Puck The Halls | Jack Hughes

SEVEN

MIRACLE
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IT FEELS LIKE JACK HAS BEEN STARING AT ME with this tiny smile for hours. Maybe it's been just a few moments, but still, I feel the need to adjust in my seat for the fourth time. I had no idea why he was looking at me like that, all I was doing was having an in depth conversation with Cole Caulfield about how Christmas was the worst holiday, he, obviously, disagreed.

"Absolutely not," I argued, high pitched and elaborate. "It should be illegal to play Christmas music before the month of December."

"What?" Cole shouts, gawking at me. "I fuckin love a good Christmas song!"

"Clearly you've never worked in retail," I tell him, raising a single eyebrow.

"What's the big thing against Christmas for?" Jemma asks, also chuckling along at our argument. "I've never met a girl who doesn't like it."

I was about to tell her, when Jack cut in for me, knocking his shoulder against mine. "Mira is a Christmas Eve baby."

"What?" Cole screams, and I can tell he's drunk as all hell. One too many runs for you, sir. "For real?"

"Yep," I sigh. "And that's not even the unfortunate part."

The couple look at me, smiling brightly, as if to tell me to go on. Taking a deep breath, I take a quick glance at Jack, he's already looking at me, seeing if I'll go through with it. He knew I hated my full name, knew I hated the meaning behind it. I'd never told anyone that wasn't close family about my name.

"I nearly died at birth, so mum thinks I'm her Christmas Miracle," I tell them, emphasising the miracle part.

Both Jemma and Cole take a moment to think it through. Cole's the one to understand first.

"No way," he splutters. "Is your full name Miracle?"

Jack bursts out laughing, actually having to turn away from me. He loves that story, but I could never understand why.

"That is so cute," Jemma coos, smiling at me brightly. I shrug, sighing. If I was seven I probably would have been crying at Cole and Jack's reaction, but I'm not seven and I know deep down that Jack has loved my name since forever.

He comes down from his high, reaching his hand around to the middle of my back, tracing circles with his fingertips. I turn to him with wide eyes and my heart in my throat, why was he touching me like that again?

"She's got the prettiest name," Jack tells them, confident as ever. "Pretty name, pretty girl."

"Stop!" I whine, pushing him away from me. He chuckles, rolling his eyes before going right back to the same position I'd just pushed him away from.

"If I didn't know you any better," Jemma says, speaking to Jack. "I'd say you have a bit of a crush, Rowdy."

Jack smirks. "Only since I was like nine."

My cheeks burned a bright, embarrassing red as Jemma continued to talk like this was a totally normal topic to touch over.

"Did you guys ever date as kids?" She asked, her voice was high pitched and her eyes were wide, hopeful, like she was absolutely living for this. Jack moved his hand to rest on my thigh, my eyes snapped to it, but I didn't push him away.

Jack shook his head, like it was a casual question you'd ask anyone. "Nah, Z would kill me if I went after his baby sister."

"Doesn't seem to be stopping you right now," I mumbled, not daring to look at him.

He licked his lips to hide his smirk. "He's not here, what Z doesn't know won't hurt him."

I squint at him, unsure what he was trying to prove or do here.