I wake up to a notification tone on my phone. There's a Secret Santa event at school. I groan and turn it off. Where am I?

I quickly recall I didn't sleep at home last night. I find myself on a worn-out couch, remembering everything that happened. Oh right, I was almost raped.

I stand up and stretch my arms out, feeling the satisfying release of tension as my muscles unwind. Where could that ghost be? I feel like thanking him for letting me stay here but I doubt it'll mean much to him. So I open the door and step out.

The breeze hits me like a refreshing wave, cooling my skin and invigorating my senses. I start to walk home, recalling everything that happened last night. I would have died if Ace hadn't stepped in. That's one of the reasons I'll put a good amount of effort into finding this killer. Or maybe because I want to live to see another Christmas.

It took me thirty minutes to get home. I open the front door and meet Margo watching TV, her feet comfortably resting on the coffee table. As usual, there's a cigar between her fingers. Honestly, she doesn't look like a nanny who has no idea where the kid she's looking after slept last night. "Hey Cas," she smiles. "What happened to your glasses? And how did you get all those-"

"I tripped. You didn't even bother calling me to know where I slept," I hiss. "I'm sorry... last night was just so hectic for me."

"Of course it was hectic... it's always hectic when you're drunk."

"Hey, I wasn't drunk... I was just tipsy... and I'm sorry, okay? How was last night?" Like hell I'm going to tell you what happened last night.

"It was alright I guess."

"Where'd you sleep?" she asks, taking a puff from the cigar.

"At a friend's."

"I thought you said you didn't have friends," she chuckles. "Whatever," I sigh. "I'm just thankful you didn't go to that motel around the corner... I heard you never come back alive," she laughs like it's a myth.

"Yeah, no kidding," I mutter.

"Go take a bath and get dressed so I can drive you to school," she says. "School for what?"

"C'mon, that Secret Santa event that's going on."

"How did you even know about that?"

"I signed up to get newsletters from your school's website... just looking for opportunities where you can get social Cas," she shrugs and turns back to the TV. "I'm not doing that stupid secret Santa shit... I've got better things to do," I snap.

"Things like what? Solve math problems? Read the encyclopedia? I'm not hearing that Cas. Go get dressed and meet me down here."

"Ugh," I mount the stairs and stomp into my room. She has no idea how hard it is to be social in the toxic environment I'm living in. I take off my clothes and enter the bathroom. Then I turn on the faucet and let the hot water run out, making steam rise in the bathtub. A hot bath is all I need right now after everything I went through last night.

I quickly brush my teeth and get into the tub, letting the water soothe my skin. Man, I could spend all day in here. "Thirty minutes Cas!" Margo hollers from downstairs. She is so annoying.

I have to cut my bath time down to 15 minutes. Afterward, I get out and apply all the necessary skin products before putting on a flannel shirt and a pair of shorts. Then I lace up my sneakers and step out of the room to meet Margo coming upstairs. "I was just about to come get you... c'mon, let's go."

Reluctantly, I follow her outside and into the car. She inserts the keys and the engine roars to life then she tosses her cigar bud out the window and carefully moves out of the driveway. "Don't worry... I promise you won't regret this," she reassures me. Easy for you to say.

As we zoom down the street I spot Gaia walking down the sidewalk. "Isn't that our neighbor?" Margo asks. "Yeah and so?"

"Maybe she's heading to-"

"Do not stop the car, Margo."

"Can you see why you don't have friends? You're always so bitter," she huffs and starts honking the horn. Gaia turns to the car looking slightly confused until she spots me through the windshield. Margo stops the car directly in front of her and rolls the window down. "Need a ride?"

"Of course... thanks," she grins and hops into the backseat, shutting the door. "What's up girl?" she smirks. I didn't hear that, I didn't hear that.

"You know I'm talking to you, glasses," she adds, leaning forward to rest her chin on the shoulder of my seat.

"Oh me? I'm fine I guess."

"So how was your last day of school?" she asks like she knows exactly what happened.

"It was nice."

"Hmmm... really?" she asks, suspicion laced in her tone. "Yeah, really."

"Okay then." She shrugs and leans back. The rest of the ride is just her and Margo talking about how boring I am. So I eventually clog my ears up with my earpiece.

After 15 minutes she drops us off in front of the school. "Hurry up, Cas," she states and picks up her phone. I open the door and step out of the car, closing the door behind me. Then I walk into the school premises, the hallway is a lot busier than I expected it to be. Seems everyone wants to hop in on the Secret Santa trend.

"C'mon girl, let's get to the gym," Gaia says and takes my hand. I goggle at her fingers intertwining with mine, filling my chest with an unfamiliar warmth and sense of connection. Usually, when someone took my hand, it was either I was being dragged to a locker room or the parking lot. Either way, I'm bound to get hurt. "You good?" she asks, jolting me back to reality. "Huh? Yeah, I am."

"Let's go then."

She leads me down the hall and I earn some weird glances from people who know I don't have friends. "Aren't you embarrassed to be seen with me?" I ask her. "What? Why would I be embarrassed?"

"Because... I'm Cassi. The biggest social outcast there is."

"I don't care about your reputation, trust me... or anyone's. Just as long as I'm having a good time with you... it's all good," she smiles. You're having a good time with me? Why? It's not like I've cracked a joke or brought up something interesting to talk about. Merely by being in my presence, she's having a good time with me? That's phenomenal.

We walk into the gym, spotting Nicky Anderson, the class president comfortably seated behind a table with a ballot bowl on it. People are hanging around, girls occasionally squealing after unwrapping their papers.

"Gross," Gaia mumbles as we approach the table. Nicky flashes us a wide grin, evidently against her own will. Then she places her hand on a paper, pushing it towards us. "Kindly write your names down before picking a paper."

"Sure," I bend over, picking up the pen resting beside the paper. Then I scribble my name down and stuff a hand into the bowl of crumpled papers, pulling one out. I step away for Gaia to write her name down, unfolding the paper.

Tristan Ford.

He's on the basketball team. Tall, dark-skinned, dreamy— everything a woman could ask for. But at the same time he's overhyped, he has charm but not enough to make me swoon and lose consciousness by him merely winking at me. However, that seems to be the case with every other female, single and taken. Gaia pokes her head over my shoulder. "Who did you get?" She holds the paper between her thumb and index finger, inching her head closer. "Tristan?!" she exclaims, cutting through small chatter that fills the room. I'm pretty sure everyone is now aware I picked Tristan Ford. "Oops sorry," she apologizes to the people staring at us.

Nicky releases an exasperated giggle, motioning to the bowl. I sigh and scrunch up the paper, tossing it back in and picking another one. I unwrap it and furrow my brows at the name. Jack Wonder.

Gaia peeps over my shoulder again and releases a gasp. "Dude you got the wonder boy," she whispers. "So? It's not like he's gonna find out or anything."

"He will at the Secret Santa reveal."

"I'm not coming for the Secret Santa reveal," I state. "What? Why?" She asks, looking bewildered.

"Because if he finds out, he might just throw my gift away... I'm pretty sure no one wants anything from me."

"Your self-esteem is so low," she sighs. "You have to fix that girl... anyway I'll see you later."

"You're not coming back with us?"

"Nope I've got some stuff to do," she says before waving. I watch her as she walks away, leaving me all alone. Jack Wonder. Just an inch shorter than Tristan, with chestnut hair, and light brown eyes, basically the school's sweetheart. I know nothing personal about the guy. Except he's the basketball team captain, he has an obnoxious girlfriend, Mia and he can take three days off from school and still get straight A's. I would've called him a cheater but I sit next to him in math class. And he's never turned his head. Not once. The question is what does he spend his vacation time doing? No one might ever know.

Slowly I walk out of the gym and down the hall, thinking of possible gifts I could get Jack. I emerge from the doors, spotting Margo's flustered face. "Took you long enough," she snaps. I get into the front seat and lean back, taking a deep breath. "So who did you get?"

"Jack Wonder," I reply. "Status?" she asks.

"Captain of the basketball team."

"OMG! No way-"

"He has a girlfriend."

"Pfft he'll fall head over heels if you play the right cards," she smirks. "Have you seen his girlfriend? She's perfect... I'm just weird," I reply, buckling in my seatbelt.

"Geez Cas, stop being so sad... maybe if you smiled more, people wouldn't see you the way they do."

"Don't you think I would smile if there was something to smile about? It's so easy for you to say because you're done with high school and your life is going great."

Speechless, she gapes at me, then mutters something under her breath before starting the car. "The other girl isn't coming?" she asks. I shake my head half-heartedly.

"Okay then," she replies and jams her foot on the accelerator.