“So what’d you get?” I asked to distract myself from my hyperawareness of men, men, everywhere men!
She wrapped her tongue around a string of cheese hanging from her pizza. “I got my parents a record player because our old one broke, like, ten years ago, and my dad’s got a ton of stuff on vinyl. I got Paul a new case for his rifle, I got Mark a new dartboard, and I got Jimmy a flask with his name etched on it. They’re all in college,” Trish said when I looked at her quizzically. “Paul’s the oldest, he’s about to graduate, and Mark’s a junior. Jimmy’s a freshman and he’s getting married this summer. I told him he’s crazy, and he just smiles and says he is in love. Speaking of love, well, let’s just say I got Ben’s present at our first stop.”
Meghan and Stephanie made an “oooh” sound. I was confused.
“Wait, Ben? As in, our class Ben?”
“Yep. Finally got the guts to ask me out at the Halloween party.” Trish smiled happily.
I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it. “The big guy that never talks in class?”
“That’s the one.”
I couldn’t believe she’d been dating somebody for close to a month and I hadn’t known. She’d never said a thing about it. I made a silent vow to get my head out of my butt and start paying better attention to the one person who’d gone out of her way to befriend me.
“Geez, well, congratulations! Sorry I’m a horrible person for not knowing that.”
She laughed and shrugged. “We’re not exactly licking each other’s faces off in public or anything. Anyway, what did you get?”
I shrugged unhappily. “I got Norah this old hardcover of Black Beauty because she’s into horses, I got my aunt a new iron because our old one is about to bite the dust, and I got my uncle a bunch of wool socks.” For some reason, no one thought that was a crazy gift idea.
“Yeah, my dad’s always running out of them.”
“When you’re outside working most of the day, they get worn out pretty quick,” Meghan agreed.
“They’re nice. Like, Scottish wool or something,” I mumbled. I still felt bad for getting him socks, but he said he needed them.
“What did you get Adrian?” Meghan asked.
I looked up sharply. “Shit,” I said, realizing that I’d completely forgotten him. “I totally didn’t get him anything.”
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Meghan flinch, like she’d just been kicked under the table.
Trish smiled at me innocently. “I’m sure he’ll just be happy to see you on Christmas. He seems like the selfless type.”
“Yeah,” I agreed warily. She was up to something.
“Is there anywhere else anyone wants to go?” Stephanie asked.
Laura shook her head. “I’m finished.”
I felt bad not getting something for Adrian, but I couldn’t think of anything last minute, and it seemed like everyone wanted to leave. Maybe I could scrounge something up in Stony Creek later.
We stood up and gathered our things before heading out to the Suburban. The sun had disappeared behind low clouds and it looked like it might start snowing again. We all crammed in, throwing our purchases wherever they fit.
“I can’t believe I forgot to get Adrian something,” I muttered to myself a few miles down the road. I thought I’d spoken quietly, but apparently Trish heard me.
“Well, Mystic, we thought that since you’re so poor and all this year, and Adrian’s so … Adrian, we’d buy his Christmas present for you.”
All the blood drained out of my face. “You didn’t.”
Trish grinned. “We did.” She looked incredibly proud of herself.
“We?” I asked in disbelief.
“Yep, all of us.”
I turned to Jenny. “Even you?”
She smiled a very small smile.
Meghan turned around from the front seat looking smug. “And we’re too far away to go back and return it, and it was clearance, so you can’t return it.”
I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing.
“You okay, Mystic?”
When I was sure I wouldn’t kill anybody, I opened my eyes. “Thank you, guys. I appreciate your … efforts … on my behalf.” Either they missed the sarcasm or they chose to ignore it.
“Don’t forget to tell Adrian we said ‘Merry Christmas.’”
I smiled tightly. “I’ll pass that along.” Over my dead body.
“Look, guys, it’s snowing again!” Stephanie exclaimed from the driver’s seat. They all turned to stare out the windows at the falling flakes, and I took the opportunity to sink into the cushions red-faced.
“Do you really not like it that much?” Jenny asked. We’d ended up sitting next to each other in the back.
“It’s not that,” I said, letting out a breath. “It’s just … we’re not…” I waved my hands in the air as if that could explain the thing that we weren’t.
Jenny nodded. “That’s okay.”
I smiled at her tiredly. “Thanks.”