Pen to paper

New Years Eve

Nicks P.O.V 

I really never gave much thought to 2020. Sure it was a new decade, but it felt just like a birthday. The boring ones at least. Too old to do to the stuff that made the holidays and school fun. But you are also too young to do the stuff that you are now looking forward to. Like getting your driver's license.

These were the thoughts running through my head on New Years Eve of 2019. So there I was, standing there, with a brain that I couldn't convince to get excited about anything.

Bowie was whining next to me. "Nick! You're killing the mood!" He said. His body halfway slumped off one of my kitchen chairs, like a third grader would.

"Oh.. yeah sorry, just got a lot on my mind," I half lied. Half because the new year takes up all and nothing of your thoughts, all at the same time.

A smug smile showed up on Bowie's face.

"What?" I questioned.

"It's nothing." He insisted but the smile did not fade. I knew it was something, this was his 'great idea face'. The last time I had gotten him to admit one of these great ideas, we ended the night in the E.R. So I decided not to push it further.

"Ok fine. If you say it's nothing than I-"

"Stop nagging me, I'll tell you." He interrupted. He must have really thought of this as important. I wonder how many stitches I would get this time around. He continued, "Cora wants to kiss you at midnight tonight," He declared.

"Yeah right! You're just messing with me!" I laughed.

"Dude, I am not joking! Don't you see the way she looks at you?"

I snapped back into focus. Bowie had to be wrong! I mean this was Cora we were talking about. She was my best friend. Through everything. I know I had a lot of people to hang out with. She was the only person I actually enjoyed spending time with. She called me Nicol-ass for heaven sakes. It could never happen. It would never happen. I knew that for a fact. But... maybe in the spirit of new years a quick peck on the cheek wouldn't hurt. It wouldn't hurt because Bowie was wrong. I was 100% sure of that. I focused my attention back to the TV screen. Two minutes left.

"Hey Nick, is anybody else coming? I want some of that New Years kiss action too." Bowie said as he puckered his lips in an over dramatic fashion. I rolled my eyes.

"First of all, none of that action is happening for me. You must have caught her "looking at me" out of context or something. And second, yes our new neighbors from down the street. I think they have a kid our age."

"Fingers crossed," Bowie added.

One minute left. We all crowded together around my small basement TV, that was older than most of the people that I invited. The door upstairs opened, the new neighbors probably. Little late, don't you think?

30 seconds left. We were all getting antsy and rowdy. People were getting ready to bang their pots and throw their confetti. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Must be the new kid. 25 seconds left.

Then, almost as soon as I heard them I saw the person the feet belonged to. She was about our age, shorter than me but not by a lot, and in the dim light of my poorly lit bassment, her hair gave off a reddish sign. She wasn't pretty, she was hot! Almost as she was made for this light that made her look effortlessly glowing. Her smile wasn't so much a smile, eyes showed most of her emotion. Her eyes. The coolest thing about her by far. A lot of these about her were pretty great. But her eyes were a completely different story.

I walked up to her. 10 seconds left. She looked up at me once I got close enough to her. Her expression was confused but also peaceful. 5, 4, 3, 2..... People started grabbing a partner to kiss, and well.. She was the closest person to me. What the heck.

When everybody shouted "One!!!!" my lips had already met hers. A New Years kiss. It was quite nice, I just thought... well I don't know... it might have more of a spark. Almost as if my vision of me and Cora was-

No. I had to stop myself. This was great as it was. I pulled away. After a moment of cheering, the volume in the room quieted, she spoke, "I'm Luna." she said, her voice shaky.

I laughed quietly to myself, "I'm Nicholas"

You know what, maybe 2020 had some potential after all.