Secret Santa

Then I wrote,“U need to put on some makeup u sucker :)”

Hazel

The clock would not stop ticking. 

Tick.

Tick.

Tick. 

The sound was killing me. But of course, right behind me was Katerin. She kept clicking her pen like she was trying to get me to fail the test. 

Click.

Click.

Click.

Katerin obviously knew I hated sounds. But she loved to see me suffer. 

I tried to focus on the test and only the test. I tried to focus but the numbers on the paper started to look really blurry and my heart felt like it was going to burst from the stress. I was barely done when Mrs. Dino started to talk.

“You have five minutes left,” he said. “And also, we are doing a secret santa.”

Great. Five minutes. And a secret santa. My two least favorite things: attention and pressure. 

I half gave up on the test. So I rushed to finish the questions. My writing was messy and probably all of the questions were wrong, but I could care less. I didn't have time. 

When we were all done it was time. Time to pick my person. 

It was my turn. I put my hand in the basket and pulled a slip of paper. I opened it with fear. Hoping it wasn’t my bullies: Katerin and her minions. 

The paper read Lily. 

She and I barely talked but she was a quiet, nice person. 

But then I heard Katerin. 

A gasp. A dramatic loud gasp form the front of the room. 

Then I heard giggling.

It felt like she had got me. 

Katerin

I was sitting down on my seat when my best friend Kaylee nudged me. 

“What if you get her?” she whispered. 

I rolled my eyes. “ As if my luck would be that good.” 

Then it was my turn. I grabbed a piece of paper with a bit of hope. When I opened my paper my jaw dropped.

The paper read Hazel. 

I gasped and smirked. 

I knew this would be the best time to make it her worst Christmas. I was already thinking about the ways I could make fun of her. 

I wouldn't lose a chance. A chance that was given to me. The chance to make Hazel’s life a living hell. 

At that moment Kaylee leaned in. 

“What are you going to give her?” she asked. 

“Something dumb I guess,” I replied with a smirk. 

Hazel

I was so busy thinking about what to give to Lily that I forgot about Katerin. 

But I had one problem. 

My family was poor. 

Even though I wanted to give Lily something nice I didn’t have the money. So I decided to work everyday after school. 

I worked my butt off to give Lily a gift that would be really memorable.

Katerin

Music was blasting from the party.

I could see and hear people talking and dancing.  

It’s been a whole month since we got our Secret Santa's but I didn’t care. 

I was going to get the gift the day before. 

When I saw my best friend Kaylee I started to go dancing. Then again I forgot about Hazel’s gift and went on to play. 

Finally, it was the day before. 

I called my Kaylee and started to think of a stupid gift I could give Hazel. 

“Oh wait, I have the best idea!” I said looking very excited. “How about I get her one of my used foundation from the trash!”

“Oh yes, that's a smart idea!” Kaylee replied in an excited tone. 

I got up and got a cheap and used foundation.

Then I wrote,“U need to put on some makeup u sucker :)”

Hazel

It was the day of Secret Santa. 

It was my turn to get my gift. 

When I turned to open my gift my hands were already shaking. Everyone was watching. Waiting. 

I pulled out the tissue paper…

And I saw it. 

Used dirty foundation. Then a note slipped out. 

“U need to put on some makeup u sucker :)”

The whole class burst out in laughter seeing the dirty and used foundation. I could see Katerin and Kaylee’s smirk. 

I knew it was Katerin. 

I could feel my face get really hot and red. My throat felt tight. I wanted to disappear. The note had hit me harder than any other thing she said. 

But then suddenly something in me snapped. 

If Katerin wanted to play the game dirty…fine. I’ll play the dirty game as well. 

She had no idea what kind of magic I could do. 

That night, I opened my old dusty spell book. I promised myself to never use it after what happened when I was younger. 

Katerin

When Hazel opened her gift, her expression was priceless. 

Her eyes went wide. Her cheeks turned red. 

Everyone started to laugh and I felt a rush of victory.

Kaylee whispered, “You’re evil,” but she was laughing. 

Like she knew something I didn’t.

But I was too busy laughing to care. 

 Hazel

That night, I sat at my desk with my old spell book open. I wasn’t supposed to use magic like this.

But every time I thought of the makeup and everyone's laughter my hand tightened. 

I gathered ingredients: herbs, cracked crystal, and a special shining powder. 

I mixed them all together. 

When the potion turned into a deep purple, I knew it was ready. 

It wouldn’t hurt her. 

Just…teach her a lesson.

Make her feel what I felt. 

I whispered the final words, sealed the bottle. I could feel the magic hum in my palms.

Tomorrow she would be the one getting laughed at. 

Not me. 

Katerin

The next day at lunch, I was bragging to my friends about the Secret Santa thing when Hazel walked by. She held out a small bottle with a bow on it.

“For you,” she said quietly.

I smirked. “A gift for me? Cute.” 

Kaylee whispered, “Don’t drink that,” but it was already too late. I was already twisting the cap off. I knew I had to drink it all since all my friends were watching and I didn’t want to be a scaredy cat. 

But when I finished the drink I felt weird. 

My stomach flipped. 

My hand tingled.

“Uh…Katerin?” Kaylee said, backing up. “Your eyes are…”

I tried to talk, but  my voice came out echoey and wrong. 

Then I realized something was wrong.

But Hazel didn’t look scared at all. 

She was watching. 

Calm.

Silent. 

Everything around me started to look weird. 

My legs felt like jelly. 

My heartbeat sounded too loud.

I grabbed the edge of the lunch table, but my fingers slid right through.

Kaylee screamed. 

But all I could focus on was Hazel.

She wasn’t panicking. 

She stood there, staring at me with a mix of anger and guilt. 

“Hazel…” I choked out, reaching towards her. “What…did you do-”

The world turned black. 

Hazel

The second Katerin fainted, I felt my stomach drop so hard it almost knocked the air out of me. 

This was not what I wanted. 

The potion was supposed to make her dizzy. 

Not unconscious. 

Everyone started to scream while Kaylee was kneeling down next to Katerin and was crying. 

I froze. 

I didn’t mean this.

Katerin was lying on the floor. While everyone stared at me as if I were a monster. 

I backed away from the crowd and whispered to myself. 

I have to fix this. 

I got my spellbook and started to do a spell on her. 

When I finished everyone looked at me in shock. 

Katerin started to wake up. 

When she was awake I was relieved. 

I waited. 

Her eyes met mine. 

She was staring as if she finally understood me. 

Katerin

I was trapped in a mystical vision.

Tornadoes were flying around, witches were flying on their broomsticks and then I saw Hazel. When she spotted me she was making a spell. 

A spell that I didn’t think much of until something happened. 

The tornadoes started to come in my way and witches started to put a spell which made evil Santas that were throwing gifts at me. Then all of a sudden, the evil Santas morphed into all the students I bullied. Eva was throwing food at me while Emma was throwing rocks in my face. I started to panic and tried to run away when Hazel stopped me. 

She started to do all these kinds of magic that made me not able to move. 

Then I started to blink my eyes and I was awake. 

Hazel was in front of me. She looked terrified, not because of me but because of what she did. 

I looked down. 

I was normal again, but it felt like something had changed in me. 

I began to know how Hazel felt. 

When Hazel and I were facing each other it was the first time I figured out how we were just two people who got hurt by each other. 

I was deep inside my thoughts when I figured that I had been really harsh on Hazel. 

I then spoke out. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know my bullying was really harsh. I hope we can start over again.” 

I looked up to Hazel.

“Okay, I’m also really sorry,” Hazel said, trying not to look that guilty. 

After this incident Hazel and I ended up getting really close and we became best friends.