The Masks: Holly Jolly Avenue

Alice 

“Where are we going?” Alice wasn’t sure why she let Cece talk her into leaving her house. It was freezing outside. Even with her olive-green, fleece-lined, zip-up hoodie, she was cold. She should’ve grabbed her winter coat before she left, but her dad stumbled into the living room, smelling like alcohol, and she didn’t want to deal with him. 

He was probably passed out on the couch now or drinking the six-pack of beer he had in the fridge. 

Another happy holiday for the Johnsons, Alice supposed. At this point, she should’ve been used to it. 

After she climbed out of her bedroom window and down the trellis, where Cece was waiting for her on the ground, the girls headed a few blocks away, near a neighborhood Alice knew well. Every year, during the holidays, the neighborhood would have a competition to see which house had the best Christmas lights display. Alice and her parents used to drive down the road at night to see all the decorations. 

She hadn’t been in the neighborhood since her mom died. 

“Stop here,” Cece said. And Alice did, even though she had no idea what was going on. What was Cece up to? Cece took a black fabric from the pocket of her black leather jacket and gestured for Alice to turn around. “Come on. If we’re gonna do this, we’re gonna do it right.” 

“Do what right? What is that?” Alice asked. 

“A blindfold.” 

“A blindfold?” Alice crinkled her eyebrows. “You want me to wear a blindfold?” 

“Yep.” 

“Uh, no, thanks.” 

“Al, put on the damn blindfold.” 

Why did Cece want her to wear a blindfold? As much as Alice liked Cece and appreciated their growing friendship, she wasn’t sure she trusted Cece enough to willingly give up her sense of sight. It was late, at least midnight, and they were alone. Nothing about this felt right. 

“Cece, I just wanna go home.” Alice wanted to curl up in her bed and maybe watch a Christmas movie on her laptop while her dad snored on the couch, drunk and miserable. It had become their tradition since Susan died. “It’s cold, it’s Christmas Eve, and I’m-” 

“Depressed, sad, grieving, lonely, I know,” Cece held up the blindfold. “Can we skip the complaining part of this little show and get to the good stuff? Turn around, Al.” 

Alice sighed. She turned, and Cece put the blindfold on her, tying it in the back, causing Alice’s sight to go dark. Cece squeezed Alice’s shoulders and guided her forward, to wherever they were going, and soon, they stopped. But where were they? What was this? Despite the uncertain circumstances and the creepy blindfold, Alice didn’t have a bad feeling. She never had a bad feeling when it came to Cece. She never worried that Cece would hurt her or kill her, which was probably insane, considering Cece was the Crime Queen’s champion. A title she wore too proudly. She wasn’t someone Alice should’ve been so comfortable with, but she was. She liked Cece.

“Cece,” Alice said.

“Your dad sucks, you know that, right?” Cece asked.

“Seriously? You blindfolded me, so you could insult my dad?” 

“No, insulting him is just a perk.” 

Alice rolled her eyes. “Okay.”

“Your dad sucks for a lot of reasons. But it sucks that he gave up on everything Glisin loved to do with you guys,” Cece stood next to Alice, on her right. Alice could feel her. “Remember that story you told me about the last Christmas you guys had together?” 

The last Christmas the Johnsons shared as a family was like most of their Christmases. Susan decorated the house with lights, gold and silver garlands, and statues of snowmen dressed in fancy top hats and festive suits. Mason put up a Christmas tree, and Alice helped him decorate it while Susan baked a delicious cake and a nice dinner. 

Her parents didn’t share the same core beliefs, but it didn’t matter; they loved each other and chose to share how they celebrated the season. 

Alice wasn’t sure what she believed, but she enjoyed the holidays regardless. 

Earlier that day, just as it started to get dark, Alice and her parents drove to the neighborhood on Holland Lane, where all the houses were decorated for the holidays. On Christmas Day, the winner of the competition would be announced on social media. They'd receive a gift card to Java Joe’s.

The Johnsons all picked their favorite displays. Susan loved the house with a snowman parade on the front lawn featuring a bunch of snowmen marching, playing tubas, French horns, trumpets, guitars, drums, and jingle bells. Alice remembered loving it too, simply because her mom did.

“Cece, where are we?” Alice was pretty sure she knew where Cece took her.

Cece yanked off the blindfold, and a thousand bright, colorful lights smacked Alice in the face, causing her to blink and clear her vision. 

She stood in the middle of Holland Lane, amazed by all the decorations. Every house on either side of the street was incredible with red, green, and white lights blinking and spiraling, beautiful, festive. 

One house had a giant blow-up snowman in the front lawn, wishing passersby a merry Christmas, and another had a line of reindeer on the roof, pulling Santa’s gold, shimmering sleigh. 

Some houses honored Jesus with big, plastic or porcelain manger sets, a baby Jesus lying in the center of an old, wooden shack, surrounded by men with beards, carrying gifts, and his parents, Mary and Joseph, while other displays were less religious, decorated with snowmen, the Grinch, reindeer, and giant, sparkly ornaments. Not every house had a Christmas tree in the window; some had a menorah or an altar meant to honor Yule, but whatever holiday people chose to celebrate, it was magnificent. Every house in the neighborhood was spectacular. 

Alice turned twice, taking it all in, trying to choose a favorite, but she couldn’t. She didn’t know how. She loved every house, every decoration, everything. It was perfect. 

“Street kids call it Holly Jolly Avenue,” Cece said. “We’ve got names for all the Nester neighborhoods.”

“I didn’t know that.” Alice knew Cece grew up on the streets alongside her crew, but the details were foggy. Cece didn’t reveal much about herself. 

“I bet there’s a lot you don’t know about us street kids,” Cece nodded for Alice to follow her. 

They went to the end of the road, to a house with blue and white lights all shaped like snowflakes, spinning, spiraling, and dancing on the walls and grass. A giant pine tree stood in the center of the lawn, decorated with white, twinkly lights and red ornaments, and a pretty angel sat on top of it with a white, flowing gown and big, feathered wings.

“An angel,” Alice glanced at the silver necklace hanging from Cece’s neck. It was a simple, silver chain with a single charm shaped like an angel wing. 

“It’s my favorite display,” Cece stared at the house, all the lights, the snowflakes, and the angel on top of the pine tree, mesmerized by it, by the memories it reminded her of. She smiled. “All the members of my crew pick a favorite display. We come down here to Holly Jolly Ave on the night when the winner of the contest is announced. You know, all these houses change their decorations every year, but this one, it stays the same. The angel, the snow. I like that.” 

“You like that it stays the same?” Alice asked. 

Cece shrugged, fiddling with her necklace, she turned to Alice as if her tone hadn’t been the slightest bit emotional. She was good at that, masking her feelings, hiding herself behind emotional shields. “Okay, Al, I showed you mine, now you show me yours.” 

Alice chuckled. She remembered Cece saying something similar when they first met. “Show you what?” 

“Your favorite display,” Cece gestured to all the houses. “Pick one.” 

Alice wasn’t sure she could pick a favorite. Every display was amazing. She loved the house with the mechanical Santa dressed in a red and white suit with a long, white beard, singing “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” by Fred Astaire, surrounded by little elves in green and red outfits, pointy shoes and hats with jingling bells. And the house with the pretty, gold menorah in a window framed with green ivy and candles. In the front lawn, various lights and decorations were shaped like dreidels, and the entire house was decorated in white and blue twinkly lights. 

The house across the street had a Yule Altar featuring green ivy, red and white candles, and pretty ornaments, some of which were gold, shimmering, sparkly, like sunshine. The altar had plants too, sprigs of holly, pinecones, and evergreen boughs. And the entire house was decorated with red, green, white, and gold ribbons and lights. 

Every house was perfect in its own way, celebrating a holiday or a tradition that those who lived there cared about for different reasons. 

Alice didn’t feel right choosing a favorite. She wanted to enjoy all the decorations, all the wonderful meanings, and joy-filled beauty without worrying about which was best. 

For so long, the holidays were sad, lonely, with her mom gone, her dad’s drinking and drifting away from Jess, her best friend, but thanks to Cece, this year hadn’t been so difficult. 

Alice smiled. “Thank you.” 

“For what?” Cece asked. 

“For being there for me.” Alice wasn’t sure how else to say it. “Happy holidays, Cece.”

“Happy holidays, Al.” 

Casey/Cece

After enjoying the lights and decorations on Holly Jolly Avenue, Casey dropped Alice off at her house and went to Linda’s Diner to pick up a fantastic Christmas Eve dinner, which included two slices of cake, two Monte Cristo sandwiches, and French fries. 

Walking down the sidewalk, carrying the takeout bag, Casey passed a Santa statue outside a cafe, playing an instrumental version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” And she snatched its hat, shamelessly taking it with her as she headed to Eddie’s Bar. 

She turned into the alley beside the bar and unlocked the basement door. 

She lived in the basement.

It was a large room with stained walls, portable heaters and air conditioners everywhere, and everything she had ever owned; a mattress was in the far corner, covered with black and white blankets, and pillows, near a mini-fridge where she kept food that she didn’t have to cook. A suitcase filled with her clothes was against another wall beside a green army trunk containing her knife collection. 

Tommy sat on the couch with stained and ripped cushions, facing the vintage TV, and Casey’s beloved acrylic coffee table. The coffee table didn’t have stains or rips or dents, but tonight it did have a couple of red and white candles, flickering with tiny flames. And the twinkly lights hanging near the ceiling, along the entire perimeter of the basement, had the added decoration of green ivy, pinecones, and red ribbons.

Sort of a festive air to show that yes, Casey did have the holiday spirit. It was Cole’s idea.

“I got food,” Casey set the takeout bag on the coffee table. “What the hell happened to you?” 

“Christmas cookies,” Tommy sighed, giving up. His gray pullover hoodie was covered in traces of flour, eggs, chocolate chips, frosting, and sprinkles. “Cole roped me and Dave into baking with him.” 

“Seriously?” Casey chuckled. She wished she could’ve seen that. 

“Cole spent the whole day making nutcrackers for the kids at St.Marian’s, and this evening, he decided he wanted to bring them homemade cookies too,” Tommy put the wet paper towel he’d been using to clean his hoodie on the coffee table. “Dave and I helped, sort of. We burned the first batch, and the second batch didn’t look like the picture Cole found on Pinterest, but we tried.” 

“I guess it’s the thought that counts,” Casey plopped next to him and unpacked the food while Tommy yanked off his hoodie, revealing a simple, black T-shirt. 

He put his hoodie on the armrest. “Where were you?” 

“A job for Betty,” Casey spent the entire day on an assignment for Betty Beater, Height City’s feared Crime Queen, but after she finished the job, she went to see Alice. That part, the Alice part, Tommy didn’t need to know. 

“Uh-huh.” He didn’t believe her. He leaned forward, elbows bent on his knees, as he opened the foam box containing his Monte Cristo sandwich. “How is your mysterious friend from Morgan High?”

Casey ate a French fry. “Who says I was with Miss Morgan High?” 

“Just a hunch,” Tommy said, firm but adoring. 

Casey chuckled. She tucked the stolen Santa hat on Tommy’s head and patted it down, so it hid his eyes. He turned to her, frowning, unamused, which made her laugh. 

“You’d make a really handsome Santa, T,” she said.

“I’m flattered you think so,” he pulled off the Santa hat. “Where’d you get this?” 

“An elf can’t reveal her sources.” 

“Meaning you stole it.” 

“Bingo,” she snatched the hat and put it back on his head. This time, it didn’t hide his eyes or impair his vision, and he didn’t yank it off. He smiled at her. She leaned against the armrest, facing him, knees bent near her chest, more than happy to be with him on Christmas Eve. 

Casey wasn’t a religious person. She steered clear of any belief in anything, really. But the holidays were fun for the crew, mostly thanks to Cole and Bobby, her best friends. They made sure to give the holiday its due, and the rest of the crew went along with it. 

Tommy glanced at the digital clock by Casey’s mattress. It was past midnight. “It’s officially Christmas.”

She clicked her tongue. “Did you get me a gift?” 

“Christmas is for giving, not getting.” 

“Hey, just saying, I’ve got some high expectations, T,” she smiled, teasing, appreciative, as she fiddled with her angel wing necklace. It would forever be the best gift she’d ever gotten. “You’re pretty good at gifts, remember?” 

“You expect a lot from me, don’t you?” Tommy teased. “What if I didn’t get you a gift this year?” 

“Then I’d hide your laptop somewhere you’d never find it.” 

“You wouldn’t dare.” 

“Try me.” 

He rolled his eyes. He quickly took a bite of his Monte Cristo, wiped his lips with a napkin, and stood, pulling Casey up with him. Fingers intertwined, he led Casey out of the basement, and they hurried through Height City’s maze of alleys until they arrived at a building they both knew extremely well. 

They went up to the roof, one of the highest points in the city, their secret spot, where they often went to escape the chaos and enjoy the stars. 

Tommy opened the stairwell door, and Casey froze in the threshold, shocked by the incredible sight;

The rooftop was decorated with tons of white and colorful lights, all strung up along the ledge and the stairwell door, flickering and blinking on a timer. And a pine tree stood in the center, covered in fake snow, decorated with silver garlands. 

Casey couldn’t believe it. She really couldn’t believe it. “What the hell, T?” 

“It’s our first Christmas together as a couple-” 

“We’re not a couple.” 

“Okay, our first Christmas as Tasey-” 

“You’ve got to stop calling us that.”

It’s a good ship name.” 

“It’s not our ship name.” 

“Bobby likes it.” 

“Yeah, ‘cause B has great judgment in the romance department.” 

“The point is,” Tommy gestured to the decorations. “I figured since we’re whatever we are now and neither of us ever had a Christmas tree worth remembering, I wanted to do something memorable.” 

“You really are a romantic, aren’t you, T?” Casey teased. 

“Not for everybody,” Tommy said, which made Casey bow her head, determined to hide the warmth in her cheeks. She was Cece the Champion. Cece didn’t blush. But apparently, Casey Cavalier did, especially around Tommy Gleason. “What do you think?” he asked.

“I think I should’ve gotten you something better than a novelty tech nerd t-shirt.” She kissed him so fast that he tensed in surprise, but not for too long. He relaxed, sinking into the moment, deepening the kiss, as Casey pulled him against her, the fabric of his t-shirt balled in her hand, as she leaned on the doorframe, steady, and in Tommy’s arms. She loved being in his arms. 

They broke apart, only slightly, and Casey smiled, surrounded by the blinking, beautiful lights, beneath the twinkling stars on a cold, winter night. She loved it, all of it, every part. 

“You’re something else, T,” she whispered.

He kissed her forehead.