—

     "you know he totally likes you." sadie said to hailee as they walked out of school.

     "what?!" hailee exclaimed, her eyes wide and her face red. "no he does not. and either way i don't like him."

     "yes, he does!" sadie exclaimed. "you guys were like, all heart eyes at each other yesterday."

     "okay, well one, no we weren't." hailee argued. "and two, even if we were, so what!"

     "so what!" sadie mocked. "so what? you could get your first boyfriend. you two would be cute together."

     "i- sadie!" hailee exclaimed. "i don't need a boyfriend."

     "i know-" sadie began.

     "i don't see why it matters." hailee shrugged.

     "it doesn't-" sadie began.

     "and besides he doesn't like me like that!" hailee exclaimed.

     "do you like him like that?" sadie asked.

     "of course not!" hailee exclaimed.

     "seriously?" sadie asked. "you don't even think he's cute?"

     "i wouldn't say he's ugly, but i wouldn't say i think he's cute." hailee responded.

     "mhm." sadie hummed. "sure you don't."

     "i do not!" hailee practically yelled.

     "you don't what?" a voice asked from behind them. the two girls turned to see jack.

     "hailee doesn't think jaeden's cute." sadie simply stated. hailees face turned a light pink, embarrassed by sadies statement.

     "what do you mean? he's a cutie." jack said, sarcastically.

     "well-" hailee began, yet found herself at a loss for words. "okay?"

     "you know you and jaeden would make a cute couple." jack commented. hailee rolled her eyes.

     "oh yeah, haven't heard that one before." she responded, glaring at sadie. sadie sheepishly smiled at hailee as hailee rolled her eyes once more.

     "hey- wait a second." hailee said glancing behind jack, watching two figures cover their faces as they walked past them. "is that who i think it is?"

     sadie shifted her gaze as jack turned around, watching as two of their friends tried to make their way past them.

     "jaeden? noah?" jack asked. the two froze and slowly turned towards the trio.

     "hey..." noah said awkwardly, dragging the y.

     "hm, odd usually you two aren't hanging out together." sadie questioned.

     "well... jaeden was just telling me about how we should hang out more." noah lied.

     "yep." jaeden agreed, nodding his head.

     "well um... sadie and i were gonna go get hot chocolate and do homework... do you guys want to come?" hailee offered.

     "sure." jaeden immediately agreed.

     "yeah, why not." noah shrugged.

     "i actually have to get home." jack sighed. "i'll see you guys tomorrow, though!"

     "bye, jack." hailee smiled softly at the boy as he begin to walk away from the group.

     "well, let's get going." sadie said, smiling at her friends.

     the beginning of their walk was quite as sadie and hailee walked ahead of jaeden and noah, who were whispering as quiet as possible to each other.

     "this is a good chance to talk to her." noah whispered.

     "i know," jaeden sighed. "but how am i supposed to start a conversation."

     "i'll go up and talk to sadie, just start talking to hailee. like about anything." noah responded.

     "alright." jaeden agreed.

     "good luck." noah said before walking a bit faster to catch up to the two girls. it only took a moment until noah was walking with sadie and hailee was walking beside jaeden.

     "noah just took my place." hailee laughed. jaeden smiled at her, and laughed along as if he hadn't just helped plan that.

     "typical noah." jaeden added. "so um..."

     "what's your favorite christmas song?" hailee suddenly asked.

     "oh- um probably... i don't know." jaeden said, his face turning a light pink from embarrassment. "well i like last christmas. but i love let it snow."

     "i love let it snow, too." hailee said, smiling at the memory of the two dancing and singing along.

     "good to know." jaeden responded. he mentally face palmed for saying that, realizing how weird of a response it was. "what's your favorite thing about christmas?"

     "oh my," hailee exclaimed. "i don't know if i can pick. i love spending time with family and friends, of course. i love the music, i think it's beautiful. oh! i also love the snow. like when it's snowing at night, and the snow is twinkling under the stars, it's astonishing. i also love how romantic christmas is. although i don't know much about romance considering i've never had a boyfriend, but i would love to have my first kiss under a mistletoe. oh and christmas time is so happy."

     jaeden couldn't help but beam at the girl as she rambled on and on out how much she loved the holiday. he also took notice to how she would love to have her first kiss under a mistletoe, deciding to keep that in mind incase she ever returned his feelings.

     "oh i'm so sorry, i just rambled on about christmas for at least six minutes." hailee apologized once she realized what she had done.

     "no, no, you're fine. it was cute." jaeden said, his eyes widening once the last words came out of his mouth. he glanced away from hailee, but couldn't help to glance back.

     "oh, okay that's good." hailee blushed. "i was worried maybe you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore or something."

      "what?" he exclaimed. "how could i not want to be your friend?"

     "i don't know," she admitted. "i just feel like... maybe this isn't real. like maybe it's all a dream and then when i wake up, everything will go back to normal."

     "hailee, even if it was a dream, i'd still want to be your friend." jaeden responded. "i've always wanted to be your friend. so believe me, you couldn't get rid of me even if you tried."

     the blonde smiled at him, instantly making him blush. "oh that means the world to me!"

     jaeden didn't even know how to respond. so he just smiled sheepishly at her as they continued to walk down the street.

     "oh! there's the shop!" hailee suddenly exclaimed, causing jaeden to look ahead to the sign of the shop. before jaeden could reply, hailee had grabbed his hand dragging him along as she ran towards to cafe.

     noah noticed the two holding hands once they had all walked in and smirked at jaeden, whose face turned a dark shade of red.

     "okay i think here's a good table for us." hailee said smiling as she continued to drag jaeden along to a booth in a corner. hailee climbed into the booth, jaeden sitting next to her, while noah and sadie sat on the other side.

     "what homework do you guys have?" noah asked as he began to unzip his backpack.

     "science, math, and social studies." hailee replied. jaeden half smiled at the girl before answering.

     "me too." he answered. hailee softly smiled, shooting him a small glance.

     "i have math." sadie added.

     "oh okay," noah said. "i have math, too."

     "we should probably go get drinks." sadie said suddenly. "noah you know my usual order, right?"

     "yeah," noah replied. "why?"

     "can you two go order for us?" sadie asked.

     "oh yeah," jaeden said. "of course."

     "can you get me a regular hot chocolate with extra whip cream?" hailee asked, turning to jaeden.

     "yeah," he nodded. "noah come on."

     "oh okay, we're getting up now." noah said jumping up and following jaeden to the counter. once the two were out of earshot, sadie began talking.

     "what was that about?" sadie asked in a sing-song voice.

     "what was what about?" hailee replied, genuinely confused.

     "oh, i don't know," sadie shrugged. "you two holding hands on the way in, both of you blushing a whole bunch, smiling at each other?"

     "sadie, i don't like him." hailee responded.

     sadie raised an eyebrow in response, not convinced by her best friends answer.

     "sadie, i wouldn't lie to you." hailee stated.

     sadie sighed. "i know, i just think you two get along well and would make a good couple. plus i know he would treat you right."

     "look, he's sweet but dating is not important to me right now." hailee responded.

     sadie nodded as the two boys came back with their drinks. "you're welcome." noah said, setting sadies down in front of her.

     "thank you." sadie responded, laughing.

     "yes, thank you." hailee agreed, smiling at jaeden as he sat down.

     "you're welcome." jaeden replied.

     after that, the four teens got started on their homework. since hailee and jaeden had the same homework, they mainly worked together. noah didn't say anything about it, but he was cheering jaeden on in his head.

     sadie took notice to the way they looked at each other, especially jaeden. he was so kind to her, sadie almost began to think jaeden liked her. which she would be right, however she didn't know that.

     while working with jaeden, hailee freaked herself out in realizing that sadie was right. jaeden was cute. hailee also realized that jaeden tended to give half smiles a lot, which she found adorable. throughout the time they spent together hailee often found herself thinking of jaeden, and only jaeden.

     pretty soon, noah thought it would be a good idea for him and sadie to leave so jaeden and hailee would have some alone time. so that's exactly what he did.

     "and done." hailee smiled, looking at her finished homework.

     "with my help." jaeden added, making hailee smile instantly.

     "with your help." hailee laughed. jaeden was now smiling too, hailees laugh sounded like music to his ears.

     "we should probably get going now," jaeden suggested as he put his homework away.

     "yeah." hailee agreed, following suit.

     "i'll walk you home." jaeden said, glancing at the girl.

     "that sounds perfect." hailee smiled.

     soon, the two were walking down the street in a comfortable silence. hailee was enjoying the snow falling down, humming along to the faint christmas music playing on the streets.

     hailee gasped as the familiar instrumental of let it snow began to play. she smiled as she turned to jaeden to find him already beaming at her.

     "oh the weather outside is frightful," hailee sang.

     "but the fire is so delightful," jaeden continued.

     "and since we've no place to go," hailee continued.

     "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!" they sang together. a giggle escaped hailees lips, as jaeden took her hand and spun her around. they continued on their way home now laughing and talking. as soon as they reached hailees house, they both wished they hadn't so the moment would never end.

     "so i'll uh- see you tomorrow then?" jaeden asked, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as they stopped at hailees driveway.

     "yeah, see you tomorrow." hailee responded. she quickly kissed jaeden's cheek before turning around and walking quickly up her driveway, leaving a flustered jaeden standing all alone.

     once hailee had gotten inside her house safely, jaeden began to smile. as he began to walk to his house, he found himself putting his hand on his cheek where she had kissed him a smile never once leaving his face.

—

A/N...
i am so sorry for not updating holy cow!
i haven't had motivation do anything this past like two weeks so i haven't written much and i am beyond sorry. i don't know how i'll finish this book within the next five days, but i'll do my best. this chapter is so shitty and unedited so i apologize for any mistakes.