My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

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It was cold out on the patio, under the deck. Frigid. Dark.

Dark because Mags was outside at midnight, and dark because she was in the shadows.

This was the last place anyone would look for her—anyone, and especially Noel. She’d miss all the excitement.

Thank God. Mags should have thought of this years ago.

She leaned back against Alicia’s house and started eating the Chex mix she’d brought out with her. (Alicia’s mom made the best Chex mix.) Mags could hear the music playing inside, and then she couldn’t—and that was a good sign. It meant that the countdown was starting.

“Ten!” she heard someone shout.

“Nine!” more people joined in.

“Eight!”

Mags was going to miss the whole thing.

Perfect.

Dec. 31, 2011, almost midnight

“Are there nuts in that?” the boy asked.

Mags paused, holding a cracker piled with pesto and cream cheese in front of her mouth. “I think there are pine nuts…” she said, crossing her eyes to look at it.

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