Chapter 26

"Here," Fang told Iggy the next morning, shoving a Christmas paper-wrapped box into his arms. I sat next to him, pretending I had no idea who the gift was from. Everyone else was opening their Secret Santa gifts.

Iggy frowned. "Fang, you're my Secret Santa? I thought you could cook."

Fang rolled his eyes. "I'm not your Secret Santa. Your Secret Santa wanted me to give this to you."

"Really?" Iggy began. "Who's my-"

"Open it! Let's see what's inside!" Jaz yelled, taking a bite of a cupcake with green and red sprinkles, which was presumably from her Secret Santa, who could obviously cook.

"Okay, okay," Iggy said, carefully tearing off wrapping paper until there was a plain brown box sitting in front of him. "What is it?"

"You have to open it," Fang told him. Iggy just stared at him – well, kind of.

"Okay, fine," Fang added, opening the box and taking out the present, which he placed in Iggy's hands. Jaz squealed, though I couldn't tell if she was happy or freaked out.

"It feels….soft," Iggy said, frowning.

"Say hello to your very own rat!" I told Iggy, grinning proudly.

Iggy grinned too. "Seriously? This is so cool!" he exclaimed, cupping the black colored rat in his hands. Everyone started to crowd around us. "What've you got there?" someone – Matt, I think – asked.

I smiled. "His Secret Santa gave it to him."

Leave it to Mrs. Jenkins to ruin the moment. "Jeff, we do not bring pets to the fifth grade!"

"Technically, his Secret Santa brought pets to the fifth grade," I retorted, mocking her.

"Yes? And who is this person?" Mrs. Jenkins called. "Who is Jeff's Secret Santa?"

Well, obviously, no one spoke up.

Mrs. Jenkins sighed. "Jeff, please call your father to have him take that….rodent home. Pets are not allowed at school."

I caught Fang's eye and shrugged.

Oops.

~~::~~

"What should I name it?" Iggy asked later that day, his new pet in his hands. Nudge had taken one look at his rat and ran to her room screaming. Despite everyone trying to explain to her that it was a pet, not a wild rat with rabies, she wouldn't come out.

"Explosion!"Gazzy yelled, jumping up and down on the couch.

I arched an eyebrow at him. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"But I like jumping on the couch!" Gazzy shouted.

I rolled my eyes. "No! I meant the name wasn't a good idea, stupid!"

"Uh..." Fang trailed off. "What about something Christmas-y?"

I frowned while Angel crawled into my lap. "Huh?"

Iggy nodded. "Yeah!I like that idea!" He frowning, obviously thinking. "Like….Christmas Tree?"

"No!" Gazzy objected. "Name it Santa!"

"No," Fang and I moaned at the same time.

"Frosty!" Angel shrieked.

I laughed. "I don't think so."

"Mistletoe," Nudge suggested, peering out from her doorway cautiously. I rolled my eyes. "Not that again."

"Hot Chocolate and Marshmallows!"Gazzy added.

"Too long," I replied.

"Snowball," Gazzy countered.

"It's a black rat."

"Uh...Cookies?"

I shook my head. "Ugh."

Iggy frowned. "I'm out of ideas."

"Raticia!"Gazzy yelled.

We all stared at him. "Raticia?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

He nodded. "Yeah! A kid in my class has a rat named Raticia!"

"Never trust kindergarteners to name their pets," I told Iggy, grinning. Looking at his rat's black color, I suddenly had an idea. "Oh! I know!"

"What?" everyone practically yelled.

"Well, his rat is black, right? So, what about Ash?" I suggested.

Everyone was quiet. Then Gazzy yelled, "Yeah! I like that!"

Angel grinned. "Yeah! I like that! Yeah!" she echoed her brother.

"Me too," Fang added, shrugging. Even Nudge, who was still peering around her doorway, nodded.

I looked at Iggy. "How about you? It's your rat."

He grinned. "I can't come up with anything better."

That was when Jeb walked in the door, home from…wherever he'd gone for his errands. "What's going on here?" he asked, then spotted the rat that was now perched on Iggy's shoulder. "What are you doing with that rat?" he asked with a frown.

"I tried to warn them," Nudge told him, sighing.