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...
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Juliana didn't know if she or Nate was dreading Christmas Day at his house more. After a nice, quiet Christmas Eve with her mom, it was time to spend the day at the Jacobs residence.
The Jacobs always treated Juliana like family; she loved Marsha and got along fine with Aaron. It was Cal that making her apprehensive about going there.
After she walked in on him pinning Nate to the floor, she could barely look him in the eye. She had only been there several times since and managed to mostly avoid him each time.
Normally she felt very comfortable with Marsha, but the last time she was at their house was when she stormed out after she and Nate broke up.
All she could do was hope that it wouldn't be too awkward, and that the day would go by fast.
"I'm sorry we have to spend Christmas with my family." Nate said, reading her mind as usual, as he came up behind her and wrapped his around her.
She had just finished getting dressed and was checking out her appearance in the full length mirror on her wall. She smoothed down the light beige dress she had on and rubbed her glossy lips together before turning around to face him.
"There's no need to be sorry, Natey," She reassured him and he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "We were with my mom last night while she was off, so today it's your family. That's what we always do."
"Yeah, but the difference is your mom isn't a fucking psychopath."
She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest and inhaling the scent of his cologne. "Don't worry, it'll be fine." She told him, but she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.
The Jacobs household had always been a mix of warmth and tension, a delicate balance of smiles and unspoken words that only the family members knew the steps to.
Their house was adorned with lights and garlands, the scent of pine from the perfectly decorated Christmas tree in the front room filling the air.
Nate never looked forward to family get togethers, but today he felt like nothing could ruin his mood, not even his dad.
Last night he and Juliana said they love each other for the first time since they reconciled the night of homecoming, and he couldn't be any happier. They were practically back together and he had her right where he wanted her.
"Hi you two!" Marsha greeted them cheerfully as they walked into the kitchen. "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas," Juliana said, trying to sound cheerful even though she was still feeling unsure about being there.
She and Nate had arrived with a bag of seamlessly wrapped gifts, a bouquet of poinsettias and a box of chocolates that she knew Marsha had a soft spot for. Nate laid the flowers on the counter as his mom admired them.
