"David." Dad shook his head to show his disapproval. Christy thought her dad still looked like he was laughing inside.

"Okay, listen," Mom the peacemaker said. 'Why don't you call work and find out if you can trade days. That's the first step. After that we can decide about this group sledding trip."

"Okay," Christy sighed, excusing herself from the table.

"You're not finished, are you?" Dad asked. "You've hardly eaten anything."

"I'm not really hungry. May I be excused?"

"Sure," said Mom. "Go see what you can do about changing your hours."

Christy called Jon and explained the situation. She could tell by the noise in the background a lot of people were in the pet store. She realized this might not be the best time to ask him.

"Tomorrow," Jon said, after checking his schedule. "You can work tomorrow instead. I need you here from ten to six. See you then." He hung up before she had a chance to ask about any other options.

Well, there went my Monday.

Trudging down the hall to her bedroom, Christy closed her door and flopped onto her unmade bed, where she could pout in private.

Why does stuff like this always happen to me? Katie never has to go through this. She can do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. My parents are too strict! Now I'm never going to get to talk to Rick. And everybody is going to have a great day tomorrow, and I have to work. It's not fair!

The phone rang, and a minute later Mom called out, "Christy, telephone."

Oh, great. It's probably Doug calling with the final plans for tomorrow, and I have to tell him to count me out.

"h.e.l.lo?"

"Hi, it's me," Katie's voice responded. "Guess who just called me?"

"Glen?" Christy ventured.

"No, he's long gone on his way to Oregon. Rick."

"Rick? My Rick? I mean Doyle?"

"Your Rick?"

"I didn't mean that," Christy said. "You know what I meant." Then turning the tables, Christy asked, "What's he doing calling you anyway?"

"He said he tried you, but the phone was busy," Katie answered defensively.

"I was only on it for three minutes," Christy snapped back.

"What's with you?" Katie asked. "What are you so upset about? Rick? You're ticked off that Rick called me?"

"No, it's not that. I'd never expect him to call you, but Rick can call whoever he wants. That's not what I'm upset about."

"Then what is it? Did I do something?"

"No, it's my family. They've made plans to go to the mountains for Christmas, and we'll be gone for six days starting Wednesday. I don't want to go, but I don't have a choice." She spoke softly so no one would hear her.

"It won't be that bad, Christy. You'll probably have fun. You'll be back for New Year's, won't you? Rick said we're all going to the Rose Parade and sleeping overnight on the street. I'm so excited! I've always wanted to do that."

"I'll be back by then, but I don't know if I can talk my parents into letting me go, especially since the plans include sleeping on the street."

"You haven't asked them though, have you?"

"Not yet," Christy admitted.

"You have to start asking about these things, Christy. One of these days they'll surprise you and say yes to something. But you'll never know because you never ask them! Now listen to me. I have a plan. Start by asking them about sledding tomorrow. That's what Rick called about. They decided to go to Big Bear, and we're meeting at his house at eight. It'll be an all-day thing."

"I can't go," Christy said flatly.

"How do you know? You haven't even asked."

"Yes, I did. They didn't give me an answer because I have to work tomorrow from ten to six. I had to trade my Wednesday hours because we're leaving for the mountains Wednesday. The only option Jon gave me was to work tomorrow."

"Oh."

"See? It's hopeless. You get to do whatever you want, whenever you want, and I never get to do anything."

"Christina Juliet Miller, I can't believe you said that!". Katie snapped. "Who was it that went to Palm Springs and Newport Beach and Hawaii? Was it Katie Weldon? I don't think so! Would you like to take another guess?"

Christy remained silent.

"The only exciting thing I've done in my whole life is go to Lake Tahoe with the ski club last Thanksgiving. Now all of a sudden I have a chance to go to places like San Diego and Big Bear, and you're mad about it."

"I'm not mad," Christy said.

"Then you're jealous. Why? Because some of your friends are being nice to me and including me in their group! Is that so hard for you to accept?"

"No, that's not it at all! I'm glad you're getting to know some of my beach friends. They're all terrific, and I know they'll like you. It's just that you're being included and I'm being left out."

"Not on purpose, Christy. We're both being included. You can't go, that's all."

"That's what I'm upset about. I want more freedom. I want my parents to trust me more. I don't want to be tied down to a job. And most of all, I don't want to have all these responsibilities."

Katie paused before summarizing. "You want to be treated like an adult while you still have the freedom to be a kid."

"Yes, something like that. Seems to work for you."

"Sometimes. Maybe that's what happens when you're the youngest of three kids. It's probably harder for you since you're the oldest, and you have to be the first to break into new territory. It'll be easier for David."

"Don't talk to me about David. He just got away with this stupid wisecrack at the table, and I know if I would've tried something like that at his age I would've been sent to my room."

"Like I said, it's easier on the younger kids in a family."

"It's still not fair."

"So, what's fair in life?" Katie challenged.

"I don't know," Christy mumbled. "Not much, I guess."

"G.o.d is fair," Katie added thoughtfully. "Things that happen to us aren't fair from our perspective. I think in the end G.o.d evens things out when we leave the results to Him."

"I guess so," Christy said with a sigh.

"Come on, Christy," Katie said. "Snap out of it! You need an att.i.tude adjustment, girlfriend. And quick!"

"Oh, thanks a lot! Now you sound like my mother."

"Then erase that from your memory. You don't need an att.i.tude adjustment. You need a friend. And I just happen to be one."

Christy let a smile lift her lips out of their pout.

Since Katie couldn't see Christy's response over the phone, she ventured another offering to her friend. "Remember? We're peculiar treasures, you and me. We have to stick together. And I've decided that because you have to work tomorrow, I won't go to Big Bear either."

"No, Katie, you should go. I want you to go. Really! You stayed home from San Diego because of me and that turned out to be a mistake. Don't turn down this opportunity. Go! Have a good-time."

"Are you sure?"

'Yes: But will you do me one favor?"

"Anything! What is it?"

"Make a huge s...o...b..ll and smash it into Rick's face for me!

"Oh, my!" Katie joked. "Getting a bit feisty here, aren't we? I thought Rick no longer had the power to fire up your feelings."

"You're right," Christy agreed. "Forget I said that. You go and have a wonderful time and forget I ever said anything about Rick. Pretend I never met him."

"Pretend you never met whom?" Katie teased. "Rick? Rick who? I don't recall Christy ever mentioning a guy by that name."

Christy laughed. "Thanks, Katie."

"No, thank you for inviting me into your group."

Christy was about to say that it was originally Rick's idea to invite Katie to G.o.d-Lovers, but then she would be mentioning that name again, and she had more self-control than that.

"And we'll go to the Rose Parade together," Katie said."You'll see. I'll call you when we get back tomorrow night, or if you're still at work I'll try to stop by."

"What about your job?" Christy asked. "I thought you had to work this week too."

"I do. But since I worked every afternoon and evening last week, they gave me Sunday and Monday off."

"Of course," Christy muttered to herself after she hung up. "Katie has Monday off, no problem! Not me. She's getting all the breaks lately. Why is G.o.d paying special attention to her and ignoring me? Not that she doesn't deserve it, but I deserve it too, don't I?"

Work on Monday wasn't too bad. Christy spent most of the morning in the back room marking sale prices on Christmas specialty items. The work was easy, and she didn't have to deal with the mob of customers out front. Still, she felt sorry for herself knowing that her friends were out having fun while she worked.

She had brought a sack lunch with her and didn't even leave the back room when Jon told her to take her break. Settling in at the card table with her peanut b.u.t.ter and honey sandwich, Christy picked up a magazine from Jon's mail pile.

Without realizing it, she had selected a surfing magazine. The cover copy announced, "This Month, the Big One's at Waimea."

A picture of a gigantic wave dotted with at least a dozen miniaturized surfboards took up the rest of the cover. It looked like a huge blue fist was about to curl up its fingers and crush the antlike surfers.

Christy quickly found the feature article and pored over the photos and details of the surfing compet.i.tion to be held that month on Oahu's North Sh.o.r.e.

Todd. He's there right now. Doug said it was this week. Todd's surfing waves like this!

She turned back to the cover and tried to imagine Todd on his orange surfboard, in the clutches of the ominous wave monster. It frightened her. Todd could die trying to surf a wave like that. He could die, and it would be weeks before any of them would ever know.

Oh, G.o.d, keep him safe! Protect Todd and don't let him get hurt. I want You to bring him home soon. Katie said You are fair. Please be fair to Todd and protect him. Don't do it for me though. Do what's best for Todd. But keep him safe, please!

behind the counter in the pet store. Six o'clock. Time for me to get out of here. Where's Jon? I can't leave the register until he relieves me. I wonder if I should buzz him or just wait. He knows I'm off at six.

Two customers stood in line. She decided to hurriedly ring up their purchases, hoping no one else would join them in line. The first customer had a large aquarium tank that Christy found awkward to get into a bag.

"Have you got it?" she asked the customer as she placed it in his arms.

"Yes, I do now. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you," the customer responded.

The next customer slapped a bag of birdseed on the counter and muttered, "Tookyou long enough."

Christy recognized him as a frequent customer who seemed to love to complain. She and Jon referred to him as "Mr. Grouch."

Quickly punching the b.u.t.tons on the cash register, Christy turned to the man with her brightest smile and said, "That will be $5-78, please."

The man handed her a five-dollar bill and a dollar and fumbled in his pocket. "Hold on, hold on. I have three pennies here somewhere."

His search produced two pennies and a b.u.t.ton. "Hold on," he said, sounding even more irritated.

Christy remembered feeling some change in her jeans pocket earlier. She stuck her fingers in and found a penny, which she presented to Mr. Grouch with a smile.

"Here, I have an extra penny."

He scowled at her but ceased his pocket search. Christy quickly made the change and popped his birdseed in a bag. She handed it to him with another big smile and said, "Merry Christmas, Mr. Groua""

Oh no! she thought in a panic, when she realized what she had done. I almost called him Mr. Grouch to his face!

The man snorted and strode into the mall as if he hadn't heard her or he didn't care.

Christy felt her cheeks burn red as she turned to the next customer, ready to ring up the person's purchase. To her surprise, that person was Doug.

"Hi. I didn't even see you come in. How was the sledding at Big Bear?"