Juliana Woodland and Nate Jacobs have been best friends for as long as they can remember.
They are now in their junior year at East Highland High School and things are starting to get complicated.
*Had this story up on my old account and it got dele...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Text me whenever you're ready to be picked up, okay?"
Nate reached for Juliana's hand to help her climb out of his truck, which he always did, but made sure to be extra careful given the very high heeled boots she was wearing. He closed the door and she wrapped her arms around him to give him hug.
"I will, thanks Natey!"
"Be safe, have fun and please don't drink too much." He always hated her drinking not in his presence, but it was even worse now after what happened with Alex at Hailey's party.
He pushed a wavy piece of hair behind her ear and started to lean down, but she abruptly pulled herself away from his grasp.
"I'll be good, I promise, I'll see you later!"
She walked swiftly from his truck and up the path to Cassie and Lexie's house, the place that had been the setting of countless high school memories, both good and bad.
Her heels clicked with each step as she kept her head forward, not wanting to look back at Nate. She knew he was about to kiss her, but she didn't want to risk her friends seeing and having to answer a million questions about it.
The door swung open before she could even knock. There was Cassie, wearing a pink babydoll dress with her blonde hair in curls, some pieces pinned back with bejewelled clips. The sound of laughter and music wafted through the open door.
"Juliana! You're here!" She squealed, pulling her friend into a tight embrace.
"Hey girl! Of course, I wouldn't miss it."
The house was already bustling with activity. Maddy was in the kitchen, making a jug of sangria. Kat was setting up the gifts under the Christmas tree in the living room, her cheeks flushed with a mix of alcohol and excitement. Lexie sat quietly on the couch, typing furiously on her laptop.
"Hey bitch!" Maddy greeted Juliana as she and Cassie walked into the kitchen. Her dark eyes were lined with glitter that matched her sequin top and big hoop earrings.
"Hey!" She beamed at her and looked into the big pitcher she was stirring. "That looks so good."
Everyone went to gather in the living room and Maddy poured up glasses of sangria while they admired the tree. It was decorated with a mix of white lights and gold ornaments, with gifts neatly placed underneath it. Each one was wrapped differently, a silent testament to their diverse personalities.
Once they were all settled in their spots with drinks, they started their Secret Santa by having everyone take turns finding the gift with their name on it under the tree.
Juliana watched as her friends giggled over their presents, each one seemingly better than the last. When it was her turn, she found her gift wrapped seamlessly in snowflake print paper that had a tag with her name in cursive letters.
