Too Much Drama by Laurie Friedman Read Free Book Online Page A

I’ve had a bottle of it sitting on my dresser for the last two years. It’s shaped like an apple, and it’s pretty hard to miss, which means Brynn either deliberately got me something she knew I already had, or she didn’t even bother to get me a gift and let her mom pick it out.
    Either way, the gift said it all.

I will honor Christmas all the year, and try to keep it in my heart.
    â€”Charles Dickens
    December 24, 11:15 a.m.
Feeling down
    I keep thinking about what happened this morning when I took the gift to Brynn. It’s depressing. This is what you’re supposed to do during the Christmas season:
    A.) Forgive.
    B.) Forget.
    C.) Move on.
    Apparently, Brynn decided to go with:
    D.) None of the above.
    1:45 p.m.
Not so down
    Leo just called and said he’s bringing over gifts for me, which greatly improved my mood.
    â€œDid I hear a plural?” I asked.
    Leo laughed. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
    â€œWell I have something for you too,” I said.
    â€œSingular?” Leo asked.
    It was my turn to laugh.
    â€œI’m leaving now,” said Leo. “See ya.”
    It was the least articulate but possibly most exciting thing I’d ever heard come out of Leo’s mouth.
    4:45 p.m.
Was I ever down?
    I just had the most amazing Christmas Eve afternoon with Leo and not just because he brought me gifts. He’s the most unique person I’ve ever known. When he came over, I answered the front door. He asked if I wanted to open my presents, but he didn’t have anything with him. “Where are they?” I asked as I looked around.
    â€œStart looking,” said Leo.
    â€œHuh?” I was confused.
    â€œYou’ll have to hunt them down if you want them,” said Leo.
    â€œI think you might have your holidays mixed up.” I gave him a questioning look. “Isn’t that an Easter thing?”
    Leo laughed. “If you want your gifts, you’re going to have to find them.” So I starting searching around my porch, in the bushes, under a pile of pine needles in my yard, and even in the mailbox. “Cold,” said Leo.
    I shook my head like I was giving up. Leo grinned and held out his hand, and I took it. It was the first time we’d held hands, aside from when he inspected my hand while we were shopping. It felt a little awkward as we walked to a little wooded area in the park where he said my gifts were waiting. But once we got there, the awkwardness was replaced with excitement. There were three boxes wrapped in bright red paper, and they weren’t hard to find.
    â€œApril, you have a real talent for sniffing out presents,” said Leo once I’d collected all my boxes.
    We sat side by side on a bench as I opened my presents. The first one was a silver duct tape wallet with a red duct tape heart on the front. “I made it,” said Leo.
    It kind of looked like he had, but I loved that he’d obviously put a lot of time and thought into what he gave me. “It’s great! I can’t wait to use it,” I said.
    The next present was a book called
Chemistry for the Non-Chemist.
“I hope it doesn’t bore you to sleep,” said Leo. He looked a little embarrassed about the gift he’d chosen. “I thought you might like knowing a little bit about my favorite subject.”
    â€œI can’t wait to read it,” I said. “And I’ll also be a step ahead of most people when I take chemistry next year.”
    Leo grinned. “I’m glad I gave you a dual-purpose present.” Then he handed me the third box. I peeled off the wrapping paper and inside the box was a little porcelain figurine of a ballet dancer. “I know you’re not strictly a ballerina,” said Leo. “But she kind of reminded me of the way you looked when you danced your solo in the dance show.”
    I studied the slim statuette of the ballerina with her hair pulled into a bun.