Priscilla blinked awake, momentarily disoriented by the pale blue walls and posters of beach sunsets that didn't belong in her room. Then she remembered: she was in Pennsylvania, spending Christmas at Walker's house.

The faint smell of coffee wafted upstairs, and she heard faint murmurs of conversation. The muffled sound of Christmas music filtered through the walls. She yawned, then turned her head to see Lena, Walker's older sister, stirring in the twin bed across the room.

"Morning, Lena," Priscilla mumbled, her voice still groggy.

Lena cracked open an eye. "Morning. And what in Santa's name are you wearing?"

Priscilla sat up, glancing down at the sweater she'd thrown on. It was a mismatched monstrosity they'd both made the night before. Complete with pom-poms and googly eyes, it looked like a craft store had exploded onto a sweater.

"Please. Yours is worse," Priscilla shot back, gesturing at Lena's sweater.

Lena sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Hey, mine's a fashion statement. Yours looks like a kindergartner's art project. A bad one."

They both dissolved into laughter, the kind of easy teasing that made it feel like they'd been sisters forever.

"Go brush your teeth, bedhead," Priscilla said, tossing a pillow at her.

Lena dodged it with a smirk. "Already on it." She slid out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

Priscilla grabbed her phone from the nightstand and opened her group chat with Walker, Leah, Dior, and Charlie. "Happy holidays, losers. Hope Santa got you something better than coal". She sent the message with a grin, imagining the chaos it would spark.

Her phone buzzed almost immediately.
Charlie: "Coal's all Dior deserves."
Dior: "Speak for yourself, gremlin."
Aryan: "Okay, but did everyone see my reindeer socks last night? They're elite."

Priscilla chuckled, dropping her phone as she heard Lena's voice. "Hey, are you coming to brush your teeth, or what?"

In the bathroom, they took turns brushing their teeth, still yawning as they exchanged tired smiles in the mirror.

"I'm gonna go find my Mom," Leena said, veering off toward her parents' room, after she was done brushing her teeth.

Priscilla nodded in response heading downstairs to go find her father. The aroma of something savory hit her before she even entered the kitchen, and she stepped in to find her dad and Walker's dad standing at the stove. They looked surprisingly at ease, a mix of laughter and quiet camaraderie filling the room.

"Morning," Priscilla greeted, her voice still groggy.

Her dad turned, his face lighting up as he leaned down to kiss her head. "Good morning, sweetheart."

Walker's dad, Pete a towering figure with an easy smile, waved her over for a side hug. "Morning, kiddo," he said, ruffling her hair.

"Smells good in here," she said, inhaling deeply.

"Of course it does, we're cooking." Her dad chuckled. "Go hang out with the others in the living room. Breakfast will be ready soon."

Priscilla didn't need to be told twice. She wandered into the living room, spotting Tanner and Walker sprawled out on the floor, surrounded by wrapping paper. Tanner held up a pair of socks like they were the crown jewels, while Walker was glued to the screen of his new video game.

"You two couldn't wait, huh?" Priscilla teased, leaning against the doorway.

Tanner shot her a grin. "We opened these yesterday. Chill."

"Oh, I can tell," she said, gesturing toward the socks. "All Santa brought you?

Tanner scowled playfully. "You know what? Shut up. I've only opened one present."

Priscilla raised an eyebrow, biting back a laugh. Walker, meanwhile, was too immersed in his game to pay them any mind.

"Walker?" she called, nudging him with her foot. "Anyone home?"

"Huh?" He blinked up at her, momentarily disoriented. "Oh. Sorry, what?"

Priscilla shook her head, laughing as she plopped down next to him. Before they could say more, footsteps sounded on the stairs. James, her older brother, appeared, his face half-buried in his phone.

"Finally!" Priscilla called. "Took you long enough."

James ignored her, heading straight for the tree. He scanned the scattered gifts, his brow furrowing.

"Where's my present?" he asked, glancing around.

From the kitchen, their dad walked out, a sly smile on his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small set of car keys, tossing them toward James.

James caught them, staring in disbelief. "You're kidding."

His dad smirked. "Merry Christmas."

The room erupted into cheers and excited chatter. "No way!" James shouted, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Congrats, bro!" Walker clapped him on the back.

"Lucky," Tanner muttered, though his grin betrayed his envy.

Priscilla laughed as the family poured out of the house to check out James's new car—a sleek black sedan that gleamed in the driveway. Everyone climbed inside, eager for a test drive. Everyone except Walker and Priscilla.

Later, back inside, Priscilla and Walker wandered through the quiet house, the hum of contentment filling the space. The premiere, the interviews, the chaotic laughter—it all seemed so far away now. Their footsteps were soft against the polished floors, the dim lighting making everything feel muted and still.

Priscilla walked a few steps ahead, glancing back at him with a teasing smile. "I'm literally making him drive me everywhere now."

Walker grinned, hands stuffed casually into his jacket pockets. "Me too. I'm gonna turn him into my uber."

She rolled her eyes with a laugh. "No, literally"

Walker chuckled, but then fell quiet, his expression shifting slightly.

There was a pause—a rare silence between them that felt oddly comfortable. Priscilla stopped in her tracks, her smile fading slightly.

"What's up?"

Walker hesitated, scratching the back of his neck. "Your dad said something earlier. About, um... therapy."

Her smile faltered. She blinked, her brows knitting together as her arms crossed instinctively over her chest. "He... told you that?"

"Yeah," Walker admitted, his voice softer now, careful. "Not, like, in detail or anything. He just... said you lashed out. He was worried about you."

Priscilla stared at him, her jaw tightening slightly. Her heart thudded in her chest, loud enough that it felt like it might echo in the quiet house. "He's always worried about me.," she muttered, looking away. "Now you're in on it too."

"Hey," Walker said, stepping closer. "It's not like that."

She didn't say anything at first, her gaze fixed on the floor. When she finally looked up, her voice was quieter, a little guarded. "Why'd he even tell you that, did you ask?

"No." Walker frowned, his eyes searching her face. "He's just worried, P. He loves you. And... so does everyone else? If something's wrong, we wanna know."

Priscilla's chest tightened at his words, a mix of emotions swirling inside her. She shook her head, forcing a small laugh that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You don't have to keep tabs on me, Walker. I'm fine."

"You don't have to be fine all the time," he said, his voice steady but gentle.

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and unspoken for too long. Priscilla exhaled, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. "I just... I don't want everyone looking at me like I'm broken. Like I'm some kind of project to fix."

Walker shook his head, stepping even closer until there were only inches between them. "Nobody thinks that. Least of all me."

She finally met his gaze, and for the first time, she let herself believe him. The weight in her chest didn't vanish completely, but it lessened, just a little. "Okay," she murmured, her voice barely audible.

Walker gave her a small, lopsided smile. "Okay."

They stood there for a moment, the silence between them soft and full of understanding. Priscilla finally let out a breath, the tension in her body melting away. She gave him a half-smile, the corners of her lips quirking up. "You're really bad at this whole 'dropping a subject' thing, you know."

"Yeah, well," he said, shrugging with a grin. "I'm also really bad at letting you push me away. Guess we're stuck with each other."

A real smile broke across her face this time, small but genuine. "Guess so."