I haven't really edited this, so idk if it's that good or not. I feel quite sick right now and I'm stressed about finals. So here ya go. At least it moves the plot forward.

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For some reason (well, a pretty clear reason: I was terrified), I couldn't make myself talk to Stacey for most of the day. It didn't help that she was always somehow wandering away from me. Girls definitely are confusing. But, boys are confusing too. Everyone is confusing.

It was exactly 11:24 PM when I turned on my phone to check the time. The adults rushed all the kids to their rooms at eight o'clock so that "Santa" wouldn't pass up our house. After a good three minutes of contemplation, I texted Stacey.

You awake?

She responded almost instantly.

Yeah.

Now, I could try to work things out with her over text, but that didn't seem right. I sent a risky message.

Come here.

She typed for a second before I got a response.

Why?

I rolled my eyes a little, even though she had every right to ask.

Just come.

She didn't answer, so I hoped that meant she was on her way.

A long two minutes later, I heard a soft knock on my door. My heart thudded in my chest. What was I doing? What was I going to say? Why did she even come?

I felt my face to make sure my mask was still on and got up to open the door. My room was pretty well lit by the full moon outside my window. I had my blinds open and a nice blue glow settled in the room.

My hand turned the cold doorknob and I pulled. There was Stacey in front of me, wearing blue plaid pajama pants and a black tank top. I looked at her shoulder (something I had never seen before) before chiding myself in my head for being weird. In fact, the tank top only enforced my previous question about if she'd lost weight. I could see that she was definitely quite thin, even if it wasn't very drastic.

"What took you so long?" I asked.

"I tripped on the stairs," she said, holding my gaze.

"For two whole minutes?"

"Maybe."

I smiled. She seemed to be warming up to me.

"Well, you can come sit down if you want."

Stacey stepped inside and we ended up sitting cross legged across from each other on my bed.

"So," I said. "Are you okay?"

"What?"

"You tripped on the stairs."

"Oh. Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

I looked at her, trying to decide what to say. She looked back at me, and neither of us glanced away. The light from the moon made everything look different shades of white and blue, and Stacey's eyes were no exception. If anything, her eyes looked even more amazing than ever before.

"What is it that you want?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

"For Christmas?"

"Look, Stacey," I said. "I know there is no excuse for not talking to you all those months. You just have to accept the fact that I'm an antisocial freak who will find a way to talk myself out of every situation. Now, I don't know if you still like me as you did over the summer. If you don't, you're going to have to tell me so I can stop bugging you, because honestly, I feel like I'm just ticking you off most of the time. I'd rather be on your good side, you know? If you'd tell me how you want this to go, I can finally rest in peace. Not that I'll be dead, of course. I just mean I'll sleep a little better at night."

Stacey surprised me by laughing. "Yeah, don't die."

"Really, Stacey. I'm desperate over here."

She smiled a little and played with a loose thread on her pants. She blew through her lips before saying, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stayed so angry because you didn't talk to me. By doing that, I've ruined what could have been an amazing week. I just... I've had a lot to deal with over the past few months and it wasn't easy because I'd also convinced myself that you no longer cared and you weren't there for me. My mind had formed this twisted image of you. I made myself believe that as soon as you left me that day, you realized that this was hopeless and I wasn't worth the trouble." She inhaled and started speaking again before I could. "When I got here, I'll admit I went looking for you. Some part of me was telling me I was wrong. Then you were so nice to me, and I thought that didn't make sense. I wondered if maybe you changed your mind, but I didn't want your feelings only to be triggered when you saw me, you know? I wanted to be something you could hold onto even if I wasn't always around. So I convinced myself that you weren't right for me."

I blinked. "Stacey, you never left my mind."

Stacey still didn't look at me, and still didn't say anything.

"Well," I said. "How can I prove it to you?"

"Huh?"

"How am I supposed to make you believe that I worried about losing you every minute?"

She shrugged.

"Stacey. Look at me."

"I don't want to."

That hurt. "Why not?"

"I hate your mask."

"Well, maybe I feel comfortable in my mask."

"I don't feel comfortable with you in your mask."

"Is it because you want to see my wound?"

"Logan, I want to see your face."

"If you want to see my face, you're better off waiting to see it when it doesn't look like this."

Stacey rolled her eyes. "I don't care."

"Why do you want to see my face, anyway?"

"Well, that mask is just creepy, for one."

"And?"

"Maybe I just like your face."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. "So...you won't look at me while I have the mask on?"

Then she did look at me. "It's like I'm not looking at you."

I took a moment to wonder what happened. She seemed to be just about normal right now, and I wanted it to stay this way. It was these little arguments with Stacey that I dreamt about at night. (Romantic, right?)

Stacey scooted closer to me so she could reach my face. She wanted to take my mask off, and this time I wouldn't stop her. I decided I was going to tell her. Not just the story behind my black eye, but the story behind the person who so kindly bestowed it upon me.

I felt the cold air touch my face as Stacey slowly pulled the mask up. The air between us was still, so still, as she laid her eyes upon the entirety of my bruise and the mask came off.

I waited as she looked at me. Waited for her to say something, anything. Instead, she lightly brushed her cold fingers over my cheekbone. The light touch sent shivers down my spine.

"Are you cold?" I asked. Her fingers were shaking.

She let her fingers linger for a few seconds before dropping her hand. "Kind of. It is winter."

I reached over and pulled her cold hands into my own. "Now," I said, "tell me about everything you've had to go through while I was missing in action."

Stacey drew a shaky breath. "I want to know what happened to your face."

"Come on," I said, "I asked first."

"Logan—"

"Stacey. Please."

Stacey took a deep breath. "Well, you remember Brody, right?"

My grip on her hands tightened without me realizing it. "Yes."

"I was really nervous for school to start, because I figured he'd start to harass me in person."

"Did he ever stop texting you?" I asked.

"I...I blocked him that night after I told you what happened."

I nodded, unsure of how to react.

"I only had one class with him, and it was seventh period. On the first day of school, we had a rally in the gym during that class. As a way to get the students to laugh or something, the student body president picked a few students to share their most embarrassing dating stories."

My heart dropped.

"After a few stories, it was Brody's turn, and your guessed it—he chose to tell them about me."

"What did he say?" I whispered.

Stacey's voice was obviously careful and under control, as much as she tried to hide it. "He said that some girl had tried to ask him to a dance, but he didn't think she was serious because he was way out of her league. He then explained how she saw him with his actual date and stated crying, and how he ended up with mysterious dents in his car. The whole school was laughing, except for me. I was having a panic attack. That was the first time I've ever had one, and I was desperately trying to find a way out when he asked if anyone wanted to know who is was, and then pointed at me. Everyone could see me because I was sitting right in the corner on the bleachers. I hardly noticed everyone looking at me because I just...couldn't breathe. I ended up being taken to the nurse's office. Everyday since then, people have been making jokes about me and asking me why I would do that. Everyone respected Brody, but no one would respect me. Even my so-called best friend, Kathryn, stopped talking to me."

Stacey looked up at me stared.

"Are you crying?" she asked.

I lifted a hand to my face to find it wet from tears I didn't know were spilling. "I'm sorry. I can't believe that happened to you. Why aren't you crying?"

"I finished crying a long time ago."

"I can't let you go back there."

"Logan, there's not much you can do."

"I won't let you leave."

Stacey cracked the smallest smile. "How do you plan to make me stay?"

"I'll hug you and never let go."

"My family wants me to go with them to Oregon next week."

"When are you moving away from Illinois?" And Brody.

Stacey shrugged. "Hopefully soon."

I tried to swallow a lump in my throat but failed. "What if you move to Oregon?"

"Then I move to Oregon. Now tell me what happened to you face."

I sighed."I got hit."

"What? By who?"

"His name is Perry. He's got some anger issues."

"Why did he have to take it out on you?"

"He teases me a lot. He doesn't like that I'm so 'perfect' or whatever. He doesn't like how I put in no effort to get a girl to like me."

"So he hit you?"

"Well..."

"What is it? What are you not telling me?"

"Okay well there's a story behind it," I said quickly.

Stacey raised her eyebrows. "Which is?"

I drew a deep breath. "Okay, so he was in one of my classes in eighth grade. It was a particularly hot day and the Twix bar I was hiding from Anthony got melted. I opened the wrapper and put it on his chair before he got to class. He sat right on it and when he stood up, everyone teased him. He naturally got very angry with me, and he had a right to. And...that's how we got in a very intense fight...in the middle of a classroom."

Stacey stared at me. "What?"

"Yeah. I broke his nose. He made me pay for it."

"Logan."

"Stacey."

It took all I had to keep myself composed. Stacey was obviously having a hard time accepting what I'd just told her.

"You got in a fight?"

"I did," I said. "I haven't pranked anyone since. Except, you know—"

"Me."

"Yeah. You."

"Why?"

"What else was I supposed to do during those vacations? I had to assume you wouldn't take it badly and punch me."

"You broke someone's nose?" She was having such a hard time digesting this.

I sighed. "Yeah. I'm offended you thought I was such a noodle."

"What did he do to you? The first time."

"Oh, I just had a few nasty bruises. He didn't get away without a few of those, either."

"That's so unlike you."

"Well, I felt so bad and it only made him madder, so I figured violence isn't the best option. I've just lived by that ever since."

Stacey smiled. "That's good."

"Did you think I just woke up one day and decided to be nice to everyone? I'm just kind of afraid of getting punched."

"It happened anyway, Logan. You should've punched him back."

"Yeah, well I probably would have."

"Would have?"

"I, uh, fainted."

"He hit you that hard?!"

"Uh, yeah."

"Logan..."

"Stacey," I laughed, "it's okay."

Stacey and I seemed to have a little staring contest before I said, "So?"

"What?"

"Are we okay?"

Stacey chuckled. "Yeah. We're okay."

"You're not mad?"

"No, I'm not mad."

"Really?"

"No." She laughed again.

"You're not mad?"

"No, I'm not."

I jumped off the bed and opened the window. I stuck my head out and yelled, "She's not mad!"

"Logan!" Stacey hissed from behind. "You're gonna wake everyone up. Then they'll wonder what we're doing." She was still laughing.

I turned around and surprised Stacey by picking her up off of the bed and twirling her around. I set her feet gently on the ground and then stood with my arms tightly around her.

"You're not mad," I said again, quietly, in her ear.

"Seeing you this happy kind of makes it worth it, honestly."

"I'm just glad everything's okay," I said. "Um, except one thing."

"What?"

"What if you move to Oregon?" I was still hugging her.

"I'll tell my parents I want to live here. It'll be my vote."

"What if your vote isn't enough?"

"Then we'll meet up after graduation."

"I'm not sure I can wait that long."

"You might have to."

"What about when you go back to Illinois?"

"We'll start packing, probably."

"Yeah, but you'll still have to go to school again. I don't want you to go there."

"Logan, I'll be fine. I've made it this far."

"I swear, if I ever meet this Brody kid, all my standards are going out the window. I will beat the crap out of him."

"This is so unlike you."

"Stacey, I just..." I pulled away enough to see her eyes. "People treating you like that is where I draw the line."

"Logan, it's okay."

"No, it's not."

Stacey rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Then maybe I need to beat the crap out of this Perry, don't I?"

"Well, he was just getting his payback. I'd say we're even."

Stacey looked down, still smiling.

"Hey," I said.

She looked up at me, and our eyes met. Then it seemed like it really sunk in. Stacey was here. Stacey was in my house and we were together and nothing else mattered when we were together. Together we could forget the world and everything in it. Yes, Stacey was actually here and right now she was my Stacey. Once she'd let her anger pass, I could see my Stacey and I could actually be excited.

The smile on my face must've been alarmingly big.

"What is it?" she asked.

I just shook my head, leaning in. "I'm so happy you're here."

Then I was kissing her. I was kissing her for all the months we'd missed, and for all the days we'd wasted this week. I kissed her with all of my regrets and all of my fears for the future and they vanished. So I kissed her with hope, trying to convey to her exactly how I felt.

I finally realized just how crazy for her I was.

Maybe over the summer we were experimenting, neither of us knowing how relationships worked. But now, it was serious. I knew Stacey would never be just that girl I had a "thing" with over the summer. She'd managed to travel deeper into my heart than that. If Stacey were to leave me now, it would leave a much deeper mark than anything I could ever imagine.

I wanted her to sense all of those feelings through that kiss. I don't know what she felt, but I felt the butterflies in my stomach light on fire. It was a strong burning sensation, and my heart was beating so fast. I wondered if she could feel it.

We broke away and I couldn't remember how to breathe.

"Do you believe me now?" I asked, quietly, referring to how much I'd missed her.

"Yes," she said. "I missed you too. So much."

"Do you feel that?" I asked.

"Do I feel what?"

I pulled one of her hands from around my neck and placed it over my heart. "That."

Stacey laughed. It was such a beautiful sound.

"That's what you do to me," I said, laughing with her.

"I've ever seen this side of you," she said, quietly.

I leaned forward and put my forehead on hers. Our noses were touching.

"I'm just so happy," I said, as if that explained everything.

"Me too," Stacey said. I could hear her smiling, even though I could only see her eyes, so close to mine.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love your eyes?" I said.

"No. You didn't."

"Well I do."

"You told me you like my freckles after I said I like your dimples."

"I remember that."

"And I said that they were just sun freckles."

"So that's why they disappeared," I said playfully.

"Do you miss them?"

"I don't need to miss your freckles because I have you right here, Stacey."

Stacey laughed again. "Good. I was worried you were in it for the freckles."

"Stacey, you could get your face blown off and I'd still kiss you."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Logan."

"Honestly, though."

"Well, let's hope that doesn't happen."

"What if I got my face blown off?"

"I would definitely miss it."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Would you kiss me?"

"I guess I could try. It would be hard if you had no lips."

"But you wouldn't hate me if I had no face?"

Stacey laughed. "I don't think I could ever hate you."

I smiled. We stayed like that, foreheads together, just breathing, for a long time.

"Does your face hurt?" Stacey asked.

"Huh?"

"Your black eye and that bruise on like half of your face."

"Oh. I'd forgotten about that."

"You're an idiot."

"So are you."

"Thanks."

"Did you know that people generally use the word 'idiot' more with people they're attracted to?"

Stacey paused. "Is that so?"

"It is."

I pulled my face away just enough to see Stacey smiling.

"And you," I said, "are the most attractive to me."

She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off with another kiss. I wondered if that was rude of me, I she didn't seem to mind. She kissed me right back. I pulled her closer to me before I ended the kiss.

"I have a question," I said.

"Which is?"

"Why are you so skinny?"

Stacey hesitated. "It's hard to eat when you have a knot in your stomach all the time."

I planted a kiss on her head and said, "I have another question."

Stacey sighed. "What is it?"

"Can I kiss you again?"

She laughed. "I'll have to think about that."

I pouted but then kissed her anyways.

After that, we migrated to a corner on the floor, where we sat and talked all night, playing with each other's hands, talking some more, and kissing of course.

It was a late night for sure, but I'd never felt more awake.