Mistletoe Mishap

Chapter 4: Mistletoe Girl

I’m not sure what possessed me to wear the hat again. After yesterday—after the chaos, the accidental kisses, the whispers—I should have hidden it in a box somewhere. But no. I tugged it down over my ears, pom-pom bouncing cheerfully, little green sprig on top completely unnoticed. I was committed. To school. To the holidays. To surviving whatever the universe threw at me next.

From the moment I stepped onto the quad, I realized that survival might be overrated.

“Hey, Ivy! Looking cute!” someone called, and before I could even respond—smack!—a quick peck on my cheek.

I yelped, clutching my textbooks like a life raft, muttering, “Uh… thanks?” My cheeks burned. Already.

The hallways were a minefield. Students nudged me, whispered, or laughed from around corners. Every turn brought another “festive greeting” in the form of a peck on the cheek or a playful nudge. My textbooks wobbled. Coffee threatened to revolt. Glasses fogged. Pom-pom bounced innocently on my head, completely oblivious to the havoc it caused.

At my locker, I tried to compose myself. Sliding books inside, tugging the hat slightly lower, muttering, “Focus, Ivy. Focus.” My glasses fogged again, and my bag strap twisted in a way that made me wobble like a cartoon character.

And then he appeared.

Jasper.

Leaning casually against the lockers across from me, notebook tucked under one arm, smirk plastered across his face, eyes trained on me. He didn’t laugh outright. He didn’t nudge me. He just… watched. And somehow, that made my stomach do somersaults.

“You really commit to that hat, huh?” he said, voice low enough that only I could hear.

I blinked. Commit? “Uh… I… yes? It’s… festive?” I muttered, tugging at the pom-pom. My textbooks wobbled. My coffee threatened mutiny.

He raised an eyebrow, smirk widening. “Festive or dangerous?”

“Uh… maybe both?” I squeaked, glancing around to see if anyone had overheard. A few students lingered nearby, whispering and pointing. Great. Just great.

He leaned slightly closer, tilting his head. “You know, you could make it even more… memorable.”

I frowned. “Memorable? How?”

He didn’t answer. Just scribbled something quickly in his notebook, then looked back at me, eyes dancing. My stomach did that weird twisty thing again. Why does he have to be so calm while I’m… me?

Before I could ask another question, someone bumped into me from behind. Smack! Another quick holiday peck on my cheek. I froze, heart hammering, clutching my books.

Jasper smirked. “See? It’s not just the hat. You’re… popular.”

“Popular?” I echoed, stunned. “I… I don’t—” My voice tangled. Glasses fogged. Textbooks leaned dangerously. Pom-pom bounced.

He laughed softly, just enough for me to hear. “Relax. You’re doing fine. Mostly.”

I swallowed hard. Mostly? “Thanks… I think.”

Lunch was a disaster. I tried to navigate the cafeteria quietly, hoping for invisibility. Not happening. Students whispered, nudged, and kept up the “holiday tradition” with pecks or cheek bumps. My face burned.

And through it all… Jasper sat at a nearby table, watching. No notebook this time, just leaning back, smirk firmly in place, clearly enjoying the chaos.

I tripped over a chair leg, nearly tipping my tray. He glanced at me, eyebrow raised, and said just loud enough for me to hear, “Careful there. You’re like a walking snow globe.”

I blinked. “I… what?”

“Shaking, wobbling… festive chaos. Very entertaining,” he said.

I tried to hide behind my tray, but my hat’s pom-pom bobbed innocently. “I… I’m fine!” My heart pounded.

Then he leaned a little closer. “You really should consider keeping that hat on. Makes life… interesting.”

I choked on my lunch. Keeping the hat on? After all this? “I… uh… maybe?” I muttered, fumbling with my fork.

By the time lunch ended, I was a mess of hair, glasses, textbooks, and red cheeks. My hat—still perfectly perched—had survived another round of holiday chaos. Pom-pom bouncing. Green sprig still oblivious, silently plotting more trouble.

Jasper stood as I passed, giving me a small nod. No kiss. No prank. Just that smirk, teasing me, observing.

And I realized… he was the only one who hadn’t kissed me yet.

My cheeks flamed. Why him? Why not? I didn’t know. I didn’t understand. All I knew was my hat had made me famous, chaotic, and noticed by the one person who seemed completely untouchable.

I tugged at my glasses. “I survived yesterday. Somehow… now I just need to survive him.”

And for the first time, I wondered if wearing the hat again wasn’t just about holiday spirit… maybe it was about surviving Jasper too.