“But now we just saw we what we saw, we wanted to ask. How would you fancy producing and … playing bass for us?”

What?! “If you’ll still have us, that is? We can still all write the material together like we talked about?”

But that would mean being onstage? Not behind the scenes.

“But what if everyone thinks I’m … I dunno … awful. Bad at guitar. Write cheesy songs.”

But Ru leant over and softly said, “And what if they don’t?”

And he was right. I’d spent too long hiding.

“You know what? Forget that, I’m in!” And just like that, I was officially the final part of The POWR. And what was lovely is that Zaiynab and Matt looked even happier than me.

What a day! But I still needed somewhere private to speak to Ru. We headed to the bench and, trying to ignore the giant bunch of mistletoe above our heads, sat down.

“So, you’re not mad at me then?” I paused. “Or in Paris or Lapland, for that matter?”

Ru grinned. Was it wrong to find a green elf sexy?

“Yeah, I’m neither of those things. Lapland flights have been pushed back, and who needs a capital of culture when you have … Bromster, right?”

I nodded, trying to look as serious. “That’s what they say.”

“Although…” He looked at his watch. “My train back to London is in about hour, so it’s going to be tight to squeeze in a tour?”

He’d done all of this to come and support me for a couple of hours?

“Stay,” I said, before I could think of all the reasons not to. “If you want to. Mum and Dad won’t mind and we’ve got air mattresses we can blow up in the lounge. Maeve too.” Was I really inviting Hollywood royalty to stay on my floor? To potentially wake up and get licked in the face by Sosig, or worse, see my dad in Lycra on his morning run? To be thrown totally into my bonkers family and even more bonkers house? Yes, I was. “Then you can stay for the party, properly meet everyone, and, y’know…”

“Hang out with you some more?” Ru smiled. OK, I officially fancied an elf. “I’d really like that.”

I laughed. “Careful what you wish for. There’s a Christmas pudding costume with your name on it. Mum’ll have you in it in no time.”

But even despite that, he stayed. And partied, posing for selfies with fans, not taking off his ridiculous costume, or the green paint, and he and Maeve even got back onstage to do the auction. In total, with all the online bids, we ended up raising over eight thousand pounds for Holly Hospice, much to the delight of everyone, including the local paper, who turned up to take photos. I don’t think they were expecting to see Joseph and Maeve posing with some of the winners, but they probably didn’t expect there to be a prize that was “Banjo lesson with the turkey” either.

It was awesome. The whole evening, Mr W was grinning from ear to ear or hugging someone he recognized from the crowd, and by the time the evening ended he was head to toe in Christmas accessories. And Grace and Harry hung out the whole evening – dancing, and drumming up bids. Grace even went onstage to say a few words about Grampy G … which was amazing. And got even more amazing when, after disappearing for a bit, she came back onstage in a pair of my leggings and baggy Christmas jumper and, with the lights dipped low, a spotlight on her, did the Nutcracker dance she’d wanted to do for Grampy G last year. I wasn’t sure who cried more. Her dad or mine.

Maybe me and Harry too. I was so glad I’d managed to tell Grace how he’d risked getting in so much trouble to help me get the fundraiser on the official accounts. Not that he’d mentioned any of it to her. He was the opposite of Simon, who, with no one chatting to him, had sloped off as soon as the party started.

The whole evening was perfect. But as it rolled around to midnight, the crew needed to get going and everyone drifted off. And Sleigh Another Day got packed up for one last time.

And as I lay in bed that night, Grace on the floor next to me, the entire thing felt like one big, weird dream.

Except, if I was dreaming, then I wouldn’t be able to hear Sosig scrabbling at the lounge door trying to get to two of the world’s biggest stars asleep on our floor.

Joseph D Chambers was downstairs.

And, ready or not, was only hours away from a Bell family breakfast, in full matching pyjamas.

CHAPTER

29

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I went downstairs, but a neatly packed-up airbed and folded mattress, Ru with wet hair playing horse snap with Billy, was not it. I’d left Grace snoring away as she had dance rehearsal soon and last night, after we’d chatted till it was almost light, she’d told me to “do what I needed to do”. The only problem was, I had no idea what that was or how to do it.

“Mooornin’,” Ru said, totally unfazed as I walked in messy-haired, in my Christmas pudding pyjamas. “I see me and the excellent pyjamas meet again.” I grinned. Wet-hair Ru was even better than this morning’s advent chocolate. “Your sister is thrashing me. As in, I have zero points right now. Oh, and Maeve says bye and thanks. And something about going to Over Easy?” It was Tess’s favourite brunch spot. Tess was wise. She’d cleared her out of the way before the rest of our family descended. I really had no idea the two of them had been messaging. But now I knew why Tess had been so giddy about the new girl she was seeing.

“Did you sleep OK?” I held out an orange juice. Ru was wearing my Edinburgh snowwoman jumper. “Or were you too busy raiding my wardrobe?”

“This old thing?” He pulled the nose off and on. “Is all mine. You inspired me up in Edinburgh.” Edin-in-borooo. Still made me swoon. “Thought we could be matchy.”

Billy was giving him a funny look.

“Why do you say things so weird?” Billy asked. I clobbered her round the head with a cushion.

“Ignore her. She’s inhaled so much horse over the years she’s forgotten what manners are.”

But Ru was smiling. And he was still smiling over breakfast, as we sat through Dad’s retelling of the time he fell off the roof while trying to put up Christmas decorations. And he was still smiling when the two of us moved the mini herd of reindeer into the lounge, almost at our tree. And he was still smiling as we headed out, in the biggest snowstorm ever, in matching jumpers, to see the glorious sights of Bromster. The village shop! The pond! The bin that looks slightly like a Dalek!

And he was smiling even more when we walked past Grace’s house and spotted a Christmas tree up in their window. Mr W gave us a big happy wave as he whistled away, decorating it. In fact, did he have one in Grace’s bedroom and two in the garden?! He must have nabbed them from the set yesterday! I LOVED to see it! And Ru kept on smiling when I told him what Grace had told me last night. That Harry had asked her out on a date and she’d said yes.

And he was still smiling when we headed back to yesterday’s bench, to build our very first snow person. And snow dog. Which we called Snowmy and Snowmoo. And Ru confessed he’d hidden a pickle decoration on our tree.

And he was still smiling when I dared him to make a snow angel, which turned into an accidental snow fight.

And he was still smiling when we were sitting on the bench, soggy with melted snow.

The only time we both stopped smiling was the moment I knew Grace had been right all along. And I was wrong.

Because as we kissed on the bench, Ru tasting of gingerbread syrup, I realized that maybe, sometimes, real-life happy endings could be even more magical than in the movies.

LOCAL GIRLS PROVE THEY REALLY CAN SLEIGH FOR HOLLY HOSPICE

Hollywood came to Bromster last week when Molly Bell and Grace Wright (both 15) pulled off some real-life movie magic – organizing the film crew from the Sleigh Another Day blockbuster to film the music video for “Love Your Elf!” right here in our home town.

But that wasn’t the only surprise. The two teen heroes made such an impression on the stars of the film that their enthusiastic Sleigh Another Day auction, with Maeve Murphy as a rousing Father Christmas and the normally serious Joseph D Chambers in character as a naughty elf, ended up going viral, helping the film bounce back to the top of the box office chart just in time for Christmas. The video also prompted an official re-release of “Love Your Elf!” which saw the track rocket straight to number one, with profits going to Bromster’s very own Holly Hospice.

It wasn’t just a last-minute prize of some tickets to Lapland that helped the girls raise the crucial cash for the hospice, all in honour of Grace’s Christmas-loving granddad, Grampy G (George, pictured right). The moviemakers were so impressed with the public’s reaction to the local fundraiser, they too made a sizeable donation, thanks to executive producers Bry and Cate Chambers.

Elijah Nokes, the newest full-time member on the press team, had this to say about the whirlwind few weeks. “The whole Sleigh Another Day cast and crew were delighted to come to the charming village of Bromster – we couldn’t have picked a more Christmassy location to film the video. But, as delighted as we are about Sleigh Another Day hitting the box office top spot, we’re even more delighted to have helped the inimitable Molly and Grace raise over £100k for Holly Hospice. Those girls are the true superstars, and it was a real life movie moment when Grace’s ticket was drawn out as winner to come with us to Lapland. Christmas magic at its finest.”

Holly Hospice has confirmed the funds will be used to build an extensive new social wing dedicated to George Wright. They’re hoping to open the new complex with a screening of Still Sleighing, the sequel due to start filming in London this year, with title track again being produced by The Brussel Shouts. Grace was heard saying she was “totally stoked” and “honoured” to be asked to dance at the opening of the new building when her dad officially declares it open. Molly was also available to comment and wanted to wish all of our readers a Merry Christmas. The familiar face was also keen to remind us that “this Christmas, whoever you are, have an awesome time with your friends and family, and always, always remember to love your elf”.

LOVE YOUR ELF!

Oh! Little Elf! Little Elf! Ring your jingle bell! You’ve come here to make mischief, And spread havoc this Noel.

Santa sent his elf, To be his eyes and ears. From North Pole to our kitchen shelf Are we good or bad this year?