New Year's Eve (Completed)

⌁Carnival Lights and Food Fights⌁

Draping an arm carelessly around my shoulder, Conner pulls me into a small convenience store. "What are you doing?" I glare annoyedly at his arm resting on mine, but in reality I like the way his fingertips brush delicately against the exposed skin, sending electric currents through my veins at lightning speed.

He sneers childishly, "Don't tell me you've already forgotten about the dare?" Forcefully, I pry his arm off of mine, concealing the sudden melancholy notion I feel at the loss of contact.

"Unfortunately no, but the dare was for me to act like your girlfriend, not for you to act like my boyfriend!" As I retort, I can't help but notice the quick flash of hurt in Conner's eyes. He is just trying to be friendly and play along. He knows this is really uncomfortable for me, and he doesn't deserve my constant complaining.

The deafening silence between us allows my guilt to increase rapidly, and I know I must have really offended him because of the lack of one of his usual snarky remarks. "I'm sorry. That's not how I meant it! It's just kind of weird that you're suddenly back in my life, and I'm afraid of losing my best friend again." His eyes roar with an emotion I can't determine, enveloping me in their emerald gleam. And suddenly the whole situation is too much to think about. Those years without my best friend in my life were full and lonely. Conner and I had constantly written each other letters when he first moved, and as the weeks passed, we exchanged less and less words. Soon, we weren't even talking. Afraid of the tears that are trying to leak out, I drop my stormy eyes to my shoes.

He brings a hand to rest tenderly on my chin and forces me to meet his stern gaze. "You're never going to lose me, Ali." We remain their like that for a few moments, transfixed with the hidden emotions burning deep in our eyes, completely unaware that we are standing in the entrance of a store. That is the affect Conner has on me. Time stands still when I'm with him, and I am ignorant to my surroundings. I like the high he gives me when I'm around him. And even though we had not talked in five years, it's like he never left. We are still the same two kids together, always getting into trouble.

"Okay...," I rasp, "okay, Conner. I'm going to hold you to that."

That familiar boyish grin plasters itself across his face and he pulls me into a short lived, bone crushing hug. As a vast array of claps erupt in the small, neighborhood store, we pull away awkwardly. Conner bows jokingly and smiles towards the crowd. As I watch him, I can't help but chuckle at him. How did I get so lucky to have a friend like him? I decide I don't want to dwell on the past and what could have been if Conner never moved. Instead, I want to enjoy the moments I have with my best friend before he goes back home.

"Come on!" I take a hold of his arm and pull him toward the back of the store, leaving our audience to gawk at us and carry on with their shopping. He shuffles behind me and after going up and down about ten isles, I finally reach the one I am looking for. Recognition flickers Conner his eyes as I make my way over to the shelf, leaving him just a few feet behind me. This is a farfetched idea, but I was desperate to see if it is still here. As I approach the small section of baseballs,–I'm not sure why we chose baseballs of all things–I gently slide my hand against the bottom side of one of the shelves.

I pivot around and sigh. He pouts and half asks half states, "It's not there?" I step away from the shelf, feeling crestfallen. How can I expect it to still be here? We were like eight when we put it here. "Let me see..." Conner walks over to where I had just been and gropes around for the object we are looking for. He skims around the bottom of the shelf a few times until his hand rests upon something. With a brisk jerk, he peels the small piece of paper off the surface and turns to face me.

"Are you kidding me? How..." I trail off, bewildered at how I had missed the sheet.

He smirks and unfolds the paper, "I have the magic touch, obviously."