Mistletoe

Jenna and Amber sat up front in the community center to hear the children’s choir. Jenna shifted softly from side to side on her freshly caned cheeks.

“I’d tell you that you build a tolerance, but that be a lie.” Amber whispered into the raven haired girls ear.

Jenna whined quietly as the hard wooden chairs irritated her stripes. They itched, but every movement felt worse. She felt Amber’s hand slip into her own.

“You didn’t have to do that you know.” Amber smiled and squeezed her friend’s hand.

“It was my fault. If I hadn’t goosed you…”

“Well, I can’t help having an irresistible ass.” The girls giggled to a sharp scowl from Mrs. Anderson. Amber’s phone buzzed as the children began singing Frosty the Snowman.

“Claire just text me.” Amber clicked her phone off and stuffed it in her pocket. “Come on, lets get out of here.”

Amber stood up and waved to her mom. Jenna quickly followed close behind as they slipped out the door and into the chilly December air.

The town square was decorated in all its Hallmark original movie finery. Small wooden sheds transformed into stalls selling baked goods, hot chocolate, decorations, woodcraft, and all sorts of holiday themed knick knacks. In the center was a small rectangular skating rink.

“Hey. Over here.” Claire was waving behind the hot chocolate stall with Grace and a few others.

Jenna was still feeling a little apprehensive around Amber’s friends. After the campfire it was hard to tell where she stood with Claire. One minute she was cute and bubbly and the next she acted like Jenna was nothing but a nuisance trying to steal Amber away.

As they drew closer Amber smiled to the assembled group until she saw the lanky frame of James Hiller, a former fling and constant regret. They had gone on two dates at the start of the semester and she had ghosted him after he, quite literally, left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Hi Amber,” he smiled. “I got you a hot chocolate.” The shaggy haired boy handed over a steaming cup topped high with cream.

“Thanks” Amber’s smile was a wince. The night bringing a second pain in the ass.

Grace slid up to Jenna and handed her a cup. “Added a little something-something in there. Hope you like peppermint and drama.”

Jenna was unsure what the rainbow haired girl meant but she took a sip. The hot chocolate was rich and the peppermint made her tongue tingle a little. Amber looked over at Claire who just raised an eyebrow and smiled. Amber should have known she was up to something and inviting James was just a dick move. She tried to slip up to Jenna but James intercepted her again.

“I’m so glad to get a chance to hangout with you. I’ve missed you.” He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side making her slip slightly. The hot chocolate burned her hand.

“Careful!” She snapped.

“Oh shit, sorry.” He laughed. “Want me to kiss it better?”

“Dude, get a clue.” Amber rolled her eyes and stomped away to link arms with Jenna.

Jenna was halfway done with her cup as Grace topped up the chocolate with schnapps. “So who are the boys?”

“Ugh! James has been hounding Claire for weeks for Amber’s number. He is smitten with her. Its gross.”

Jenna pressed her lips together. She felt the swirl of liquor and jealousy in her stomach when Amber appeared and linked her arm. “Please save me.”

“Come on, lets go ice skating.” Claire chirped as they made their way to the rink. They finished their drinks and began strapping on ice skates.

Jenna sat as Amber placed a foot on the bench to finish tying her boots. “So, was he like your boyfriend?”

“Oh god no! We just messed around.” She placed the boot down. “Are you alright?”

Jenna blushed. She knew it was silly, but she felt foolish and inexperienced and jealous. It wasn’t like they were an item, and maybe in Amber’s eyes it meant nothing. She looked up at Amber’s green eyes. “Is that what we’re doing? Just messing around.”

Amber furrowed her brow. It was Jenna that was afraid to tell people they had been kissing. “What do you mean?” The words came out more icy than she wanted.

“Nothing. I just…” Jenna looked down at her ice skates.

Amber was used to this look. She knew she had a reputation as being easy, but she liked Jenna more than anyone she had kissed before. It stung to think that Jenna believed she might be just another hook up. She stretched her hand out.

“Listen, I know you don’t want to be so…vocal about what we’re doing.” She pulled the raven haired girl up to standing. “I don’t care who knows about it, but I want you to know that I like you, really like you.” Amber pressed her nose against Jenna’s. “And I don’t want to, and I won’t, be kissing anyone but you.”

Jenna felt ashamed and her face flushed crimson as Amber led her out onto the ice.

The boys, in typical douchebag fashion, skated fats and very close to people causing Grace and Claire to giggle wildly. Amber and Jenna held hands and moved slowly around the rink. The mood returned to one of calm holiday cheer and they sneakily sipped more schnapps.

Jenna stopped to fix her boot and James snuck in and pushed Amber around the ice.

“Hey! Quit it.” Amber yelled at him.

James laughed and tickled her sides. Jenna exhaled and skated after them, feeling brave.

“Come on Amber. You never gave us a chance and it was so good.”

“James.” Amber snapped and pulled his hands away. “I’m not interested.”

“You seemed interested when you were sucking my dick,” he cocked an eyebrow, refusing to be swayed.

Amber looked away. Jenna bumbled her way over to her friend uneasy on the skates.

“Hey,” Jenna caught Amber’s arm to steady herself. “You heard her. No means no creep.”

Amber opened her eyes wide and looked down at the spunky new side of Jenna. Her stomach flipped and she smiled.

“Fuck, alright, you don’t have to be a bitch about it.” James spun away and Jenna mean mugged him until he turned the corner.

Amber slipped her hand in Jenna’s and squeezed. “Thank you, you didn’t have to do that.”

“I didn’t have to snap at you either.”

“HEY!” Grace called out to them. “Look up!”

The DJ was moving strings of mistletoe across the skating rink to giggles and swoons of couples kissing on the rink. Amber blushed as the mistletoe hung over the two girls. “Shut up, Grace!”

She would have shooed the mistletoe away, but she felt Jenna’s hands on her cheek. The raven haired girl tilted her head up and pressed her lips on Amber’s. Her kiss was soft and she tasted like chocolate. Amber was shocked. Her eyes stayed closed when Jenna pulled away. Her green eyes fell on the pink cheeks of her friend. She smiled and wrapped her arms around Jenna’s waist pulling her in for a slow and sweet kiss in the middle of the skating rink. They didn’t stop. Even when the mistletoe whisked away to another couple.