Schuyler twirled a blonde cork screw curl around her finger as her eyes darted around the vomit-coloured portable in which she was forced to spend her mornings. She looked at the gaudy Christmas decorations strung across the room; red and green tinsel lined the walls, along with paper snowflakes dangling from the ceiling. She stared out the window, her chin resting in her hand as she watched real snowflakes fall. She'd almost rather be outside in the cold making snow angels with her best friend Iris or…she snuck a glance at Lysander. She could only catch the occasional glimpse of his profile from where she sat, but that was better for ogling him without his notice as far as she was concerned.

Iris nudged Schuyler's arm when she noticed her gaping at him. Iris grinned.

"You're totally in love him." she whispered.

"Shut up." Schuyler whispered back, grinning.

Their history teacher, Mr. Faraize, rose from his desk to address the class.

"So," He began. "As you all know, exams are fast approaching," Boy, do I. Schuyler thought.

"So I'm thinking we should do something fun. You've all heard of secret santa,Yes? Good." He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a black top hat. Why he kept a top hat in his desk, Schuyler would never know.

"The spending limit will be, let's say, ten dollars. Does that sound reasonable?" There was a collective "yeah" from everyone in the room.

Schuyler tore a sheet of paper from her note book and scrawled her name across it. She slipped it into the black hat when it came around.

"Everyone got their name in here?" The class nodded.

Mr. Faraize circled the room again and students pulled names from the hat. Schuyler's heart thudded as she watched. She craned her neck to peak over the shoulders of students who'd chosen a name. Luckily, she didn't see Lysander's on any of their papers.

Soon enough, it was her turn. She reached into the hat. Lysander, Lysander, Lysander. She repeated his name in her head like a mantra as her hand sifted through the slips of paper. She grabbed one from the bottom of the hat and pulled it out, keeping the it clenched in her fist. She was too afraid to look, yet too excited not to. She pursed her lips. This is so ridiculous, I have to look. It's no big deal, really. Her heart beating with a mix of anticipation and fear, she slowly unfolded the paper…and stared at it in disbelief. Scrawled in elegant, swirling cursive was the name Lysander.

Schuyler couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she packed up her things. She'd kept the paper with Lysander's name folded in her pocket the entire day. She knew it was silly, but she still entertained the thought that it could be a sign, a good omen for their (currently non-existent) relationship.

"Hey!" Iris leaned against the locker next to Schuyler's.

"Hey, Iris." Schuyler said. "Let's get out of here already. We need to get a move on with these history notes or we'll fail. You can study at my house."

"We cam fail together!" Iris said playfully.

"We are not failing!" Schuyler grinned and nudged Iris in the shoulder. She buttoned her coat and slipped her wool hat on over her curls. The two girls linked arms and walked through the main hallway into the bitter cold.

"Sooo are you finally gonna tell me who you got?" Iris asked. Schuyler didn't need to ask what she meant. She paused and took a deep breath before answering. She knew students weren't supposed to tell each other who they were paired with, but neither of them cared.

"Lysander." She said. Iris was speechless for a moment.

" . Way!" She tightened her grip on Schuyler's arm. "That's so amazing Schuyler! What are gonna get him?" She asked.

Schuyler's face darkened as she realized she hadn't even thought about it. She hardly knew Lysander.

"I…I have no idea." Schuyler said.

"Seriously? Not a clue?" Iris cried.

"Not a clue." Schuyler's shoulders slumped hopelessly.

"Hey, cheer up. I have an idea." Iris nudged her.

Schuyler sighed. "What is it?"

"Why don't we go down to the dollar shop and see what they have? That place is nice and cheap."

Schuyler's mood brightened a little at the suggestion…until she remembered the sheets of historical facts in her backpack waiting to be memorized. She looked at Iris's smiling face. It would just be a quick look. Besides, it was for Lysander, of all people. "Alright. Let's see what we can do."

The fluorescent lights of the Dollar Shop blinded Schuyler's eyes as the smell of cheap plastic invaded her nostrils. She quickly scanned the half price bins, searching for anything interesting as her boots squeaked across the polished linoleum floor.

"Now, if I were Violette, what would I buy from the Dollar Store." Iris muttered to herself as she wandered down an isle filled with craft supplies.

"Oh you got Violette?" Schuyler said. She had forgotten to ask Iris who she'd been paired with.

"Yep. I'm sure this place will have something she'll like." Iris said as she browsed through a selection of synthetic paint brushes. Schuyler only hoped she would be so lucky. Every item she looked at was bright, colourful and childlike-nothing about them said Lysander.

"I'm gonna go look around a bit." Schuyler said, heading out of the craft isle.

" 'Kay, I'll be right here." Iris called back.

Schuyler browsed through isles of pens, notebooks, sunglasses, glow sticks and array of other items that seemed, well…either completely useless or likely to break after owning them for a day. A rack of key chains caught her eye. They all looked like animals doused in radioactive chemicals. She picked one up and twirled it around in her fingers. It was a bunny dressed in a stripped shirt and an eye patch. Weird, but still kinda cute. Definitely not for Lys, though. She placed it back on the rack and continued her search.

After a hopeless scavenger hunt through an isle of sparkly stickers and disposable cameras, she spotted a bargain bin filled with CD'S. Lysander was into music, she knew that much. There might actually be something good in here. Schuyler thought as she flipped through the albums. The bin contained a few tittles she vaguely recognized: Winged Skull, Stars from Nightmare, Nickelback. She flipped through tittle after tittle, unsure what would interest Lysander most. She was beginning to feel more dejected by the second.

"Can I help you find anything, miss?"

Schuyler turned to see an old man dressed in a rainbow spattered vest and khaki pants. His name tag read Manager and below that, the name Louis. Schuyler smiled politely. She knew that if she hadn't found anything here by now, she probably never would.

"No, thank you. I'm…just having a look around."

"Alright then. Let me know if you need any assistance." Louis said and returned to the register.

Schuyler continued to flip through the CD's halfheartedly. It was no use. She placed the album she'd been holding back in the bin and made her way back to the craft isle.

"Schuyler!" Iris said. "I've got everything I need. Did you find anything?" She asked. Schuyler shrugged.

"Not today, unfortunately." Schuyler sighed. Iris's face fell.

"Oh, that's too bad. Maybe you'll find something next time." doubt it. Schuyler though.

"Well, I'm gonna go buy these." Iris held up a palette of paints and assortment of synthetic brushes. Schuyler nodded. She waited by the door while Louis rang up Iris's purchases. After today's utter failure, all she wanted to do was go home and get her mind off it.

Iris walked toward her, plastic bag in hand."Now we can go study at your house and totally not fail." She said, grinning.

"Sounds like a plan." Schuyler linked her right through Iris's and they made their way to her house through the snow.