Miranda's P.O.V.

Hannah pulled into a parking spot that was right across the street from Jeff's house. I pulled out our phones and opened our email accounts so we could show Jeff the email with the invite. And we walked across the street and knocked on the large door of his house. I was hoping that he was doing okay after the car accident back in September. The last time I saw him, he still had a small limp in his left leg, and I couldn't even imagine how hard it was for him, knowing that it would be a long time before he would be able to play baseball again.

The door opened, and I saw it was Jeff who answered. "Merry Christmas, ladies! Can I see your invitations?" he asked. I opened our phones and showed him the emails, and he led us downstairs, where we heard the faint sound of Christmas music playing on the Bluetooth speakers. When we reached the end of the staircase, I saw Clay sitting on a small sofa with a plate full of Christmas cookies. "Hey Clay," I said, getting his attention.

"Hey, Hannah, Hey Miranda," he smiled. We placed our Secret Santa gifts on the floor next to a small gold Christmas tree that was decorated with different sports ornaments. I grabbed a Christmas cookie in the shape of a bell and sat down next to him. "Merry Christmas," I said, breaking the awkward silence between us. "Merry Christmas," he responded after he swallowed a mouthful of sugar cookies.

Usually, Clay and I would have a lot to talk about. But this time, it was different. He always knew how to break the ice, but now, he seemed shy and he didn't talk as much. "So, have you seen the new Star Wars movie?" he asked. "Yeah, I did. I thought it was pretty good, but they left out a lot of details," I answered. Clay started grinning from ear to ear and went on a whole rant about how they left out important parts of the origins of the main character.

"You nerds talking about Star Wars?" Hannah asked, taking a seat on the opposite side of Clay. Hannah always knew how to make a conversation between two people interesting. And soon, the three of us were cracking jokes and trying our hardest not to laugh. "Hey, guys!" A voice called out. The three of us looked up and saw that Justin and Jessica had arrived. The two of them were wearing white and blue Christmas sweaters along with Christmas headbands. Justin wore a Christmas tree headband, while Jessica wore a red headband with a small red present on top.

"Hey Justin," I said. Things had been awkward between Justin and me for a few weeks. We used to date for three months, and we even went to homecoming together. And then, in November, right before Thanksgiving break, we broke up. I wasn't mad or upset, I was just confused as to why we split. But, it was obvious his heart belonged to someone else, and that was my friend Jessica. For a while, we talked while waiting for the others to show up. Eventually,  Zach, Tyler, and Alex all showed up, and the party could officially start.

"Okay, so before we start, does anyone need to use the bathroom?" Jeff asked, slightly limping as he climbed down the stairs once we all arrived. "Yeah, I'll be back in a moment," I said, standing up from the sofa and climbing up the stairs to the bathroom. When I finished, I did not expect to find Justin waiting for me outside the door. "What are you doing here?" I asked, confused why he was waiting for me to get out.

"Two things. One, I have to go to the bathroom. Two, I need to talk to you," He answered before running in and closing the door behind him. I pressed my back against the wall, and I waited for Justin to get out, wondering what he had to say. I heard the toilet flush, and a split second later, the door opened, and Justin and I stood across the hall from each other. "So, what is it you want to talk to me about?" I sighed, hoping that this wouldn't take long. "Look, I know we broke up suddenly, and you may be confused and angry with me, and I get that. But, I owe you an explanation," Justin answered.

I nodded my head slightly, telling him to go on. "I didn't break up with you because I didn't love you anymore. I broke up with you because there's a lot of stuff going on in my life right now, and Jess is the only person who understands. I'm not saying that you wouldn't understand. But, I need someone who I can relate with to help me out," He explained. The explanation was still confusing, but at the same time, I understood where he was coming from. "Yeah, I understand that," I responded. Justin walked towards me and held out his arms so I could hug him. I wrapped my arms around his back, and we held each other for a moment.

"I hope that we can be friends," He muffled into my shoulder. "Yes, of course," I said when we pulled apart. "Just know that there will always be a special place in my heart for you," he said. "Mine too," I said before we went back downstairs to the party. I had felt relieved that I had found closure with Justin about our breakup. And I was hoping that me and my friends would make this the best Christmas ever.