Page 122 of Christmas off Script
‘Yes, Derek!’ the entire pub yelled.
‘Marvellous. In the unlikely event of a tie, each team will nominate one member to compete in a two-minute rapid-fire round. My word is law and only one person in this pub is ever allowed to challenge my decisions. Remember who that is?’
‘Your wife!’ everyone chorused.
‘Correct! One point to all of you. Now, you’ve got precisely ninety seconds to make sure your glasses are full, your bladders are empty, and your phones are off. Starting… now!’
As if of one mind, Leo and Ella cracked their knuckles and rolled their shoulders.
‘You look like you’re taking this very seriously,’ Kurt said.
‘Nothing is more important than the Christmas quiz,’ they both replied at the same time.
His eyes widened. ‘Wow. I’m a little nervous now.’
‘Glory or death,’ Leo replied.
‘Festively speaking,’ Ella added.
Kurt grinned. ‘Well, I’ll try not to let you down.’
‘Do you know much about Christmas?’ Ella asked.
He shrugged. ‘The usual?’
‘That won’t be enough,’ Leo replied. ‘But don’t worry. Ella and I have been in training for the last three-hundred and sixty-three days, so we’re going to nail it.’
‘Yeah right,’ Scott called over. ‘You haven’t got a chance against us.’
‘Wanna bet?’ Leo retorted. ‘You’re going to eat those words with a side order of twice-boiled sprouts.’
Ella pointed two fingers at her eyes, then Scott’s. ‘Yippee-ki-yay, motherfuckers.’
‘Settle down, settle down,’ Derek said. ‘Honestly. You lot are enough to give me an ulcer.’ He lifted a bell and rang it. ‘Right! We’re off!’
Leo leaned forward, his heart beating faster as Ella lifted the pen, her hand curved around the piece of paper so no-one could see what she was writing.
‘Question number one. In the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, how many—’
‘Next!’ Leo yelled, as Ella scribbled the answer.
Derek gave them a long-suffering look. ‘New rule. If anyone from the Noel it Alls speaks another word, they will be immediately disqualified.’
‘Ha!’ Finn called over. ‘Suck it, losers.’
‘And the same rule applies to the Beardy Boys,’ Derek continued.
Leo opened his mouth to crow, but Ella gave him a sharp dig in his ribs and he shut up.
‘Question number two. What do children in Sweden leave out for Father Christmas?’
Leo looked over Ella’s shoulder, nodding as she wrote the word ‘coffee’.
‘Question number three. ‘In the filmHome Alone 2, who does Kevin meet in the hotel lobby?’
Ella wrote the words ‘Donald Trump’, then gazed questioningly at Leo. He nodded.
As the questions kept coming, Leo relaxed slightly. They had this in the bag. However, when he glanced over at the Beardy Boys, his stomach knotted. They appeared equally unfazed by Derek’s questions. And even worse than the worry of losing the Christmas quiz was the thought he might lose Ella to Zach. The handsome bastard seemed to be spending more time glancing her way than concentrating on his teammates, and his younger brother, sitting on the other side of her, seemed similarly smitten.
