The Christmas Spirit

—What is Olivia doing? —I asked as I came down the stairs, wrapped in a thick robe. My hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, and I was still trying to fully wake up.

Sack was at the foot of the stairs, looking toward the living room with an expression that was both amused and confused.

—I don't know. I just woke up and heard her from my room. I think… she's singing.

At that moment, Olivia's voice filled the air, clear and melodic, though with her signature dramatic flair. She was standing in front of the Christmas tree, holding an ornament as if it were a microphone, completely absorbed in her rendition of Last Christmas by Wham!

"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart,

But the very next day, you gave it away.

This year, to save me from tears,

I'll give it to someone special..."

Olivia closed her eyes and gestured as if she were on stage, moving her hands to the rhythm of the imaginary music. It was impossible not to smile at her enthusiasm.

—Wow, it looks like she's taking this practice thing very seriously —I commented, approaching Sack—. Do you know what she has planned?

Sack shook his head.

—No idea. She's been at it for a while, though.

Before we could decide whether to intervene, Olivia opened her eyes and saw us. Her face lit up with a huge smile.

—Ah, there you are! Perfect timing. I need you to join me. We're going caroling in the streets! It's a Christmas tradition, you know.

Sack and I exchanged a panicked look.

—No way —Sack replied immediately, crossing his arms.

—Exactly —I added quickly—. I'm not singing in public. I didn't even know you wanted to do something like this.

Olivia placed a hand on her chest, pretending to be deeply offended.

—What do you mean, no? Where's your Christmas spirit? This isn't just about singing; it's about sharing joy with others. Besides, Lindsay, you have an amazing voice. You know it.

I froze for a moment, surprised that she remembered that time at Stanford when I sang with the impromptu band. It was over a month ago, after Olivia won that "do whatever she wanted for a day" prize. We formed the impromptu band to celebrate, and I ended up singing because Olivia insisted.

—That was different —I protested—. It was casual, not a street performance.

—Nonsense —Olivia retorted, approaching us with her characteristic energy—. You two have talent, and it would be a crime to waste it. Besides, think about how fun it'll be. We'll sing a few songs, make the neighbors happy, and then reward ourselves with hot chocolate. What do you say?

Sack shook his head again, but Olivia wasn't about to give up so easily. She stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

—Come on, Sack. We're a team. We always face challenges together. Are you really going to abandon your best friend in her mission to spread Christmas cheer?

Sack looked at her with a mix of resignation and amusement.

—You're using emotional manipulation, you know that, right?

—Of course I know —Olivia replied, winking at him—. But it works, doesn't it?

Just then, Amelia appeared in the room with a tray of freshly baked cookies.

—What's going on here? Did I hear something about singing in the streets?

—Exactly! —Olivia exclaimed, pointing at us triumphantly—. I'm trying to convince these two to join me. It'll be epic.

Amelia smiled widely.

—Oh, that sounds wonderful. You should do it. Lindsay, you have such a lovely voice, and I'm sure Sack can accompany her. It'll be a memorable experience.

Sack and I looked at each other, feeling cornered. With Olivia and Amelia teaming up to pressure us, there was no escape.

—Fine —I conceded finally—. But only a few songs. No turning this into a full concert.

—Perfect! —Olivia shouted, clapping excitedly—. I knew I could count on you. Now, let's have breakfast, and then we'll hit the streets with our music.

After a typical winter breakfast —hot pancakes, crispy bacon, and hot chocolate with marshmallows— we got ready to go out. Olivia insisted that we wear matching scarves and hats, "to give the group a festive touch."

Once outside, the cold air greeted us, but the streets were alive with activity. Christmas lights hung from the lampposts, and some neighbors had already started decorating their houses with reindeer figures and snowmen.

—Alright, Team Genius —Olivia said, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk—. This is our stage. Let's start with something classic. Any suggestions?

—How about Jingle Bells ? —I suggested, thinking of something simple and well-known.

—Perfect —Olivia replied—. We'll start with that. Then we can move on to Silent Night . And if anyone requests another, we'll improvise.

Sack raised an eyebrow.

—Improvising? Who said we'd take requests?

—Relax, Sack —Olivia said, patting him on the shoulder—. Just follow the rhythm and let the magic flow.

We positioned ourselves on a quiet corner near a house decorated with twinkling lights. Olivia gave the signal, and we began singing Jingle Bells . To my surprise, people started stopping to listen. Some even pulled out their phones to record.

When we finished, a group of children clapped excitedly.

—More! —they shouted, jumping with joy.

Olivia looked at us with a triumphant smile.

—See? This is what it means to bring Christmas cheer.

Sack shook his head, though he couldn't hide a small smile.

—Alright, one more. But then we're leaving.

We closed with Silent Night , and this time, some people even joined in, singing softly. It was an unexpectedly magical moment, one I never expected to experience.

But Olivia wasn't done yet. She looked at the crowd with a mischievous smile.

—Want one more? We'll dedicate Last Christmas , the classic everyone loves.

We started singing, and this time, Olivia led with all her usual drama. The crowd applauded even louder when we finished.

—Thank you, thank you! —Olivia said, bowing dramatically—. Remember, we're Broken Dreams , the band we formed over a month ago. And we're on tour this December!

Sack and I stared at her incredulously.

—On tour? —Sack asked, laughing—. Since when are we a touring band?

—Since now —Olivia replied, winking at us—. Besides, we needed an artistic name. And Broken Dreams is the name of our band, even if we've only played once. That's our artistic name.

The crowd applauded even more, and some even offered us chocolates and warm drinks. Olivia smiled, triumphant.

—I told you it would work. Now, hot chocolate for everyone.

And so, we kept walking through the snowy streets, laughing and chatting about how ridiculous yet beautiful this moment had been.