Twelve Days of Christmas
Tuesday, December 19th
(Six days until Christmas)
By the time lunch had rolled around Sam couldn't decide if she was a bundle of nerves or a bundle of anticipation. She was six for six in the gifts department, and wanting to know what this, the seventh day would bring had her glancing around cautiously and curiously every few minutes. She was luck that her teachers all liked her for the most part and knew her to be a good student, or else she might have spent her last 'free' day in trouble. Exams started tomorrow, and between them and her secret admirer, Sam was riddled with anxiety.
Despite a jacket, two sweaters and a pair of witnesses who wouldn't dare say anything, somehow before second period was over the entire population of Casper High (right down to the teachers, to her chagrin) was quite aware of the sapphire and diamond tennis bracelet she'd been gifted by her amorphous gift-giver. It was painfully embarrassing; she had students she couldn't even put a face to much less a name coming up to her and acting like they knew her and had the right to demand to see this gift or hear that story of delivery.
It was all she could do not to smack them silly. She bit back a smile from that as she measured out some distilled water into a test tube. In recent years Sam had learned that fighting ghosts had given her violent habits; she was much more likely to physically show her displeasure now than she had been when she began freshman year. But, and the feeling of justice was heavy, smacking her fellow students would be so much more satisfying than just telling them to fuck off. Which was her standard answer, of course.
It didn't always work. She'd had to listen to Paulina and Star go on about the bracelet this morning, the darker haired girl joining her friend in homeroom before the bell went off. Sam was sure that Paulina existed only to torment her, which made the fact that her somewhat rival was raving about the bracelet and demanding to know where the earrings were.
Sam still hadn't put them back in; if she did it would be like admitting that she was enjoying the attention the admirer was giving her. Not that wearing the bracelet didn't say the same thing, but she'd taken the earrings out, she'd drawn the proverbial line in the sand. Wearing them now was acceding his victory.
"Alright class, if everyone's ready I'll be bringing around the hydrochloric acid around. I want you to get your litmus strips prepped," Mrs. Hodgkin's instructed them.
Sam made sure that her protective goggles were firm on her face. She liked her eyesight too much to risk it, even if there were others in the lab who weren't as careful. For this she had taken off her jacket and rolled her sweaters up to be secured with rubber bands. She'd even acceded the bracelet to her jeans pocket to protect it, since she was sure that acid would probably harm it. But that she'd put back on; it was pretty and she enjoyed the weight at her risk.
Yet another change of heart, she realized as she pursed her lips. Again Sam hated that she couldn't stay annoyed. She hated that she was beginning to anticipate learning who he was.
"Your slide?"
Sam nearly jumped, but covered the surprised reaction by holding her slide out to the teacher for the three carefully placed drops of acid. This was the best part of AP chemistry, Sam decided; being allowed to perform experiments that no one else in the school could in regular chemistry was heady, the trust inherently placed in those who qualified. She had smugly lauded it over Danny and Tucker, though neither of them had even applied for any AP classes. Danny didn't have the time for them, and Tucker was far too lazy. Besides, Tucker was already way ahead of the AP computer science class that was available, so there wasn't any need.
She'd just finished prepping her litmus and apparatus when the door opened and Sam looked up. Again, the blue uniform, but this time Sam didn't blush. It was a woman, and her blue uniform was that of a local delivery rather than the 'usual' courier, and she was already stepping back from the dangerous chemicals on her work space when Mrs. Hodgkin's called her to the front of the class.
"Sam, you'll need to accept this one out in the hall," the teacher told her with a faint smile.
The dark haired girl cringed a little at the obvious ease with which the older woman addressed her; oh yes, all the teachers knew what was going on. (Tucker had even told her just at lunch that Mr. Lancer had placed a discreet bet with him. Firmly on Danny, which had made her smile.) "Yes, ma'am," she muttered as she turned and followed the delivery woman out. Sam could only sigh as the door began swinging closed behind her and the scrape of stools. She knew that if she turned around there was a very good chance that there would be half her class pressed to the window in one door, and the other half at the other.
"So what is it this time?" Sam asked when she finally looked up instead of following behind with her eyes on the floor.
When she saw it she could hardly breathe, the arrangement was so pretty. Small, not as massive as the one she'd received on what was obviously the first day of her gifting spree, but that was fitting since this arrangement wasn't of actual flowers. It was fruit, arranged carefully, the red bucket festive for the holidays. Strawberries, half of them dipped in chocolate, pineapple stars and carved daisies, grapes, cantaloupe and honeydew.
Sam bit her lip as she accepted the edible arrangement, her eyes flashing in surprise when the woman addressed her by name.
"Merry Christmas, Sam," the courier told her with a smile as she flourished a red card with her name carefully inscribed on the front.
Sam didn't even pay attention as the deliverywoman left as she took the card and, juggling the fruit to one arm so that she could pluck the card out. When she had the envelope open and the snow white printed paper in her hand, she found herself smiling at a scene straight out of Swan Lake. Seven ballerinas in flowing white costumes were poised on pointe in perfect position, and Sam only smiled.