Not Exactly What it Seems

Tarantula Venum? Really? What kind of name is that? But it didn't matter because it was a pretty cool place, and the fact that the Offspring played there every year was awesome. I was never really able to get into the whole New Years thing, but spending it that way- with great music and my girlfriend- was a pretty okay way to do things.

The Offspring was taking a break for a few minutes so it was the perfect opportunity give my little introduction. I stepped up the mic and started my speech. “Okay, so here’s the deal. I know this pretty awesome guy, his name is Anthony and he just happens to be my cousin. My super overbearing but still lovable and amazing cousin. But anyway, he’s been a little down in the dumps because some stuff happened with his girlfriend Amber.”

I could see the look Anthony was giving me and it took a lot for me to not start cracking up. “Anthony I know what you’re thinking, and no I did not set you up with some random girl. You know this girl and you really, really like her. Trust me on this one. She’s right behind you actually, if you want to see who she is.”

Anthony turned around, looking like he was going to bite the girl’s head off, but instead stopped mid-word to stare at her. She smiled sheepishly at him while all he could do was stare some more. It was kind of cute.

“Now I know you said that you didn’t deserve her or whatever crap you told me, and please don’t hate me for saying that in public, but I decided that you did deserve her. And she agreed with me which is why she is standing there waiting for you to take her back. Turns out she was just as heartbroken as you were. Hard to believe, I know, but-”

“Onyx, shut up!” he yelled. I smirked and stepped away from the microphone in time to witness the sweet little make up kiss. They were seriously the cutest couple ever. End of story.

Frankie and I were reveling in the adorableness that was going on between Anthony and Amber when all of a sudden, she was picked up from behind and spun around. I, of course, knew what was going on so had a huge smile plastered to my face, but Frankie was a little freaked out. Once she realized that it was Matt, though, she squealed and kissed him. I knew that she was missing him and needed time with him, so I talked him into coming to Vermont to see her. And New Years Eve was just a perfect time for every romantic rendezvous.

“Onyx, you little sneak!” Frankie cried. “Here I am complaining about everything to you and you know that my boyfriend is on his way to see me. You-I…I don’t even know what to say to you right now. I can’t decide if I should be happy with you or super mad. How do you continue to do things like this?”

“I’m just that good,” I informed dryly. “Now go spend time with your boyfriend; that’s why he came in the first place. Don’t waste your time being mad at me.”

She needed no further prompting. She and Matt practically ran off into some other part of the venue. Now I’m sure they weren’t only talking back there, but I really did not want to get into the details of that whole situation. Besides, The Offspring had started playing again so I focused on the music.

“You know, you’re quite the little match maker,” Hayden commented. “Do you always do things like this for people? It seems like you are always giving to other people and making sure that they are happy. Don’t you want to be happy yourself?”

“But I am happy,” I lamented. “And I have so much, so many opportunities. There is so much that I can do for other people that I would feel horrible if I was just another apathetic, snobby rich girl. Making other people happy makes me happy. Simple as that.”

“Wow. You really are nothing like anyone I have ever met. And I knew that, I knew that you were completely different. I loved that about you right from the start. But you take being different to a whole new level. You are good, Onyx, and not a lot of people can say that. The unselfishness that you show is completely unbelievable.”

“But I’m not unselfish, I can assure you that much. It’s just that I have too much so I really want to give it away to the people that don’t have as much as I do. I don’t think that that could be considered unselfish.” I tried to read the expression on his face for some insight into his thinking, but I came up empty. He seemed completely sincere and I couldn’t imagine why he would ever think that way. I was one of the most selfish people I knew.

“You really don’t look at yourself at all. You think that you are so selfish because you have nice things. So what if you have nice things? You give it all away anyway so technically you don’t really even have nice things.” I tried to protest, but he stopped me. “No Ny, just listen to me about this okay? You need to gain confidence in yourself, remember?” Without letting me defend myself, he pressed his lips to mine so that I knew he at least had that confidence in me even if I didn’t.