by Abby Klein
To Rich,
The one who always made Christmas extra special!
Love you forever,
A.K.
TITLE PAGE
DEDICATION
CHAPTER 1: Ho, Ho, Ho!
CHAPTER 2: Secret Santa Rules
CHAPTER 3: Disaster!
CHAPTER 4: Secret Spy Stuff
CHAPTER 5: Super-Secret Spies
CHAPTER 6: Surprise!
CHAPTER 7: Great Idea!
CHAPTER 8: Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Christmas!
Freddy’s Fun Pages
SANTA CLAUS FACE
RED-AND-WHITE SLIME
CHRISTMAS JOKES
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
OTHER STORIES BY ABBY KLEIN
ALSO AVAILABLE
COPYRIGHT
I have a problem. A really, really big problem. My class is doing Secret Santas. We pick someone’s name out of a hat, and then we have to make a special gift for that person. I picked the worst name of all!
Let me tell you about it.
“What’s for dessert, Mom?” I asked as I shoveled the last spoonful of mashed potatoes into my mouth.
“Slow down, Freddy,” said my mom. “I don’t want you to choke.”
“And don’t talk with your mouth full,” said my sister, Suzie. “I don’t want to see what you’re eating. It’s disgusting!”
I opened my mouth and stuck out my tongue at Suzie. “AAAAAAAA!” Little bits of potato slipped off my tongue.
“EWWWW! EWWWW! EWWWW!” Suzie screamed, covering her eyes. “You are so gross!”
“Freddy,” said my dad. “That’s enough!”
“Where are your manners?” asked my mom. “You are acting like an animal!”
“Yeah,” said Suzie. “Like a P-I-G, pig.”
“Oink, oink,” I snorted, and laughed.
“Really, Freddy,” said my dad. “If you don’t stop right now, then you won’t be having any dessert.”
“And mom made chocolate pudding,” said Suzie.
I froze. “Did you say ‘chocolate pudding’?”
“Yes,” said my mom.
My eyes got big, and I started bouncing around in my chair. “Can I have it with whipped cream? Can I? Can I?”
“Not if you keep fooling around.”
I stopped bouncing, sat up in my chair, and folded my hands in my lap. I looked over at my mom and grinned a big, wide grin.
“Much better,” said my mom.
“Oh please,” said Suzie. “Are you really going to fall for his ‘I’m so cute’ look?”
I smiled even wider.
“Take your dinner dishes to the sink while I get out the dessert,” said my mom.
Suzie and I picked up our dishes and started walking toward the sink. “Unbelievable,” Suzie mumbled.
“Works every time,” I whispered.
I put my dish in the sink and sat back down. My mom got the pudding out of the refrigerator and put it on the table.
I grabbed it and began dumping huge spoonfuls into my bowl.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” said my dad. “Slow down there. Leave some for the rest of us.”
“But I LOVE pudding!” I said, licking my lips. “Especially chocolate.”
“I think you have enough in your bowl,” said my mom. “Pass it to your sister.”
I passed the pudding to Suzie and jumped out of my chair.
“Now where are you going?” asked my mom.
“To get the whipped cream,” I answered. “I have to have whipped cream on my pudding!”
I sprinted over to the refrigerator and galloped back to the table with the whipped cream can. I sprayed some on my pudding, and then I turned the can toward my face. Before my mom could say anything, I sprayed the whipped cream onto my chin to make a beard.
“Ho, ho, ho!” I said. “I’m Santa Claus.”
A big glob of whipped cream slipped off my face and landed on the table. I started to lick it off with my tongue.
“Freddy!” my mom screamed. “What has gotten into you tonight?”
I put my hands on my belly and laughed again like Santa. “Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!”
“Your Christmas won’t be so merry if you don’t behave,” said my dad. He wasn’t laughing. In fact, he looked pretty angry. He pointed toward the sink. “Go wash off your face. Now!”
I quickly washed off my face and sat back down.
“Really, Freddy,” said my mom. “Why are you acting so crazy tonight?”
“Tonight?” said Suzie. “He acts crazy every night!”
“Well, he is being especially crazy tonight,” said my dad.
“Sorry. I’m just really excited,” I said.
“About what?” asked my mom.
“My class is going to do Secret Santas,” I said.
“No way!” said Suzie. “I always wanted to do that.”
“I know,” I said. “Me, too.”
“My teachers never did that. You are so lucky you got the new teacher, Miss Clark.”
“Tomorrow we get to pick a name out of a hat,” I told everyone. “Then we make something special for that person.”
“That sounds like fun,” said my mom.
“I’m so jealous,” said Suzie.
Wow! I thought to myself. Suzie is never jealous of me!
“I can’t wait!” I said. “I’m going to be Josh’s Secret Santa, and I’m going to make him a snow globe with a surfer in it.”
“Hold on there,” said my mom. “I thought you told us you had to pick a name out of a hat.”
I nodded. “You do.”
“Then how are you so sure you’re going to pick Josh’s name?”
I smiled. “I just have this feeling,” I said.
Suzie laughed.
“What’s so funny?” I said.
“Oh, nothing. Nothing.” She laughed again.
“Why are you laughing?” I demanded.
“I just thought of something.”
“What? What did you think of?”
“What happens if you get Max?” she said.
“What?”
“What happens if you pick Max’s name tomorrow?”
I stared at her for a minute. I hadn’t thought of that. “That won’t happen,” I said.
“How are you so sure?” she said with a big grin on her face.
Because it can’t happen, I thought to myself. It just can’t.
The next morning our classroom was buzzing with excitement. “Okay, everyone,” said Miss Clark. “Sit down at your desks. I want to tell you about Secret Santas.”
“This is going to be so cool,” said Jessie.
“I know,” I said. “I’ve always wanted to do Secret Santas. It sounds like so much fun!”
“I hope I pick your name, Freddy,” said Josh.
“And I hope I pick yours,” I said, laughing.
“That would be awesome if we picked each other,” said Josh.
“Well, guess what? I know I’m going to pick Josh’s name,” said Chloe, fluffing her bouncy red curls and smiling in Josh’s direction.
“No you don’t!” shouted Max.
“Yes I do,” said Chloe.
“Oh no you don’t!” Max repeated. “It’s totally random.”
Chloe stood up and crossed her arms. “I just know I’m going to pick his name. I have this feeling.”
“You’re crazy,” said Max, tapping Chloe on the head.
“Hey, don’t touch me,” Chloe whined as she swatted Max’s hand away.
He tapped her head again. “Cr-aaaa-zy!”
“Stop it right now, Max, or I’ll … I’ll …”
“You’ll what?” Max asked, grinning.
“I was wondering the same thing,” Josh whi
spered to me. “What is she going to do to him?”
“Nothing,” Jessie said, laughing. “She couldn’t hurt a fly!”
“OOOOOOOO!” Chloe howled, and stamped her foot.
“All right, you two,” said Miss Clark. “That is enough. You both need to sit down in your seats.”
“But … but,” Chloe stammered, her hands on her hips.
“But … but,” Max said, imitating her.
That just made her even angrier.
“Did you hear that, Miss Clark? He’s copying me!”
“He’s copying me,” Max repeated.
“You’re so rude!”
“You’re so rude!” Max mimicked again.
“He does a pretty good impression of her,” Josh whispered to me.
“He’s had a lot of practice,” I whispered back.
“Max,” said Miss Clark. “You are being very rude right now. It is not polite to imitate other people.”
“That’s right,” said Chloe. “It’s not polite.”
“Please apologize to Chloe.”
Max stared at Chloe, but he didn’t say anything.
“Max, I asked you to tell Chloe you are sorry.”
“Sorry,” Max mumbled.
“You need to look at her and speak a little bit louder. I don’t think she heard you,” said Miss Clark.
“I’m waiting,” said Chloe, tapping her foot on the floor.
“Sorry!” Max said.
“Okay, now sit down, both of you,” said Miss Clark. “And stop wasting our time.”
“That’s one thing they’re both really good at,” Jessie whispered. “Wasting time.”
“I know you’re all excited about the Secret Santas,” Miss Clark continued. “But before we pick names, I want to tell you a few rules.”
“I am going to buy my secret person a million presents,” Chloe blurted out.
“Well, that’s the first rule,” said Miss Clark. “You can only give your secret person one present on Friday.”
“One present? One present? That’s ridiculous!” said Chloe. “Then I’m going to get the most expensive present ever!”
“That’s rule number two,” said Miss Clark. “You can’t buy anything for the person you pick.”
“You can’t buy anything? What do you mean?” said Chloe. “I don’t get it. How do you give someone a present if you can’t buy anything?”
“Did she really just ask that?” Jessie said to me. “She is unbelievable.”
“Maybe she’s an alien from another planet,” Josh said with a chuckle.
“We are going to be making gifts for one another,” said Miss Clark.
“Making gifts?” said Chloe. “I never made anyone a gift before.”
Jessie rolled her eyes. “There’s a first time for everything.”
“You’ll see,” Miss Clark said, smiling. “Making gifts is really fun!”
“Are there any other rules?” Josh asked.
“Yes,” said Miss Clark. “Do not wrap the gift you make. Just put it in the brown bag I’ll be giving you today.”
“A brown bag?” said Chloe. “That’s so ugly and plain!”
“I want everyone’s gift to look the same,” said Miss Clark. “I don’t want the wrapping to be a clue about who your Secret Santa might be. I want it to be a total secret. That’s part of the mystery!”
“I love mysteries!” said Jessie.
“Me, too!” I said.
“Won’t people be able to tell who gave them the gift by looking at the handwriting on the card?” asked Josh.
“Good point!” I said. “That’s thinking like a detective!”
“I already thought of that,” said Miss Clark. “So the name you pick out of the hat today is actually a sticker. You will stick that on the outside of your bag. When you bring your gift in on Friday, keep it in your backpack until you get into the classroom. Then give it to me as soon as you get in the room. That way no one will see the name on the bag.”
“You really did think of everything,” said Jessie.
“I tried,” Miss Clark said.
“Can we pick now?” Chloe asked.
“I think we are just about ready. Any more questions?”
“What if we don’t like the name we pick?” said Max. “Can we trade for somebody else?”
Of course I was thinking that, too, but I would never say it out loud!
“No,” said Miss Clark. “You cannot trade. We are all friends in this class, and in the spirit of the holidays, we can all do something nice for one another. If you don’t think you can do that, Max, then you don’t have to participate. What do you say?”
“No, no, I want to do it,” said Max.
“All right, then,” said Miss Clark. “It’s time to pick.”
My heart started beating a little bit faster.
Miss Clark pulled a red Santa hat out of her desk drawer and began walking around the room. “When you pick the name, don’t say a word and keep a straight face. You wouldn’t want to spoil it for your secret person.”
As she got closer to me, I whispered to myself, “Come on, Josh. I hope I pick Josh.”
“Okay, Freddy, it’s your turn to pick.”
I reached my hand into the hat and swirled the names around, trying to feel for just the right one. My heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to leap out of my chest.
I closed my eyes and picked.
Miss Clark moved on to the next person, and I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the name.
OH NO! OH NO, NO, NO!!!! I silently screamed in my head.
The name on the sticker said M-A-X. I had picked Max!
I was miserable the rest of the day at school. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I was going to have to make a present for the biggest bully in the whole second grade, the one person who was meaner to me than anyone else at school.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Robbie asked when he sat down next to me on the bus. “Did something bad happen today?”
I nodded. “Something really bad happened. It’s a disaster!”
“Oh no! What is it? Are you okay, Freddy?”
Just then Max got on the bus and sat down in the seat behind us. “Are you okay, Freddy?” Max said, imitating Robbie. “The little baby looks like he’s going to cry. Do you need your mommy?”
Ooooooo, he made me so mad! “Leave me alone,” I mumbled.
Max leaned over the seat and put his face right in mine. I could feel his hot, stinky breath on my cheek. “What did you say, little baby?”
“Nothing,” I whispered.
Max grabbed my shirt. “I know you said something, fraidy-cat. Now, tell me what you said!”
Josh tapped Max on the shoulder. “I’ll tell you what he said.”
Max turned to look at Josh.
“He said, ‘Leave me alone,’ so you’d better do that,” said Josh.
“Or else what?” said Max, chuckling.
“Or else I’ll really give you something to cry about,” said Josh.
Max stared at Josh for a minute. Then he went to find another seat on the bus.
Josh squished into the seat next to Robbie.
“Wow! That was awesome!” I said. “Most kids can’t stand up to that big bully. Everyone is afraid of him.”
“And he knows that,” said Josh. “That’s why he can get away with what he does. He knows that most kids won’t fight back.”
“Why aren’t you afraid of him?” I asked.
“Because he really isn’t that scary,” said Josh. “He just wants you to think he is. If more people started standing up to him, he wouldn’t feel so powerful.”
“I know you’re right,” I said. “He’s just so much bigger than I am.”
“Enough about Max,” said Robbie. “Freddy, I still want to know what you’re so upset about.”
“I don’t know if I can tell you,” I said.
“What do you mean you can’t tell me? I know I’m not in your class this year, but I�
��m still your best friend, right? Best friends tell each other everything!”
“And I’m your second-best friend, right?” said Josh. “So you can tell me everything, too.”
“Josh, can you keep a secret?” I asked.
“Of course I can,” Josh said. “I’m really good at keeping secrets.”
“Okay, because this has to do with Secret Santas, and Miss Clark said we weren’t supposed to tell anyone in the class whose name we picked.”
“I promise I won’t say anything,” said Josh.
I put my arm around Robbie and leaned in close to him and Josh. “Guess whose name I picked today for Secret Santas?” I whispered.
“Who?” said Robbie.
“Take one guess.”
“Chloe?” said Robbie.
“No! I wish. That would actually be better than the name I picked.”
“Chloe? Better? Now you’re talking crazy,” said Josh. Just then his eyes got big and wide. “Oh no, you didn’t!”
“Oh yes, I did!”
“No way!”
“Yes way!” I said.
“Uh, could someone please fill me in on what’s happening here?” Robbie asked.
“Freddy picked Max as his secret person,” Josh whispered.
“Max!” Robbie blurted out. “Are you kidding me?”
“Hey!” Max stood up in his seat. “Did one of you losers just say my name?”
“NO!” Josh yelled back. “You must be hearing things.”
Josh put his hand over Robbie’s mouth. “Shhhhhh! We don’t want him to hear us talking about him. He’s not supposed to know.”
“Sorry!” Robbie whispered. “I just can’t believe you picked him!”
“I know. Tell me about it,” I said. “I was so excited to do Secret Santas. Now I don’t even want to do it anymore.”
“Come on, Freddy. It will still be fun,” said Josh.
“Maybe for you, but not for me. I have to do something nice for the biggest bully in the whole second grade.”
“What are you going to make him for a present?” asked Robbie.
“I don’t know,” I said, sighing. “I have no idea what kinds of things he likes.”
“I have an idea,” said Josh.
“You do? You know what Max likes?”
“No, I don’t know what he likes, but I have an idea how we can find out.”