After the game of Monopoly was over, Nicole checked her emails. She was shocked to see the email from Miranda. After hesitating for at least ten minutes, she quickly typed out a reply: Let me think about it. I don't know if I want to hurt Peter's feelings. I just don't want to be friends with him when all he cares about is his hair.

Nicole didn't know what to do.

Peter whispered to Kayla. "What did you get? I got a soccerball and a sword that says 'Eustace'."

~~~~~~~~~~
Upon reading Nicole's email, fear crept into her heart. Was Nicole backing out. She wrote Nicole back, asking what she would like to do?

"I got books," Kayla said, grinning. She knew books probably sounded boring, but she was ecstatic. She'd finally gotten several books that she'd been dying to read. "Lots of them. I'll have plenty of books to read for a while."

Nicole was pleased that Miranda was finally asking her what she wanted to do. She typed: I'm not sure yet. I don't want to go too far and make Peter feel really bad, but I want to at least humiliate him a little bit. All he ever does is complain and cry.

Peter was glad to see Kyla excited and happy. The year just had seemed like it was not a good year to be in middle school. "Which ones? I got Jen Pride and Prejudice."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miranda smirked at Nicole's email. She just wanted to humiliate Peter a little bit but not a lot. She typed back: Get him to shave his head down the middle. Put gum in his hair.

Kayla started thinking. "Well, I got some books in the Ranger's Apprentice series, by John Flanagan. Then I got Dragon Spear by Jessica Day George, and some books by Gail Carson Levine as well."

Nicole typed: No. I know what to do. Remind him of his past. That's his weakness. His fussinesss about his hair is just an obsession.

Miley was looking around the room, after talking to Jen and noticed, she had The Notebook. "Oh! Jen you have The Notebook?"

Jen turned around and blushed. "Yeah. Just getting into it. Want to watch it?"
Miley exclaimed, "Yeah! Let's watch it!"

Justin teased, "Wait, there are three guys in the room!"

Peter said, "I don't mind. As long as we get to watch a comedy afterwords."
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MIranda was relieved NIcole was finally able to come up wiht a plan. ONce Nicole found a plan, she would dump her and embarras her.

"Comedy?" Nate asked "WHY THE HECK WOULD YOU NEED A COMEDY! YOUR A LIVING COMEDY SHOW" he added jokingly he smacked Peter upside the head with a pillow "Take that and learn to watch sports"

Peter laughed and playfully hit Nate back in the head with a pillow. "Hey, I watch basketball and will tryout for high school! And I am trying out for soccer in the spring. So there." Peter playfully stuck out his tongue.

Miley shook her head. "You guys should have heard him sing his ABC's when he was two and a half. We have it on video. He stood on the kitchen table, demanding everyone listen to him sing his ABC's. Then he started singing the ABC's right at the top of his lungs."

Justin laughed, "Oh, I remember that."

Peter blushed. "Was I a good singer?"

His cousins looked at each other and started laughing. Miley said, "I thought so."

Justin mentioned, "I remember when Peter was a baby Aunt Alberta wouldn't let us touch him. So, when she left the room, Miley leaned over and kissed Peter on the forehead."

Peter looked at Miley with a wave of happiness. "You did?"

Justin nodded. "Yeah, and I didn't stop her or tell on her."

Miley said, "I can't believe you remember that."

Justin hugged his sister, in admiration., "Some things are harder to forget."

Peter played with "The Notebook" DVD. He was grateful for the love of his cousins and his friends, even if that meant they had a free pass to pick on him.

It was New Years Eve and Miley was with Ryan, Chrissa and Ben, out on a snowy patio near the mall. Ships were rowing in with lights, celebtrating the new year. It was an assorment of red, blue and silver. Miley poitned at a silver star on one ship. "Isn't that beautiful?"

Meanwhile, Peter, Nate, Jen and Lyn were at a restaurant with Justin, Amanda and Maralyn. Peter took a bite out of his pepperoni pizza, enjoying the juicy flavor. "So, what is everybody's New Years resolution?"

Chrissa's breath caught. "Wow, it's stunning. Everything is so beautiful," she stated, brushing her hair off her shoulder. She looked around at all her friends. "This is the best Christmas ever."

"I agree," Ryan said, smiling at Miley.

Miley let out a squeal of joy as she hugged Ryan around his broad shoulders and played with Ryan's medium brown hair. "Look at the lights reflecting off the pond."

"Survive" Said Nate as he chomped down on his plain pizza. "And get home in one piece"

Peter put a hand on Nate, then took it off. "I hope you survive and come home in one piece too. Hey for what it's worth even if you aren't in one piece I will still be your friend." His thoughts when to Kevin and Justin's trials. "Want me to mail you when Kevin and Justin's trials are over to tell you how they went?"

"Wow, they're so pretty," said Ryan, looking over at the lights.

"Aren't they beautiful?" Chrissa said to Ben. "This is such a wonderful Christmas."

Music started playing in the background, at the dock where the ships were coming in. Miley looked at Ryan, hinting an urge to dance.
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Peter noticed Zach was walking in. He turned to Kayla and Jen. "Hey, there's Zach!"

"Yeah" Ben replied.

Nate looked over at the incoming Zach "Hey Zachster, merry christmas"