Remember Me

31

It's New Years Eve, and of course, we're going to Stacey and Jordan's. Parker joins all of us.

I refuse to drink an ounce of alcohol.

We show up late at night, and we jam out to music and play house tag again. I'm having an amazing time, until Dylan yells, "Spin the bottle!"

Everyone has had something to drink except for me and Reece, so everybody seems to be okay with this idea. I know I won't do anything if I get spinned on, so I agree.

We get in a circle, and I notice Reece looking aggravated as he attempts to get a seat directly in front of me. Good. I don't want Hess getting any ideas.

Not to be petty.

Eli places the bottle on the floor and immediately spins it.

The first people to kiss: Dylan and Stacey. I can't help it, I laugh my ass off.

Dylan laughs and shimmies towards her, her doing the same. They reach across the circle, and before I know it, their lips are connected. My mouth drops and I can barely breathe, I'm laughing so hard.

They disconnect and Dylan takes a bow. "Thank you, thank you."

"Who would like to spin this time?" Stacey grins.

Hess excitedly spins the bottle, and it moves over about a foot, making the angles all messed up, and anyone could be the victim.

It slows to a stop and I see the tip land directly on me. My eyes shoot up and meets the eyes of who I have to kiss.

Oh, it's just Stacey.

She's already coming towards me, obviously a bit tipsy, with a huge smile on her face. "Come to mama!"

Then, her lips are on mine, and they don't disconnect for a whole seven seconds.

When she finally disconnects, I just sit there with my eyes halfway out of my head, my mouth slightly open as I stare at her.

I literally just made out with Stacey in front of everyone.

And I'm sober!

Everyone is dead silent, and I turn to look at Reece. His face is unreadable, but he definitely looks shocked. We make eye contact and I look away very quickly, my face heating up. To break the awkwardness, I bend forward and spin the bottle. We all patiently wait for it to stop.

It stops, and I look at who it landed on.

Oh, fuck.

Reece and Hess.

Before anyone can even react, Hess is practically on top of Reece, making out with him.

Reece grips her shoulders and pulls her away from him, looking at her with a stern face. "That's enough."

I clamp my mouth shut and clutch the carpet on the floor to prevent myself from attacking Hess right then and there.

I can't believe she approached him like that.

Hess turns around and grins, right at me. I thought we were good? What the fuck happened? Was she possessed by a demon within the last forty hours?

I stare with lasers at her and try my best to keep myself under control.

I know Reece didn't want any part of it, but Hess makes me angry.

Parker quickly reaches into the middle and spins the bottle again.

I see it land on me again, and I have to force my eyes to look and see who it landed on.

Jordan.

"This is gonna feel so wrong," I say out loud.

Me and Jordan slowly lean in and peck each other on the lips, then wiping them off afterward with the backs of our hands.

The next few times went: Hess and Hunter, Dylan and Parker, Hess and Stacey, and as soon as the bottle went in the direction of Stacey and Jordan, Stacey picked it up and threw it away.

By the time it's almost midnight, everybody's tired. Surprise surprise, the drinkers get tired. So, I get Stacey's dad and he sets up chairs for us in their huge backyard around the fire pit as he gets the fireworks ready.

I've never seen fireworks.

The girls are on one side, all cuddled in huge blankets, and the same with the boys. Except, Dylan is on our side. As I lay between Dylan and Stacey, I say, "Are fireworks scary?"

A few people groan. "You've never seen fireworks?" Hunter asks.

I shake my head 'no.'

Dylan snickers. "You're in for a real treat. Just don't think they're guns."

I scrunch my face up. "They're not that loud, right?"

They all laugh at me, and I'm left feeling like an anxious idiot.

I check my phone. 11:55. It barely even feels like we're entering a new year, especially in five minutes. I look across the fire to Reece. He's on his phone with Hunter, Jordan, Eli, and Parker all half asleep on top of him. I smile, and just as I do, his eyes move to mine, and for some reason, I get flustered. I feel like I'm always looking at him, and somehow he always catches me. Does he have a sixth sense?

He sends me a soft smirk and before my heart can beat out of my chest, I hear a slight sizzling from a few feet away, where Mr. Bryan is lighting the fireworks.

Then, he backs away and they go off. 

I have never been more terrified in my life.

The sound was loud enough for me to yell my ass off. Everyone looks up, and we wait for the boom.

The firework explodes in the sky and my breath is literally taken away.

"That's cool as shit," I say.

Everyone laughs and I smile. We all stand up and get a bit further away to ensure our safety. We stand in a line and look up, and suddenly Mr. Bryan blows a freaking air horn. "Happy New Years!"

I laugh and enjoy the moment.

But, I'm Ivy. I can't just simply enjoy a moment.

I see a spark flying towards me, and all at once, the left side of my jeans catch on fire.

"Oh, shit!" I scream, running away from the group and waving my leg around. "Fuck! What do I do?!"

Reece, Hunter and Jordan rip off their shirts in sync, running towards me and swatting my leg with their shirts while I scream and wave my leg around.

"Stop moving your leg," Reece yells over my frantic screams.

"It's gonna burn off!"

"No it's not!"

"It might," Hunter laughs.

My eyes go wide and my breathing shallows. One more look at my leg on fire, and my eyes roll to the back of my head, and I'm unconscious.