“You really did,” Sophia said.
“I don’t know,” Alice spoke up. “Mine is pretty great, too. I found a roll of tokens for the arcade! I didn’t even know Hampton Creek had an arcade! What’s it called?”
“High Score,” Sophia and Riley said at the same time, exchanging a secret smile.
“Wait a second,” Jacob spoke up. “You’ve lived in Hampton Creek since September and you didn’t know about the arcade?”
“I guess there were other things higher on my parents’ priority list than scoping out the area arcades,” Alice said with a laugh. “Finding a grocery store, finding a doctor, finding a vet…”
“High Score is really cool,” Sophia said. “We should go sometime, if you want to check it out.”
“Thanks—that sounds fun,” Alice told her.
“Anyway, I thought we could share some fudge on the way over to Sunny Acres,” Riley said. “We have to save a piece for Theo, though. He’s going to freak out when I get home. Peanut-free cookie dough fudge! This will blow his mind!”
After Riley passed out pieces of fudge, the kids were quiet for a moment—the fudge was that delicious.
Jacob swallowed his bite and gestured toward the leftover fudge in Riley’s backpack. “My mom keeps fudge in the fridge,” he said. “It’s even better cold.”
“Thanks for the pro tip,” Riley said.
“Can you believe we have our first 3C performance?” Alice asked Sophia. “We just joined, like, four days ago! I’m kind of nervous!”
“Don’t be,” Riley assured her. “I mean, it can’t possibly be anywhere near as bad as our show at the Hampton Creek Mall.”
“Shhh!” Sophia whispered loudly. “Don’t jinx us!”
“Riley, you missed us loading the bus,” Jacob began. “Everybody brought so much Christmas stuff! You won’t believe it.”
“Did 3C go Christmas crazy?” Riley asked, giggling.
“Let’s just say that our cookies are only the beginning,” he replied.
“I saw wreaths, mini-trees, garlands, lights,” Sophia said, ticking each one off on her fingers. “Not to mention all the stuff that belonged to Mr. Mac’s grandma.”
Riley shivered with excitement as the bus pulled up in front of Sunny Acres. She could hardly wait to see how the residents would react to the Christmas surprises 3C had planned for them.
When the bus stopped moving, Mr. Mac stood up with a special announcement.
“Listen up, 3C,” he began. “I have one more surprise about this trip.”
“What?” all the students called out together.
“We’re not just going to sing our songs in the common room like a regular concert—we’re going caroling!” Mr. Mac announced.
“Seriously?” Riley exclaimed. She was not expecting that their 3C concert would become a caroling party instead!
“That’s right—caroling up and down the halls of Sunny Acres,” Mr. Mac continued. “The residents have no idea what’s in store for them! So here’s how it will go: You’ll knock on the door, and when they open it, launch into one of the songs—usually a traditional carol is best, but you and your caroling buddy can choose—and make someone’s day with your Christmas cheer, okay?”
“Okay!” everyone yelled, so loudly that Mr. Mac pretended to stumble backward.
“I printed out a bunch of invitations to our little soiree in the common room—don’t forget to take a stack,” he said. “I’m sure the residents will be excited to help us decorate, and maybe they’ll even join us in singing some old favorites. This is also a good time to deliver any gifts or surprises you brought, too. Ready? Let’s do this!”
The kids filed off the bus. It was clear that pretty much everybody would be caroling with his or her seatmate—which meant that Riley and Jacob would be paired up again. Riley didn’t mind. The more time she spent with Jacob, the more she enjoyed hanging out with him.
As the other members of 3C spread out through the halls, Jacob pointed to the elevator bank. “Want to take this show upstairs?” he asked.
“Sure, why not?” Riley replied. It was a good choice; the second floor was pretty deserted, with long rows of identical gray-green doors on either side of the corridor. A couple of residents had added some forlorn decorations to their doors—a plastic wreath here, a dusty velvet bow there—and Riley made a mental note to ask Mr. Mac if there would be enough decorations to add some to the second floor as well. She was confident that a little extra Christmas cheer was all it would take to transform Sunny Acres into a magical holiday wonderland!
“I’ve always wanted to go caroling—but now it seems kind of weird,” she confided to Jacob as they walked toward the first door. “We just, like, knock on the door and start singing? To strangers?”
“I don’t know why you would call that weird,” Jacob said wryly. “I’d call it your average Tuesday.”
Riley burst out laughing so hard that Jacob, grinning, held a finger to his lips. “Shhh!” he said. “Don’t warn them that we’re on our way!”
“What are we, ninja carolers?” Riley asked.
“When it comes to Christmas caroling, stealth is almost more important than the singing,” Jacob said.
“If you don’t stop joking, I won’t be able to stop laughing!” Riley replied. “Come on. We have to take it seriously. No more messing around.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jacob said, giving Riley a funny salute.
By then, they were standing in front of the first door in the hallway, number 201. A small brass nameplate read MRS. B. RUSSELL.
For a moment, Jacob and Riley just stood there.
“Are you going to knock?” Riley finally asked.
“I thought you were,” Jacob replied. “Let’s do it together. One, two—”
“Wait!” Riley exclaimed. “We didn’t pick a song.”
“Oops,” Jacob said with a laugh. “What do you want to sing?”
“Hmm,” Riley said thoughtfully. “How about ‘Here We Come A-Caroling.’”
“I like it,” Jacob said, nodding. “Very appropriate. Okay, now, one, two, three!”
At the same time, Riley and Jacob rapped on the door.
“Just a minute!” a voice called to them.
This is it, Riley thought, her heart pounding. Any second, that door will swing wide open, and we’ll have an audience of one, and—
The door opened. A small woman with snow-white hair piled into a bun looked surprised to see Riley and Jacob. “Yes, dears?” she said. “Can I help you?”
Riley took a deep breath, then she and Jacob exchanged a glance. There was the slightest, barely perceptible nod to Jacob’s head. Riley could tell it was her cue.
Then they started to sing.
Here we come a-caroling
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a-wandering
So fair to be seen…
Right before she started to sing, Riley had a brief flash of worry—What if this is beyond embarrassing? What if she slams the door in our faces?—but it faded almost immediately. There was something enchanting, almost magical, about the way Riley’s and Jacob’s voices rose in a duet, singing each clear, sweet note.
But even better than the sound of their singing was its impact. Mrs. Russell’s eyes were wide with delight; her mouth spread into a joyful smile that seemed to capture the very spirit of Christmas. By being part of that—by helping to bring joy to her—Riley’s own joy tripled, and she remembered all over again what she loved most about Christmas.
“Oh, wonderful! Simply wonderful!” Mrs. Russell cried, clapping her hands together. “Bravo! Why, I haven’t heard carolers in such a long time! Christmas caroling used to be one of my favorite parts of the season. I can’t imagine why people don’t go caroling like they used to.”
“Neither can I,” Riley replied. Caroling was even more fun than a regular choral performance. She couldn’t wait to knock on the next door. “We have a present for you, too!”
“Christmas cookies! What a treat!” Mrs. Robbins exclaimed. “They look delicious.”
Jacob gave Mrs. Robbins one of Mr. Mac’s party invitations. “We hope you can join us in the common room for a Christmas party in an hour,” he told her.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” she promised.
“Merry Christmas!” Riley said, waving as Mrs. Robbins closed her door.
Then Riley and Jacob were off to the next apartment, and the next one, and the one after that. Once in a while, they stopped by an empty apartment, but almost everyone opened their doors wide—and delighted in the caroling and the Christmas cookies. The residents were so enthusiastic that Riley wasn’t surprised to see that the common room was almost full by the time she and Jacob finished caroling on the second floor. It was hard to tell who enjoyed the party more—the senior citizens or the middle-school students!
Riley was extra glad that she’d finished all her homework during study hall that afternoon. By the time she got home from the trip to Sunny Acres, the last thing she felt like doing was reading her history textbook or puzzling through her geometry problems. She had a feeling, too, that with Christmas break just three days away, all her teachers had lightened the homework load a little. Who could blame them? Riley was sure they were just as eager for the break as their students—and they probably had more important things to do than grade homework right before Christmas!
Three days, Riley suddenly thought. Three days until Christmas break… three days until the Christmas party at school… three days to deliver one last Secret Snowflake gift… three days until the big reveal.
The book for Marcus was, at best, half finished. Riley had selected all the quotes and poems, and copied them in her best handwriting. But she still had to make the cover, decorate a title page and table of contents, and then assemble the whole thing. It was going to be a lot of work… especially without a weekend before the end of Secret Snowflake. Plus, Riley had promised Sophia that she would help her make a special invitation to the New Year’s Eve sleepover for Alice. She knew that the silver glitter paper from her first Secret Snowflake gift would be perfect for it.
Despite everything she still had to do, Riley was up for the challenge. She’d put way too much effort and energy into Marcus’s Secret Snowflake surprises to do a halfhearted job on the last—and most special—gift of all.
It wasn’t until Riley had assembled all her supplies—the rice paper for the interior pages; the acid-free glue; her best calligraphy pen; her sharpest scissors; and, of course, two sheets of glitter paper for the cover—that she realized she hadn’t thought about Marcus the entire time she’d been at Sunny Acres.
Not even once.
Somehow, the teachers expected everyone to be able to focus on schoolwork on Friday, even though it was the last day before break. Even though the best party of the school year—and the long-awaited Secret Snowflake reveal—was right after lunch. Even though the final Secret Snowflake gifts were waiting, wrapped and ready, under Mr. Mac’s crazy-looking metal tree in the music room. Riley had seen them when she’d snuck in, just before homeroom, to nestle the book of Christmas poems she’d made for Marcus under the shiny boughs. The handwritten, hand-stitched book was so special to her that she hated to leave it unattended under the tree, even for a few hours. She wished that she could deliver it to Marcus that very minute! But Riley had waited this long. She could manage a few more hours.
The warning bell rang. Riley took one last opportunity to adjust the bow on Marcus’s gift before she hurried off to homeroom. Mrs. Darlington was standing at her desk, smiling, with a big box of doughnuts.
“Good morning, class!” she announced as Riley slipped into her seat. But there was so much chatter that no one answered—or even seemed to hear—her.
Mrs. Darlington cleared her throat and tried again, louder this time. “I said, good morning, class!”
This time, people started paying attention.
“I know the big party is this afternoon—but I thought we could kick off the celebrations this morning,” Mrs. Darlington announced. “Doughnuts for everyone!”
The whole class erupted into cheers!
“But first,” Mrs. Darlington continued, “there’s one more stage of the Secret Snowflake to complete.”
“The reveal?” Ben called out. “Are we gonna find out right now?”
Mrs. Darlington shook her head. “I’m afraid not—that has to wait for the party,” she replied. “No, I’d like you to use your class time to write an in-class essay about your experience.”
Mrs. Darlington strode over to the podium and switched on the SMART board. She’d already written several prompts.
DID YOU ENJOY SECRET SNOWFLAKE? WHY OR WHY NOT?
WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT YOUR SECRET SNOWFLAKE?
WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF?
“Feel free to snack on a doughnut while you write,” Mrs. Darlington said. “Just try not to get any crumbs on your essays!”
Riley picked out a doughnut with strawberry glaze and opened her notebook to a fresh piece of paper. She wasn’t a big fan of in-class essays—it felt like a lot of pressure, having to write the whole thing in one sitting—but at least for this one, she knew exactly what she wanted to say.
Somehow, each class period ticked away until, at last, even lunch was over—and it was time for the party to begin. Before she went to the music room for the party, Riley popped in the bathroom to make sure she didn’t have any food on her face. She stood back and stared at her reflection in the mirror, adjusting her hair—first in front of her shoulders, then behind, then in front again. It was crazy how she looked so, well, normal on the outside when she felt like a jangling ball of nervous energy inside.
Because this was it—the moment she’d been imagining for so long. In just minutes, she was going to talk to Marcus. She was going to tell him that she was the one responsible for all his Secret Snowflake gifts. And then she would give him the special book she’d spent so many hours making.
What would happen next? Riley wasn’t quite sure. It was the one stage that was difficult—almost impossible—for her to imagine. Marcus would probably confess that he was her Secret Snowflake, too. They would definitely share a laugh about that—after all, what were the odds? Riley didn’t know how to calculate them, but she was sure they were tiny. Maybe Marcus would offer to get her something to eat… or maybe he would ask if she wanted to hang out over Christmas break. She really hoped he would. Two weeks without seeing Marcus—without sitting right behind him in first period—felt unbelievably long to Riley. And then… who knew what would happen next?
Riley did know one thing, though.
She wouldn’t have to wait much longer to find out.
Riley took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and nodded at her reflection. Let’s do this, she thought to herself.
The party was already picking up by the time Riley got to the music room. Mr. Mac, wearing a full Santa suit from head to toe, looked like he was having a blast.
“Merry Christmas, Riley! Ho, ho, ho!” he chortled.
“Merry Christmas, Mr. Mac!” she replied. “When is 3C going to sing?”
Mr. Mac glanced at his watch. “Maybe in ten or fifteen minutes?” he said. “Let’s make sure everyone gets here and has a little time to hang out first. Don’t go far, though, okay?”
“I won’t,” Riley promised. She may have missed her cue at the mall, and almost missed the bus to Sunny Acres, but Riley was determined that nothing would interfere with 3C’s last performance of the season.
Riley glanced around, admiring how the music room had been transformed. The spindly, silvery tree no longer looked weird; now that it was covered in multicolored Christmas lights, it reflected a beautiful rainbow glow. There was an incredible pile of presents under it, too—all shapes and sizes, wrapped in everything from shiny paper to newspaper comics.
Jazzy versions of Christmas carols were playing from Mr. Mac’s laptop. Giant Christmas ornaments th
ey’d made in Ms. Lopez’s art class dangled from the ceiling on strands of transparent fishing line, slowly spinning from the invisible air currents circulating around them.
Jacob was near the risers, making sure everyone’s music folders were in place. Alice was helping Mrs. Darlington arrange cookies on a platter. Sophia was kneeling by the tree, tidying up the enormous pile of presents. She caught Riley’s eye and grinned.
Then Sophia nodded toward the door and gave Riley a subtle thumbs-up. Riley glanced over…
And saw that Marcus had arrived!
Her heartbeat quickened at once. He looked really nice, wearing a dark green shirt with the sleeves rolled up. If Riley just stood there casually, would he notice her? Would he come over to chat?
Maybe, once upon a time, Riley would’ve waited to find out. But today was different.
Today, she was taking charge.
Riley walked across the room, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Marcus! Hey!” she said, smiling—but not too big or too toothy. She didn’t want to be, like, super obvious or anything.
“What’s up, Riley?” Marcus said, smiling back.
He smiled back! she thought, ecstatic.
“Pretty cool party, huh?” Riley asked, plowing ahead without second-guessing every word that came out of her mouth.
“Yeah, I guess,” he replied. “It beats geometry.”
Riley laughed. Of course it was better than geometry! Marcus was really funny.
“Countdown to Christmas,” Riley said—since they were stating the obvious and all.
“No kidding,” Marcus said, shaking his head. “Tomorrow we’re leaving for Aspen. I can’t wait. Ten days of skiing. I already booked private lessons.”
“Wow. That sounds incredible,” Riley said, trying to ignore the pang of disappointment. So there’d be no hanging out over Christmas break with Marcus. That was okay. They could still text… if they exchanged numbers before Marcus left.
“You’re in that… singing thing, right?” he asked.
Riley’s heart leaped. So he was paying attention! “Yeah, 3C,” she replied. “In fact, we’re going to sing at the party. In a little while.”
Celebrate the Season--Secret Snowflake Page 7