People Change
New Year's Eve
“Here’s a shot for you, a shot for you, a shot for you,” Jimmy said cordially as he handed out shot glasses. Brian accepted his without question before looking at the television in Jimmy’s living room showing New York City. The ball was set to drop in five minutes, and it had been a tradition of theirs for everyone to throw back a shot to welcome in the New Year. Brian thought it only welcomed in the New Year with an outrageous hangover on New Year’s Day, but it was well worth it anyway.
“Whoa,” Sydney exclaimed out of nowhere, grabbing Brian’s free arm for balance. Her hand tightened around his biceps for a brief second as she found her balance again before letting go. She smiled drunkenly up at Brian; she hadn’t developed a very good tolerance for alcohol yet. “These blasted heels will be the death of me tonight.”
“You won’t be the only one stumbling tonight, not by a long shot,” Brian replied with a grin of his own, wrapping his arm around Sydney’s shoulders. She leaned against his side, looking over the people sitting on the couch to watch the television.
Sydney and Brian had grown to be great friends ever since their date to the carnival. They’d never gone on another date together, but Brian felt pretty content with just being her friend for now anyway. But over the month or so that they’d been friends, Brian had developed a huge crush on Sydney. Everyone knew it, and Brian knew that Sydney knew it too.
Everyone knew, also, that Sydney had a huge crush on Brian as well. Neither of them seemed willing to make the next move, however. Brian didn’t know Sydney’s reason, but he knew his own: he didn’t want to take it too quickly with Sydney. He didn’t want to have any room to fuck it up like he always tended to do where it concerned Sydney. Sure, he’d done most of the things right with Sydney lately, but he could only be fortunate for so long before he screwed up again. He didn’t want to jeopardize his new friendship with Sydney, so he just stuck to the friend deal.
Meanwhile, Matt and Lanie had, officially, become boyfriend and girlfriend. New Year’s Day would be their one month anniversary, and they were still going strong. Brian looked around to see if he could find the two of them, and couldn’t help but smirk to see them stealthily descending the staircase before blending back into the crowd. Jimmy would stop inviting the two of them to his parties since all they ever seemed to do was have sex in his spare bedroom.
“The countdown’s about to begin,” Sydney announced, pulling Brian out of his thoughts. He focused his sight on the television, as did everyone else gathered in Jimmy’s living room.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two...ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!” All the guests gathered in Jimmy’s living room counted down through the numbers. As the ball dropped in New York to symbolize the beginning of a fresh, new year, everyone threw back their shot glasses before cheering happily. Brian knew he wasn’t the only one who’d been having trouble counting backwards, aloud, while very drunk.
Brian turned his body slightly and wrapped his other arm around Sydney, pulling her into his first hug of the New Year. They pulled away from each other after several moments, and as their eyes met, something clicked inside Brian’s head. He wasn’t sure if the alcohol he recently consumed brought about his decision, or the fervor of the moment, or if he felt like really setting the New Year up right. But whatever the reason, he felt no regrets when he leaned down quickly and rested his lips gently against Sydney’s.
No one seemed to have noticed that they kissed. Their lips separated just as quickly as they pressed together. Sydney grinned brilliantly at Brian before turning and weaving her way through the crowd to hug Jimmy. Brian smiled and raised his hand to his lips, praying that he would remember that kiss in the morning.
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Brian woke up the following morning to the glorious sound of Val screaming a wordless cry. As he slowly became aware of himself, he realized that he had both of his arms wrapped around something very soft and very satiny-feeling. But he also laid on something very hard and uncomfortable, with his legs bent at the knee and hanging off of whatever he’d passed out on.
Along with sensation came pain. His head instantly began to throb, and he instantly realized he wouldn’t get anything done today, that was for sure. Gently, he flicked his eyelids open and took in his surroundings.
He had his arms wrapped around Sydney’s waist: her dress was the satiny fabric he’d felt against his arms. Her arms were crossed over her stomach as she lay slightly on her side beside him, her head resting in the crook of his neck. She, too, was beginning to stir.
Brian looked around to see the reason why Val screamed: on the couch behind the coffee table, she laid next to Jimmy. A quick scan of the room brought to Brian’s attention the fact that Leana and Matt were passed out on the floor between the coffee table and the television stand, uncomfortably close together.
“Huh, you looked a lot like Jimmy when I was drunk,” Leana said groggily, her voice a rough croak.
“Fondling my wife, eh?” Matt exclaimed accusingly, glaring at Jimmy.
“Damn right I am!” Jimmy replied, snaking an arm around Val’s waist and pulling her back against his chest. “What are you going to do about it?”
“If I could feel my legs, I’d stand up, walk on over, and kick my foot so far up your ass you’d have to have surgery to get it taken back out again!” Matt answered.
“You know what?” Zacky snapped, jumping to his feet and grabbing the arm of the chair he’d passed out in for balance. “Fuck this shit!” He strode over and plucked Lacey right out of Johnny’s arms, dragging her back across the room to his chair where he sat back down and pulled Lacey back in his lap. “Try that on for size, short shit!”
“Once you go Christ, you never go back!” Johnny said, standing up and grabbing Gena.
“Well, that only leaves one thing for me to do,” Matt Berry said logically, standing up and walking over to the coffee table. He wrapped an arm around Sydney’s waist and pulled her to her feet, holding tightly onto her waist so she wouldn’t fall over. Brian just shrugged and walked over to Lanie, leaning down, grabbing her wrist, and wrapping her arm across his shoulder to lift her to her feet.
“I don’t have anyone to steal!” Jason complained, holding onto the back of the couch for support.
“You have your right hand, don’t you?” Matt S. asked with a smirk.
“God, I need coffee!” Sydney interrupted, pulling away from Matt B. and walking towards the kitchen.
“Give me my husband back, whore,” Val said to Leana, sliding off of the couch and crawling on all fours over to Matt and Leana.
“Yeah, Lacey, maybe I don’t want to date a guy with a Mohawk,” Gena replied, walking over and pulling Lacey out of Zacky’s lap by her wrist before plopping herself down in the vacated spot.
“It’s more like a no-hawk now,” Lacey said sadly, running her hand over Johnny’s deflated hair.
“Coffee’s on,” Sydney announced, walking back into the living room. As everyone started to get up and stretch, Sydney’s eyes met with Brian’s. Brian remembered the kiss from last night; and judging by the look in Sydney’s eyes, a strange mix of happiness and confusion, she remembered it too.
“Whoa,” Sydney exclaimed out of nowhere, grabbing Brian’s free arm for balance. Her hand tightened around his biceps for a brief second as she found her balance again before letting go. She smiled drunkenly up at Brian; she hadn’t developed a very good tolerance for alcohol yet. “These blasted heels will be the death of me tonight.”
“You won’t be the only one stumbling tonight, not by a long shot,” Brian replied with a grin of his own, wrapping his arm around Sydney’s shoulders. She leaned against his side, looking over the people sitting on the couch to watch the television.
Sydney and Brian had grown to be great friends ever since their date to the carnival. They’d never gone on another date together, but Brian felt pretty content with just being her friend for now anyway. But over the month or so that they’d been friends, Brian had developed a huge crush on Sydney. Everyone knew it, and Brian knew that Sydney knew it too.
Everyone knew, also, that Sydney had a huge crush on Brian as well. Neither of them seemed willing to make the next move, however. Brian didn’t know Sydney’s reason, but he knew his own: he didn’t want to take it too quickly with Sydney. He didn’t want to have any room to fuck it up like he always tended to do where it concerned Sydney. Sure, he’d done most of the things right with Sydney lately, but he could only be fortunate for so long before he screwed up again. He didn’t want to jeopardize his new friendship with Sydney, so he just stuck to the friend deal.
Meanwhile, Matt and Lanie had, officially, become boyfriend and girlfriend. New Year’s Day would be their one month anniversary, and they were still going strong. Brian looked around to see if he could find the two of them, and couldn’t help but smirk to see them stealthily descending the staircase before blending back into the crowd. Jimmy would stop inviting the two of them to his parties since all they ever seemed to do was have sex in his spare bedroom.
“The countdown’s about to begin,” Sydney announced, pulling Brian out of his thoughts. He focused his sight on the television, as did everyone else gathered in Jimmy’s living room.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two...ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!” All the guests gathered in Jimmy’s living room counted down through the numbers. As the ball dropped in New York to symbolize the beginning of a fresh, new year, everyone threw back their shot glasses before cheering happily. Brian knew he wasn’t the only one who’d been having trouble counting backwards, aloud, while very drunk.
Brian turned his body slightly and wrapped his other arm around Sydney, pulling her into his first hug of the New Year. They pulled away from each other after several moments, and as their eyes met, something clicked inside Brian’s head. He wasn’t sure if the alcohol he recently consumed brought about his decision, or the fervor of the moment, or if he felt like really setting the New Year up right. But whatever the reason, he felt no regrets when he leaned down quickly and rested his lips gently against Sydney’s.
No one seemed to have noticed that they kissed. Their lips separated just as quickly as they pressed together. Sydney grinned brilliantly at Brian before turning and weaving her way through the crowd to hug Jimmy. Brian smiled and raised his hand to his lips, praying that he would remember that kiss in the morning.
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Brian woke up the following morning to the glorious sound of Val screaming a wordless cry. As he slowly became aware of himself, he realized that he had both of his arms wrapped around something very soft and very satiny-feeling. But he also laid on something very hard and uncomfortable, with his legs bent at the knee and hanging off of whatever he’d passed out on.
Along with sensation came pain. His head instantly began to throb, and he instantly realized he wouldn’t get anything done today, that was for sure. Gently, he flicked his eyelids open and took in his surroundings.
He had his arms wrapped around Sydney’s waist: her dress was the satiny fabric he’d felt against his arms. Her arms were crossed over her stomach as she lay slightly on her side beside him, her head resting in the crook of his neck. She, too, was beginning to stir.
Brian looked around to see the reason why Val screamed: on the couch behind the coffee table, she laid next to Jimmy. A quick scan of the room brought to Brian’s attention the fact that Leana and Matt were passed out on the floor between the coffee table and the television stand, uncomfortably close together.
“Huh, you looked a lot like Jimmy when I was drunk,” Leana said groggily, her voice a rough croak.
“Fondling my wife, eh?” Matt exclaimed accusingly, glaring at Jimmy.
“Damn right I am!” Jimmy replied, snaking an arm around Val’s waist and pulling her back against his chest. “What are you going to do about it?”
“If I could feel my legs, I’d stand up, walk on over, and kick my foot so far up your ass you’d have to have surgery to get it taken back out again!” Matt answered.
“You know what?” Zacky snapped, jumping to his feet and grabbing the arm of the chair he’d passed out in for balance. “Fuck this shit!” He strode over and plucked Lacey right out of Johnny’s arms, dragging her back across the room to his chair where he sat back down and pulled Lacey back in his lap. “Try that on for size, short shit!”
“Once you go Christ, you never go back!” Johnny said, standing up and grabbing Gena.
“Well, that only leaves one thing for me to do,” Matt Berry said logically, standing up and walking over to the coffee table. He wrapped an arm around Sydney’s waist and pulled her to her feet, holding tightly onto her waist so she wouldn’t fall over. Brian just shrugged and walked over to Lanie, leaning down, grabbing her wrist, and wrapping her arm across his shoulder to lift her to her feet.
“I don’t have anyone to steal!” Jason complained, holding onto the back of the couch for support.
“You have your right hand, don’t you?” Matt S. asked with a smirk.
“God, I need coffee!” Sydney interrupted, pulling away from Matt B. and walking towards the kitchen.
“Give me my husband back, whore,” Val said to Leana, sliding off of the couch and crawling on all fours over to Matt and Leana.
“Yeah, Lacey, maybe I don’t want to date a guy with a Mohawk,” Gena replied, walking over and pulling Lacey out of Zacky’s lap by her wrist before plopping herself down in the vacated spot.
“It’s more like a no-hawk now,” Lacey said sadly, running her hand over Johnny’s deflated hair.
“Coffee’s on,” Sydney announced, walking back into the living room. As everyone started to get up and stretch, Sydney’s eyes met with Brian’s. Brian remembered the kiss from last night; and judging by the look in Sydney’s eyes, a strange mix of happiness and confusion, she remembered it too.