Kiss Kiss

It never rains in Southern Calfiornia.

It doesn’t snow either.

It was the final school day before Winter Break for Echo Creek Academy, and the campus was full of Christmas cheer.

Just about every student, teacher, custodian, and even creepy adults who hang around the campus were exchanging gifts.

Except for one student. Marco Diaz.

The young boy lingers alone at his locker as his peers rush by, trying to find their friends and significant others.

He concentrates on the object inside the container.

His friend, Star Butterfly, walks towards him with her arms filled with glorious gifts.

"MARCO! MARCO! Look what I gooooooooootttttttt!!” she drops the items at his feet.

Marco smirks as he closes his locker.. “Looks like you got quite the haul, Star.”

“Yeah, this Chris Mist thing is incredible!”

“Christmas, Star.”

“That’s what I said! Anyway, what are you up to?”

Marco stutters. “N-nothing!”

“Something to do with Jackie, eh?” Star bites down on her wand. “What could it be?”

“It’s nothing! On a completely unrelated note, have you seen her today?”

Star’s eyes wander. “Hmmmmm nope. I heard she went to the hospital though…”

Marco’s heart stopped. The world stopped. His vision began to blur.

“…co?”

Marco’s head was spinning. Was what he just heard true? Was Jackie really in the hospital?

“..arco?!”

It couldn’t be! It must be a mistake! Maybe Star heard wrong? Or was lied to by some sick individual.

“MARCO!”

Marco snapped back to reality. “Huh?”

“I was asking you how I could thank all of the people who gave me a gift! Personally, I was thinking about bringing a Christmas tree to life and make it spread cheer but…”

“Yeah yeah, fine. What did you say about Jackie?” Marco places his hands on her shoulders.

“That I heard she was at the hospitable.” Marco sighs.

“Star, I need you to find the person who told that and get more information from them. What hospital is she at? Is she ok? Things like that. Now go!” Marco gently pushes Star.

Star turns around. “Marco! Say the magic word!” she folds her arms.

“PLEASE!”

“NOPE! It was actually STARLIGHT EXPRESS!” with a wave of her wand, Star flies out of the hallway in a neon color blast.

Once the stardust had disappeared, Marco backed into the locker and slid down.

He was not feeling the Christmas spirit.

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Janna peaked from behind a locker. She saw Marco sitting in the hallway. Alone. With no Star.

With a sigh of relief, she returns to her hiding spot.

She reviews her outfit before making her encounter with the boy. She makes sure her boots are shiny and scuff free. She hikes up her seasonal themed skirt, to show more skin. She pulls her collar down for the same effect. And lastly, she readjusts her “Holiday Hat” to make her intentions known.

Now, she was ready.

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Marco gets up and opens his locker again. He reaches inside and picks up the object inside. It was a small gift with a tag that says “To: Jackie” on it. He stares at it, hoping for the best.

As Marco is preoccupied, Janna walks toward him.

'This is your chance, Janna. Make it count. Open with a greeting.’

“Feliz Navidad, Diaz.”

'Nailed it.’

Marco slams the locker closed and hides the gift in his hoodie pocket.

“Janna.”

“Soooo…” Janna slides next to Marco, placing her arm around his shoulder. “What are you doing for Christmas?”

“None of your business!” he pushes Janna off of him.

“Awww. Don’t be like that, Marco. It’s Christmas! I even got you a gift!”

Janna shows Marco the gift.

“Thanks but no-HEY!” It was actually Marco’s gift to Jackie.

“Give me that!” He swipes it from Jannna.

“I’m just kidding, Marco. The real gift…” she motions upward to her hat. “Is here.”

Marco stares at Janna. It would seem she was wearing her standard green hat, but with one slight difference.

The brim of her hat had a mistletoe* connected by a string.

“Pass.” Marco declined.

“But-”

“Look, will you just leave me alone… and give me my gift back!”

Janna gives Marco back his gift. Again.

“People don’t like Scrooges during this time of the year, Diaz. They usually get their comeuppance!” Janna muttered as she stomps away.

“Oh. Hey dude.”

Marco recognizes that voice. Jackie Lynn Thomas!

Jackie greets Janna as Marco scrambles to his feet.

“Hey Jackie, how are you.”

“Much better now. How are…oh.”

“What?”

“What’s that hanging from your hat?” she points.

“This? Oh, a mistletoe.”

Jackie slightly blushes. “Huh. So…I guess…we’re under it, right?”

Jackie looks down. Janna turns back to see Marco watching from behind. He has a look of confusion on his face.

“Yes.” Janna turns back. “We are. So how about it?”

“W-what?”

“Think of it as my Christmas gift to you.” Janna whispers seductively as she inches closer.

“B-but…” Jackie stutters. “I didn’t get you anything!”

Janna places a finger on Jackie’s lips. “Then this will be your gift to me.”

She slowly motions over her lips. She caresses her face. "Merry Christmas, Jackie."

Janna brings her in for the kill. Their lips finally meet.

Although it was brief, it felt like an eternity for Jackie.

Her head rushed. Her heart raced. She never felt a sensation like this before.

Jackie was in a state of pure bliss. Everything felt so great.

And then it was over.

"Welp. See ya."  Janna ends the lip lock and was on her way.

"H-huh? Oh. Yeah. See you..." Jackie  clears her throat. Her face was still flushed from the encounter.

Alone, she fans herself to gain her cool composure back.

Once the feeling resided, she makes her way to her locker. She sees Marco, standing with his mouth open.

"Hey Marco!" she greets her classmate.

Marco is silent.

"Hey, what's that?" Jackie points to Marco's gift.

Still silent, he raises his arm and hands it to Jackie.

"For me?" she asks delighted. She tears off the wrapping paper and opens the box.

It was jar of skateboard wax.

"Oh Marco, you shouldn't have!" Jackie smiled. She then hugs Marco, still stunned.

"You are such a good friend! Merry Christmas!" she ends the hug and heads to her locker.


Star runs up to Marco screaming.

"MARCO! MARCOOOOOOOOO!" she runs directly into Marco.

"Oops! Sorry, Marco. Anyway, I found out what happened to Jackie. Her skateboard broke on her way to school, right?"

"..."

"So, she went to a hospitable to get it fixed. Only the nurses didn't like that. She's banned from the hospital, by the way."

"..."

"But she went home, fixed it, and came to school. The End. Yaaaaaaaay!"  With the wave of her wand, Star makes it rain confetti.

"Oh! and I saw Janna on the way here! And she gave me a gift!"

Marco snaps back and looks at Star.

"Star...what did Janna give you, exactly?" Marco hesitatingly asks.

"She gave me THIS!" Star whips her gift.

"Wand Wax!" she proudly displays. "Isn't Janna thoughtful?!"

Marco sighs. "Yeah. Thoughtful."

"Oh, by the way. I went through with the tree plan. Instead of spreading Christmas cheer, all it's spreading is fire. From it's mouth. And it's making its way downtown and....Marco? Where are you going?"

Marco stops in his tracks. "I'm going home early, Star. Guess I have...too much Christmas cheer got into my system..."

"Oh, ok. But what should I do about the gift for all of those people?"

Marco silently thinks.

"Make it snow. They'll really like it."

Star nods in agreement. With a wave of her wand, Star did the impossible.

She made it snow in Southern California.