This was different. There was something else going on. She was sure of it, but the question was, what?
“I’ll gladly send over the lineup of events, activities, and clues once my staff has had a chance to review them.” Hilary stood. She was done with this conversation.
“I hope you’re right about this,” the mayor warned. “Fifty thousand dollars isn’t pocket change. If my office proves there’s cheating or your staff is involved, I’ll have no choice but to recommend that the Chamber remove you immediately.”
“Noted.” Hilary left him with a curt nod and power-walked outside. The frosty air matched her mood. She had come to the meeting in good faith but was now ready to fight. Shedidn’t know what his angle was, but she was convinced he had an ulterior motive for canceling Passport to the Holidays. She was pretty sure it was her. He wanted to control her like he controlled everything else in town, and she wouldn’t let that happen.
NINETEEN
OLIVIA
Olivia watched the clock tick in slow motion. The classroom windows had fogged over, causing a trickle of water to bleed through the condensation. She untied her scarf and fanned her cheeks. The heating system in the high school was in desperate need of an update. On cold winter days like today, it was either humid and sticky or like walking into a freezer.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket.
She wanted to sneak a look, but her history teacher’s eyes were directed right at her, so she turned it upside down on her desk, hiding the screen.
Olivia held her pencil at the ready, pretending to be dutifully taking notes. Her teacher turned around to write something on the whiteboard, and Olivia reached into her desk and discovered a box of her favorite dark chocolate peppermints, an elegant set of vintage bookmarks, and a copy of the book she adored most in the world,I Capture the Castle.
She bit her bottom lip and glanced around the muggy classroom.
Who left them?
It had to be someone she knew.
She carefully unfolded a note attached to the chocolates.
To Liv,
Happy holidays,
Yours, S.S
Secret Santa.
She scanned the classroom again. Everyone else had their eyes glued to the whiteboard. This was her first Secret Santa gift. The senior class drew names on the first day back after Thanksgiving break and left secret gifts for each other throughout December, culminating with a Secret Santa reveal at the pep rally. Except there was supposed to be a spending limit. The chocolates, bookmarks, and book were way over the set price.
Could it be Malik? He caught her looking at him twice in bio-chem and switched partners when they had been partnered up for a lab assignment. Her best friend, Cass, had suggested that maybe he was too nervous to be around her, but Olivia wasn’t so sure. Malik was cool, aloof, and no signs indicated that he even knew she was alive. She’d made the mistake of checking out his social again. His recent pictures were all snaps of him at hipster hangouts.
Another possibility was Hugo. Cass was convinced he had a secret crush on her, but Olivia didn’t buy it. She and Hugo had been friends since kindergarten. She wasn’t his type. He’d been in love with someone else for as long as she could remember.
Of course, Cass claimed that was just a cover.
Her history teacher brought her back to the moment. “Olivia, did you hear me?”
“Huh?” Olivia stuffed her phone in her pocket. She actually liked this class. Truthfully, she liked school, but she’d been distracted lately with Passport to the Holidays, planning theholiday prank, and trying to come up with the funds for her senior project. She had found herself watching the clock and wishing that it was break already. She wasn’t sure she would make it to graduation if she already had senioritis and there was still half of a school year left.
She pushed the thought aside and concentrated on the assignment. There were thirty-two minutes left before lunch. She would meet up with the team and brainstorm their next move. It would be awesome to have a high school team win this year.
The class dragged on, and when the bell rang for lunch, Olivia sprinted to the cafeteria. Cass and Hugo were waiting for her.
“Malik can’t join us,” Hugo said, scooting over to make room for Olivia. “He said he’ll try to catch up later.”
“Has anyone figured out the next clue?” Olivia asked, breaking out a peanut butter, apple, and granola wrap from her backpack and stuffing aside her disappointment. It had to be her. Malik was going out of his way to avoid her. So much for him being her Secret Santa.
“What ya got there?” Hugo leaned closer, eyeing her backpack.
She pulled out the chocolates and offered them to her friends. “I got my first Secret Santa gift today, well, actually gifts; my Secret Santa went all out.” She showed them the bookmarks and book, carefully studying her friends’ faces to see if either of them would crack. “Want one?” She opened the box of glossy chocolates.
