more than friends? || c.f.

chapter thirty five - the moon and the stars

December 31st 2022 - New Year's Eve
I was at a party with my best friends. Serena, Kathy, Ginny, Joanne and Stephanie were all there. Some of the other cheerleader girls attended the party, too. We got invited by some of the football guys.

Steven, Spike and Justin had also been invited. I was having a lot of fun, but I missed Conrad very much. After the Christmas night at the beach house it was even worse.

Some guy presented his breakdance moves in the middle of the room. We all stood around him and Serena cheered the loudest of them all. They even held eye contact every now and then.

As the guy was done with his moves, he went over to my best friend to talk to her. The couple quickly went over to the drinks table. She winked as they passed me, enjoying her little main character moment. I chuckled and turned to talk to the other girls.

„Yooo, Lia!", someone called from behind me. „You're next", Steven said and gave me the tube that was attached to a funnel. „Holy shit, no", I refused. „Come on, just this one", he begged.

I gave in, so Steven went up to stand on the couch, while the Heads Will Roll - A Trak Remix started playing. I felt like I was in some trashy movie where the party was about to escalate.

Eventually I took the hose into my mouth and the boy poured beer into the funnel. Drinking like that was pretty easy, I downed that beer in less than ten seconds.

A few people around me cheered. Suddenly some football player lifted me up to celebrate. I giggled, but rather out of shock than out of joy. As he put me back down he looked into my eyes. „I'd like to find out what else that pretty mouth of yours can swallow", he said with a smirk.

That was shocking. I looked at the guy in a disgusted way and pushed him. „Back off, jerk", I scolded and strutted away. On my way out I saw Serena heavily snogging with breakdance guy in a corner, but I walked straight past them.

Luckily there were only a few people outside in the front yard. It was pretty cold, so most of the guests were in the house. Some guys on the street were trying to light fireworks already and in the corner of the yard was a couple making out. On the other side of the garden were two girls, one of them threw up in the bushes.

I sat down on the little bench that was on the side porch, where I was completely alone. I started crying, because I couldn't spend this night with my boyfriend.

Then I pulled out my phone and decided to text Conrad. It was 11:47 already, so the new year wasn't too far away anymore. „Hope you're enjoying your party", I texted him.

Suddenly the boy called me on Facetime. Without hesitation I picked up the call. „Conrad?" „Millie." „Why are you calling?", I asked. „I wanted to hear your voice", he replied.

That made me blush. „You look beautiful", he said. „I look wasted", I corrected him. We both chuckled. „I wish you were here", Conrad told me. „Yeah, me, too."

We chatted about our parties, when all of a sudden a few people ran outside. I risked a look around the corner and saw them trying to light fireworks.

„It's 11:58 already", I realised. „You should go back to your friends", I offered the boy, but he shook his head. „I'd rather stay with you. Gotta start the year together, right?", Conrad answered. My stomach started to tingle and I couldn't hold back my smile.

In both our backgrounds people started the countdown. I participated quietly, which made the boy smile. „I love you, Millie", he said as everyone started cheering, yelling happy new year and fireworks were fired into the sky. „I love you, too, Conrad."