(To read Part One, click here)

Santa and I walked to the bus, but the stressed-out student bus driver was too engrossed in her reading to notice Father Christmas boarding her vehicle. After waiting ten minutes for the North Line to move, Santa fidgeted in his chair.

“Do you think we can walk? This bus takes longer to get moving than an elf on December 26th."

I laughed at Santa’s weak North Pole humor and we disembarked the bus. As we walked past Clark library and headed down Stadium Road, I learned that awkward silence can even happen with someone who is supposedly always watching you. I also realized how creepy that sounded, especially when walking with Santa -- the child surveillance expert of the world -- at night.

“So, what are you studying?” Santa inquired as I wondered why the jolliest man on the planet could not make better conversation.

“Media Studies.”

“Oh, so the election is your fault,” Santa quipped.

“Hah,” I said, thinking never heard that one before, Santa.

After shuffling home in silence punctuated by vague comments about the weather, we finally arrived home.

“Wait here,” I told Santa as I entered to locate my car keys.

“Can’t I come in?”

“Sorry, we don’t have a chimney,” I retorted, ensuring Santa knew that two could play the sass game.

Santa looked not amused and I wondered why I was getting snarky with the nicest man who ever lived. I snapped out of my finals mood and tried to muster a gentler reply.

“I mean, uh, we’re not really allowed to have guys in the house late at night. If we do, we have to mention it in the group text and I don’t really know how to explain this –er– situation.”

“Fair enough,” Santa said with a tone of resignation as I crept inside to find my keys.

I walked into my room to find my roommate, Morganne, asleep. When I opened my desk drawer to find my keys, however, I heard her mumble, “Santa, is that you?”

I turned around and saw the shadow of a pom-pom-hat-wearing man in my doorway.

“Santa, I told you to stay outside!”

“You said I could find a chimney.”

“We don’t have a chimney.”

“I know, but when I was looking for one I saw you left the door unlocked and I was cold.”

“Fine, just go wait downstairs or something,” I said.

Santa clomped downstairs in his boots, which also had pom-poms on the toes because why not, just as my roommate woke up.

“What was that?” Morganne asked me, rubbing her sleep-deprived eyes.

“Nothing. Sorry I was so loud.”

“It’s okay. I needed to wake up to study more anyway. I’ll go downstairs so you can sleep though.”

“NO… I mean, that’s not necessary. I’m heading out anyway,” I stammered, hoping she would stop asking questions.

“Why?”

No such luck.

“I’m giving a friend a ride. Feel free to study in the room longer,” I said as I hurried downstairs to drag Santa outside.

Except Santa wasn’t downstairs at all. He was behind me holding a cookie.

Morganne looked convinced she was having a stress dream when she said, “Is that who I think it is?"

“Yup.”

To Be Continued...