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You've signed up for a Secret Santa this year, be it in a hobby group, school, work, or just in your circle of friends. You've received a name and a small index card's worth of information about their likes and dislikes, so it's time to go shopping for them! Or, maybe you're receiving your own present? Was this a good idea or just extra holiday stress?
Rayna stared at the piece of paper in her hands as she squinted hard at the printing that almost looked like chicken scrawl. How on earth was she supposed to decipher the words in order to purchase just the right gift for the person whose name she had drawn at a Secret Santa put on by Meadowview. It had been open for anyone who was interested in partaking and Rayna had dropped off her information card and only a day later had received a card in her home room class. Her gaze that day had taken in others in the classroom that had received envelopes like hers. Had one of her classmates gotten her? Rayna had simply slipped the envelope into her bag without opening it.
That had been two days ago. The deadline to drop off the gift was fast approaching and Rayna had begun to panic at the thought of disappointing whomever it was she was buying for. The teenager sighed as she slipped the card into her purse as she strolled into the mall. The only rule that the school had with the event was to not go overboard with spending. Rayna was certain that the twenty dollars she had brought with her would cover the cost of whatever it was she was going to pick out. She wanted to make this a special purchase and she steered away from a store that was selling novelty items. There was nothing worth purchasing from them. Shaking her head once more Rayna pulled the card out of her purse again. The writing was still ineligible to her eyes. Why hadn’t anyone bothered to make the wish list of this person more readable? Perhaps there was some generic item that she could buy and just hope beyond all hope that her giftee would be happy. The noise and bustle of the mall did not seem to help matters. In fact the bustle around her was proving to be very distracting. Rayna rubbed at her temples in order to ease the tension headache that was forming before spotting one store that could possibly be a simple solution. It was not your typical store for teens but perhaps making it so that the person receiving her gift could make a personalized gift could be the perfect solution. Taking a deep breath Rayna took in the storefront display and made the decision to enter and look around. The walls were decorated with all sorts of different clothing items and Rayna chuckled softly at some of the oddities. It seemed that this place had thought of all the possible variations that one person could utilize. Knowing that creating the final product held the element of fun Rayna moved to the sales desk and waited for a store clerk to notice her. The desk had what she was indeed searching for and so Rayna ended up purchasing a twenty dollar gift card for Build-a-Bear Workshop. That task done Rayna glanced around at the shop and the shoppers around her. Everyone looked like they were having fun in creating their own stuffed animals.
Slipping the gift card into her purse Rayna moved along the displays and took in the process of stuffing an animal with interest. Perhaps there was something she could take home from here for herself. It was at least something she could do after Christmas. With one last look around Rayna exited the shopping mall and began her walk home. She could only hope that her gift was well received. In the back of her mind she wondered who had drawn her name and what sort of gift would be coming her way. Humming softly to herself Rayna fingered the strap of her purse. All gifts were to be distributed on the last day before the holiday break.
