"Sammy…" Joe said through clenched teeth. "What the hell was that?"

Sammy rolled her eyes. "Calm down, Joe. Billy kisses me on the cheek all the time."

"Yeah, but Billy is practically gay!"

Sammy replied, "He's not gay Marissa is his girlfriend. And what's your problem with Casey?"

Joe glared at me right then. Then he turned away. That was his way of admitting defeat. He did that a lot. He's such a pussy.

There was an awkward silence until Dot spoke up "Oh my gosh, Sammy, we should have our Christmas party here. It'd be soooooo cute."

Sammy smiles "That's a great idea. Alright then. You guys all know the drill; you each have to bring presents for everyone.

Every year, we have a Christmas party on Christmas Eve. We hang out, open presents, drink eggnog…

But at the last two parties, Sammy mysteriously got drunk. Which doesn't make sense because there was no liquor in the eggnog…

Everyone had already left and Joe swore that he'd "take good care of her" and I should go home

Fuck no.

Joe can't keep it in his pants. So I drove Sammy home and stayed with her all night and all the next day through her hangover.

And then Joe had the nerve to –

"Oh my gosh! Sammy, we should buy a Christmas dress for the party!" Marissa squealed

"Nooooooo… Marissa, I will not wear a dress. I refuse." Sammy replied

Marissa pouted and asked me, "Casey, wouldn't Sammy look beautiful in a dress?"

"She'd look beautiful in anything…"

Sammy blushed a dark pink, "Shut up, I do not."

Silly Sammy. She doesn't realize how beautiful she looks. Her long brown hair goes perfectly with her jade-green eyes.

"C'mon, babe. You'd look hot in a dress."

I rolled my eyes at Joe's pervertedness.

"Fine, Marissa. It'll be your Christmas gift. I'll wear a damn dress. But it better not make me look dumb."

Marissa squealed "Yay! You won't regret it, Sammy!"

I try to hold in a laugh. But Marissa notices and glares at me. "What's so funny, Acosta?"

"Nothing. Except that I can't imagine our beloved Sammy wearing heels with the dress. You know she'll just wear her high tops."

Marissa's eyes widen. This is her OMG-FASHION-DISASTER look.

The she snarls at me jokingly, "You son of a bitch."

Sammy snickers, "I hope the dress matches my high tops."

DIVIDE AND CONQUER SO WE CAN STORM THE CASTLE. IN OTHER WORDS, HERES A DIVIDING LINE

"What do you mean you won't be at work?" my boss yelled at me through the phone.

"I'll be busy…"

"Is it that dam girl again?"

I seethed with rage, "You're just pissed that she turned you down three years ago."

"Shut the hell up, kid, I'm still your boss."

I was about to say a dangerous thing… "You're a creeper boss…"

The end of the line was silent for a few seconds, "…Don't bother to coming to work after the holidays. You've got that little bitch to thank for that."

I hung up the phone. What just happened?

I pissed off my boss for Sammy and in this economy…

I enrage my boss and got fired for Sammy, but Joe can't leave his imaginary dog alone for a day.

I am in some deep shit.

Not only did I lose my job, but I have absolutely no idea what to get Sammy for Christmas.

She's so down to earth that she doesn't care about clothes or jewelry.

SO WHAT THE HELL DO I GET FOR HER?

I'm a fail…

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I don't have a gift for the one I really care about. The party is tomorrow night and it usually goes on until four in the morning.

My eyes fall on the night table beside my bed. On it lays the rusty old horseshoe charm that I gave Sammy for her 13th birthday. Even though she always wears it on her high top, she told me to hang on to it for her in case she lost it while she was moving into the new house. I was going to go over and give it back today, but I suddenly have a better idea…

IM SO PATHETIC THAT I USED LIKE THREE DIVIDING LINES ALREADY

It was unbelievable hard to find Sammy's gift. Why? Because its fricken December 23. And when I did get her present, the guy charged me an arm and a leg for it. But it was better than getting it off the street.

I took it home, put a bow on it, and put it on the bed beside me and blew out the candle next to my bed. I don't have a job anymore so there's no way in hell that I'm using anymore electricity.