Before leaving the mall, Mike managed to distract Missy and the others for a bit. He slipped away to the counter to buy the Christmas gifts they wanted and had them wrapped in fancy boxes.
Then, he gathered up the small gifts he'd already picked out for Meemaw and the rest of the family, getting everything packed up together.
Shopping complete, Mike and the girls got back home just in time to see George pulling up in his pickup truck with a medium-sized Christmas tree in the back.
"Mike, come give me a hand!" George called out with a grin as he got ready to trim the extra branches off the pine.
"Sure thing," Mike replied. He handed his bags to Meemaw, who was watching the show, and jumped in to help set up the tree.
Over an hour later, Mike stood on a stool to place a giant gold star on the very top. Finally, the tree—covered in tinsel, candy canes, and little colored lights—was officially ready in Meemaw's living room.
"Awesome! I'll go turn it on. Let's see how it looks!" Missy cheered as she ran over to plug it in.
As the colorful lights started twinkling, a Santa Claus ornament on the tree began playing a crisp, cheerful version of "Jingle Bells."
"It's absolutely beautiful," Meemaw sighed, admiring the glittering tree.
A beautiful Christmas tree really is the best gift you can ask for during the holidays.
Seeing the family love it, George and Mike—who had hauled the tree in and set it up—exchanged a look and smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
"Alright, let's keep it lit," Meemaw smiled, signaling she didn't mind the electric bill.
Then, she called everyone over to enjoy the homemade roast dinner she'd prepared.
---
The school's Christmas party was scheduled to start at 3:00 PM and run until 8:00 PM. This timed out perfectly to leave the rest of Christmas Eve open.
After a quick lunch at Meemaw's, everyone—except Mary, who was heading to church—piled into Meemaw and George's cars and headed to Medford High.
Around two o'clock, when Mike and the others arrived, the auditorium was already filling up with students and parents finding their seats.
Mike waited until Meemaw and the others found seats in the front row before excusing himself. "It's about time. I'm going to head backstage to get ready."
"Go on. We'll be waiting to see your big performance," Meemaw replied with a smile.
Saying goodbye to the Coopers, Mike went to the backstage dressing room and immediately spotted Cady and the other three girls, looking young and radiant.
The girls were all wearing matching short Christmas skirts, sitting in a circle and discussing their upcoming act.
Judging by the lively vibe, they weren't nervous about the performance at all.
It made sense, though. With how popular their squad was at school, today's show was just another walk in the park for them.
Plus, with a spotlight-loving "Queen Bee" like Regina there to set the mood, there was no room for nerves.
Seeing Mike walk in, Regina excitedly shared the news. "Mike, guess what? Our single hit three thousand sales. We're going to be famous!"
Thanks to the Christmas rush, the single Asher handled had successfully hit the music market.
Selling over three thousand copies in just one morning—especially for a previously unknown group—was seriously impressive.
"Really? Congrats on the big sales, you future superstars," Mike congratulated them, seeing how happy they were.
"Congratulate us," Regina corrected him with a smile. "We're a team, aren't we?"
The Queen Bee wasn't stupid. She knew Mike played a decisive role in getting this song produced.
Hearing that, Mike smiled and didn't argue. Instead, he asked, "How's the prep coming along for the show?"
"Don't worry, we rehearsed again this morning. We definitely won't hold you back," Regina said, then pumped up the group: "We are going to bring the house down this time!"
---
At 2:40 PM, just before the show, Regina pulled Mike into a small side room and brought out the performance outfit Asher had prepared.
It was a bright red Santa suit, styled to match the girls' outfits perfectly. You could tell a lot of thought had gone into the design and tailoring.
Unlike the typical baggy Santa suits with the fake belly, this one was comfortable and fitted.
Dressed in all red, he naturally radiated an irresistible charm.
Standing across from him helping fix his collar, Regina's gaze started to heat up.
"Hold on—not now..." Mike stopped her before she could pounce, speaking calmly. "Wait until after the show. Then you can find out what Santa's really made of."
With Mike's reminder, Regina realized the show was about to start. It definitely wasn't the right time.
She licked her lips, dropped the predatory look, and smiled. "I'll unwrap my candy later."
Clearly, the anticipation of unwrapping the candy was enough to keep her in a good mood for now.
A bit later, when they got back backstage, the announcements had already started out front.
Damian, dressed in a white suit and looking flamboyant as ever, was the host for the evening.
"Thank you all for joining us on this special day for the Medford High Christmas Gala..."
With his hair slicked back like a grown-up, Damian commanded the stage perfectly.
After a smooth opening speech, he continued, "For the first act, please enjoy a vocal performance... by yours truly!"
Off to the side, the teachers who knew the program schedule looked surprised.
Obviously, Damian had used his position as host to squeeze in an impromptu performance for himself.
But hey, school Christmas parties are all about having fun, not professional standards.
Seeing this, the teachers in the know just shook their heads helplessly and let Damian have his moment.
Center stage, Damian gripped the mic, tilted his head back forty-five degrees in an exaggerated state of euphoria, and began to sing.
But despite his naturally feminine voice, he belted out a tenor opera piece.
It sounded like a woman straining to sing "O Sole Mio."
It wasn't necessarily bad, it was just... unique.
Finally, halfway through the song, a guy in the front row couldn't take the torture anymore. He took off his shoe and chucked it right at Damian's face.
"Get off the stage!" the guy yelled.
Sitting front and center, Meemaw—who had also been suffering through the song—lit up when she saw that. It was like she'd just discovered a new party game.
She looked down at her hard-soled high heels, though, and decided against throwing them.
If she tossed one of those pointy heels, it could turn into a lethal weapon.
Then, Meemaw turned with a grin and looked at Georgie, who was wearing sneakers.
Picking up on what his grandma was thinking, Georgie frantically shook his head and shrank back, tucking his feet under his chair.
He wasn't thick-skinned enough to crawl up on stage in front of everyone to retrieve his shoes later.