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Dave, Greg, and Rob are regular fixtures at the US table. 

Megan and John spend some time there and some time with other groups (football team, cheerleaders, con debate) during lunch.

Brianna becomes a semi-regular fixture at the table, and she has started working with the school paper helping them work on the podcast idea.

Sammy spends time with the band kids, and Elrod makes sure to get him and his slacker friends over there a couple of times a week.  Some time is spent (I assume) at the US table during the week.

Sylvia has lunch out front with Logan Darklighter a couple of times a week.

One day, Sammy shows up for lunch to eat with the US.  It isn't until she sits down that others consciously realize that while you've seen her around, she hasn't been hanging around with the rest of you all that much for the past couple of weeks.

She puts a sheet of paper containing information about the canned food drive down on the middle of the table.  "I had a really cool idea when I saw this, but you guys would all have to help.  Want to be Santa Claus this year?"

"Dropping canned goods down people's chimneys is probably a bad idea," Sylvia says, deadpan.

"Imagine the cannon effect it would have if they had a fire going."  Rob says, a big grin on his face.

"You do realize Santa Claus is a real person, don't you? I've talked with him." Colin says, trying to remain perfectly serious. "Anyway, what's your idea?"

Sammy rolls her eyes.  "I thought we could try to access the list of people who will be getting bags of food.  We could find out if they have little children in the house.  If they do, we could get them some small gifts, and do a Christmas Eve Santa drive-by.  Syl can do illusions, why can't she make someone in the sky look like Santa Claus in a sled with reindeer?  Sarah has the tp thing down, so she could even look like she's going up and down a chimney, unless actually going into someone's house is too bad of an idea.  Megan and John are so fast they could cover half the town with no problem, leaving gifts at houses.  If we do it without anybody really seeing anything long enough to be sure of what they saw, I bet we could convince half the little kids in town that something special really happened this year."

Sylvia winces.  "Is that ethical?  I mean, what you're basically doing is planting the seeds of enduring psychosis."

“I like it.”  Megan said, looking up from this month’s fashion magazines, though she had been listening to Sammy’s idea while she did her speed reading.  “It would be nice to use our powers for something other than beating up bad people.”  She said.  “I have always liked the times when I have been able to help people from things that were just part of everyday life, like pulling them out of the path of an accident or something.”

Sammy looks at Sylvia with a puzzled look on her face.  Then her brow clears and she smiles.  "That explains everything.  My neighbor Mr. Dave used to sneak around the neighborhood rattling sleigh bells on Christmas Eve, right around the time all the kids were supposed to be in bed.  If we weren't, the noise would send us flying up the stairs and under the covers because Dad would say Santa couldn't come in unless all the children were sleeping.  It worked until I looked outside one time and saw him ringing the bells under another neighbor's kitchen window.  Now I know why I'm so messed up!  Thanks, Sylvia!"

Sylvia makes a face and sticks out her tongue, amused but stubborn.  "See, at least you saw Mr. Dave later.  If I make kids see Santa Claus, will they ever get over it?  I don't know."  She pauses.  "I can make sleigh-bell noises, though.  That's not so bad."

"Well, the key to goof FX is to keep it simple and have the illusion be convincing.  So, skip Santa and stick with bells and white lights and things that are easy.  I think though, if you're going to be doing any breaking and entering, you all dress up as Santa's helpers.  In the event you do get spotted, we don't want kids to think Santa's elves are all flannel wearing jocks."  Greg finishes his comments with a smile.

"Point taken."  John says with a smile, "I second the motion of costumes.  I think I'll look cute with one of those pointy elf hats."

"Won't they kick you off the football team for saying something like that?" Sylvia asks.

Sammy adds absentmindedly, "Betcha Greg could squeeze you into some tight leotards too."  She quickly realizes how that could be misconstrued, pinks up a little bit, and says "For all the costumes.  Pointy hats and leotards.  So we look like elves.  Unless leotards would be too cold, then I guess jeans would be..."  She grinds to a painful halt.  "Never mind."


Sammy looks gratefully at Sylvia, thinking the other girl provided a perfect diversion.

"For the record."  Greg says, raising a hand, "I'm in the Drama department to meet girls and make movies.  I am not homosexual."

"That you know of."  Dave says.

"Right."  Rob adds.  "Yet."

Dave and ob are both rewarded with french fries flung like spears.  "You both suck."

"Understood."  They both reply almost in sync.

Sylvia looks surprised, and confused.  "Does that mean you're really dating my sister?"

As the others focused on Greg and his statement, Megan leaned a bit towards John as she whispered.  “I know you would look cute in a pointy hat.”

"I was kind of thinking of you in the tights and short skirt when I suggested it, to be honest."  John whispered.


Greg returns her look of suprise, "Meaning what?  I'm not gay, okay.  Can we move on?"  Dave and Rob make no effort to stiffle snickers.

Megan smiled, trying not to smile too broadly, as she whispered back.  “Well, if they others shoot down the costume idea for carrying out Sammy’s idea, I can still get a hold of one of those outfits for some other time.”

"So we're good then?  Jingle bells and costumes and amazing superhuman powers?  Greg, can you help get the costumes together?  I don't think it'll be too hard to get the list of families.  It might just work."  She smiles contentedly.

Sarah laughs at Sammy's idea.  "This is the best idea ever.  I am completely on board with this project.  I am more than happy to drop stuff off in houses."  She pauses to consider the project.  "Will the parents be freaked out by this?  I mean... will the cops be suddenly getting a hundred phone calls on Christmas morning that someone broke in and left something?  A lot of people are paranoid about stuff.  How awful would it be to see all these things getting blown up by a bomb squad?"

She thinks a bit more.  "Maybe if we didn't wrap anything.  Just put a bow on it so they could see it wasn't anything dangerous?"

"Oh and I totally want an elf costume."

"Me too.  Do you think the dragons would like to be asked?  Has anyone ever heard them sing?"  Sammy giggles.  "Maybe they can be our heavenly chorus if it isn't scary." 

Sarah laughs and says, "I think Pip can handle eating all the cookies."

Since Donnie wasn't there, Sammy will send him a message explaining about the Christmas gift delivery idea.  "The dragons are welcome to come along.  Can they sing carols?   :)"


============

A day or so later, Sammy will cruise by the table again with news that Elrod is going to have a Christmas party.  No date/time set yet, but it is going to happen.  The Suspects are all invited, as well as anyone they might want to invite along.

"Another Janush party.  I do so love the holiday's"  Dave says.

"Are you okay, Dave?  You sound a little snarky."

"Dave is just annoyed by the commercialization of the holidays is all."  Rob says.  "That, and his favorite radio station started playing Christmas music on the first of November this year."

Dave groans and continues to read his book.

Sammy winces in sympathy.  "Ouch.  Hey!  El's band needs a play list, including stuff that'll fit me.  Want to help work on that?  I think I can pretty much guarantee no Christmas music."

Another groan.

"It's usually best not to talk to him when he's like this."  Rob offers, "He usually gets over it by the middle of the month."

"Midol might work."  Sammy shrugs.  "Hey, if anybody wants me after school today, I'll be with some of the marching band playing Christmas music for old people.  We'll be at the mall near Santa this weekend."