***2001*** Janine sat at her computer, munching on strawberry twizzlers while Louisa tried to seperate the mangled and tangled christmas lights. This year their apartment would be decorated all in twinkling green. Janine tore herself away from the screen in response to Lousia's tormented groan. Christmas cheer was in them both. "Wanna help me out with these damn lights?!" Louisa screamed. "Well, aren't we Ebenezer Scrooge?!?!" Janine retaliated. She loved Christmas, but ever since that fateful Christmas 5 years ago, it was never the same for Louisa. Ever since the "tree incident," that is. "So," Janine said, in an attempt to make conversation with her estranged 2nd cousin. "When do you wanna go out to get a tree?" Louisa looked like someone had hit her over the head with a very heavy object. "NEVER!" she screamed. "I never want another Christmas tree as long as I live!!!" Louisa stomped out of the living room to the kitchen, in hopes of drowning her unpleasant memory in a tub of butter peacan ice cream. Janine folleowed her, and eventually talked her into skipping class next morning and going across the street to scout the adjacent parking lot of Big Boy. It was filled with evergreens, pines and spruces, the perfect tree amongst them all. Hopefully this experience would overlap the one of the not so distant past... ***1996*** Louisa awakens on Christmas Eve, well, it was actually 2 AM on Christmas Day. The house was dark, and she thought she heard noises coming from the living room.
"Damn that Janine," she thought of her cousin, who had just moved in with them after some umpleasantness with her parents. "She's getting a head start on the present opening!"
She always knew that Janine had her problems, especially after her parents hicked her out because they found out she was "bi". But to open presents before the rest of the family? She didn't know what kind of perversion went on in Janine's old home, but none of that shit was going to happen here. She was prepared to bust out the whoop ass, when she turned the corner and saw the Christmas tree. It looked so beautiful, she had forgotten all about her pent up rage because of Janine's beauty. Louisa scratched at the hairy wart on her left cheek as she watched Janine sit in front of the heavenly blue spruce, the lights shimmering on the tinsel and on Janine's big brown eyes. The young girls sat together and lovingly gazed at the tree.
"Hey Loo, we'd better get back to bed, I don't want Santa to get scared away by us being here!" Lousia sighed, got up and followed Janine up the stairs, too sleepy-headed to put her down. Although they were both 20 years old, Janine still had hopes that there was a Santa Clause.
The rest of the night continued without incident. They said good night and went to sleep, visions of hot men and Prozac dancing in their heads. Louisa's alarm sounded at 8 AM, and with that she went running down the stairs, excited at the prospect of all the presents. However, when she saw the tree, something was terribly wrong. Something that had changed since the previous night. That beautiful spruce that she had just admired less than 6 hours ago had been burnt to the ground.
Janine toddled down the stairs, yawning. Louisa turned to her.
"You're behind this, aren't you, bitch?!"
"What?" she asked, confused. "What the hell are you talking about?" Janine suddenly noticed the charred living room with the massive pile of ashes strewn in the corner. "Oh, that. I had nothing to do with this!!!"
"Then why you do have a lighter in your hand?!" she chanllenged.