Back to December

Twenty-Six

My family throws a party every single New Year's Eve, one that nearly everyone attends. We all invited people. James and Lizzie had friends coming, Harper and Skye invited people from their schools, some of their parents were also coming. Our house would be packed, which I normally hated, but maybe tonight it'd be for the best. The more people in our house, the easier it'd be avoiding Wyatt. Who was sadly still invited.

"Don't worry about him," Harper reassures me. We both sit in her room, getting ready. Well, more like I laid on her bed, scrolling through my phone, while she got ready. She's wearing a sparkly, one-shouldered pink dress. Her hair slicked back into a low bun, showing off her perfectly done makeup. Her lips are painted a bold pink colour, "There are so many of us we'll make sure he doesn't try talking to you."

"I appreciate it," I tell her, sitting up. Harper had tried curling my hair, but they didn't hold. My hair fell into limp waves that I'm sure were a little messy from laying down. I didn't want to get ready, but Harper forced me. Show Wyatt what he's missing, she told me as she applied my makeup. She'd gone pretty simple, making it look like I wasn't sleep deprived as I am.

My stomach is in knots. The last thing I want is to see him and pretend that I'm okay. I want to sit and watch movies with my siblings. "You know," I stand up, adjusting my top. Harper picked out wide-legged blue dress pants, pairing them with a white cropped t-shirt, "We could always just stay in my room. We could watch rom coms?"

"That's tempting," She hums, turning around to look at me. Despite how dressed up she is, she's wearing a pair of worn-out white sneakers, "but you look too good for that. Wyatt is going to feel like an even bigger idiot after he sees you."

"Or, he won't even look at me," I add, shrugging my shoulders hopefully. I can hear people downstairs He was probably down there right now, with London on his arm. Mom and dad tried telling me they could uninvite him, but I couldn't do that to Nikki. I'm going to let my issues with her son ruin my relationship with her.

"I hope he does," Harper links her arms through mine. This way, I have to leave the room, "I spent way too much time on your brows for him not to look."

I roll my eyes, sighing as she begins walking out of her room, dragging me along with her. Our house is crowded. It seems that almost everyone is here. In the living room, karaoke is set up on the TV, various people scattered around the room, passing the mic back and forth. Everyone else was in the dining room and kitchen, talking and catching up, having to raise their voices as they spoke to be heard over the music.

"I already wanna go back upstairs," I told Harper, raising my voice slightly so she could hear.

"Come on," She nudges my side, "I think Liz and James are in the kitchen somewhere. I'm going to go find Charlie really quick."

Harper runs into the crowded living room, leaving me alone in the foyer. This is easily the busiest New Years' Eve party we've ever had, and I couldn't help but wonder how much of it was due to the fact that two A-list celebrities were in our house somewhere. I worm my way through the crowd, entering the kitchen. James and Lizzie aren't in here, but someone else is.

Wyatt's wearing a white button, the top button undone, tucked into a pair of navy-blue pants. He's looking around the room, leaning against the counter while London babbles on about something beside him. Of course, she looks perfect. Her blonde hair held curls much better than mine ever could, her dress is black, hugging her curves. She's everything I'm not.

His eyes connect with mine before I can leave the room. If I didn't know better, I'd think he looks sad, like something was wrong. He steps forward slightly, and luckily, someone taps on my shoulder before he can move any closer, "Marles," Harper's voice tares me away from Wyatt. I look back at her. She and Charlie both stand behind me, hand in hand. Her boyfriend smiles at me sympathetically, "Liz and James are actually in the living room. Come on, let's go do karaoke."