your body is a weapon → brad simpson | ✓

thirty five

"Come on," James pulls me out of the kitchen. He could barely walk in a straight line but that doesn't stop him from pushing through the crowd with ease.

"What are you doing?" I ask. I had barely drank three cups of beer but I still felt buzzed. It was keeping me awake after all.

"It's almost time for the countdown and I don't want you to miss it," he shouts over the loud music. "You've been in the kitchen all night, I thought you'd want to join us all for a drink before the countdown!"

James stops as we reach Connor, Tristan and Brad. In Brad's arm's was another girl with brown hair and tanned skin. She smiles at me and I smile back.

"Pass around the cups then, Tris," James cheers his friend on. Brad whispers something in the girl's ear and she giggles before nodding and walking off.

"One for you," Tristan hands me a cup, missing out Brad who had a bottle of water in his hand. He smiles over at me and I return the gesture.

"Let's all toast to starting the new year together!" James cheers and we all raise our respective drinks in the air, clinking them together as though they're glasses and we're at a fancy dinner or something.

I take a gulp of my drink, scrunching my nose up at the sour taste that scratches at my throat before setting my cup down. Brad is by my side already.

"The countdown is in a couple minutes," Brad says and I nod slowly. People were pairing up for their New Years kiss while I stand against the wall watching like a perv or something. In reality, I've just got no one to share a moment like this with.

"How's your night been?" I ask. I've barely seen him over the course of the night. He's been with different girls, making out with one and then finding another to do the same thing.

"Eventful to say the least," Brad mumbles, slinging his arm over my shoulder and pulling me closer to his side as people begin to cramp up around the lounge for the countdown. "One of the girls wasn't happy I was making out with another girl."

I scrunch my nose up. "I can see why—do you even remember their names?"

"Sometimes," Brad says. "If they're really hot, just my type, funny. So no, I don't."

I let out a small laugh at that and the energy in the room elevates as James stands up on the beer pong table to begin the countdown. Everyone's voices echo the numbers counting down to the zero and my ears ring as the music turns up, too.

"Five! Four!"

People were tugging their partners closer to them. I'm surprised Brad hasn't left to make out with one of the other girls for his New Years kiss.

"Three! Two!"

Everyone was screaming and shouting out as the first of January approaches faster. My head felt like it was spinning as my ears fill up with loud noises and bright lights.

"One!"

People erupt into cheers or pull someone in for a kiss. I feel Brad's hands on my waist and he moves me close to him, one hand moving to my cheek. Is he going to kiss me?!

His lips brush against my lips and I feel my stomach flip. Why? I don't know. My hands were on his biceps, not sure what I'm meant to do.

"Can I kiss—?"

He's interrupted by James jumping onto his back and Brad lets go of me to push James off of him. He didn't look happy and I think I felt a surge of disappointment myself. Why did I feel disappointed that Brad—my best friend—didn't end up kissing me?