Page 125 of Shut Up and Jingle Me
“Tell me again how I got roped into this,” Max says, eyeing the neon-lit sign above the club door.
“Because you love me,” I say, tugging his hand.
He mutters something that sounds suspiciously like‘unfounded allegation,’but lets me pull him inside anyway.
The bass hits immediately—heavy, bright, and alive. Rainbow lights flash across the dance floor, catching on glitter and sequins and sweat. It smells like sweat, cologne, and freedom. It’s exactly what it should be.
Luke’s halfway to the bar before the rest of us have even handed over our coats. Daniel’s already dancing, sparkling under the neon, while Todd hovers by the table with that small, secret smile he doesn’t think anyone notices—but I’m not going to out him even in a gay club. Peter’s pretending to hate it, but his foot’s tapping to the beat anyway.
Max and I find a corner of the bar, his hand settling at the small of my back like it belongs there. It still makes me shiver sometimes—the casualness of it, the ease. He doesn’t check who’s looking. Neither do I. Because we don’t have to hide what we are from anyone.
Luke reappears with drinks, glitter smeared across his cheekbone, and shoves one toward me. “To almost surviving another semester!”
Daniel clinks his glass against mine. “And to the Grinch’s full reform arc!”
Max groans, but he’s smiling, and Luke whoops like he’s won.
Todd raises his glass last, eyes bright. “To all of us,” he says, voice steadier than I’ve ever heard it. “Right where we’re supposed to be.”
We clink glasses and drink.
“Are we sure there areno girlshere?” Peter asks, voice almost lost in the thrum.
Luke snorts. “You’re in a gay club, genius.”
Todd hides a smile behind his drink. “You’ll live, man.”
Luke throws an arm around both of us; he’s clearly pre-gamed this outing. “Look at my beautiful, emotionally healthy friends! Who would’ve thought we’d make it this far?”
Daniel laughs. “You? Never. Them? Always.”
Max takes his glass with a small shake of his head, murmuring, “We’re not that interesting.”
Luke winks. “Please. You’re the main character of Christmas, Calder. We’ve all accepted it.”
I grin. “I’ll take co-star billing.”
Max rolls his eyes but can’t stop the smile creeping in.
The music shifts—something upbeat and loud enough to make the floor tremble. Todd drags Peter out to the edge of the dance floor, muttering something about “broadening horizons,” and for once, Peter doesn’t fight it. Daniel joins Luke, already waving his hands above his head like he’s performing on stage.
Max and I linger near the edge, watching them spin and laugh under the strobe lights. He looks out at them, at me, at everything—and then leans down until his lips brush my ear.
“You happy?” he asks.
I look up at him. “Completely.”
He nods once, that quiet smile tugging at his mouth, the one that still feels like a secret only I get to see.
Luke spots us from the dance floor and points dramatically. “If you two don’t come dance right now, I’m telling the DJ to put on ‘Last Christmas’ in your honor!”
Max groans. “I hate your friends.”
I grin, tugging him forward. “You love them.”
“Not the way I love you,” he mutters, but he lets me pull him into the crowd.
The music swells, the lights blur, and when he finally gives in—hands on my waist, forehead against mine—it feels like everything we fought for has finally settled into place.
