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Chapter 8- Connection

J-A-S-O-N

I folded the slip of newspaper and tossed it into the middle. Once everyone was finished, Tara mixed the papers and picked one out.

"Alright, now everyone pick a slip and don't say who you've got." Tara said, putting her pointer finger on her lips.

"Well, it's secret Santa after all." Nate added.

We all reached forward to take a slip. I opened it quickly and read the name.

Michael

What would I get him?

Nate

And there I was, sitting on Cedric's fluffy rug, wrapping my way-too-late-secret-but-not-really-Santa-gift to Mairi. I got her a retro instax camera and a small potted plant. Luckily the camera was on sale.

I taped the ombre pink wrapping to the shipping box and then set it under the christmas tree. Jason waltzed into the room, a white plastic bag hanging from his wrist.

"Yo, you finished wrapping already?" He asked me.

"Yeah. What did you get for Michael?" I replied.

He had already told me who he got. What a grinch.

He sat down next to me and opened up his bag. "I got him a bunch of computer gadgets of course."

He then opened up a orange gift bag and dumped everything inside.

"Nice half assed presentation." I joked, looking at my ombre pink wrapping.

"Shut up. I couldn't exactly wrap anything because I got multiple items."

I leaned my back against the couch. "Ah, I just put my items in a box and then wrap it."

"Well, at least I'm making a half assed card to go with it." Jason answered, whipping out a piece of paper and some thick markers.

Cedric walked into the room, sitting on the fluffy white carpet with us.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked him.

"Eh, nothing really. I just got back from shopping with Irene." He answered.

I leaned close and checked to see if the coast was clear. No Mairi, no Tara, no Irene. Good.

"So... What's really happening between you two?" I asked mischievously.

He tilted his head back and laughed. "We've been friends since second grade. Otherwise, not much. Did she say anything about me?" He replied.

"Oh, so you like her." I joked.

"Maybe."

"Knew it."

We sat there, listening to Jason's marker wish-washing.

"I don't know about her though." Cedric finally answered.

"She likes you." Jason said abruptly.

"Nah, I'm sure she doesn't." Cedric stated.

"IS EVERYONE DONE YET?" Tara's booming voice called from the other room.

"No! Ackerman and Mairi aren't back yet." I told her.

She ran into the living room and plopped her present under the tree.

"Wow. So grand... Gold wrapping and a big bow? I hope that's for me." I teased.

"Haha- no."

"Then who?" Jason asked, walking over to the tree and dropping his bag next to the gold rectangle box.