Part 3
December 18th 2000
"Wait, let's go in here," said Liz as she and the other three girls walked past a store. They'd all taken care of getting family presents and were now on the hunt for their boyfriend/secret Santa pick presents.
"What about this one?" asked Maria, pointing to one item.
"No..." Liz shook her head.
"This is Kyle's right?" asked Isabel.
"Yeah."
"What about your pick?" asked Tess.
"Already taken care of. We just have to go get it, they said it'd be ready for today."
"Alright," Tess nodded. Liz turned back to the shelves and she saw it.
"This one," she smiled to the others.
"Oh, it's beautiful," Isabel agreed.
"It's perfect," continued Tess.
"We have a winner," Maria grinned.
"Great," Liz smiled. They went so that Liz could pay for it. After that was taken care of, they exited the store. "Alright, so I'm done," said Liz, "Where do you guys want to go next?"
"Oh! My turn!" said Maria, holding her hand up with a grin.
"Okay, okay," said Isabel, "Where to?"
"Right over there," she pointed to another store. They walked in, Liz, Isabel and Tess looking around. Maria, who unlike them had been there before, took a small basket and went around, picking little things here and there. She mumbled things to herself as she picked up the items.
When she'd taken all she needed, she went to the cash register where they neatly placed the items in a box. She paid and went to find the others.
"Alright, I'm done here, let's go," she announced. They came out of the store, walking along.
"Is this the Alex present?" asked Liz.
"Pick present."
"What about Alex?" asked Isabel.
"I have it already. It was hard to find, but I got it and I know he'll love it," she smiled.
"Good," said Liz.
"Great," said Isabel. They'd expected Tess to pipe in after them, but not a word, in fact she wasn't with them anymore. They turned just in time to see her go into a store. They looked to each other and jogged after her. They found her by a shelf, holding something.
"You know, you could have told us you were coming in here, we would have followed," said Maria. They finally noticed the look of bewilderment on her face.
"Are you okay?" asked Isabel.
"Look..." she said, slowly, handing her what she'd been holding. She observed it for a while, then was taken over by the same look.
"Oh my..."
"What?" asked Liz and Maria at once. Isabel showed them and they soon realized where the look was coming from.
"This is..." started Maria.
"Woah..." continued Liz.
"That's what I'm buying him," nodded Tess.
"Be crazy not to," said Isabel as Tess took it to go pay. They left, still kind of in a daze. "So what about your pick?" asked Isabel.
"Already taken care of," said Tess, "I guess that only leaves you."
"Yeah," said Isabel, "I already worked out Michael's present. As for my pick, I just have to pick it up, so..."
"Let's go then," said Maria. Isabel led them into the store. She found an employee and asked for it. He nodded and went into the back. He came back with a medium-sized box a minute later. Isabel paid for it and they left.
"What'd you get?" She set the box down on a bench and opened it. She held out the contents for them to see, turning it around for them to see. "Wow," smiled Liz.
"Excellent," nodded Tess.
"And we're done!" Maria said with a grin.
"I think this deserves a break," Isabel laughed.
"Mmm... coffee?" suggested Liz.
"Liz... you have the best ideas," said Maria, throwing an arm around her friend's shoulders.
"Thank you!" Liz grinned.
"Alright, let's go," said Tess. The four headed down to the food court, discussing their purchases.
*
"What are we looking for, here?" asked Michael as the guys walked into a shop.
"The other half of Liz's present," explained Kyle, "I already got part of it at home."
"Do you know what you're looking for, exactly?" asked Alex.
"Mostly," answered Kyle.
"Something from the heart," Maria had told him. It had taken some thinking but he found something she'd hopefully like.
"Can I help you?" asked an old man, the owner of the shop they assumed. Kyle explained what he was looking for and the man smiled. "Wait right here," said the man, "I think I have just the thing." He went to the counter, which some items were displayed on the wall. He came back with something and handed it to Kyle.
"Perfect," he nodded. He paid for it and he thanked the man as they left.
"What about your pick?" asked Alex.
"Already done," he said.
"Okay, so I'm next," said Alex, pointing to a store. They walked in.
"Who's this for?" asked Max.
"Well, I already got Maria's present, so..." He looked around and finally settled on something. "This should do it, unless..." He carried the item and went to another display. After a few minutes, he picked up something. "There," he said, taking the two objects to the cash register. They left the store.
"So what'd you get for Maria?" asked Michael.
"Well, it's not an actual 'thing'... yet."
"What?" asked Kyle. Alex explained to them. "That's great," nodded Kyle, "She'll definitely love it."
"Yeah, well that's the whole point, isn't it?" said Alex with a quick smile, imagining Maria's reaction.
"So moving on then, who's next?" asked Kyle.
"That's be me," said Max.
"Where to?" asked Michael.
"Over here, first," he said, indicating a store. They walked in and he lead them to the counter. He'd had to order the present and just had to pick it up now. The woman at the counter left to go get it in the back. They waited a minute before she returned with it. After paying, they left.
"So what's in the box?" asked Michael. Max showed them.
"Wow," said Kyle, "How much did that cost you?"
"Not important," said Max, "In here." They went into another store and a few minutes later, Max had picked something.
"The pick gift?" asked Alex.
"Yes," Max nodded.
"Looks good," Alex nodded as well. They went to pay and then came out of the store.
"Well I guess that leaves you," said Kyle to Michael.
"Yeah," he said, "I already have present for my pick."
"So where are we heading for Isabel's present?" asked Alex.
"Well, back in there," said Michael, pointing to the store they'd been in with Max. The others gave him a look. "What?"
"Nothing," said Max. Michael shook his head and they headed back in the store. Michael looked around for some time before he finally spotted something at the back of the store.
"That's it," he said pointing it out to the others.
"Where are you going to get the money to pay for that?" asked Kyle.
"My pocket."
"What?"
"Well, I've been saving up for it," Michael explained.
"Okay, okay," said Kyle. A clerk came to them and Michael pointed it out again. The clerk took it out of the display, walking to the cash register. After paying for it, they left the store.
"So we're done then?" asked Michael.
"I guess so," said Max.
"So can we get out of here?"
"Yeah, let's go."
December 18th 2000
"Wait, let's go in here," said Liz as she and the other three girls walked past a store. They'd all taken care of getting family presents and were now on the hunt for their boyfriend/secret Santa pick presents.
"What about this one?" asked Maria, pointing to one item.
"No..." Liz shook her head.
"This is Kyle's right?" asked Isabel.
"Yeah."
"What about your pick?" asked Tess.
"Already taken care of. We just have to go get it, they said it'd be ready for today."
"Alright," Tess nodded. Liz turned back to the shelves and she saw it.
"This one," she smiled to the others.
"Oh, it's beautiful," Isabel agreed.
"It's perfect," continued Tess.
"We have a winner," Maria grinned.
"Great," Liz smiled. They went so that Liz could pay for it. After that was taken care of, they exited the store. "Alright, so I'm done," said Liz, "Where do you guys want to go next?"
"Oh! My turn!" said Maria, holding her hand up with a grin.
"Okay, okay," said Isabel, "Where to?"
"Right over there," she pointed to another store. They walked in, Liz, Isabel and Tess looking around. Maria, who unlike them had been there before, took a small basket and went around, picking little things here and there. She mumbled things to herself as she picked up the items.
When she'd taken all she needed, she went to the cash register where they neatly placed the items in a box. She paid and went to find the others.
"Alright, I'm done here, let's go," she announced. They came out of the store, walking along.
"Is this the Alex present?" asked Liz.
"Pick present."
"What about Alex?" asked Isabel.
"I have it already. It was hard to find, but I got it and I know he'll love it," she smiled.
"Good," said Liz.
"Great," said Isabel. They'd expected Tess to pipe in after them, but not a word, in fact she wasn't with them anymore. They turned just in time to see her go into a store. They looked to each other and jogged after her. They found her by a shelf, holding something.
"You know, you could have told us you were coming in here, we would have followed," said Maria. They finally noticed the look of bewilderment on her face.
"Are you okay?" asked Isabel.
"Look..." she said, slowly, handing her what she'd been holding. She observed it for a while, then was taken over by the same look.
"Oh my..."
"What?" asked Liz and Maria at once. Isabel showed them and they soon realized where the look was coming from.
"This is..." started Maria.
"Woah..." continued Liz.
"That's what I'm buying him," nodded Tess.
"Be crazy not to," said Isabel as Tess took it to go pay. They left, still kind of in a daze. "So what about your pick?" asked Isabel.
"Already taken care of," said Tess, "I guess that only leaves you."
"Yeah," said Isabel, "I already worked out Michael's present. As for my pick, I just have to pick it up, so..."
"Let's go then," said Maria. Isabel led them into the store. She found an employee and asked for it. He nodded and went into the back. He came back with a medium-sized box a minute later. Isabel paid for it and they left.
"What'd you get?" She set the box down on a bench and opened it. She held out the contents for them to see, turning it around for them to see. "Wow," smiled Liz.
"Excellent," nodded Tess.
"And we're done!" Maria said with a grin.
"I think this deserves a break," Isabel laughed.
"Mmm... coffee?" suggested Liz.
"Liz... you have the best ideas," said Maria, throwing an arm around her friend's shoulders.
"Thank you!" Liz grinned.
"Alright, let's go," said Tess. The four headed down to the food court, discussing their purchases.
*
"What are we looking for, here?" asked Michael as the guys walked into a shop.
"The other half of Liz's present," explained Kyle, "I already got part of it at home."
"Do you know what you're looking for, exactly?" asked Alex.
"Mostly," answered Kyle.
"Something from the heart," Maria had told him. It had taken some thinking but he found something she'd hopefully like.
"Can I help you?" asked an old man, the owner of the shop they assumed. Kyle explained what he was looking for and the man smiled. "Wait right here," said the man, "I think I have just the thing." He went to the counter, which some items were displayed on the wall. He came back with something and handed it to Kyle.
"Perfect," he nodded. He paid for it and he thanked the man as they left.
"What about your pick?" asked Alex.
"Already done," he said.
"Okay, so I'm next," said Alex, pointing to a store. They walked in.
"Who's this for?" asked Max.
"Well, I already got Maria's present, so..." He looked around and finally settled on something. "This should do it, unless..." He carried the item and went to another display. After a few minutes, he picked up something. "There," he said, taking the two objects to the cash register. They left the store.
"So what'd you get for Maria?" asked Michael.
"Well, it's not an actual 'thing'... yet."
"What?" asked Kyle. Alex explained to them. "That's great," nodded Kyle, "She'll definitely love it."
"Yeah, well that's the whole point, isn't it?" said Alex with a quick smile, imagining Maria's reaction.
"So moving on then, who's next?" asked Kyle.
"That's be me," said Max.
"Where to?" asked Michael.
"Over here, first," he said, indicating a store. They walked in and he lead them to the counter. He'd had to order the present and just had to pick it up now. The woman at the counter left to go get it in the back. They waited a minute before she returned with it. After paying, they left.
"So what's in the box?" asked Michael. Max showed them.
"Wow," said Kyle, "How much did that cost you?"
"Not important," said Max, "In here." They went into another store and a few minutes later, Max had picked something.
"The pick gift?" asked Alex.
"Yes," Max nodded.
"Looks good," Alex nodded as well. They went to pay and then came out of the store.
"Well I guess that leaves you," said Kyle to Michael.
"Yeah," he said, "I already have present for my pick."
"So where are we heading for Isabel's present?" asked Alex.
"Well, back in there," said Michael, pointing to the store they'd been in with Max. The others gave him a look. "What?"
"Nothing," said Max. Michael shook his head and they headed back in the store. Michael looked around for some time before he finally spotted something at the back of the store.
"That's it," he said pointing it out to the others.
"Where are you going to get the money to pay for that?" asked Kyle.
"My pocket."
"What?"
"Well, I've been saving up for it," Michael explained.
"Okay, okay," said Kyle. A clerk came to them and Michael pointed it out again. The clerk took it out of the display, walking to the cash register. After paying for it, they left the store.
"So we're done then?" asked Michael.
"I guess so," said Max.
"So can we get out of here?"
"Yeah, let's go."
