My journal. Where was it?

I’d never lost a journal before, and I didn’t know what I would do if I did.

Taking a deep breath, I remembered that I wasn’t in a public place like the park or the mall. It had to be around here somewhere.

But what if someone took it? Opened it?

Read it?

It didn’t have my name in it, but it wouldn’t be hard for someone to know that it was mine since I carried a journal with me everywhere.

My heart beat faster at the thought of someone reading all my innermost and private thoughts. Going through my doodles, laughing at my poems, my ramblings, and diary entries.

There were some really private things in there, and even the rest of the #BFFs had never gotten a look at more than a page or two, usually a drawing or doodle.

I never shared my journals with anyone. Not my mom or friends and least of all my siblings.

I’d never live it down if someone found out what I wrote in there.

So with that thought in mind, I searched everywhere. The table with drinks and snacks. The couches and seats. The floor, but my journal was nowhere to be found.

Just as I was getting ready to notify my friends of the current emergency and beg them for their help, I spotted it.

In the hands of none other than Wes.

What???

NO.

He stood in front of a large window near the fireplace, and then I remembered that I’d placed it on the mantle. Duh.

But where had Wes come from? I hadn’t even seen him come in. Surely my brother was also around.

So they’d taken me up on my invitation earlier.

But this was not what I had been expecting.

I crossed the room in about five steps, quick as a deer, and promptly snatched the journal out of his hand just as he flipped open the front cover. “Wes! Hey,” I said with a huge smile. “You found my journal. Thanks!” I hugged the journal to my chest and laughed nervously, knowing just how much I sounded like a complete dork.

He grinned back at me, his eyes still on my journal. “Hey, Rey,” he said. “I was wondering whose that was. I accidentally knocked it off.”

I chuckled, unable to stop. “Yeah, it’s mine.” I searched my mind for something else—anything else—to talk about. I didn’t like it when people asked me what I wrote in my journals.

All kinds of stuff. Stuff not suitable for public viewing or even discussion. It was all way too private.

Thankfully, Wes seemed to sense my awkward discomfort. He glanced around. “So,” he said. “This is a pretty great party, huh?”

I nodded. “Tori sure knows how to throw a party,” I replied. If I’d been the one in charge, we’d be playing Harry Potter bingo right about now, but thankfully for everyone else, I hadn’t been the one to plan this party.

Peeking out the window, I said, “It sure got cold, huh?”

He looked like he was ready to make any excuse and find my brother, but then he relaxed and looked out the window with me. “Yeah, I have a bet going with Hugo. I think it’ll snow. He thinks there’s no chance.”

Inside, I was glad we’d gone from awkward moment to interesting conversation. Wes and I didn’t get to talk much. He was my brother’s best friend after all, but whenever I could get him to myself for a few minutes, I found myself wishing that time would freeze for a little while.

“What do you think?” he asked. “Do you think it’ll snow?”

I thought about that. “According to the forecast, it’s a no, but I have a feeling the sky has plans of its own.”

He smiled. “Something about the air, right?”

“Yeah,” I said, mesmerized by his silky voice and just barely dimpled chin. “”Definitely something in the air.”

When he didn’t say anything, I came back down to earth and wondered what he was looking at.

He gazed intently at something hanging just above the window.

“What’s that?” I asked. It was hard to tell in the dark living room, but was that…

“Mistletoe,” he said quietly.

Someone could have knocked me over with a feather right then.

I almost dropped my journal. Wes met my eyes, and I was sure I looked just as horrified as I felt.

He chuckled. “I think we’re supposed to kiss now,” he said. “I’m honestly just glad it’s you and not your brother.”

Glad he was amused and not embarrassed like me, I finally smiled, but I still didn’t know what to say.

I was not built for making up witty comments on the fly! There was a reason I journaled instead.

Wes blinked back at me, and I wondered what was going through his mind. Maybe he’d just laugh it off and insist we didn’t have to do what tradition called for.

But then why was another part of me desperately hoping he did?

And why couldn’t I say anything?

“So what do you say?” he asked. “I promise I won’t bite.”

Slowly, my brain figured out how to nod and regained control of my mouth. “O—okay,” I said.

He gave me one more smile and then leaned down toward my short frame. I closed my eyes and stood still, hoping I didn’t go into a random spasm and accidentally hit him.

Then his mouth pressed against my lips for about half a second. It was over before I even realized it had started.

Opening my eyes, I remembered to breathe.

Wes stood before me. “See? I told you I wouldn’t bite.”

Somehow, I managed to smile and not implode right then and there. Surely for Wes, it had just been a fun and meaningless kiss, but I was ready to pass out.

Then my brother’s voice cut through the music. Wes waved and left, and I remained speechless. My eyes went back up to the mistletoe.

Lena came up to the window, her fingers on the glass. “Wait a minute. IS THAT SNOW?”

Within minutes, the microscopic white flecks had turned into a steady flurry blanketing Tori’s backyard.

I took in the scene, committing it to memory because I knew my phone could never do it justice. “I can’t believe it,” I said.

Lena waved our friends over, and then Harper dragged us outside.

Ella stared up at the sky, her arms wide. “Harper, you were right!”

It wasn’t long before everyone else joined us outside. The boys started making snowballs and throwing them at each other. Tori’s sister and Noah’s sister made snow angels.

Harper linked her arm with mine and motioned to Lena, Tori, and Ella.

The five of us stood in the snow, huddled together. Tori pulled out a pretty little camera, and we smiled for a picture.

After, Harper said, “This has been the perfect Christmas.”

I still couldn’t believe that Harper had gotten her white Christmas after all.

Or how the five of us, so different, had come together and grown so close, but now I couldn’t imagine my life without my friends.

As the world turned white, I realized that our friendship was kind of like a white Christmas.

Magical.