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I tried not to notice the disappointo to the Sweet Water Market and see if they’d donate sandwich trays and ha them donated would allow us to spend the money elsewhere The less we spend on food, the more toys and presents the kids can have under the tree”

“You’ve given this a lot of thought, haven’t you?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets “Everyone deserves a good Christmas”

“Yeah, they do” Then I thought ofhouse with the fall décor still on display and the tension you could cut with a knife

I shuddered out a long breath, then glanced up at hi in front of me, the one from chem lab and The Bean was different, not the boy I knew “You surprise me,” I said

Carson laughed, and I warmed at the sound “Maybe there’s a lot you don’t know about me”

???

Ever since The Bread Basket on Thursday, Carson and I had been friendly Weird, I know

He no longer plowed into y objects in the cafeteria or at gyh five in the hall, as he proudly informedthe donation-gaet more into the fundraiser, as well I even went to The Bean last night to check on the Angel Tree and pawned off so customers It seemed we had formed some sort of truce, and it wasn’t lost on me that it only took us nine years to do so But whatever Progress is progress, right?

I cra Friday night signified Netflix and pizza with Ethan It alsoaway from home, which would be short-lived excitement because this particular Friday also happened to be the start of winter break Thole weeks off before we returned to school, thole weeks at home

I tookfor Ethan anyhen two long ar on either side of me Arms too muscled to be Ethan’s

My heart leapt in ne It smelled of cedarwood and spice And I knew from my recent time spent with him, it was Carson

The thought of his war, I turned around, pushing myself as far into ly close in proximity

“Hey, Shorty” Though he dropped his ar my personal space

I narrowed lare didn’t hold “Did you want to talk about the Angel Tree? I think we’ll be set to collect the presents and re soon since there’s only a week left”