What are you gonna want for Christmas?

 "Jesus! Are you for real?" Eli knew he wouldn't say something like that in front of Rose (he always had to be on his best behavior around her which included NO STINKY SOCKS), but this was Amy and well, she knew him inside and out. "Your parents are fine." He looked her in the eye and told her Thanksgiving was good and Christmas would be great.

He did his best to do a happy dance around her in the school hallway. He wanted to stay in the sun by the glassed entrance instead of hiking down to the library with her. It was practically in the negatives, and she said they needed to go running.

"What has happened to you, Babe?" He took her by the shoulders and finally decided  he should carry her backpack at least. He had to show her he was boyfriend material after all. But he hugged her first as if he knew she wasn't quite as warm as she was. "It's gonna be OK."

God knows, what he'd get her for Christmas. He'd like to get her a timer or maybe a gravy divider, two things still in the box in his mother's kitchen, but he knew she'd throw the gifts at him and might hit him in the head accidentally. 

Yeah, he was making a little money, but a guy needed new controllers. He did enough to buy himself a new gaming system.

He strapped her backpack against his chest as if they might be going to war. He had his on his back and took her hand. "Let's get to the library. I'll buy you a hot chocolate." Actually, he might need at least three  hot drinks himself. He was parched. Lunch had not been enough, even if he ate the bread off her burger.

Yes, it was the stress of Christmas, he guessed. All these damn music programs Dory had lined up, from the library to the assisted living place. It was nonstop.

Naturally, the cold north wind hit them and it was not a pleasant walk there, but at least her dad would pick them up there, even if they had over an hour to kill.

"Are you going to see Rose today?" Amy wanted to know once they were settled, backpacks were safe and they'd stirred their hot chocolate until it wasn't lumpy from the creamer he added.

"Rose?" He cringed. "No. Why?"

It was a headache just being nice to her. She was a bit snooty, and she thought she knew more than he did about the violin, but obviously not because Dory kept telling her to watch him, how he held his fingers, and how his timing was far superior.

Eli looked around. He hoped he didn't see her. That was the last thing he needed. Actually, he wished he was home on the couch studying Gene Roddenbury's writing on Wagon Train. Before there was Star Trek there was Wagon Train. Of course, he knew Amy would find him delirious. Was he trying to write a Western or something? A question Amy had asked and of course, he replied, "Maybe."

They'd had this conversation some time ago, over the summer when the Internet was down all there was to watch was antenna TV. He'd discovered Wagon Train and when he found out how many stories Roddenberry wrote for it, he was hooked. Although, she was not impressed.

"It's in black and white, how can you watch it?" was all she could say. It made him a little sad that she couldn't enjoy it with him, but he knew no way was Rose going to be impressed with this knowledge. All she had was violin on the brain and how she could beat him.

So here they were, Amy complaining about home again. Drew was keeping her up at night. First she was certain her parents were going to split now she was saying, "Oh God, what if they have another baby?"

Eli had had enough of her crappy mood.

"Amy, what do you want for Christmas?"

She looked at him as if she had no idea.