Hard Boy ✔️

71

i'm trying to make it better piece by piece

Aurora Holland

"Okay, so we've all agreed on the rules and regulations for this Secret Santa party?" Bailey asked excitedly as she looked around the group, a bright smile covering her beautiful features.

For some reason, they decided to host an early Christmas party. Early, because a lot of us have to spend time with our families, and others of us are going out of town. Not that I mind, but it's a little unsettling knowing that there's a chance that I could not only get Carter Jackson of all people, but my own cousin or Logan as well. Not to mention, Ashley and her friends have decided to include themselves in our friend group, which puts a bit of a damper on things, considering they take a jab at me at any given moment they can.

Naia finished writing down all of our names on a piece of paper with a pen. Her handwriting was neat and organized, the girl having taken her time writing everyone's names as Bailey explained the details. You know, the usual no gift cards and nothing lazy, making us agree to put actual effort into the gifts, no matter who we got.

It was clear it was something to try and bring the group closer, making us act more as a friend group instead of a pile of teenagers that hate each others guts.

I don't hate any of them, I just avoid a certain amount of them any given chance I get, which I guess could be considered hating in someone else's eyes.

Naia then allowed Z to cut the piece of paper into small pieces, separating every name. I fidgeted in my spot between Katherine and Miles, my heart racing at the thought that I could get someone whom I'm not exactly eager to get a gift for.

Glancing over, my eyes locked with Carter's. He was sitting between Ashley and Kaya, slouched so far into the couch that it seemed as if at any moment he could sink into a bottomless pit. His brows furrowed as he tried to read my expression, but instead of letting him get past that wall, I just looked back down at my hands.

The silver ring twirled around my finger over and over again, the skin underneath turning a light pink. It was raw, but I couldn't stop. I felt too awkward to be in the same room as him, let alone be doing a Secret Santa with him.

After Z was finished with cutting up the copy paper, they folded all of them into thirds and shoved them into Elijah's beanie. Z made sure to hold the beanie closed and shake it around, mixing the names up to make sure they weren't in the order they went into the hat.

"Where do I start?"

"We can just start at this end of the room and go around," Bailey stated. "But guys, remember, when you grab from the hat, you shut your eyes and move your hands around to mix it up more before grabbing. I want no cheating!"

"How would we cheat if Naia was the one to write the names and Z was the one to put them in the hat, exactly?" Alexa asked, leaning against the wall. She had one leg kicked up slightly, the other holding her weight to the ground. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she watched the scene, seeming to notice the tension in the room.

Despite how big the Jacksons' living room was, the room felt extremely small.

"I don't know, I just wanted to stress the topic, okay?" Bailey asked, smiling at the other girl. "Let's not forget Elijah's little stunt last year."

"What stunt?" Katherine asked, glancing from Bailey to Elijah.

"I just-" Elijah stopped, his cheeks growing pink. "I managed to find a way to get Carter was all."