My New Crush Gave to Me

by Shani Petroff

  I turned onto his street and pulled over at a random house. I couldn’t very well park right in front of Teo’s house. What if someone was home? I could just picture one of his parents spotting me. I promise, I’m not a stalker lingering outside your house. Just leaving your son a little present. Yeah, that didn’t seem strange at all.

  The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. I could wait to give him the present.

  No, Charlie. You are already here. You already adjusted your plan once. Just do it.

  I took a deep breath and got out of the car. I’d just run. Leave the gift between the screen and main door and go. Easy peasy.

  I made sure the coast was clear and bolted for his porch. I was practically out of breath by the time I made it up the three front stairs. I really needed to schedule in some exercise time. Although it was probably more nerves than lack of physical prowess that was causing the breathing issues.

  Doubt flooded me. What if no one found the present until tomorrow? That would defeat the whole purpose of making a special trip. Or what if it snowed more and my gift fell, got buried, and was shoveled away, never to be seen again?

  Stop, Charlie. Someone will be walking up the porch later. It’s not even five. Teo’s walkway was shoveled from yesterday’s snow, and the forecasters weren’t predicting another storm. Do not freak out over nothing.

  With that thought, I opened up the screen, placed the present halfway in, and let the door shut back on it. But as it closed, the door let out a loud squeak.

  “Mom?” Teo called out.

  I froze.

  Why was he here? Why couldn’t he be volunteering? This was bad. What was I supposed to do? Each second seemed like hours. I had to make up my mind. Time was ticking. Did I stay there and face him? Or run?

  I wasn’t ready for this. Impulse kicked in. Fight or flight, and apparently I was all about flight. I took off running.

  I heard the door squeak again, and I dived behind a bush.

  “Hello?” Teo said.

  Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap.

  I made a mistake. A big one. Why hadn’t I just stayed there? This was definitely among the top three dumb moves of my life. Of course Teo was going to know it was me hiding out as soon as I revealed myself as his Secret Santa next week. I left the Donkey Kong key chain at the door. I could have just stayed there and said I wanted to see if there was anything special he wanted me to pick up for the party. Or confessed that I was the one who pulled his name and that I wanted to surprise him with his next gift. But no, I made the wise choice to crouch behind a bush. This was why I planned things out. This was why I didn’t make rash decisions. If I had actually spent any real time going over scenarios, I would not have been in this predicament.

  “Who’s there?” Teo asked, his voice getting closer. Of course it was. The snow on the ground made a trail to my location.

  I wasn’t sure I believed human spontaneous combustion could actually take place, but if there was a time to prove the theory, it was now.

  “I said, who’s there?”

  I had no choice. I was about to be discovered, so I stood up.

  “Charlie?” he asked. He looked totally confused. Not that I could blame him. It wasn’t every day that you found someone from school hiding in your shrubbery.

  “Hi.” I gave a little wave.

  “What are you doing here?”

  I really should have waited for Monday to do this.

  My mind raced. Oh, you know, a little light stalking. Checking on your forsythia bush, stupendous job on the hedging. Sleepwalking, don’t mind me. But I went with the truth. “I wanted to drop off your Secret Santa gift.”

  “You’re my Secret Santa?” he asked, rubbing his shoulder. He was clearly, and understandably, trying to make sense of it all.

  “Surprise,” I said. I felt so self-conscious. I wiped my jacket and jeans with my hands to get rid of the snow, hoping I wasn’t an absolute mess.

  “Why did you hide?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “I didn’t want to give away that I was your Secret Santa. You weren’t supposed to find out yet.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

  “Right,” he said, his voice softer.

  I didn’t know what else to say, so I just stood there wishing I had one of those Harry Potter invisibility cloaks scientists were working on and braced for the worst.

  Only it didn’t come.

  “So,” Teo said, and then broke into one of his award-worthy smiles, “what did you get me?” I instantly felt a hundred percent lighter.

  Maybe this wasn’t going to be such a bad thing after all. “You’ll have to open it.” I meant to say it in a flirty voice, but honestly, I was so frazzled I sounded more like Elmo from Sesame Street, high-pitched and slightly goofy.

  I could tell he was holding back a laugh. “Okay,” he said, and looked toward his door. Lying not too far away from it was my present. It must have fallen to the side when he came outside. He walked over, picked it up, and shook it. I followed him to the walkway to get out of the snow, but I made sure to keep a decent amount of distance. I really didn’t want him to think I was a stalker.

  “Should I guess?” he asked.

  “You can try.” But I was fairly certain he wouldn’t figure it out.

  “Okay,” he said, and came back down the stairs.

  “Is it a gift card?”

  I shook my head.

  He took a step closer. “Is it chocolate?”

  “Strike two.”

  The next thing I knew Teo was so close there was only an inch of space between us. My equilibrium was going way off kilter, and I had to remind myself to breathe like a normal person.

  “Is it maybe…” He lifted the present above my head. “Mistletoe?”

  It wasn’t, but now I kind of wished it was. I shook my head again.

  He lowered the gift back down and winked at me. “Too bad.”

  Wait. Did that mean he wanted to kiss me?!!!

  “I guess I’m just going to have to look,” he said, but the whole time he never took his eyes off me.

  Okay, it was totally freezing outside, but I was burning up, and there was no question as to why.

  Oh my God. What if, after he opened the gift, he actually did kiss me? Was my breath okay? Were my lips chapped? My lips hadn’t touched anyone else’s since Ajay. Did I even remember how to do it right?

  He ripped off the wrapping paper, and just like that the mood changed from swoonworthy romance to childlike glee, and I was smacked back to reality.

  “No way,” he said, and tore into the packaging so he could remove the key chain. “I didn’t know they made these. They have tiny controls and everything. Charlie, this is awesome.” His face lit up. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Then the totally unexpected happened.

  Teo leaned in and gave me a light kiss on the cheek.

  It wasn’t exactly the kiss I’d been daydreaming about, but it was a very good start.

  I got to feel Teo Ortiz’s lips on me, and I definitely wanted it to happen again!

  Twenty-Six

  “Why are you floating?” my mother said when I walked in.

  “Mom!” I hadn’t expected to see her there. I thought she was working tonight. “You’re home.”

  “I am, and where have you been?” She could sense I was flying high about something. I knew it was just a peck on the cheek, but it was sweet and perfect, and I was going to get to see Teo again tonight.

  “Just dropping off a Secret Santa gift.” The memory made me smile even wider. Going out with Teo wasn’t just some wish anymore, it was a distinct possibility.

  “Well, I can’t wait to hear all about it,” she said.

  “I thought you were doing a double tonight.”

  “Someone was able to take the second shift, so I thought I’d get to spend some time with my daughter.”

  “That’s great!” I told her, but then I realized what that mea
nt. I’d have to choose between hanging out with my mom and going to the party. I had to admit I was torn. I really wanted to spend time with her. I did. But I also really wanted to see Teo. Not to mention, I promised J.D. I’d take care of everything for the party. Since I helped coerce him into throwing it, I kind of owed him. How could I back out of that?

  Once again my mom could tell something was up. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I also need to catch up on my sleep. So how about we hang out, have some dinner, you fill me in on this person who’s making you smile—and then you go to that party you told me about the other day, and I will have a date with my bed?”

  Okay, my day started out rocky with running into Zakiyah and hiding in a bush, but it turned into the most amazingly amazing one. An unbelievable moment with Teo, a party to look forward to, and getting to spend time with my mom when she didn’t seem half asleep? Definitely on the nice list! Mom and I stuffed our faces with boxed macaroni and cheese (one of the dishes both of us could actually cook), talked about my crush (minus me rigging the drawing), how J.D. (the guy I complained about all year) was helping me, her work, and what we hoped Santa would bring us.

  The time flew by. I hated how when you wanted to savor moments, they went by at the speed of light and when you wished they’d hurry up, they felt like an eternity.

  “Have fun tonight,” my mom said. “And don’t stay out too late.”

  “I won’t,” I promised. I grabbed my sweater and then booked it to J.D.’s.

  When I got to his house, I carried all four of the bags to the front door at once. My fingers were about to fall off, but I had told J.D. he didn’t have to worry about anything, and that meant carrying groceries, too. I kept my promises.

  I rang the bell, and J.D. ushered me inside. He was on the phone, FaceTiming someone. When he reached down to grab some of the bags from me, the screen of his phone faced me. I smiled at the older man looking back.

  “Who’s the pretty girl?” the man asked. “Date tonight?”

  “No,” J.D. said. “Grandpa, this is Charlie.” He flashed the screen back toward me so I could wave.

  “Pleasure to meet you, Charlie,” his grandfather said. And then J.D. turned the phone back so his grandfather could see him. “Ahh,” his grandfather continued, “that’s the girl who—”

  “Grandpa!” J.D.’s volume increased. “It’s FaceTime, so she can still hear you, remember?”

  I held back a laugh. The girl who what? I wondered. Wanted to date Teo? Gave J.D. a hard time for being late? Was a dictator at the paper? I took off my jacket and waited for them to finish their conversation.

  His grandfather said, “That’s right. I’ll let you two sweethearts get back to what you were doing.”

  J.D. looked like he was trying not to cringe as he said his good-byes. Then he turned toward me and said, “Please don’t read into that. He just gets confused sometimes.”

  It would have been so easy to give him a hard time about what just transpired, but something in his eyes told me it wasn’t the time. “It’s okay,” I said instead. “Is that the grandfather who moved to Florida?”

  He nodded. He got a faraway look for a moment, and then all of a sudden it was like he remembered I was there. His expression changed to mock outrage. “Where is your sweater?” he demanded. “I may have to kick you out. Rules are rules, and I know how seriously you take those.”

  “I do.” I reached into one of the bags and pulled out my monstrosity of a garment and put it on. “That’s why I have this.” It was green, had the words This girl loves Christmas on it in red, along with two hands with the thumbs pointing at the wearer, aka me. Then to up the hideous holiday factor, there were Christmas trees, stockings, ornaments, and candy canes surrounding the words, all in the shape of a wreath.

  J.D. laughed and clapped his hands together. “That is priceless. Where did you get that?”

  I couldn’t pretend I went out especially to buy it; I only found out about the party last night. “My mom gave it to me as a present,” I admitted. “I saw it in a store a few years ago and laughed, and said it encapsulated my love for Christmas. I had been joking, but my mom thought I was serious, and thus I became the proud recipient of an ugly holiday sweater.”

  “Well, I may have you beat. I will be right back.”

  When he came back downstairs, it was my turn to laugh. J.D. did a full pirouette for me. On the front of the sweater was Rudolph, but it wasn’t just a picture of him; it was actually protruding, like someone sewed a stuffed animal on it. And on the back of the sweater? Rudolph’s hind legs and tail. Garland entwined the sleeves.

  “I’ll give it to you,” I said. “As much as I hate coming in second, I think you win.”

  He hit his hand over his heart. “I don’t know if I can take the shock. You willingly conceding first place?”

  “Hey,” I said. “I’m not delusional. I know there are things I will never be the best at. I’ll never throw a football like Teo, get everyone in school to spill their secrets like Zakiyah, do math in my head the way Morgan does, or,” I said, flicking Rudolph’s nose, “pick out the most hideous holiday sweater in existence. I mean, how can I compete with that?”

  “I know,” he said. “But come on, did you really think I’d have an ugly Christmas sweater party if I didn’t have one?”

  “You bought that?”

  “Nope,” he said, moving the bags closer to the dining room table. “Back of my mom’s closet. I told you she loves Christmas.” Our mothers were never, ever, ever allowed to go shopping together.

  “Let’s see what you have here,” J.D. said, and we started to pull things out of the bags. There were cups, plates, a punch bowl, ladle, napkins, chocolate, chips, soda, and, my favorite, eggnog. “Three cartons?” He held up one of the cartons. “We’re six people. This is way too much.”

  “Speak for yourself,” I said, taking it from him and pouring it into the punch bowl. “I can drink one of these on my own. I love eggnog, and I haven’t had any this year.”

  “I’m not a fan of it,” he said.

  “What is wrong with you? It is like a Christmas milkshake.” I added the second carton to the bowl.

  Just then the bell rang. Maybe it was Teo. “You have to help me,” I begged J.D. “Morgan and Ira are going to be in on it, but the more the better. I need you to keep Heather away from your cousin so I can get that Teo time we talked about before. Remember?”

  “Like you’d let me forget your mission?” he said.

  That was true. I smiled as he went to get the door. My plan was all coming together!

  Twenty-Seven

  Turned out it was Morgan and Ira at the door. They also came in without their ugly Hanukkah sweater. After about six attempts to figure out how to put their jackets on over their shared top and carry the baked goods that they were bringing, they had decided to wait until they got to J.D.’s.

  “I can’t believe how cold it is out there,” Morgan said as she and Ira tried to put on their sweater. “It’s a good thing you live next door, J.D. I would not have wanted to walk too far in this weather.”

  “I’m just glad last night’s snow stuck!” I said. We wound up with about three inches, enough to make me happy.

  “Well, what do you think?” Ira said once they finally got their ugly sweater on.

  “I think you fit right in with the rest of us,” J.D. said. We definitely weren’t winning any fashion prizes. J.D. pulled his camera off the end table and snapped a few pictures. I was having such a great day that despite my ensemble I smiled for the photos anyway.

  The doorbell rang again, and my heart sped up. It had to be Teo!

  And it was. Only Heather was with him. Had they come together—like a date? No. They were friends, and Teo probably just gave her a ride. There was something between us this afternoon, I knew it. Still, looking at the two of them gave me pause.

  Stop it, Charlie. No insecurities. No shyness. Be bold. I walked right over to him and gave him a hug. But
it wasn’t a good hug, he felt … bumpy.

  “It’s my sweater,” he explained, taking off his long navy jacket to reveal his ugly holiday creation. A regular green sweater that he had attached round ornaments to. There were about ten of them splattered across his front, in a variety of colors.

  “Nice,” I said.

  “It was my idea,” Heather offered, revealing her own getup.

  Instead of a sweater, she went with a sweater dress. And it wasn’t ugly. It was tight and short and red. The only thing even remotely unusual about it was that she took Christmas lights and wrapped them around her waist as a belt. I kicked myself for not thinking to do the same. Once again, Heather looked adorable and I looked like someone’s crazy grandma.

  “I like your sweaters,” Morgan said, and attempted to make her way over to them to say hello. She almost fell in the process. Seems she and Ira were still getting a handle on being attached. She had forgotten to tell him she was moving, so while she started walking, he kept still. She caught her balance just in time, and they both started laughing. “This way,” she directed him, and they began walking in unison. “I’m Morgan,” she said, introducing herself to Heather.

  “And I’m Ira,” her Siamese twin said.

  We all did the pleasantries and then I gave J.D., Morgan, and Ira … the look. The keep-Heather-busy look.

  “Uh, Heather,” J.D. said, coming through for me, “can I, um, show you around?”

  “Yeah, okay.” She didn’t look enthused. She didn’t exactly want a house tour, but at least she said yes. As I watched them head for the kitchen, I realized I was beginning to like J.D. more and more. He was a good friend.

  Morgan knew to give me space to be with Teo, so she and Ira waddled over to the couch and sat down.

  “I love the key chain,” he said to me. “I’ve already killed way too much time on it, and I haven’t even had it a full day.”

  “I could take it back if it’s causing you problems,” I teased.

  He winked at me. “I think I can handle it. I’ve been at the hospital a couple of times this week, but I haven’t seen you.”