3Mary Sue sat at her dressing table, all alone and sulky as ever. She had absolutely no intention of going downstairs to celebrate Christmas with her family and their uncaring 'friends', none of whom Mary Sue shared. She sighed and got up to the window, folding her arms and sulking.
"It isn't fair!"
How could they have possibly forgotten her birthday? Mary Sue was in such a glum mood, poor girl, because every time her birthday was celebrated, it would have to be celebrated jointly with Christmas...oh, the indignity of it all! Instead of 'Happy Birthday', she would be greeted with a 'Merry Christmas!', every time she very politely 'corrected' someone telling them it was her birthday, they would smile and say, "Well! Fancy that! You share the same birthday as the Lord Himself!", and the gifts she got- oh, goodness, the gifts! Why must she always get these Christmas-themed birthday gifts? Last year, she got a snow-globe. The year before that, she got these ugly little stockings. Oh she hated it! Her birthday was a miserable day. Why can't people treat her specially on this very special time of year? She was sure Jesus was a nice man- she heard it once or twice when she went to Church, or when her teacher mentioned it during a lecture- so surely he must not mind having his birthday not celebrated just for once, to make way for hers!
Poor Mary Sue, she just didn't understand it! Here she was, in her finest pink satin gown - satin, mind you- and glass slippers, her hair neatly coiffed and done in a regal, high bun with the most beautiful flowery hairpiece she has- and no one was kind enough to talk to her on any subject other than Christmas, or how Jesus died for our sins, or what a joyful, festive time of year Christmas is! Yes, that's all very well and good, but what about her birthday? What about HER special time of year? Why would nobody give her the attention she so craves and rightfully deserves on her birthday?
Just then, she heard on knock on the door. "Mary Sue?" The door opened and her mother peaked in on her room. She sighed. "Mary Sue, do stop sulking and come downstairs to dinner, please. We're all having a nice dinner and all our friends are over for Christmas and your birthday. Please just come downstairs and try to be nice."
Mary Sue turned to her mother and sighed dejectedly. "No one cares that its my birthday anyway; I know they don't. They pretend they do and they say 'Happy Birthday', ma, but at the back of their minds, all they care about is Christmas!"
Her mother looked at her pleadingly. "Of course we don't, Mary Sue, your birthday is just as important to us as Christmas! We said that we'd adapt this celebration so that both your birthday and Christmas is celebrated. Please, come downstairs and try to have a lovely time like the rest of us. You shouldn't stay in your room: I hate to see you moping and sulking...please, do come to dinner with us!"
"I guess," Mary Sue said, sighing tragically. "Do I look pretty enough, Ma?"
"Oh, yes!" The mother said, relieved that she is going to comply. "You look absolutely beautiful, my baby girl, and don't let anyone tell you anything else. Just you wait until you grow up, you're going to be the most beautiful lady in the world, and no man will be able to resist your charms. Just you come downstairs, you'll see that everyone will tell you you're the prettiest girl in the room!"
"Oh, mother," said Mary Sue, rolling her eyes, "You can be so repetitive." Getting up, she gracefully dusts off her gown and walks out the door her mother's been holding open, stopping to hug her mother on the way out. When the mother's made sure Mary Sue was right in front her, she rolled her eyes in a sigh of relief and exasperation.
"That girl," she muttered, "I hope she doesn't ruin this Christmas as she does every year!"
As soon as Mary Sue approached the stairs, she carried her head in pride, squared her shoulders picked up her skirt and walked down the stairs, looking at everyone in the room with a haughty smile. She thought herself a mighty fine piece of work, with the breeding of a princess (despite her awful, commonplace upbringing, of course- she is just that clever!). Behind her, mother came down the stairs, smiling and whispering sheepishly, "Excuse me!" to the party guests before she quietly dashed back into the kitchen, 'to tend to the turkey in the oven and the seven stews I have simmering right now'.
As any other family on Christmas in this town, the living room was bedecked with boughs of folly. Wreaths and garlands were hung up on every door. There was the traditional Christmas Tree decorated in candy canes, Santa figurines, red and gold colored glass balls, crowned by an angel statuette that touched the ceiling. On the dinner table there were cookies, ginger snaps, and cupcakes iced with cream and strawberry jam. The smell of the turkey roasting in the oven and the stew mother had in the kitchen wafted throughout the living room. The guests over for dinner- father's friends from work, the neighbors, and their children were over for Christmas- talking, laughing, with the occasional toddler reaching for the treats set out on the table and the mother pulling the protesting child away, repeating over their cries, "No! Not until you've had dinner!"
Mary Sue hated it. She hated the gaudy decorations of dark green and red- she much preferred pink. She didn't like Christmas trees- no flowers grew on them, and any tree which didn't have growing flowers on them were simply not beautiful. Santa didn't exist, everyone knows that, and why should a holiday celebrate a horrible, fat man in a red suit anyway? She wasn't hungry for the treats, and she hated the fact that turkey was in the oven instead of her birthday cake- it was to be delivered from the baker's at 8 o'clock sharp as a surprise for her. Mary Sue wrinkled her nose as she surveyed the guests in the room.
As far as she was concerned, the guests were all uninteresting to her. She wondered why they would be invited to her birthday. She didn't have anything in common with the gossipy housewives and their screaming, whining, smelly little toddlers. She didn't want to speak to her father's 'corrupt' friends from the government, nor did she want to start a conversation with any of the older sons, who were about her age. All of them were lanky and pimply men, whose laughter and jokes sounded stupid to her. She caught sight of one of the boys, who was chatting happily with his two other friends. He was a lanky boy with freckles and buck teeth: she thought he was one of the more homely-looking one. Still, she smiled at him and gave him her best 'come hither' gaze, to see whether he would respond. She thought he would be charmed by her gaze and come stumbling his way to her, thinking himself very lucky to be considered worthy of the birthday girl's attentions.
Much to her frustration, he merely smiled back and resumed the conversation with his friends.
Feeling slighted, Mary Sue huffed angrily and sat down on the couch, turning away from the guests to face the window: as far as she was concerned, everyone here was an uninvited guest. She wanted nothing more to do with this celebration. She wished that she wasn't born to this family on this very day. She observed her front yard, covered in a layer of snow, lit by the street lights and trodden on by the uninvited guests in her home. She stared outside wistfully at the peaceful landscape in front of her house. Yes, she would very much luck to be a wild animal, so that she could hiss and roar at everyone so they would be frightened into letting her go. That way, she could run away out of this quaint, pathetic town into the wild landscapes and be part of nature, not having to celebrate Christmas, or her birthday, or anything. She would make all the friends she could without having to associate herself anyone it was unnecessary for her to know.
"Excuse me," said a polite male voice from behind her.
Mary Sue turned around and was about to tell the boy off and make him leave her alone, when she saw it was the boy she tried to charm before, she faltered and gave him a polite smile. Why must everyone give her attention when she clearly doesn't want it?
He beamed at her and shook her hand. "Mary Sue, right? I'm Tom Smith. It's very nice to finally meet you. I do apologize for not greeting you face-to-face; I did not recognize you at first. Your mother has told me that it was your birthday today, and you were feeling rather lonely with no one to celebrate it with- feeling a bit left out because of Christmas celebrations, I'm sure." He let go of her hand and took a seat beside her. "Happy birthday, Mary Sue!"
"Oh," she said awkwardly, tucking her hair behind her and looking away. "Thank you very much, Tom Jones. M-merry Christmas." She desperately hoped he would leave her alone.
"Bah, I've already celebrated Christmas quite enough for to-night." He grinned. "I would much rather like to get to know you better, Mary Sue."
She stared into her lap, intertwining her finger and twiddling her thumbs. "I hardly believe I'm any different from other girls," she chuckled softly. "I'm the same as any other individual who was born on Christmas- besides Jesus I suppose. I'm not very special or very pretty, and I'm a humble person. Honestly."
"Well, I don't know about special, but you look very pretty," said Tom kindly.
Upon hearing this, Mary Sue decided she might not be so bored and today might not be so dull after all. She had him to entertain. A rather plain, homely boy, probably much too tall for his age, but it was someone, at any rate.
Mary Sue stared at Tom, wide- eyed, fluttering her eyelashes. "But why?" she asked. "There are lots of other women in the room!"
Tom looked at her suspiciously. "Yes, but you said you didn't think yourself very pretty, and I said you do." He raised an eyebrow, chuckling. "I don't believe any mention was made of anyone else in this room," he said, gesturing to the guests.
He was stubborn, thought Mary Sue. However, she was determined to make him confess that he fancies her anyway. She leaned forward and asked him as desperately as she could, "But why am I pretty? What about my looks is pleasing to you?"
Tom scratched the back of his neck, his eyebrows raised in slight alarm. "I guess," he chuckled nervously, "Your...smile? Yes, yes, you have a very nice smile."
Just then, her father interrupted their conversation to announce that dinner's ready. "Gather 'round, everyone!" said the father, excitedly. Upon hearing this announcement, everyone eagerly gathered around the table, and quiet murmurs can be heard, "At last! I am ravished!"
Mary Sue got up, smiling daintily at Tom, and strutted to the seat at the end of the dining table, opposite to where her father is sitting- lest she be associated with the corrupt government her father is a part of!- and sat down. She began to straighten the napkin, but no sooner had she set it on her lap than she heard her father say,
"Mary Sue, why don't you come and sit next to your new friend?" He smiled at Tom. "After all, we wouldn't want you to be parted with your friend on Christmas Eve!"
That had done it for Mary Sue. As if it wasn't enough that more people were celebrating Christmas today than her birthday, her father had to make her sit next to all his fat, sweaty, smug co-workers from his work that she had no interest in! It was all their fault, anyway, for making Christmas such a grand affair- so that the other special, personal occasions are ignored! She felt so invalidated and humiliated.
Sighing, she walked slowly over to her assigned seat. She saw Tom smiling his annoying, buck-tooth smile, and she smiled as politely as she could through her indignation. Reluctantly, she sat down and kept her gaze on her hands in her lap. As far as she was concerned, the government class are beneath her high moral and class standards, and she had no intention of associating with them, in word or deed.
"Mary Sue, the lamb stew is quite nice. Would you like to try some?" Her mother was holding the serving bowl in one hand and a ladle in the other, serving the other guests around the table.
"Thank you very much, mother, but I would rather..." Mary Sue faltered as she saw her mother's prodding nod and anxious smile. She remembered their conversation earlier in her room, and smiled modestly. She was going to behave nobly in the evening in front of all those underhanded government workers, all the gossipy wives, and their whiny, spoilt children as well. Yes, tonight, she was going to be the belle of the ball. She had made up her mind.
"Yes, mother," she said. "It really looks delicious. Just one scoop, please; I would not want to deprive the guests in this house from your delicious stew."
Relieved, her mother served her, all the while Mary Sue was looking at her guests with a patronizing, superior smile. The men smiled politely at her and resumed their conversations, none the wiser of her resentment for them. She was so sure that they must be thankful for her sparing of the portions, all the better to stuff their faces!
Without event, the mother served everyone around the table and, filling her own plate, returned to her seat. Just as everyone began to pick up their forks and spoons to eat the food in front of them, Mary Sue interjected in her loudest, most superior voice,
"But Mother, shouldn't we say grace before eating?"
Mother looked up at Mary Sue, pleasantly surprised at her rather pious observation. "Why, so we should! How very observant of you, Mary Sue! Everyone, set your utensils down: we are going to say grace."
Mary Sue looked around the table, nodding eagerly. "Saying grace is very important before a meal- especially in this holy time of year."
"You're absolutely right, Mary Sue," nodded Tom, smiling at her. "I am very impressed."
Everyone nodded in agreement and sagely bowed their heads. "Darling, you may lead this prayer," Mother said to father. He nods at her and proceeds as thus,
"O Lord, we thank Thee for our daily bread..."
Mary Sue smiled smugly. She was doing so well tonight. Yes, she had impressed everyone at the table, and made them feel shame for not remembering to thank the lord for this meal! Isn't thanking the Lord and remembering Him what Christmas is all about? In failing to remember Him, they had shown that they were rather hypocritical. Celebrating Christ, indeed! This holiday was nothing more than a public excuse by the government to make a little money through commercialization and trade, causing the people to forget the true spirit of Christmas. Tonight, she was going to shine as the highest, most noble person in this dinner, and set an example for all, in particular making the corrupt government feel shame in her presence.
As the father ended the prayer with, "Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen," everyone picked up their forks and spoons again, resuming their meals.
Mary Sue prepared herself for dinner, and did she make a show of it! Unfolding her napkin with a flourish, daintily placing it on her lap, picking up the utensils from just the right length- and Tom was observing all this in pure bewilderment. Everyone was simply enjoying the meal and having a pleasant time, and here she was, preparing for her dinner as though she were dining with the Queen! Mary Sue looked up at Tom, and smiled one of her many charming, polite smiles. Tom smiled uneasily at her and kept his eyes on his own plate, focusing all his energy on the hostess's delicious stew, shrugging off Mary Sue's eccentricities as...eccentricities. What more could possibly be made of it?
On the other hand, Mary Sue was smug and gleeful. Her behavior was absolutely flawless, so far above everyone else in this room. Her behavior exemplified that of royalty: noble, holy, and proud. She shouldn't be dining here; she should be dining in the Queen's palace! Why, she would mingle and socialize so well with the upper class and royalty, she would be invited to all the balls, dinners and soirees they held! She fancied herself curtsying for the Queen, meeting all sorts of accomplished, noble people and dining with them, tasting wine with them, even dancing with them! She might even meet a handsome prince of an exotic, wealthy country, and become so enamored of her charm, elegance and grace that he would sweep her off her feet and marry her the very next day. Oh, the things she would have the power to change in the government! She would very much like to outlaw the government, giving people the freedom and democracy they so desperately anticipated and longed for. She would eradicate Christmas as a public holiday, so that people may focus on the worship of Jesus and the Lord and observe more current events- such as the Queen's birthday, of course, thought Mary Sue smugly.
When everyone has had their fill of the lamb stew they turned their attention to the large, glistening turkey in the middle of the table, which mother had begun to carve and distribute to the eager guests. She stared at her father's guests, with stew all over their suits and faces, laughing rambunctiously, like wild hyenas. How uncivilized they were! She was glad she did not associate herself with them; it would have been very embarrassing. Certainly, she was glad for her behavior, setting herself apart from everyone else in the room. Now that she had established herself as well-mannered, pious and elegant, she is prepared to embarrass the government officials and expose them for the shameful members of society they truly are.
Okay, I know it's a little late to publish a Christmas-edition piece, but its kind of long and I had to deal with university, friends, etc. Part 2 coming up soon! :D
Okay, so honest reviews, tell me what you think, if you spot any mistakes, plot holes, logical fallacies (besides the intentional ones made by Mary Sue, of course). Thank you guys! x