Sorry for the long wait! Been super busy. Expect a super post tommorow :)

"Rocky, that's the third time you've checked your mailbox. Report cards won't come for at least another week or so."

"I'm sorry CeCe but I can't help it. I have to know if I did well on that final," I whined. It had been two days and I was freaking out since I didn't get to study as much as I wanted to.

"You know what you need to do? You need to take your mind off of this and what better way to do that than…" her voice trailed off as she went to her coat rack, "shopping!"

"You know that's actually a really good idea," I replied.

"Yeah I—HEY, what's that supposed to mean?" CeCe huffed

"Well we could go get our secret Santa gifts," I said

"No, you said that's actually a good idea. I always have good ideas!" CeCe cried

"Suuuure," I rolled my eyes at her.

"I do!"

"Whatever. Get your purse and let's go!"

"Hey we should invite the guys," CeCe smiled

"And by that you mean, Paul?" I smirked

"I wish! No, sadly he has to work today. I mean the usual suspects, Deuce, Ty, Tynka…Gunther," she shuddered at Gunther's name.

"Yeah, alright. I mean the more the merrier right? Hey Ty! You wanna go shopping?!" I shouted so that he would hear me in his bedroom.

"Why would I want to do that?!" he yelled back.

"Cause we're getting Christmas gifts and I know you haven't bought Tynka's gift yet!" I responded.

"How right you are," he laughed. "Aight let me get dressed."

"Ok so I figure if we all spend about twenty five minutes in each store of choice, we should be done around three. Now we can meet up at the food court or-"

"Rocky! Stop vith all the planning. Ve all have our cell-y phones. We will do the texty text vhen ve are finished yes?" Gunther said in his obnoxious accent.

"Cool with me," Ty shrugged and everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Come on, Rocky!" CeCe pulled my arm and dragged me to Forever 21.

"Umm you know you're supposed to be shopping for other people right?"

"I am. I'm getting my mom a scarf…and you know if they happen to be buy one get one free then who am I to not get something for myself?" she batted her eyelashes

"You are shameful," I shook my head. "I'll be in the jewelry section," I called out to her.

I had to get CeCe something that she would never expect but it was nearly impossible. That girl could not be surprised no matter how hard you tried. After looking through the jewelry section for about twenty minutes, I decided to give up. Either she would hate whatever I picked out or I would get caught in the "Its-for my-mom" excuse. I was a terrible liar and everybody knew that. And how was I supposed to get rid of her long enough to find something for her? Whatever I was gonna do, I needed to figure it out fast.

"Look at these shoes!" CeCe's perky voice squeaked when she found me.

"Ooh those are cute," I admitted. They were a pair of gold sequined flats with a bow on the top of each shoe.

"Right?! And they're only five bucks! I mean I totally have enough to get my mom's scarf and buy me these super cute flats!" she said excitedly

"Sounds like a plan," I smiled.

"And this is the part where you pretend that you're buying something for your mom and I tell you that I want the feather earrings. Preferably blue but I will also accept orange or green," CeCe smirked at me.

"Ya know, I'm offended that my best friend doesn't believe that I'm capable of

getting her a super awesome present that she won't suspect and be able to keep it a secret," I crossed my arms and feigned hurt feelings.

"

Maybe because you haven't been able to surprise said friend ever in the entirety of our ten year friendship," she said matter-of-factly

"You know what, CeCe, this year is different," I wrapped my left arm around her and walked with her to the cash register.

Snowflakes

"Alright mom is good. Now for Flynn, Ty, my dad…and Gunther…yuck," CeCe crossed her mom's name off her list. I laughed at her disgust and we started walking towards Macy's.

"Ok I know Gunther isn't the most likeable person in the world but…ok I got nothin'," I admitted.

"Exactly. And I have to buy a gift for him. It's an injustice ok?" CeCe sighed dramatically. I saw Deuce and Ty headed our way and I figured it was the perfect time to ask for help with CeCe's gift.

"You comin?" CeCe asked.

"Yeah. I'll be there in a sec. Just gonna call my mom and let her know where we're at," I silently prayed that for once I would get away with a lie.

"Kk," CeCe piped and walked into the Macy's.

"Hey Rocks!" Deuce said once he and Ty were in my presence.

"Hey can I talk to you about something?" I asked Deuce.

"Yeah of course. See you inside bro?"

"Yeah man," Ty nudged me in the side and gave me a weird look before heading into the store

"What's up?" he sat on the nearby bench and motioned for me to come sit with him

"It's CeCe. I want to really surprise her this year but that girl is unsurprisable! I don't know what to get her," I sighed.

"Clothes? Jewelry? That's the kinda stuff I get all the girls in my family," Deuce shrugged.

"I know but that's too simple," I said.

"I'm sorry girl," Deuce scratched his head. "I'm not good at this type of stuff," he laughed.

"Isn't there some cool not on the market thing you have up your sleeve?"

"Weeell there is this one thing. It's called the Beauty Bomb 3000. It's a hair dryer slash face washer slash makeup thing."

"Deuce! That's perfect!" I jumped in lap and kissed his cheek.

"Umm you're welcome?" he chuckled

"Sorry. I uh got a little excited there," I slid back to my side of the bench. I couldn't believe what an idiot I was in that moment.

"Don't worry 'bout it," Deuce ruffled my hair. "Glad I could be of assistance."

I wanted to crawl in a hole and die. Not only had I completely made a fool out of myself but now I had proof that my crush on Deuce would remain just that. Everybody knows once you get hair ruffled, there's no way out of the friend zone.

"Hey you know what we should do? We should play a practical joke on her. You should give her a hand-made card and tell her you didn't get her anything because she's forgetting the true meaning behind Christmas…" I watched as Deuce came out with a creative plan that would hopefully stump CeCe. Before long, I started to forget where I was and why I was there. It didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was I was sitting extremely close to Deuce and I didn't know how to function.