"Happy Birthday!"

Terri hugged Amber, and they laughed.

"Here."

Terri handed Amber a gift-wrapped box with a beautiful bow on top.

"Oh, I told you not to get me a present!"

Terri grinned. "I couldn't resist. Come on, open it!"

Amber slowly peeled away the wrapping paper and lifted out a thin, white cardboard box. She lifted the lid, and gasped as she took out an elegant silver chain. On it was a tiny chair that had two girls with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders. In between the two girls was a heart with a shiny red jewel in the middle. Etched on the heart was the words, "Friends Forever."

With a start, Amber found that tears were trickling down her cheeks. She hugged Terri again, and in hushed tones, whispered into Terri's ear, "This is the best present that anyone has ever given me."

Terri whispered back, "I hoped it would be."

As they strolled to their next class, arms linked together, Terri and Amber were laughing the whole way.

"I'm not going to put the necklace on until you've come over to my house," Amber informed Terri.

"Oh? And when will I do that?"

"Well..." Amber walked into the classroom. "I was thinking you'd maybe...hmm...sleep over tonight?"

Amber fought to keep from smiling. Terri gave up, beamed, and excitedly said, "I'd love to!"

Spinner creeped over to Amber's locker. He amazingly still remembered her locker combination. He twiddled around with it, then, with a flourish, opened the locker. He rifled through Amber's stuff, searching for something valuable to take with him. At the back of the full shelf in Amber's locker, he found the box with Terri's gift in it. Opening the box, he smiled. This was the exact kind of thing he was looking for. He discarded the plan of taking some of her homework; this was much better. In his mind, Spinner replayed what Amber had said to Terri earlier.

I'm not going to put the necklace on until you've come over to my house.

Oh? And when will I do that?

Well...I was thinking that you'd maybe...hmm...sleep over tonight?

I'd love to!

Spinner laughed to himself. Soon, Amber would most certainly have no friends at all.

Craig was all ready to set his plan into motion, when he realized he had no way to put the stuff in Amber's locker. He didn't know her combination, and his present wouldn't fit through the crack above and underneath the locker door. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure which locker was hers! He groaned and leaned against a locker despairingly. His perfect plan wasn't so perfect after all. That's when he noticed Spinner closing a locker, and strolling away, whistling.

Strange, Craig thought, Spinner's locker is next to mine...

"Hey! Spinner!" Craig called.

Spinner turned. He grinned. "So, you're skipping class, too?"

Craig sheepishly said, "Yeah, I guess. But listen, whose locker were you just closing?"

Casually, Spinner replied, "Amber's. Why?"

Craig inwardly thought, Yes! but managed to keep a straight face. "I need to get into her locker."

Spinner, in mock disbelief, said, "What? Do we have a juvenile delinquent here?"

Craig bluntly responded, "Can you get into her locker or not?"

Spinner pretended to ponder that. He stroked his chin, and said, "I can. But answer me one thing, Craig."

"What?"

"Do you like Amber or not?"

Craig reddened.

Spinner, satisfied, said, "I thought so."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Uh...yep." Spinner started to shake his head. "It's just sad to think that she doesn't like you anymore."

"Anymore?"

"Yep. She told me so herself." He shook his head even harder.

"What a pity. Oh well." By this time, Spinner had opened the locker.

As he walked away, Spinner called to Craig, "Well, my work is done. See you later, Craig!"

Craig was still thinking about what Spinner had said, so he wasn't aware of Spinner walking away. Amber had used to like him?

Amber opened her locker door, and was shocked to find a big box of chocolates sitting on the shelf in front of her. She took it out, and examined it. The box was in the shape of a heart, and a thick red ribbon was keeping the box closed. It looked to be pretty expensive, and Amber was touched that someone would go to the trouble of buying her a box of chocolates. She wondered who sent it to her. She didn't realize that the card had been knocked onto the ground, and kicked a couple of feet away. Upon not finding the card, Amber shrugged her shoulders, and started piling stuff into her backpack. Terri was waiting for her, and so, Amber hurried.

Craig was confused. Amber hadn't even glanced at him on the way out. He knew that she had seen the chocolates. She had taken them out, and looked at them. She had even smiled. Then, why didn't she smile at him? He decided that she must have been too busy or something.

Amber and Terri entered the Sullivan home.

"Mama, I'm home!" Amber called.

A tired-looking woman walked into Terri's view.

"Oh, you've brought a friend," Mrs. Sullivan said wearily. She sounded like she didn't have enough energy for a guest. Terri could see several gray hairs peeking out among the brown hairs on Mrs. Sullivan's head.

"Yes, Mama. This is Terri."

"Nice to meet you." Mrs. Sullivan extended a hand. Terri was surprised. Though Mrs. Sullivan had many wrinkles and creases on her face, her hand was smooth and beautiful. She had graceful fingers, and it looked like the hand of a young woman.

After shaking hands with Terri, Mrs. Sullivan turned to Amber. "So you're not keeping it a secret this time?"

Amber looked down at her feet. "Mama, I only told Terri."

Mrs. Sullivan sat down heavily on an armchair. "Well, that's a start."

After Terri had met Amber's brother, Corey, the two girls went up to Amber's bedroom.

Amber took out the box of chocolates, and excitedly showed them to Terri. "I found these in my locker today!"

"Who gave them to you?"

"I don't know. I couldn't find a card."

Slyly, Terri asked, "Who do you hope it is?"

"Well, out of the choices I've got, I'd say...uhh..." Amber's cheeks burned. "Jimmy."

"Jimmy? Uh, believe me, Amber, Jimmy's not the romantic type."

"That's true...So who do you think it is?"

For a good time after that, Terri and Amber discussed all the possible candidates.

"Oh! I was going to put on that necklace you gave me!" Amber exclaimed. She grabbed her backpack and dug through it. She muttered, "It's gotta be somewhere in here..."

Terri waited patiently, but once Amber had thrown everything out of her backpack and onto the floor, Amber gave up.

Apologetically, Amber said, "I must have left it in my locker."

At that time, Mrs. Sullivan told them that dinner was ready. They hurriedly walked over the things strewn all over the floor, and ran downstairs.