The Maplethorn Initiative (Book 1, The Maplethorn Series)

Our Christmas

Prita studied the pine wreath on the Drexlers' front door as she waited for someone to answer. Fish-eyed reflections of herself stared back from the giant, silver ornaments. When a full minute had passed, she tucked the red box she was carrying under her left arm and leaned over to peer through one of the narrow windows that ran along either side of the door. Seeing nothing but gauzy, yellow curtains on the other side, she rang a second time—bouncing up and down in an attempt to keep warm.

Soon she heard the clicking of the latch, and the door swung open. Mrs. Drexler stood on the other side—her face contorted as she struggled to hold back the tears that were so obviously coming. "Oh, Prita!" she cried, throwing her arms around the girl.

Prita did her best to return the hug without dropping the present. "Oh em gee, Mrs. D! What happened?"

Paula Drexler showed Prita the wadded-up envelope in her left hand. "We got Cameron's letter today. He's supposed to report to the school on January fifth. I... I knew it was coming, but when I saw it in the mailbox, everything just seemed so..." The rest of what she was trying to say was lost to sobs.

"Is Cam here?" Prita asked gingerly.

"Yes." Mrs. Drexler dried an eye with her thumb. "He's upstairs."

Prita pointed to the envelope with a gloved hand. "Does he know?"

Cam's mother nodded.

"Can I go up?"

"Of course."

•  •  •

Cam's door swung open as Prita knocked. "Hello?" she called into the darkened bedroom.

There was a click, and the bedside lamp winked on. Cam lay there in his familiar blue shorts and gray sweatshirt. "Hey," he said without getting up.

"Hi." Prita closed the door and sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to hide the package behind herself. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, I guess." His words were devoid of emotion.

"Your mom said you got your letter."

"Yeah." Cam folded his hands behind his head. "Thirteen more days."

"That's not fair," Prita said. "They should give you more notice!"

Cam shrugged without lowering his arms. "We knew it was coming since the day at the Federal Building."

"What happens on the fifth?" she asked. "Do they come get you?"

"I think they send a limo."

"Cameron..."

He let out a long sigh before answering. "It's called self-surrender. It means you have to get there on your own somehow. I guess my mom and dad are going to drive me."

"Can I come?"

Cam stared at the ceiling without answering.

"Unless you don't want me to?"

"This is going to sound stupid, but I kind of don't."

"Oh-kaaay."

"I mean, ugh!" Cam flopped a pillow over his face and continued. "I know this is dumb, but I don't want you to see me walk into prison. I want you to remember me here. Like this. Normal."

Prita pulled the pillow away and laid it against the headboard. "My mom says it's not really prison. She says it's more like a dorm. Like college."

Cam rolled onto his side, facing her. "I'm sure it'll be all keg parties and football games when they're not beating the crap out of me."

"Why would anyone do that?" she asked, trying to ease his concern.

"I dunno," he answered. "Because I'll be the new kid?"

"That's a stupid reason."

"Sometimes, it's enough."

"Well, if they do, you need to find a teacher, or a guard, or whatever and tell them what's going on."

"New kid and a snitch?" Cam nodded thoughtfully. "I'll be the most popular guy in the morgue."

"No, you won't!" Prita seemed to spin in a circle, and suddenly a red box tied with gold ribbon was lying on the bed.

Cam picked up the box and turned it to study all four sides. "What's this?"

"Something to make you feel better."

He scooted backward until he was sitting against the headboard. "Should I open it?"

"Um, duh!" Prita's eyes went crossed. "That's what you do with Christmas presents."

"It's not Christmas yet."

"My parents are making me do family stuff for the next two days, so this is our Christmas."

Cam tugged at the ribbon without undoing it. "You know I can't take anything with me when I go, right?"

"I know that. Stop making everything so difficult."

"Okay, I'm sorry," he said with a hint of a smile. "So, I can really open it now?"

Prita grabbed the other end of the ribbon and yanked it off of the package. "Yes. You can really open it now. You big dork."

Cam shook the box, producing a muffled crinkling sound. "I wonder what's—"

"Don't do that!" Prita dove for the package as Cam pulled it away. "You'll break everything!"

"Now I'm really curious!" Cam hooked a finger under the red paper and began tearing. The wrapping concealed a pink cardboard box. Inside the box, he found four Christmas cookies: one shaped like a bell, one a star, one a tree, and the other a snowman. His smile burst through the gloom. "Hello, sugar rush!"

"Keep digging," Prita instructed.

The Christmas cookies rested on a sheet of waxed paper that concealed six more cookies, only these were heart-shaped and dripping with red icing. A final sheet of waxed paper revealed a small, round birthday cake with white frosting. A box of multi-colored candles was tucked in beside the cake.

"I love it!" Cam beamed. "I'm not sure I get it, but I love it."

Prita set the first sheet of waxed paper on the bed and arranged the Christmas cookies neatly on top of it. She did the same with the heart-shaped cookies, then pulled the cake out of the box. "We're going to miss two Christmases, three Valentine's Days, and two of your birthdays while you're away," she explained, inserting the candles into the cake. "I thought we could celebrate them before you have to go."

Cam's eyes stung. The desserts covering his bed were suddenly too precious to eat. He could only stare down at them in awe.

Mistaking his silence for something else, Prita scooped up the cake and moved to dump it back in the box. "I'm sorry," she said without looking at him. "It was a stupid present. I just didn't know what—"

"No." Cam gently coiled his fingers around her arm, guiding the cake away from the box. "It's the best present ever."

Now it was Prita's turn to blink away a tear. "Really?"

Cam carefully moved the cake to the nightstand and sank into the pillows. Prita hovered over him with her black hair cascading around his face and tickling his cheeks. He felt as though his whole life had been spent waiting for this moment and doing the things teenage boys and girls tell their parents they're going to wait to do. But now that the time was here, he just pulled her close and held her while he cried. It wasn't what Cameron Drexler hoped would happen that night, but it was what he needed.