✓ | TWO YOUNG HEARTS ◦ 𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓

23 - MOVIE DATE

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WITH CHRISTMAS COMING FASTER THAN SOME WOULD'VE LIKED, TV CHANNELS WERE ON THE HYPE TO PLAY CHRISTMAS FAVORITES. Winter was rampant, wanting everyone to know the worst was yet to come for the city. Flakes of fully white snow fell from the gray painted sky for the fourth day in a row, a shivering wind blowing through the icy streets of Queens. Christmas decorations were happily hung up in most stores that were filled with shoppers, hoping that they would be able to get discounts in the weeks before prices racked through the roofs. Shiny bells and soft bows were secured around lamps, most people adding to the Christmas joy.

Harry suddenly hummed as him, Peter, Alissa, and Ned (Harry had invited him as well), stood in front of the ticket booth, eyes raking over the electronic sign that read off the movies that they were playing in a few short minutes. "Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, Home For the Holidays, Elf, The Grinch, The Polar Express," Harry slowly read off, a hint of amusement in his voice as he looked over the familiar titles. "Hm, think they have anymore Christmas movies they're thinkin' of playing?"

"You forgot The Nightmare Before Christmas," Alissa added in, sweetly smiling as she nodded her heads towards the bolded title off to the side. "They're playing that in fifteen minutes."

"But that's not a Christmas movie. It's a Halloween movie."

Alissa quickly turned her head to the side, daring Peter with a raised brow at his statement. Ned's eyes slightly widened and his lips parted at Alissa's reaction, glancing from his two friends, feeling that something was coming. Something awful. "Uh, I think we should just watch H—"

"The Nightmare Before Christmas is too a Christmas movie," Alissa interjected, arms folding over her red sweater. A wicked smirk spread across Harry's face at the notion, wondering if this interaction would bring two of his closest friends together after so long of being in each other's friend zone. It was a long-shot, but after so many years, he would take what he could get.

Ned quickly turned and whispered to the antsy people waiting in line behind them, telling them to just go in front of them as they clearly weren't anywhere near ready go buy their tickets, nor would Alissa or Peter let up anytime soon.

"No it's not," Peter dismissively laughed, shaking his head, seeming just as set as Alissa in defending his opinion on the film, briefly glancing to Harry. Harry didn't really wanna try and side with Alissa or Peter, either, so, he just shook his head. He didn't watch too many movies enough to really care what kind of movie it was. He just knew it made by Tim Burton. Ned, on the other hand, thought he might be able to extinguish the small banter.

"It's both," he suddenly said, "It's a Halloween movie because of the darkness that's presented throughout the entire film along with the fact that they're all Halloween based characters." Peter rapidly smiled, clapping Ned's shoulder as a thank you. Alissa rolled her eyes, and Ned gave Peter a shake of his head. "But it's also a Christmas movie." Peter's smile seemed to falter and travel right over to Alissa's face, the girl making a humph sound. "They literally take over Christmas and deliver presents—creepy and terrifying presents—but still, presents, nonetheless. So, it's a Christmas movie, too."