Page 16 of Grinchland
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.
