’t agreeing with me.
“You don’t know?” he asked, his voice hushed and reverent.
That was not the response I’d expected from him. I frowned. “Know what?” My stomach sank just a bit. Did it have to do with his late wife? Isabelle’s mom?
Todd studied the doorframe before he glanced up at me and shook his head. “It’s not for me to say,” he whispered.
Then why the heck did he say anything in the first place? I wanted to push him to cough up the story, but his jaw muscles were set, and I could tell from his countenance I wasn’t going to get anything further from him. So I just waited while he finished filling out his notepad.
Finally, my curiosity got the better of me. “How did he go about banning Christmas in the first place?” I asked.
Todd paused and looked up at me. “He just got the town council to agree to change the bylaws. That's how most cities implement changes. You get enough people to vote one way and a decision is made.”
“So…you're saying that if enough town council members agree to bring Christmas back, then it could become unbanned?” My wheels were turning now.
Todd's eyes widened. I could see a flash of regret on his face. “I’m not saying anything of the sort. I just answered your question as to how Mayor St. Nick got Christmas banned.”
My smile was wide now, and there was nothing that was going to take it off. I wiggled my eyebrows at him. “I guess I'm just really good at reading between the lines.” I gave him an exaggerated wink.
He knit his eyebrows together as he ripped the citation from the pad and handed it to me.
“Just make sure that if you mention this to your neighbor that my name is not associated with it.” His expression was serious as I took the citation from him.
He held onto his end as if he wasn't going to release it until I agreed with him.
“These lips will be exactly what they sing about in Silent Night—silent,” I said, pretending to lock my lips and throw the key over my shoulder.
He paused before he let go of the citation. “Okay,” he said and then sighed. “I’m sure you’re a nice person, but if you get the yard cleaned up and keep the noise to a minimum, then I won’t have to come out here ever again.”
I laughed. “I’m not doing that,” I said as I shifted my weight so he could feel my attitude. I didn’t come here to be told what to do.
“Clara—”
“Todd.” I raised my eyebrows. “The mayor can’t ban Christmas. He just can’t.” I paused. “When is the next town council meeting?” I couldn’t just fight this from my front lawn. If I wanted sticking power, I was going to need to go to the source.
Todd sighed. I could tell that he didn’t want to say but doubted that his silence would stop me. He was right.
“Tomorrow night,” he said.
I grinned. “Perfect. I’ll see you there.”
“But—”
“No one will know that you’re the one who told me.” I tapped the edge of my nose and then gave him a wink.
He didn’t look settled from my comment, but he didn’t push me more. He was halfway down my stairs when he stopped and pointed to the two giant red ornaments I got last year.
“You have a twenty-two inch ornament set from Balsam Hill?” Then he stopped and blinked like he hadn’t expected to say those words out loud.
I parted my lips and jutted out my finger. “You’re—”
“I didn’t say anything,” he said as he hurried down the rest of the stairs and across to his car. I was still waving my finger in his direction when he met my gaze as he backed out of the driveway.
That was an unexpected turn of events. He not only knew the brand of Christmas decoration I had on display, but he also knew that they’d sold out last year two days into December. They were the sought after decoration.
If Todd knew all of that, did that mean…he was a closeted Christmas fan?
I watched his car disappear around the corner before I stepped back and shut my front door. Maybe I wasn’t the crazy one in this town; maybe it was Silas. I glanced at his house from my window, tapping my lips with my finger as my thoughts swirled.
Sure, my citations were starting to rack up. I now owed the town of Grinchland $240, which I did not have. But if I could get the town to agree that these rules were ridiculous and bring Christmas back, maybe they would waive the fees in gratitude.
“How many of you are living a lie?” I asked as I pictured the town and everyone I’d seen when I drove around yesterday. What had happened that made the entire town put their own holiday traditions aside and agree to banning an entire month?
Something big.
I sighed as I narrowed my eyes. No matter what, a mayor can’t just impose his desires on a whole town. It was time a revolution began, and if I had to be the one to lead the charge, so be it.
My first act of full defiance was my outfit I picked out to wear to school. I decided not to go subtle. I went with my brightest, loudest—literally, it played Christmas music—dress I owned. With twinkling earrings and bright red lipstick, I looked like a very festive Ms. Frizzle.
“Perfect,” I whispered as I turned side to side in the mirror. Silas St. Nick had no idea what was coming for him. This was war, and I was bringing out the big guns.