Author's Note: I'm back! I'm sorry, I know I take forever to update. Since my last update, I've graduated High School, and finished my first semester of college, so it's needless to say that I've been pretty busy. Regardless, I really don't want to abandon this fanfic, so I'm going to try and finish it by the end of 2018. Due to the continued support of this story, I'm really going to commit and try to post a new chapter at least once a month. Thank you to everybody who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Everything in bold and italics comes directly from The Perks of Being a Wallflower book, and was thus written by Stephen Chbosky.

Patrick and Sam listened as Mary Elizabeth began to read the next letter out loud.

November 12, 1991 Dear friend,

I love Twinkies-

"So do I," said Patrick.

"Don't interrupt me," Mary Elizabeth replied.

I love Twinkies and the reason I am saying that is because we are all supposed to think of reasons to live.

"I can't think of a better reason to live than the pleasure of eating Twinkies," Patrick once again imputed.

"Seriously, stop interrupting me," Mary Elizabeth fumed.

In science class, Mr. As. told us about an experiment where they got this rat or mouse, and they put this rat or mouse on one side of a cage. On the other side of the cage, they put a little piece of food. And this rat or mouse would walk over to the food and eat. Then, they put the rat or mouse back on xsdc original side, and this time, they put electricity all through the floor where the rat or mouse would have to walk to get the piece of food.

"So, this is the kind of crap they tried to teach us in High School. God, I so do not regret never paying attention in class. College classes are so much more-"

"Stop it Patrick, I mean it!" Mary Elizabeth shouted.

They did this for a while, and the rat or mouse stopped going to get the food at a certain amount of voltage.

"This experiment seems unethical. You know rats are- HEY!" Patrick exclaimed as Mary Elizabeth reached over and slapped his arm.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO INTERUPT ME!" She told Patrick through her teeth.

"Maybe I should read the next letter," Sam pondered.

Then, they repeated the experiment, but they replaced the food with something that gave the rat or mouse intense pleasure. I don't know what it was that gave them intense pleasure, but I am guessing it is some kind of rat or mouse nip. Anyway, what the scientists found out was that the rat or mouse would put up with a lot more voltage for the pleasure. Even more than for the food.

"Fascinating," remarked Patrick. Mary Elizabeth just glared at him.

"I'm definitely reading the next letter," thought Sam.

I don't know the significance of this, but I find it very interesting.

Love always,

Charlie

"That letter was pointless," said Patrick.

"Well maybe we could have figured out why Charlie thought that experiment was important enough to write about if you could have only managed to keep your mouth shut for just three minutes!"

"I'll read the next letter," Sam finally said aloud.

-Line Break-

After a couple of letters that were mostly about Charlie's family, the trio finally reached a letter which was more centered on Charlie's friends. Sam was still the one reading the letters outload so that Patrick and Mary Elizabeth wouldn't fight.

December 7, 1991 Dear friend,

Have you ever heard of a thing called "Secret Santa?"

"Everyone's heard of Secret Santa, Charlie," Patrick felt the need to say.

It's this activity where a group of friends draw names out of a hat, and they are supposed to buy a lot of Christmas presents for whatever person they choose. The presents are "secretly" placed in their lockers when they're not there. Then, at the end, you have a party, and all the people reveal who they really are as they give their last presents.

Sam started doing this with her group of friends three years ago. Now, it's some tradition. And supposedly the party at the end is always the best of the year. It happens the night after our last day of school before the break.

I don't know who got me. I got Patrick.

"Yay! He's going to explain his thought process when picking out my gifts!" All sarcasm gone from his voice, Patrick was suddenly very excited.

I'm really glad I got Patrick even though I wished for Sam. I haven't seen Patrick in a few weeks except in shop class because he has been spending most of his time with Brad, so thinking about presents is a good way to think about him.

Patrick seemed to deflate at this mention of Brad. Mary Elizabeth looked as if she wanted to say something to him, but then thought better of it. Sam quickly kept reading, not giving Patrick the chance to dwell on his negative feelings.

The first present is going to be a mix tape. I just know that it should. I already have the songs picked and a theme. It's called "One Winter." But I've decided not to hand-color the cover. The first side has a lot of songs by the Village People and Blondie because Patrick likes that type of music a lot. It also has Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana, which Sam and Patrick love. But the second side is the one I like the most. It has winter kind of songs.

Here they are:

Asleep by the Smiths Vapour Trail by Ride Scarborough Fair by Simon and Garfunkel A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol

Harum Time of No Reply by Nick Drake Dear Prudence by the Beatles Gypsy by Suzanne Vega Nights in White Satin by the Moody

Blues Daydream by Smashing Pumpkins Dusk by Genesis (before Phil Collins was

even in the band!) MLK by Ubleb Blackbird by the Beatles Landslide by Fleetwood Mac

And finally…

Asleep by the Smiths (again!)

"Yeah, that tape kind of took away the mystery aspect of Secret Santa," Patrick told the girls. "It was pretty obvious that Charlie got me."

Sam and Mary Elizabeth just laughed.

I spent all night working on it, and I hope Patrick likes it as much as I do.

"I really do love that tape," said Patrick.

"You should tell that to Charlie," Sam told him. "I think it would mean a lot to him."

Especially the second side. I hope it's the kind of second side that he can listen to whenever he drives alone and feel like he belongs to something whenever he's sad. I hope it can be that for him.

Patrick gave a sad little smile. "I will tell Charlie that," he informed Sam.

I had an amazing feeling when I finally held the tape in my hand. I just thought to myself that in the palm of my hand, there was this one tape that had all of these memories and feelings and great joy and sadness. Right there in the palm of my hand. And I thought about how many people have loved those songs. And how many people got through a lot of bad times because of those songs. And how many people enjoyed good times with those songs. And how much those songs really mean. I think it would be great to have written one of those songs. I bet if I wrote one of them, I would be very proud. I hope the people who wrote those songs are happy. I hope that they feel it's enough. I really do because they've made me happy. And I'm only one person.

I can't wait to get my driver's license. It's coming up soon!

At this somewhat random seeming thought, the group burst into laughter. Only Charlie could go off on such an emotional tangent, only to quickly add that he can't wait to get his driver's license.

Incidentally, I have not told you about Bill in a while. But I guess there's not a lot to tell because he just keeps giving me books that he doesn't give his other students, and I keep reading them, and he keeps asking me to write papers, and I do. In the last month or so, I have read The Great Gatsby and A Separate Peace. I am starting to see a real trend in the kind of books Bill gives me to read. And just like the tape of songs, it is amazing to hold each of them in the palm of my hand. They are all my favorites. All of them.

Love always,

Charlie

December 11, 1991 Dear friend,

Patrick loved the tape! I think he knows that I'm his Secret Santa, though, because I think he knows that only I would do a tape like that. He also knows what my handwriting looks like. I don't know why I don't think of these things until it's too late. I really should have saved it for my last present.

"Yeah, like I said, it was pretty obvious," Patrick laughed.

Incidentally, I have thought of my second gift for Patrick. It is magnetic poetry. Have you heard of this? In case you haven't, I will explain. Some guy or girl put a whole bunch of words on a sheet of magnet and then cut the words into separate pieces. You put them on your refrigerator, and then you write poems while you make a sandwich. It's very fun.

"It is fun. I use it surprisingly often," Patrick informed the girls.

"I've noticed," Sam giggled in response.

The gift from my Secret Santa wasn't anything special. That makes me sad. I bet you anything that Mary Elizabeth is my Secret Santa because only she would give me socks.

"Hey!" Mary Elizabeth gasped, offended. "I happen to give my friends very meaningful gifts!"

"That gift was special, Charlie! I was giving you the pieces to make up a suit, you just didn't know it at the time!" Patrick shouted at the same time, even though Charlie wasn't present, so he obviously couldn't hear him.

"Mary Elizabeth, Charlie didn't know you that well at this point, and you have to admit you come off a little bit abrasive. And Patrick, you know that Charlie loves that suit," Sam imputed. At her words Mary Elizabeth and Patrick both seemed to calm down.

Love always,

Charlie

Author's Note: Next chapter I'm going to write their reactions to the actual Secret Santa party. I'll try to get that finished and posted by the end of January. I really wish more people would write fanfics for the Perks of Being a Wallflower. So few people write them, especially lately. It's such a good book, and it's pretty popular, so I don't know why there isn't more fanfiction for it. So, if anyone is thinking about writing a Perks fanfic, I highly encourage you to do so. Anyway, thanks so much for reading.