》New Years

The aftermath

January 2018

After having a quick breakfast, I had a quick shower and slipped into some comfy clothes before assessing the mess left around my house. I sighed and grabbed a large garbage bag and started to clean up discarded cups and tattered decorations from around my apartment, not realising when Cath let herself in, startling me when she appeared.
"Shit, sorry I should have said something," she apologised.
"Don't worry, I knew you were coming soon I was just in a world of my own" I say, turning to give her a hug.
We both resumed cleaning up, returning furniture and making everything neat.
"Oh yeah I forgot to mention, that guy from last night, his name is Jackson." Cath said, causing me to instantly freeze on the spot. "You alright Stella?"
"Yeah I'm fine, I just found a phone number with his name next to it earlier, should I text him?"
"Dude!! Of course you should, you guys really hit it off! Besides like I said, new beginnings, you could begin something new." She winked and walked into the kitchen while I pulled the paper with his phone number out of my pocket, what if he didn't leave it for me to find?
I pulled my phone out and stared at the keyboard, doubt filling my mind as I typed out a message and reread it over and over.
*Hey Jackson, this is Stella from New Years, I was wondering if you'd like to hang out some time*
My doubt swam around my mind but was soon pushed out by Cath's words, 'begin something new'.

I hit send.

Cath was sitting on the kitchen floor with a plate of sandwiches, a strange habit we had. After a few minutes of chit chat, there was a knock on my door, and then someone screaming my name. It was Mark, announcing his arrival to the whole building as usual. I opened the door and he joined us on the floor with our sandwiches and thought about the past year, telling stories and recalling memories. I pulled myself off the floor and stretched, before picking up the plate and washing it. Cath went and laid on the couch while Mark jumped up on the bench beside me.
"So what do you think about Jackson?" Mark mumbled quietly to me, not taking his gaze off of the floor below him.
"I'm not sure Mark, I don't remember too much about him, but I'd like to get to know him."
Marks face lit up and a broad smile grew across his face.
"Did you find his number? He left it for you because he wanted to get to know you before school starts"
"Oh is he coming to our school this year?" I asked, checking my phone for messages but there was none. Mark nodded and changed the subject, rambling on about his junior dance class that he had to teach and how they were absolute terrors.