Unforgettable!

XII Top of the world

12.1 Fort

Ton invited us to a NYE party on a rooftop of an abandoned 43-story building in the northern part of the city. First, I hated the idea. It's dangerous and illegal and it's 86 flights of stairs in an unsafe, partly collapsed structure. Moreover, there are going to be people who don't know about Luc, which means Luc will be nervous and shy. But,

"This is going to be awesome! We should wear matching outfits! I've never been to Ton's parties before. It used to be only his and Mark's thing. They got drunk and did all the awesome stupid things without me. Not this year! Because this year, I have my boyfriend to protect me and take care of me. And I deserve it! I passed the fucking exams! Me! I'm awesome. I deserve a party. After all, nobody died on your birthday, right?" Luc gave me his most adorable look and batted his eyelashes. I'm so whipped and weak for this boy. Health and safety be damned.

And that's why I'm now standing on the rooftop, holding a cooler bag in one hand and a takeaway box in another. I'm out of breath and in the most hideous banana suit jacket. The things I do for love.

"Cool," Nam says beside me.

"I need a drink," JK says, breathing heavily. "I need all the drinks."

The place looks cool, indeed. They decorated it with string lights and disco balls. People are already lounging on beanbags and deck chairs. Quiet music is playing in the background. As I set the food and drinks on the table made of a stack of wood pallets, two arms sneak from behind and wrap around my waist, and someone snuggles up against my back. This someone is wearing black gloves and a grey shirt with bananas on it.

"Missed you," Luc says.

I chuckle. "You've seen me this morning."

"Whatever." Luc untangles himself and spins me in his arms to face him. "Nice jacket."

I make a little bow and Luc awards me with a soft lopsided smile. We don't exactly match – my jacket is black while Luc's is grey, only the bright yellow bananas keep us in the same theme. But it's fine. I could wear a full banana costume just to make Luc smile at me like this.

"Suddenly, I feel sick," JK says, grimacing. "Not sure if this is vertigo or the dangerously high level of sweetness in the air."

"Hi, Luc," Nam says. "I know you don't see anything apart from this jerk, but thanks for inviting us anyway."

"Uh, sorry. Yeah. Hi," Luc's ears turn red. He really didn't notice them. Because of me. Adorable. I rub Luc's back to show my support and adoration. "So, booze and food are all here," he gestures at the stack of pallets with bottles and food boxes on them. "If you need a toilet just go downstairs, any corner is at your service. What else? Have fun and don't fall off the roof."

"Charming," Nam deadpans, looking a bit alarmed.

Someone starts playing a guitar and everyone turns their heads to Ton and Mark on a makeshift little stage in the center. Mark is sitting on a chair with the guitar and Ton is holding a microphone. They start singing together. I never heard this song before. It's not bad. The melody is catching, and Ton's voice is quite good.

"Did they write the song?" I whisper to Luc.

Luc nods. "They perform at a bar sometimes. They are good, aren't they?" Surprisingly, yes, they are. It's a song about a couple chasing sunsets around the world, and in the end, the mc realizes that no matter where they are, he never looks at the Sun, because he only has eyes for the person beside him. It's cheesy and the timing is a bit awkward with some lines being too long, but it's nice.

After that, they play a lottery where everyone draws a piece of paper with a prize written on it. JK wins a neck massage from a girl called Wine, Nam gets a temporary tattoo, and I draw a cocktail made by Mark. Luc doesn't take part in this for safety reasons. He dances alone to a slow song with string lights wrapped around his head like a halo.