Noelle's Christmas Crush (6 page)

“Hello, Noelle,” Mrs. Delgado said, looking down at her name tag. “This is Eliza.”

Eliza had short brown hair and wide brown eyes, and she stared at Noelle a little nervously.

“Hi, Eliza,” Noelle said, in that high voice she reserved for her little cousins.

Eliza didn't say anything.

“Come on, let's go shop,” Noelle said brightly. “I love to shop, don't you?”

Eliza still didn't reply, but she followed Noelle away from the line.

“Who are you getting a present for?” Noelle asked, and to her relief, Eliza answered her this time.

“Mom,” she said.

Noelle nodded. “Okay. Let's go look at some stuff.”

She scanned the room and saw Noel at a table with knitted scarves and hats, so she steered Eliza that way.

“How about a hat?” Noelle asked. She picked up a blue hat with a pom-pom on top just as Noel and the boy he was with headed to another table.

Eliza just looked at Noelle.

“Okay, a scarf, maybe?” Noelle suggested, but Eliza shook her head.

“No, she has a scarf!”

Noelle glanced around again and saw Noel over by a table with some soaps and candles, so she led Eliza there.

“Ooh, look Eliza, those are pretty,” Noelle said, still in her high voice. She picked up a bar of soap and held it out under Eliza's nose.

Eliza made a face. “Gross!”

Noelle sighed and turned to see if Noel was still there, but he and the boy had moved on. She spotted him over by the jewelry table.

“Maybe she'd like some jewelry,” Noelle said, starting to feel frustrated.

“Why do we keep walking near that boy?” Eliza asked, in the loudest voice she had used all day. Noelle flushed, hoping that Noel didn't hear. He was just a few feet away, but he didn't look up at her.

“What do you mean? We must just be shopping for the same things,” Noelle said, trying to sound casual.

“I don't want to get jewelry,” Eliza insisted, pouting.

“We can at least look,” Noelle said. She stepped up
to the table, right across from Noel, who looked up and smiled at her.

“Oh, hi, Noel,” she said. “I didn't know you were doing this too!”

“Yes, we did see him!” Eliza insisted, and Noelle felt like melting into the floor. Noel just gave her an awkward smile.

“This is James,” he said. “He's looking for some jewelry for his sister, but I don't know what to do. Can you help?”

“How old is your sister?” Noelle asked James.

“She's thirteen,” James replied.

“I bet she'd love a bracelet,” Noelle said. “My friend Jess made some really beautiful ones.”

She moved down the table toward the bracelets, and James followed her on the other side. Behind her, she heard Eliza, who sounded upset.

“My mom doesn't like bracelets!” she said loudly.

Noelle started to panic a little bit. She felt bad. She had been so worried about seeing Noel that she hadn't been very helpful to Eliza.

Noel scooted around the table.

“Hey, I'm Noel,” he said, talking in his normal,
soft, friendly voice. “Are you looking for a present for your mom?”

Eliza nodded.

“My mom really likes to cook. Does yours?” Noel asked.

“She loves to cook,” Eliza replied.

“There's a table over there with some cool cooking stuff,” Noel said. “I'll show you while Noelle helps James.”

Eliza followed Noel, and Noelle was grateful—and impressed. Noel didn't talk to Eliza like she was six or different or anything. He was just his nice, sweet self.

Noelle turned to James. “Let's pick out a really pretty bracelet for your sister, okay?” she said.

She picked up one made of red and silver beads. “Does your sister like red?”

James shook his head. “No. Purple is her favorite color.”

Noelle spotted a purple beaded bracelet in the group and picked it up. “What about this one?”

James smiled. “That's nice.”

Noelle smiled back. “Great. Let's go pay for it.”

Noelle took James over to the checkout station and helped him pay for the gift. She glanced behind them
and saw Noel with Eliza, who was holding a handmade bowl and smiling happily.

Noelle waved, and she and James walked over. “We found a really pretty bracelet that I think James's sister is going to love. I know
I
would.”

James smiled broadly.

“Look!” said Eliza. “Noel found the best present ever for my mom!”

“That is really nice,” said Noelle. “I bet she'll love it.”

“Thanks for helping James,” said Noel.

“Thanks for helping Eliza,” said Noelle.

“You worked as a good team,” said Eliza.

“We did!” said Noel.

Noelle felt herself blush.

“Your face is getting pink!” said Eliza.

Noelle felt herself turn from pink to red. “It's a little hot in here,” said Noelle. Then she and Noel helped Eliza and James find their parents, who were waiting to pick them up.

“Bye!” she waved to Noel as she practically ran to Dad's car.

“Bye, Noelle!” called Eliza. “Merry Christmas!”

Lying in bed that night Noelle couldn't help thinking about everything that happened that day—and everything that she had learned. For one thing, picking out the perfect outfit on a school morning just wasn't worth it. It wasn't that important, and it wasn't fair to Mom to make her late.

And then there was what she had learned from Noel. To just be nice, and to be yourself, no matter who you were with. It was a good thing to remember.

And of course, it made her
him even more.

SATURDAY MORNING NOELLE WAS STILL
in her pajamas, searching the Internet on her laptop. She really wanted to find those lightbulbs for her party, and time was running out.

As she was searching, she noticed some new e-mails in her inbox and decided to check them out. The first one was from her grandmother.

Hi, sweetie.

Did you get the e-mail I sent you last week? We need to schedule our cookie-baking day soon. Christmas is getting close—and so is your party!

Love,

Grandma Ruth

Noelle felt a pang of guilt. She scrolled through her messages and found an e-mail from her grandmother that had been sent days ago; Noelle had been too busy searching for party supplies to answer it. Every year she and Grandma Ruth got together and baked batches of holiday cookies. They froze some for Christmas Day, and packaged others to give out as gifts. Noelle loved doing it; it was a special day between her and her grandmother, and she always had fun. (And the cookies were delicious, besides!)

Sorry Grandma! I've been really busy with the birthday party.

Noelle paused, thinking of her schedule. Next weekend was her party, so it would have to be this weekend. She was planning on making Jess's present tomorrow, but that would have to wait.

How about tomorrow?
Noelle typed, and then she hit send.

The e-mail from her grandmother reminded Noelle of all of the other things she had forgotten to do. She had
bought her mother some candles at the craft fair, but she still had to find a present for her brother and her dad. Then she'd have to wrap everything. And make cards for her friends.

She glanced at the corner of her room, where the box of decorations marked
NOELLE'S ROOM
sat. Every year she decorated her room for Christmas. Andrew had already done his, and it looked awesome—a crazy mess of blinking Christmas lights. But the only things decorating her room were some stray socks and the sweaters that she still hadn't put back in her drawer.

Noelle shut the laptop, jumped out of bed, and quickly got dressed. If she didn't act fast, she'd never get anything done!

First she cleaned up her room. She put laundry in the little pink hamper and folded the sweaters, returning them to the drawers. She made her bed, then straightened the papers on her desk and the books on the pink bookshelf next to it.

Next Noelle carefully unpacked the contents of the box and set them on her bedspread. She hung the white icicle lights above her window, stringing them on the permanent hooks her dad installed to make
decorating easier. Then she stuck the snowflake-shaped lights to the window itself, using the suction cups attached to them.

Then she took the items on top of her dresser and placed them in the now-empty box. She replaced them with the collection of Christmas-themed snow globes; her dad gave her a new one every year. Grandma Ruth always gave her an angel figurine on her birthday, and she added those to the display as well. She plugged in the lights and then stood back to admire her work.

Then she heard a knock on the door.

“Come in!”

“Hey, sweetie,” her dad said. “Your grandma just called and said you two were going to decorate cookies tomorrow. I'll bring you over early.”

Suddenly he noticed the Christmas decorations. “Hey, I thought it was only birthday and no Christmas this year?”

“It was never going to be
no
Christmas,” Noelle said. “Just Christmas with more birthday balance, that's all.”

“In that case, we should get the tree for your room,” Mr. Winters said, grinning.

Ever since her first birthday, her father had bought a
small real tree for her bedroom. They decorated it with a popcorn garland and homemade ornaments that Noelle had made. Noelle couldn't believe she had forgotten about it this year.

“Can we go now?” she asked.

“Sure,” her dad replied. “I'll meet you downstairs. But dress warmly. We had a cold snap last night.”

Noelle opened her newly straightened sweater drawer and carefully removed a red sweater with a green Christmas tree on it. Then she put on her blue boots and headed down the stairs.

They drove back to the tree place next to the firehouse, which was a lot emptier than it was on the day after Thanksgiving.

“Maybe they don't have any more little trees,” Noelle said, worried.

“They always have the perfect one,” Mr. Winters assured her. “Just wait.”

Her father was right. Noelle spotted the tree as soon as she got out of the car. It was about three feet tall and leaning all by itself against one side of the fence. Noelle ran up to it.

“It's perfect!”

“Yes, it is,” Mr. Winters said with a nod. “Let me get the tree guy.”

Soon they were back at the house.

“I'll get the tree stand from the shed,” her dad said. “I think the ornaments are there too. Why don't you start on the popcorn?”

“Okay!” Noelle replied happily. She ran inside, threw off her coat, and popped a bag of plain popcorn in the microwave. Then she ran upstairs to dig her sewing kit out of her closet so she could string the popcorn. She found it easily, and located a needle and spool of white thread among a mess of material scraps, felt, and buttons.

I should make something for Jess out of this stuff,
she thought, but then the smell of popcorn hit her nose and she headed back downstairs. In the kitchen, Andrew was opening the bag and was about to stick his hand in.