Twenty-five

Megan

“Stinkerbell has done it again,” declared Megan as she came into the house to find a petite pile of dog poop by the front door.

“Done what?” demanded Kendall as she emerged from the kitchen with her little white pooch cradled in her arms like a baby.

“That,” said Megan pointing to the little pile.

“Oh, Tinkerbell,” scolded Kendall. “You didn’t tell me you needed to go out.”

“Well, she did it by the door,” said Megan. “Maybe she was trying to tell you, but you just weren’t listening.”

Kendall frowned. “Having a puppy is harder than I thought it would be.”

“And expensive, too,” said Megan.

“Thank you for pointing that out—for like the hundredth time.”

“Just saying.” Megan checked the floor carefully before walking across the living room. Last night Lelani had stepped into a puppy puddle with bare feet. Eeuw. “Did you get the puppy potty pads like Anna told you to do?”

“I haven’t been out of the house today,” said Kendall.

Not a surprise. Kendall was still in her bathrobe. Even so, Megan was trying to take it easy on her. Lelani had told her how upset Kendall was after the California incident. And then she’d hidden in her room all week. Really, Megan knew she should be more patient.

“Tell you what,” said Megan. “If you let me use your car, I’ll run to PetSmart and pick the pads up for you.”

“Really?” Kendall brightened.

“Yes. My treat, since I got paid today.”

“Hey, thanks, Megan. I’d appreciate that.”

Megan wanted to add that everyone in the house would appreciate it. Especially if Tinkerbell could actually learn how to use the pads. But she didn’t want to sound too negative. She was actually relieved to get away from the house for a little while. Not just to escape the yippy little dog with needlelike teeth that liked to chew on everything, including people’s ankles, but Megan hoped to avoid her housemates for a while as well. It was Friday night, but there wasn’t much chance that Megan would be going out. Marcus hadn’t called, and she didn’t expect him to. For that matter, Anna would probably be spending the evening at home too.

Right now Anna and Lelani seemed to be stuck in a silent war. Lelani had tried to talk sense to her, but when Jake broke up with Anna, she blamed Lelani for everything. Finally, Lelani just gave up. Now they avoided each other. Megan couldn’t imagine the strain this must be putting on Lelani’s relationship with Gil.

It was sad seeing everyone so miserable with Christmas less than a week away. In fact, no one had even mentioned the Christmas party lately. Maybe it would be best to simply cancel the whole thing. But she would leave that to Lelani to decide. The party had been mostly her idea anyway.

Megan picked up the puppy pads, then noticed a craft store nearby. In the window a large sign announced that all Christmas decorations were marked down fifty percent. They’d already put up some decorations, but there was room for a lot more.

Megan was inspired by the spontaneous thought that she might be able to get everyone together by bringing home some really great Christmas decorations that they could all put up. And maybe they would bake some more cookies this weekend. Really, it could be fun. Also, it would be a distraction from the fact that Megan’s mom was flying down to Mexico on Sunday, leaving Megan with no family on Christmas for the first time ever.

“You’re really okay with this?” her mom had asked her just today when they’d met for lunch at the deli. Her mom had been running last-minute errands, getting everything all ready for her big trip.

“I’m fine,” Megan had assured her. Like what was she going to say? No, Mom, please cancel your vacation and ruin Louise’s plans and stick around where it’s cold and rainy just so you can stay home and babysit me? Like that was going to happen.

“I just keep thinking I shouldn’t have agreed to this,” said Mom. “I’m worried it’s a mistake.”

“Why?” Megan felt concerned now. “You’re not having any bad premonitions about the flight or anything?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“No traveler’s advisories in Mexico?”

“No. Not at all.”

“Then why are you worried?”

“For you, sweetheart. I hate leaving you … alone. You know. It’s our first Christmas without Dad.”

“I’m not alone, Mom. I have my roommates. And we’re having our big party. Really, it’s going to be a fun Christmas.”

“I hope you’re not just saying that to make me feel better.”

“I’m not.” Okay, that was sort of a lie. But on the other hand, it was also a bit of positive thinking. She was being hopeful. It could be a fun Christmas.

And maybe reindeer could fly too.

Anyway, Megan decided to hit the craft store, and she hit it hard. She would shop the bargains and, like glad tidings of great joy, she would bring home some happy decorations to cheer everyone up. And why shouldn’t she? She loved to decorate and she was good at it. She’d organize a baking party too, and lots of other things. If these women needed someone to pull them out of their doldrums, well, why shouldn’t it be Megan? After all, Christmas was the celebration of her Savior’s birth—she of all people should be ready to go all out.

After about an hour of gathering up decorations and baking supplies, Megan made her way back home. It was nearly seven and she was hungry but thought maybe she would order a pizza that they could all share while they decorated. She could just imagine how great the garland and bows would look going up the banister with battery-operated candles placed artistically along the way. Then more for the fireplace, and all sorts of wonderful things.

“I thought maybe you’d stolen my car,” said Kendall as Megan came in carrying several bags.

“Sorry,” said Megan. “I did some shopping.”

“That’s okay,” said Kendall. “I’m not going out tonight anyway.”

“Great. Because I got some very cool decorations on sale. And I thought we could all put them up for the party.”

“All? As in Anna and Lelani?”

“Are they home?” Megan handed Kendall the puppy pads.

“Oh, yeah, they’re home. In their rooms.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning you just missed the fireworks.”

“What’s going on now?”

“Anna just blew up. Lelani was trying to talk to her and Anna totally lost it. She called Lelani some really bad names.” Kendall made a tsk-tsk sound. “Who knew sweet little Anna had such a vocabulary?”

“Poor Anna.”

“Don’t you mean poor Lelani?” asked Kendall.

“I mean both of them.” Megan set the bags down on the dining room table. “So maybe it’s not a good night to decorate?”

Kendall shrugged. “Unless you’re a magician and can somehow make those two girls get past this.”

“Maybe we could put Christmas music on and order some pizza?”

Kendall smacked her lips. “Pizza sounds good.”

“Why don’t you call it in while I get the rest of the things out of your car?”

“It’s a deal.”

After Megan brought in her packages, she knocked on Lelani’s door.

“Come in,” said Lelani in a defeated-sounding voice.

“Want to talk?” asked Megan.

Lelani shrugged, and Megan sat down in the chair across from her bed. “Kendall told me about the fireworks.”

“Anna is so angry at me that I don’t believe she can even think straight. It’s like she blames me for absolutely everything.”

“Everything?”

“Well, Jake, for starters. She’s convinced I stole his affections and that they’d still be happily together if it weren’t for me.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“And something at work went wrong and she blamed that on me too.”

“How is that even possible?”

“She said she’s been so distraught over the breakup that she hasn’t been focusing on work.”

“And that’s your fault?”

“Apparently.”

“And now she and Gil are in a big fight—over me.”

Megan nodded. “You are in a tough spot.”

“So I told Gil that I thought we shouldn’t see each other until this is ironed out. I encouraged him to speak to Anna, but he told me that’s not going to happen. He’s willing to talk to her, but she won’t listen.”

“What a mess.”

Lelani nodded sadly.

“Kendall and I ordered pizza—enough for everyone.”

“I’m not leaving this room.”

“But—”

“No way. If Anna wants to join you guys, great. But I’m not coming out.”

“How is that going to help?”

“I don’t know. But I’m sorry, I just can’t take it anymore.” Lelani looked up at Megan with tears in her eyes. “I’ve never felt such hatred from anyone, Megan.”

“Kendall said it was pretty bad.”

“I feel like I’m barely hanging on here. I mean, seriously, I’m thinking about going home—and how crazy is that?”

Megan didn’t offer an opinion.

“Can you imagine how much the airfare would be right now?”

Megan nodded. “Like a thousand dollars or more?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Maybe you and Kendall can entice Anna to come out and talk to you guys. You know?”

“Maybe so.”

“And maybe you can help her to see that I didn’t steal Jake from her. The truth is I can’t stand him, you know that. But I can’t say that to Anna. She still thinks he’s so great, that they were a great couple.” Lelani held up clenched fists. “I feel like my back’s against the wall.”

“Well, don’t think about it too much. Anna is obviously a little out of control right now.”

“I feel bad for her. I really do. But I can’t help her.”

“Maybe I can.”

“I hope so.”

“And I’ll bring you some pizza when it comes.”

Lelani made a weak smile. “Thanks.”

“Do you work tomorrow?”

“Oh, yeah. Every day from now until Christmas. It’s crunch time.”

Megan’s attempt to talk to Anna didn’t go nearly as well as it had with Lelani. Finally, after Anna told her to leave several times, Megan gave up. “I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time with this,” she said before she closed the door. “But being angry isn’t going to help anything.”

“If I need the emotion police to tell me how I should be feeling, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

Megan quietly closed the door and sighed. So much for the big decorating party. But as she went downstairs, she prayed that God would somehow bring peace and healing to this house.

Ironically, it was Megan and Kendall who shared pizza as they put up decorations together. And, surprisingly, Kendall was actually fairly congenial.

“You’re really good at this.” Kendall nodded her approval as Megan put the finishing touches on the arrangement over the fireplace. “That looks awesome.”

“Thanks. I think decorating is fun.”

“Too bad Lelani and Anna didn’t want to join us.”

“Yeah.”

“Seems crazy to go nuts over guys.”

Megan peered curiously at Kendall. Hadn’t she been freaking over Matthew Harmon a few days ago? Still, Megan wasn’t going there. Instead she went to the dining room and tweaked the candle arrangement on the table.

“I mean, look at us, Megan. You kind of stole Marcus from me a few months ago.” Kendall took a bottle of red wine out of the wine rack and started to open it.

“Stole?” Megan frowned.

Kendall popped the cork, then set two goblets on the table. “Okay, that’s a little strong. The truth is I wasn’t really into him.”

The rest of the truth was that Marcus hadn’t really been into Kendall either. But, once again, Megan wasn’t going to point that out.

“But I didn’t really hold that against you, did I?”

Megan shrugged. “Well, we haven’t exactly been best friends.”

“But that could change.” Kendall filled both glasses of wine, then held one out to Megan. “Here’s to a good Christmas despite everything.”

Megan wasn’t so sure. Even so, she took the goblet, then held it up. “And here’s to peace on earth, and goodwill toward men—and women.”