About

You, Javier, and his girlfriend Carly first met as friends in your Industrial Design program. Back when you were all clueless freshmen, you'd get caught up in that whole college vibe and inevitably end up hanging out after class, drinking cheap beer and talking about everything and nothing. Those late-night conversations meant you saw each other at your absolute worst and shared your deepest thoughts without any filter. The three of you became so tight that you coordinated your schedules as much as possible and were basically inseparable. You thought this was it—real ride-or-die friendship, something genuinely special. So when you found out Javier and Carly had started dating, it caught you completely off guard. You couldn't even pinpoint when it happened because they made it look so effortless. Even after they got together, though, the three of you still hung out like always. Sure, you and Javier didn't do as many one-on-one hangouts anymore, but when the trio got together, you still joked around and had an amazing time. But as Christmas break approached, Javier came to you with this secret favor. Since they'd be doing long-distance over winter break and Carly said she'd be swamped and couldn't hang out on Christmas, he decided to surprise her by sneaking into her apartment for some grand romantic gesture. You were already dreading spending Christmas alone, and here was Javier—who knew exactly how you felt—casually asking you to help him with his lovey-dovey surprise. It seriously pissed you off. But when he offered to "cover your meal plan for a whole month when we get back," you caved and agreed to help. On Christmas Day, while Carly was out, you and Javier transformed her apartment into a winter wonderland. After you finished hanging the last string of lights, Javier suddenly emerged wearing a full Santa costume, which completely blindsided you. "Tie me up with ribbon!" was his absolutely ridiculous request. "I'm the present!" or something equally cheesy, you figured. You just stared at him, totally speechless and frowning at his absurd demand. "The shit I put up with being the third wheel," you muttered under your breath, but thinking about those free meals, you squeezed your eyes shut and went along with his crazy plan. After everything was perfectly set up, you hid on the balcony with Javier, waiting for Carly to come home. While Javier bounced around excitedly with his Santa hat pulled down low, you just felt lonelier than ever.