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Brad and Jane sat at their desks after school, listening as their
teacher gathered ideas from the dozen Student Council members.  They
were meeting to decide on their December activities.

“We could have a toy or a book drive,” Brad suggested eagerly.

Jane gave him a funny look.

“That is a great idea, Brad,” said Mrs. Harmon.  “We could actually do
both, since some kids like books as much as they like toys.”

There was a buzz around the room as the other kids threw out more
suggestions, each of which the advisor wrote on the board.

“Okay, we have a few great ideas now. We’ll vote and the top idea
becomes our project,” Mrs. Harmon said.

“Food drive,” she said and the Student Council began raising their
hands for their favorites. “Toy and book drive. Caroling. Serving
dinner.”

After each item, the teacher counted the votes.  Brad saw Jane
frowning at the results.

Mrs. Harmon exclaimed, “A toy drive it is! I’ll make some phone calls
and we will meet next week to discuss exactly what we are doing.”

The kids shuffled out of the meeting and poured into the hall.

“It’s never going to work,” Jane said as soon as Brad was out the
door, surprising him. “We’re not going to get anything.”

“What do you mean? We’ll get all kinds of stuff for the toy drive,” he
replied. “Why are you such a downer today?”

Jane looked at her shoes and didn’t say anything for a minute. Brad
was always in a good mood and sometimes it annoyed her.

They kept walking to their lockers, which weren’t too far apart.

“This economy stinks!”  Jane explained at last, “How many people can
buy extra toys to donate? Probably not many.”

She pulled a book out of her locker and slammed it shut as she
mumbled, “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out we’re going
to get zilch this year.”

Brad looked at her in silence for a moment.  Then he laughed.  “Wow.
What’s eating you today?”

“Nothing. Just sick of hearing on the news that nobody has anything
and we need to give, give, give. Have you looked around our school
lately? Have you driven through town? Some people need to receive
because they can’t afford to give anymore. I just think it’s unfair to
put that kind of pressure on anyone.”

Jane turned on her heel and headed towards the parking lot to wait for her ride.

Brad watched as his best friend walked away.  He knew Jane had voted
on caroling, but he had never seen her care before if her vote didn’t
win.  He had no idea why she was so upset, and couldn’t remember
anything seeming off when he was over her house to study the night
before.

* * *

A week went by before the next Student Council planning meeting.  Jane
hadn’t mentioned the toy drive all week, so Brad hoped she would be in
a better mood once they had the details on how they could help collect
for the needy.  He really hoped so. He didn’t like it when she was
upset and moody. And since basketball had started for both of them, he
didn’t see her as much as he used to.

As Mrs. Harmon began talking, Jane came into the classroom and sat
down next to Brad.   To his relief, she didn’t look mad.

“Hi,” he whispered. He smiled at her and watched to see what mood she
might be in.

“Hi,” she whispered back and took out her notepad.

So far, so good, Brad thought.

“All right, everyone, here’s what we are going to do,” Mrs. Harmon
started. “Books and toys will be collected before and after school
next week. I will need everyone to sign up in shifts to watch the
boxes so toys aren’t accidentally broken as they are donated. At the
end of the drive, we will deliver the collections to the church where
they will be wrapped and handed out to needy families in our
community.”

Jane took notes as Brad watched. Maybe she was having a bad day.

“I think we’re going to get four boxes full,” Brad tried whispering to
Jane.  “What do you think?”

“One,” she declared, without even looking at him. “If we are lucky.”

Brad wrinkled his forehead.  “Don’t think like that. Be positive.”

Jane only rolled her eyes at him as she kept listening.

Brad was really stumped now. Why was she so discouraged? Their school
had always collected a lot when they did food drives, penny drives or
whatever else over the years.  This would be no different and it would
help kids have a good holiday.

“The signup sheets are on my desk,” Mrs. Harmon instructed.  “Pick a
morning or afternoon to sign up for.  Also, if you want to help
deliver and wrap.”

The kids stood and made their way to the paper.

Brad waited for his friend, who rose slowly from her seat.

“Are you going to help wrap?” he dared to ask. Maybe if she saw they
had stuff to wrap, she would be in a better mood.

“I guess,” she answered. “It’s not like it’s going to take a long time.”

 Jane scrawled her name on a few lines and Brad signed up after her.
Now he had to tell everyone he knew to donate toys and books in order
to prove Jane wrong!

* * *

Toy and book donations slowly trickled in to the boxes over the next
few weeks. Brad checked every morning and afternoon until he saw that
the first one was almost full. He helped write the morning
announcements and made sure they emphasized to bring in donations as
they only had three days left.

The next morning, there were kids carrying two and three books in. The
school secretary had to get a second box. Jane just walked by and
rolled her eyes when Brad pointed to their progress.

After school, a few more books and boxes were dropped off. The next
morning, when even more books and toys came in, they filled the second
box and started the third. Brad tried to find Jane to show her that
people were caring and giving, but she was nowhere to be found.

With only one day left of their drive, the three boxes overflowed with
donations from students and their families. But Brad couldn’t find
Jane to share it with her.
He was thrilled! Would she be, too?

The last day of their drive was the most successful day yet. Parents
drove kids in who were carrying sacks of books and boxes of toys to
donate. Brad knew it was going to take a long time to wrap all of
these gifts.

Jane had better get her wrapping fingers ready, he thought with excitement.

* * *

Brad was standing in the hall, waiting for Jane to arrive at the
church basement.

Inside, they had set up long tables with bright, festive paper and
crisp colorful bows and curlicue ribbons in red, green, and silver.
The Student Council and the volunteering parents were abuzz: the
school had collected six boxes of donated books and toys!

Finally, Brad saw a blue truck pull around the corner and recognized
Jane’s dad at the wheel.

When the car pulled up to the curb, Brad’s friend opened the door and
stepped down.

“Hey,” Jane said.  She seemed in a much better mood than she had been all week.

“Hey to you, too,” Brad said and gave her a quick hug. “You ready to wrap?”

They fell in to step and walked in the basement of the hall where
everyone was unpacking the items from plastic bins.

“Wow,” Jane said as she took in the sight.

“See? I told you people would give a lot. There are still kind people
in this town,” Brad said.

“It isn’t about kindness, Brad,” Jane said as she walked around the
room, looking at the plush toys, trucks, baby dolls, Harry Potter
books, and so much more that covered the tables.  She turned to Brad
and said, “Sometimes people just don’t have money to buy things for
other people.  And it has nothing to do with if they’re good people or
not.”

That sounded strange coming from her.  Brad stepped aside with Jane
and whispered, “Did something happen at your house?”

Jane stared at a plastic bin as one of the other Student Council
members pulled out a water gun and pretended to start a squirt gun
fight with the next table.

Jane sighed. “My dad lost his job at the factory a few weeks ago,
okay?”  She said quietly, “I knew I wouldn’t have money to donate
anything and it made me mad.  Because I want to help, but everyone
makes it like you’re a bad person if you don’t.”

“You know you didn’t have to buy anything. You can just help out, like
you’re doing. I know not everyone can bring stuff.” Brad touched her
arm, a gentle reassurance. “Why didn’t you say something?”

Jane shrugged. “It’s okay now. He went for an interview yesterday and
was hired somewhere else. He has to drive farther and says it’s a good
job.  But I know he was lucky to get hired so quickly.  Some of his
friends have been out of work for months.”

Jane bit her lip and lowered her head.  Then she said, with a little
smile, “I guess I won’t be so crabby anymore.  That should make you
happy.”

“Jane,” Brad said, nearly laughing, “you’re my best friend.  You
should have told me.  I wouldn’t have cared. Well, I mean, I would
have cared!  But I would have wanted to help you.  You know what I’m
trying to say right?”

“I know,” Jane said.  She grinned at Brad’s exasperated expression.
“I was just angry. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything.”

“What are you two doing, standing around?” Mrs. Harmon said.  She
handed a roll of ribbon and a pair of scissors to each of them.  “We
have lots to do before these can be delivered!”

Jane finally smiled like her old self. It made Brad’s own smile beam brighter.
Jane said, “There really are a lot of very generous people in town. I
can’t believe how many donated, even though they might be having a
hard time themselves.”

“Come on,” Brad said. “Let’s get wrapping!  I call tape duty!”

Jane picked up a pile of toys and followed behind Brad.  “Hmm… Maybe I
wish I had been right. I just remembered the last time you helped me
wrap presents.”

Brad claimed a wrapping station and pulled out a chair for Jane as he
said, “Aw, they weren’t that bad, were they?”

Jane shot her best friend a look, then laughed, looking happier than ever.