Free Don't Call Me Christina Kringle by Chris Grabenstein Page B

the note in your notebook: ‘Buy Kaio Tanake stupid Secret Santa stuff.’ ”
    â€œYeah, well, she’ll get over it. The holidays are one big downer.”
    â€œCheck your coat,” suggested Nails.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThe pocket,” said Professor Pencilneck.
    Christina took her coat off its locker hook and felt around inside the pockets.
    â€œWhat’s this?”
    She pulled out a foil-wrapped gift box topped with a bow and glittering ribbon.
    â€œIt’s for young Miss Tanake,” said the professor. “Have fun at the party.”
    â€œThis wasn’t in here earlier.”
    â€œReally?” said Nails. “Well maybe some magical-type beings slipped it in when you weren’t looking. They’ll do that you know, them magical-type beings.”
    Stunned and amazed, Christina walked away from her locker, admiring the beautifully decorated gift box.
    She was so stunned and amazed, she forgot to close her locker door.
    Or lock it.

Twenty-nine
    The instant Christina rounded a corner, Nails hopped out of the locker.
    â€œC’mon, Professor. I need to stretch my legs. My hamstrings cramped up on me squatting in that bag all morning.”
    â€œBut Christina advised us to stay here.”
    â€œSo? Come on—let’s go check out the bathroom! We can make a volcano in one of the commodes.”
    Nails scampered up the empty hallway. Professor Pencilneck had no choice but to follow him.
    â€œNails? Wait! I fear your fondness for merry mischief might land us in trouble!”
    â€œYeah!” said Nails. “Ain’t it great to be a brownie?

Thirty
    Christina went to social studies and saw a small wrapped box waiting for her on her desk.
    â€œOpen it!” said Zachary Thomas eagerly.
    â€œIn a second.”
    â€œI got it for you!” Zachary, apparently, was forgetting the “secret” part of the whole Secret Santa routine.
    â€œThanks.”
    â€œIt’s pretzels. Peppermint-and-white-chocolate-covered pretzels.”
    Christina nodded. “Want one?”
    â€œSure!”
    Christina handed him the box. “Enjoy.” Zach tore off the snowflake wrapping paper, which was held in place with about a quarter mile of plastic tape slapped on at all sorts of screwy angles, proving that Zach had, indeed, wrapped the present himself.
    â€œThese are awesome!” he said, munching a candy-crusted pretzel while slamming the Official Wham-o Super Ball he received from his Secret Santa so hard against the floor it bounced up and boinked a ceiling tile.
    â€œTake it easy, Zach,” said the teacher with a laugh while she showed Emily True how to work a Slinky.
    Everybody was up and laughing and playing with their new toys.
    Everybody except Kaio Tanake, who was sitting in her usual spot at the back of the class. By herself.
    Kaio’s family had moved to America from Japan in September so she didn’t have very many friends at the school. She had played Secret Santa and given Anna Bloomfield a complete Pokémon card set that Anna was already playing with at her desk but nobody had given Kaio a thing because Christina, her Sluggard Santa, should’ve brought her gift in yesterday like everybody else did.
    I hate Christmas , she thought as she made her way back to Kaio’s desk. Too much to do. Too many deadlines.
    â€œUm, Happy Holidays,” she said, not knowing if Kaio and her family celebrated Christmas or something else. “Sorry your present is a little late.” She handed Kaio the glimmering gold box.
    Kaio smiled. “Thank you. Shall I open it?”
    Christina shrugged. “Sure. ’Tis the season.”
    â€œPardon?”
    â€œNothing. Just something we say at Christmas.”
    â€œAh. Thank you.”
    Christina wished Kaio would rip off the wrapping paper the way Zach had torn open the peppermint-covered pretzels box because she wanted to see what Professor Pencilneck and Nails had