Last Christmas (Private 0.60)

Holmes's desk and out the door. She sat quietly in her chair as the classroom emptied, her insides writhing

with nerves. She hated the idea of asking for more time, of losing Mr. Holmes's respect. But short of pissing

Paige off even more than she already had, it was her only option.

"Mr. Holmes?" Ariana's voice sounded small. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Can I ask you a

question?" Mr. Holmes looked up from his crossword puzzle. "Of course, Miss Osgood," he smiled. "What

can I do for you?"

He had a way of making her feel calm, self-assured. She took a deep breath. "I was just wondering if I could

get an extension on the paper? I'm leaving town tomorrow morning with my boyfriend, and-" She stopped,

her face flushing. Why had she mentioned Daniel? A completely unnecessary detail, and not one that made

her case any stronger. Her heart felt like lead in her chest as she saw Mr. Holmes slowly shaking his head.

"I'm afraid not," he said, interlacing his ink-stained hands on the desk in front of him. "Ordinarily, I would,

but I have to get final grades in to the registrar by Friday at noon. I'm sorry." Ariana's heart sank. "Right.

Okay. Thanks anyway."

She quickly rose from her chair and slipped out of the classroom before Mr. Holmes could say another word.

Her face burned with humiliation. She knew she shouldn't have asked. It was a mistake. A mistake that she

would now have to remedy by writing an A+ paper, since he was now going to be expecting something

substandard. And she was going to have to pull this A+ paper out of thin air in a matter of hours. Otherwise,

she was going to be forced to explain to Paige why she couldn't leave for Vermont tomorrow. And facing

Paige was the last thing she wanted to do.

NOT FRIENDS

***"Would you just pick something so we can get out of here?" Noelle snapped as she stood between two

racks of windbreakers in downtown Easton's North Face store. With her flawless skin, Tiffany diamonds

sparkling in her ears, and a Longchamp tote hanging from the crook of her arm, she looked like a mannequin

that had accidentally been displayed in the wrong store.

"Okay, what about this?" Ariana held up a ski hat-red, fleece, thermal. "Really? We've been standing in this

hot-as-hell store for half an hour so you can buy him fleece?" Noelle said. "I don't understand. You already

bought him a perfectly acceptable Christmas present." "I just wanted to get him something a little extra,"

Ariana said, feeling deflated. "Then just get the hat and let's go. This place is giving me hives," Noelle said,

adjusting her scarf. "I don't know...." Noelle groaned and slipped her sunglasses on. "Whatever. Come meet

me at Sweet Nothings when you're done being obsessive."