I walked into her room and set down my pillow and bag. I’d just gotten to my best friends house. I walked over to her CD player and hit play. Lying on her bed, I waited for the familiar lyrics of Avril Lavigne’s My Happy Ending to blast through her speakers. Nothing happened. I walked over to the CD player again and opened it. My favorite CD was missing. There could only be one culprit. Mel was the only one I ever let borrow that CD.

With this in mind, I slunk over to her bed. Under her pillow, is my CD… and it was completely destroyed.
I felt my face burn with anger as I snatched my CD and stomped down the stairs to the basement, where Mel was playing the Xbox. Walking over to her, I placed myself between her and the TV screen.
“Hey, get out of the way!” She yelled at me, trying to look around.
“Not until you explain to me why I found my Avril Lavigne CD under your pillow all scratched up. When I left it here last week, it was in your CD player looking like new.”
“I… I… umm… well… Trix…”
I didn’t let her finish. Instead, I trudged up the stairs, back to her room. I grabbed a good sized box from the top shelf of her closet and raced to her garage. My master plan to get Mel back was about to be set in motion. When I reached her garage, I immediately filled the box with charcoal. The kind her dad would use for grilling our burgers later that night.
I slammed the lid back on the box and ran back into the house. I threw on a brightly colored wrapping paper and slapped on a name tag. Hiding it in her moms sewing room, I composed myself and walked calmly to the living room.
~~~
“Bye mom, see you in a few hours!” I yell to my mom as she drops me off at Mel’s house for our annual Christmas party.
All of my friends would be here. I walk in the door and here everyone say my name happily. The bags in my hands, filled with the presents I would later hand out, go under the tree.
“Finally, you’re here Trixie!” Adam, my best guy friend said hugging me.
“Fashionably late, as always my dear,” I say to Mel as she leads me into the kitchen where the food is.
“Okay, who’s ready for presents?” Mel’s mom asks when we have all eaten enough food to sink a battle ship.
All ten of us get up and walk to the family room. Sitting around the tree, I pass out everyone but Mel’s present. The floor is littered with wrapping paper. My guy friends all get new IPods; the girls, everyone but Mel of course, get new purses.
At last, everyone has exchanged gifts, everyone but me and Mel. I walk to her moms sewing room and grab her box. Then I walk back, Mel shoves a flat envelope in my face and takes the box.
“You open yours first,” I say to her, sitting on the floor.
All eyes are on her. My face shows a slight eagerness. Finally, she rips the top off of the box. As she looks down, she sees the charcoal. She looks up at me, face white with horror. I simply smile. It’s the best gift I have gotten all night.
“I guess I deserve this,” Mel says, laughing.
Everyone laughs with her.
“Merry Christmas Mel,” I say hugging her.