Secret Santa

Walking into the warm dorm felt like heaven for Addie, who had walked back from class in the freezing cold temperatures, while it snowed lightly in Pittsburgh. She saw her roommate, along with a small group of friends hanging out in the lobby, and she made her way over to them, dragging snow across the floor as she walked. "Hey, guys," she said, taking off her hat and scarf before sitting down on the couch next to Jaclyn. "What's up?" she asked them.

"We're picking names for Secret Santa," Jaclyn answered. "Here," she said, shoving a cup full of folded up pieces of paper in her face. "Pick one."

"Jeesh, how many people are involved in this Secret Santa?" Addie asked, seeing the cup was still full. She grabbed one out of there, unfolding it and seeing the name of a person she had no idea who it was.

"Like thirty," Blaire shrugged. "It's a bunch of us and some guys on our floor and the first floor and a couple of friends of friends."

"This isn't fair, I don't know who this is," Addie said, folding the piece of paper again. "Can I pick again?"

The girls started to protest, saying that randomly picking a name and having to stick with that person was part of the fun of secret Santa, but Jaclyn spoke over everyone. "Pick again, Addie," she said, and Addie smiled at her, grabbing another piece of paper before throwing her old one back into the cup. Jaclyn looked at the rest of the group, who were groaning at Addie's special treatment. "There's no reason we need to listen to Addie whine these next couple of weeks about it, so we might as well just let her pick again," she explained, and everyone seemed to agree with that as they nodded their heads.

Addie unfolded the piece of paper and smiled, knowing the person this time. "Okay, we can move on now," she told them. They continued talking for a while before heading back to their respective rooms.

Jaclyn smiled at Addie. "I know who has you for Secret Santa," she sang as Addie threw her coat on her desk chair, not wasting time in hanging it up when she would be using it in another hour when she had to go to class again.

Addie looked at her expectantly. "Well? Are you going to tell me? Or are you just going to gloat about knowing who it is and just hold it over my head for the next two weeks?" she questioned, crossing her arms over her chest, staring at Jaclyn.

"What do I get in return?" she replied.

Addie narrowed her eyes at her. "What do you want?"

"I don't know yet, but just know that you owe me," Jaclyn said. Addie rolled her eyes at her, wondering what kind of crazy thing Jaclyn would come up with in the near future as payment. "But do you really want to know?" she asked, and Addie nodded her head. "Ricky," Jaclyn said, a huge smile on her face.

"Ricky?" Addie asked, and Jaclyn nodded her head excitedly. "Ricky Berens?" Addie added for clarification, and Jaclyn continued to nod her head. "Not Ricky," Addie groaned.

"Why don't you want Ricky to be your Secret Santa?" Jaclyn asked.

"You already know why," Addie responded. Jaclyn did already know the answer to that. Ricky had had a big crush on Addie since he had met her at the beginning of the school year through Jaclyn, who had known Ricky from growing up with him. But, Addie didn't really return that crush. Ricky had come on a little strong, and while Addie thought he was a nice guy, he was just too into her, and she wasn't looking for anyone at the moment. But, that hadn't stopped Ricky, who had continued to try to charm his way with her, though with little success. "How did Ricky even get in the Secret Santa selection? He doesn't even go to the school!" Addie argued.

"Because he's still in our group of friends," Jaclyn pointed out.

Addie groaned. "Whatever."

"I don't know why you won't go out with him," Jaclyn argued. "You know he's a nice guy, and he's good looking. I mean, look at that body!" she exclaimed, and Addie couldn't argue with her, knowing just how good of a body Ricky had, having been a swimmer for most of his life.

"I don't know, I'm just not looking for any kind of relationship right now," Addie responded.

"Whatever you say," Jaclyn said, not believing Addie, but letting it go for now. She had had this same argument with Addie countless times, and neither of them ever budged from their side.

The next couple of weeks went by fairly quickly for Addie, as finals were approaching, and she only had a few more days left before the semester was finally over. Not that she was going home for the break, instead she was staying in Pittsburgh to continue writing for the school newspaper. The time for the Secret Santa gift exchange was finally here, and Addie was nervous about what Ricky was going to get her. She had been thinking about it a lot lately, and it was simply unnerving her now.

They weren't getting together as some big group to hand out gifts. Instead, it was up to the person to find the recipient of their gift and give it to him or her. Addie had already fulfilled her duties, giving Darcy, the girl who lived down the hall from her and Jaclyn, her gift, which consisted of a Pittsburgh Steelers sweatshirt, the team Darcy was absolutely obsessed with. Addie hadn't really known what to get the other girl, and so she had decided on something simple, something she knew Darcy would like and get some use out of.

Now, all that was left was her gift from Ricky. But, she had no idea when she was going to receive this gift. Ricky didn’t go to the university. He was friends with them through Jaclyn, and he came by whenever he could, whenever his swimming training allowed him, which wasn't too often.

She sat in her room when she suddenly saw an envelope get slipped underneath her door, and she slowly got off of her bed and picked it up, seeing her name written on the outside. She lifted the flap, taking a piece of paper out of it with a handwritten message on it.

Addie,

I didn't want you to think that your Secret Santa forgot about you, because I certainly didn't. I'm just unable to make it up to Pittsburgh before Christmas. So, you're going to get your gift just a little late. Inside the envelope is a preview of what your gift is. I'll pick you up the 27th at 5 pm. See you then!

Your Secret Santa,
Ricky

Addie furrowed her eyebrows, re-reading the letter one more time, trying to figure out if it really was what she had thought it was. Had Ricky made her Secret Santa gift into a date between the two of them? She re-read the line about the preview, and she opened the envelope to see another piece of paper in there. She pulled it out and screamed when she realized what it was.

Jaclyn ran into the room, wondering what was going on. "Addie, what happened? Are you dying?" she asked ever so seriously. Addie didn't answer but instead shoved the ticket she was holding into her hand. "What is this?" Jaclyn asked, inspecting the ticket. "Are you going to the Penguins game? How did you get tickets?"

Addie tried to calm down enough to get her words out. "Ricky," she sputtered out, grabbing the ticket back out of Jaclyn's hands and holding it in her own, just staring at it in disbelief, unable to believe that she was going to the Penguins game.

"Ricky?" Jaclyn asked, confused. "What?"

"It's my Secret Santa gift," Addie explained.

"I can't believe he got you tickets to a Pens game for a Secret Santa gift! Addie, this has got to change your mind about him, doesn't it?" Jaclyn asked. "I mean, he's going to take you to a Pens game! Wait, is this a date?" she asked the same question Addie had asked herself earlier before she got so excited about the ticket.

"I don't know," Addie said slowly. She looked up at her roommate. "Maybe I shouldn't go," she said, all the excitement she had just had going out the window.

"Addie, you have to go! You know he's a good guy! C'mon! He just got you Penguins tickets! And, you know he's got a killer body. Just go out with the boy. Please! He's had a crush on you for how long? The least you can do is go out with him. It's one date. As your Secret Santa gift. You can't really turn it down!" Jaclyn argued her point.

Addie sighed. "You're right, it's just one date. It's not like I'm agreeing to be his girlfriend or anything."

Jaclyn smiled, knowing how happy this was going to make Ricky when he found out that Addie couldn't say no to his gift. And, maybe that was his plan all along. Either way, Addie was going to the game, and Ricky was getting his date. It was a win-win for everyone.