The Gift 5 and sussies for all!

Before we find out who has been leaving Samantha mysterious gifts, we have some fun awards to hand out.

First, my buddy Illegally Blond at Could've Been Blonde gave me the New Year Eve's Award.

The rules of the award are:

- You must be a true lover of the New Year to receive this award. The person to whom you give the award must also be in love with the New Year.
- List 5 things that you love about the New Year. If you can't limit it to 5 things, then keep going till you run out of space.
- Pass the award along to as many people as you like. That can be 1 or 50. It's up to you! But keep the New Year cheer going.
- Let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving a comment on their site. Also, link back to the person who gave you the award.

5 things I love so far about 2009:




1) Having the best ham and swiss sandwich and pecan pie at lunch with Libby Lou.


2) These two.





3) The man who offered to go see Inkheart with me. Without being in trouble. Without me having to whine, withhold cinnamon rolls or nag.



4) Having Ironworks with Dad. (Do you see a theme of lunch here?)


5) All of you leaving me such sweet messages every day and actually reading my stories! And like them! And wanting more!!!



And now, for the five friends who get this fabulous award...

1) Blue Violet at An nut in a nutshell

2) Elizabeth at Behind the Wheel Chef


3) Reeni at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice


4) Diana at Diana Takes a Bite


5) Kristen at Pulsipher Predilections




And speaking of Blue Violet, she was kind enough to award me the honest scrap award again.


The rules for this award are:

1. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.

2. Show the 7 winners' names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with “Honest Scrap.” Well, there’s no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon.

3. List at least ten honest things about yourself.

Well, I'll skip number three because you're going to learn more than you ever wanted to know about me on Friday during the Blond Duck Confessions. That's right. Friday, I'll tell you everything you ever wanted and didn't want to know about me. Want to know if I ever wet my bed? What my worst fear is? My most embarrassing moment? My favorite high school memory? Are you dying to know who my favorite author is? Well, I'll tell you! Just leave your questions in the comments and all will be answered Friday. And the winners are....

1) Pumpkin

2) Lilly

3) Melissa

4) Illegally Blond at Could've Been Blonde

5) Elle

6) Heather

7) Sharon

Finally, did you read the interview with the Cookie-stealing bunny?

What about candy animals?

What about the special edition of the gift?

Ok. You may proceed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"No one wants me back," Samantha said flatly as Ashley dragged her into the cabin's tiny kitchen. She plopped down at the table and slid her socks around the wooden floor. Watching as Ashley fired up her laptop, she traced her finger across the smooth table's surface.

"This pendant is amazing," Ashley murmured, twisting it gently under the florescent lights. "If this is fake, I'll do a tap dance in a pink mumu."

"I'd pay to see that." The two women turned to see Jeremy standing in the doorway. His grin faded at their frosty expressions. "Can I talk to you?" he asked. His wounded eyes held Samantha's. Against her better judgement, she found herself standing.

"Just for a few minutes," Ashley warned, her lip curling. "We're in the middle of something."

"Hopefully breakfast," Jeremy said.

"Not really," Ashley hissed. "Perhaps you could pick us up some. That is, if you're not afraid we'll blow the roof off the house with our ginourmous hips."

Samantha couldn't help snorting. Jeremy sighed. "Are you ever going to get over that? I thought she'd like the work out DVDs. Women like to improve themselves, right?" He was met with two fiery glares. " Can you forgive me?"

"Doubtful," Samantha growled.

"Of course not," Ashley replied, her tone shocked. "What good would I be as a friend if I did?"

Jeremy muttered under his breath as Samantha followed him into the tiny dining room. He shut the kitchen door behind her and blew out through his lips.

"Listen, Sam," he said, running his hand through his mussed mane. "I'm really sorry."

The only thing Samantha could think was if he really knew her, he would know never to call her Sam.

"I was a fool," he continued, pacing around the dark oak dining room chairs. "I should have realized you were waiting for me to...give you something more substantial. The thing is, the time just isn't right for me."

"To what, Jeremy?" Samantha was surprised at the calmness of her voice. "To propose?"

Jeremy coughed, turning red. "Er, yes."

"Then when will it be the right time?" Samantha asked, fluttering her eyelashes. "A year? Two? Three?"

"I just don't feel it's the right time to take that step," Jeremy stuttered. "I mean, neither of us are really adults yet. You and your friends cooked up this elaborate scheme to make me jealous and wanted to party for a week alone in your parent's cabin. Then the first time you get mad you kick me out"--

"Excuse me," Samantha interrupted. "Scheme?"

"Yea, scheme," Jeremy replied. "This whole mysterious gift thing? The flower? Are you trying to tell me some guy is so in love with you he's leaving these little elaborate gifts everywhere? Please. No guy does that."

Her cheeks flooded with color and her fingers itched to slap him. As she stared into his smug, sneering face, she could feel the anger boiling within her chest. "Not a guy," she spat. "A man. A true man. And he's real. A lot more real than you." Whirling around, she slammed the kitchen door behind her. Ashley squealed and waved a banana at her.

"Samantha! Oh my God. Look at this," she shrieked, ignoring Samantha's red face and shaking hands. "You won't believe this." She pointed to the computer screen.

Biting her tongue so hard it bled, Samantha leaned over and stared at the screen. It was filled with a single image. She looked at the pendant, then back at the image. They were identical.



"It's a Celtic love pendant," Samantha breathed.

She looked at Ashley. In unison they breathed the same word. "Rouge."

To be continued....

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! Tomorrow we have a ode to something we all can agree on. Wednesday we have a new Twirl, low-fat chicken pot pie Thursday and the Blond Duck confessions Friday!