Not That Bad #Wattys2018

Chapter Thirty One

New Year's Eve

I spend Christmas at my maternal grandparents. My grand parents are funny and loud and I wouldn't have minded Christmas with just the two of them. 

But it wasn't just the two of them.

There were all my aunts and uncles who gushed on and on about how tall I've gotten and made me stand by their kids to compare heights. And my aunt Becky drank too much and wouldn't stop singing even though she was clearly off key. And then there were all my pesky cousins, except Jade, who's a year younger than me, but I actually like her.Together we laughed at our cousins and stole wine that we drank in one of the guest bedrooms. That part was OK. But still. By New Year's Eve, I'm pretty sure I don't want to see anymore people. That is, until Eli calls asking if I want to go to Declan's party.

Yeah, Declan has a huge Halloween and a bigger New Year's party every year. I don't really like Declan in the first place, but I have to admit that the few parties of his I've been to were pretty awesome. I say 'sure'. I have half an hour.

I shower and brush my teeth. Somehow get my flat iron to cooperate and I flat iron my hair bone straight. Then I wiggle into a champagne colored sparkly dress and gold sandals and wait. But then I think, makeup! So I kick off my shoes, run to my mirror and do a subtle wing over my eyelids, mascara and dust a little eyeshadow in the corner of my eyes. I skip the lipstick and choose a light lip gloss instead. I stare at my face for a second. I like what I see.

Downstairs my parents are dressed to go out, my mom in one of her thousands of slinky formal dresses. My dad is on the phone, obviously business. I don't think they ever get a break. I mean, a business call on new year's eve? 

"You're going out too, Rori?" Mom asks.

I gesture to my outfit. "Yes Mom." She laughs and rolls her eyes.

"Oh yeah. Duh." Mom laughs again. Sometimes she likes to say the things I say. I'll never forget the time she said 'lol'. "You look pretty, have fun." 

"Thanks." I say. Just then I hear Eli's truck pull into the driveway. I don't give him a chance to come inside. I wave good bye to my parents, run outside and hop into the front seat. Eli stares at me, so intensely, I bend my head and blush. Then he kisses my cheek softly.

"Hey Rori." he says his voice rough and husky like he just woke up. I don't know how boys do that. I shiver a little, lean in and kiss his cheek.

"Hey Eli."

We don't have to drive for long. Soon we can hear the sound of loud music. Eli parks behind one of the many cars on the street and we have to walk toward the house.

Declan's house is huge. Music blares from inside, so loud the windows rattle a little. There are people on the lawn watching some (drunk?) girl do cartwheels. Some guys have removed their shirts. Everyone knows that Declan's New Year's Eve parties start out super formal, and everyone dresses really fancy but at the end of the night their clothing always reduces significantly. Declan himself is standing at the front door when we step inside. He and Eli fist bump ( I don't know, guys aren't like girls, it's like they're all on good terms with each other), and Declan looks me over. I resist the urge to scowl at him when he glances at my boobs with a raised eyebrow. His  face says, We'll see any of that tonight? And my face says, Hell no.

Declan breaks into a smile."Honestly, princess, I'm glad you're here." He reaches for my hand and kisses it sloppily. He's obviously drunk. Already. I give him my sweetest smile and not my disgusted face and walk past him. I see Imogen in the dining room talking to someone and we make eye contact for a second. I nod my head a little and she does the same. 

We're not friends. But we aren't enemies either. 

Eli finds my hand and tugs and I follow him deeper inside, past too many people on one couch, people making out in the hallway, upstairs, into the balcony, where there are less people.

Eli gets a glass of champagne for both of us from the table. He finishes his fast, ditches the glass and starts dancing. I laugh at him and sip my champagne. It's fizzy and bubbly and delicious in my throat. The song changes to something you can't dance to so Eli stops dancing.

"I like your hair." he says. He twirls a strand around his finger and tucks it behind my ear. He's being flirty. He runs his finger along my jawline and kisses my cheek again. Then he takes fistfuls of my hair and tugs me closer and buries my head into his chest. He smells A-MA-ZING.

"And I like yours too." I reach up and ruffle Eli's brown waves. He grins and pinches my cheek playfully.

"A few more minutes!" someone shouts. I twist away from Eli and gulp down the rest of my champagne then lean over the balcony, looking down at the girl who's now doing splits. Some guys have found a football and are playing keep it up. Most people have started looking up at the sky. The music has been turned off. For a moment, it's just silence and the sound of people whispering and the wind and cars on the street.

"Ten!" someone yells. I turn around and smile. The countdown has started.

"Nine!" Soon, everyone is shouting and giggling and counting. Not me. I'm looking at Eli because he's looking at me. I can't get over how blue his eyes are.

"Five!"

He raises his eyebrows.

"Four!" I feel shy and look down. "Three!" Eli cups my face. "Two!" His hands feel big and warm on my cheeks.

"Happy New Year, Rori." he says.

"Happy New..." I start, but he kisses away my words as the fireworks burst above us.