Non-Denominational Secret Santas

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Higher Ground characters or locations. The only thing I made up was the plot.

Chapter 7: Ezra Friedkin

[SHELBY]

Ezra was definitely not pleased with this. The stupid Secret Santa concept, he decided, was designed primarily to ruin his life. The situation was certainly an awkward one. Ezra was no idiot. He knew that Scott was leading Shelby on (for whatever reason), as though Scott were her Secret Santa. But he wasn't. Ezra was.

To make matters a good million times worse, David had Daisy. The dark-haired boy had announced this bit of information offhandedly to Ezra a few nights ago as they stood side-by-side at the sinks, brushing their teeth.

"Whaddya think Daisy wants for Christmas?" David had asked nonchalantly.

Ezra had nearly shoved his toothbrush down his throat in surprise. Oh please, no one but David. Don't let David have drawn Daisy's name. "Erm…" was all he had been able to manage.

"I just don't know what she might want," David had continued conversationally, as though Ezra had never gagged on his toothbrush or made unintelligible noises.

"I don't know either," Ezra had finally said. "I don't really know."

David had grinned wickedly at him, and had tossed his toothbrush down on the counter, wiping his face on a towel and leaving the bathroom. Scott had come in shortly thereafter and had paused by Ezra's sink.

"You okay, E-Z?"

"Stupid Secret Santas," Ezra had mumbled in response.

"Yeah, I know," Scott had agreed ruefully. "I have no freakin' idea what to get my person." He had then cut himself short, glancing at Ezra uncomfortably, and it hadn't taken Ezra long to figure out why. Shelby. Scott didn't know that Ezra knew that he didn't have Shelby, and he was worried that he might have given it away.

Ezra leaned back in his armchair, looking out at the other students in the main lodge and shook his head slightly. Now it was getting confusing. He wanted to have Daisy, but David had Daisy. Instead, he had Shelby, but Shelby thought that Scott had her, and who knew who Scott really had.

So Ezra was walking on thin ice. Shelby would be mad that Scott had led her on, Scott would be mad that Ezra had Shelby. David would be a jerk. Ezra himself was already mad that he didn't have Daisy.

And beside all that, Ezra had no idea what to get Shelby.

Sighing, he stood up and left the lodge, bumping into David, who was looking pretty happy. Ezra knew why. The Secret Santas had given the other boy a new method of harassing Ezra.

"Where you goin', Freakin'?"

"You know, David," Ezra said as calmly as he could. "I'm really not in the mood for this now."

"What, Secret Santas got you feeling down, man?"

Ezra had no desire to hear David gloat more, and he knew that the dark-haired boy was trying to rile him up. "Something like that," Ezra replied curtly and sidestepped David, exiting the lodge.

Without an imminent direction in mind, he walked through the thin layer of snow that coated the ground, shivering a little at the cold. Autumn was much more agreeable. And spring, of course.

As his thoughts drifted farther and farther from the Secret Santa project and his problem with David, Ezra felt lighter and less worried. But walking aimlessly with his head in the clouds also meant that he was less aware of his immediate surroundings. This was dangerous for a slightly awkward boy, and it was inevitable. Ezra tripped over a snow-covered tree root and tumbled to the earth.

When he hit the ground, his hands crunching into the snow to break his fall, Ezra had an idea for a gift to give Shelby.