The Tragic Truth
Lights
New Year’s Eve night. It was about an hour until everyone was going to get to the apartment. I sat on my bed, holding Kae’s Christmas present in my hand. I had gotten him a small mp3 player and loaded all of his favorite songs onto it. He didn’t have one yet; he had been trying to put up with a crappy CD player. As I sat there I wondered if he actually got me anything…Of course he did. Don’t think that.
Dannii was downstairs setting up drinks and everything else. I told her to make me stay away from the alcohol tonight; I did not want to start turning out like my Mom.
The buzzer for our apartment rang. I walked over to the door and let who ever it was in. It turned out to be Collin.
“Wow…you’re early. Well…you wanna help set up?” I said calmly. He looked at me in a sort of serious way.
“Come here for a minute…I wanna talk to you about something.” He looked back at Dannii and then proceeded to lead me into my own room.
“What is it?” I asked in a harsh whisper. I didn’t even know what I was whispering about. He smiled.
“Okay…well…here’s the thing. I came early so I could help you set up and stuff, yea. But I also wanted to ask you a favor.” He was being so cryptic, and it was driving me nuts!
“Oh dear lord man, out with it!” I physically pushed him ever so slightly.
“Will you hook me up with Dannii?” He asked quickly. I tried to hold back laughter and pretended I didn’t hear the question.
“What?” I said, almost letting out a snicker.
“Will you. Hook me up. With Dannii.” He said slowly, turning every three words into a sentence. I had finally stopped trying to laugh at him.
“Why?” I asked. He looked at me like I was stupid.
“Umm…hmm. Let’s think…she’s hot? I wanna go out with her!” He pleaded. I smiled, saying, “Okay, okay, I’ll see what I can do. But don’t blow it at the party. Just…talk to her a little. That’s all. Break the ice.” He nodded and we walked out of my room. Walking out, he was smiling so big he would’ve blown up New York with the radiation coming from his mouth.
Collin helped us set up until finally, everything was done. We only had to wait around watching TV for about five minutes before Derek and Zoe arrived. Right before we closed the door, Neill walked in and immediately went over to hug Dannii. I think he had a thing for her, too. After we put some music on, it was about 8:00 and we were already having a good time. Nicole, Aiden, and Holden arrived at about the same time. The only people missing were Clover and Kae.
Drake was getting to know people better. Right away he hit it off with most of the band members. Go figure. He was part of a band himself called The Minority.
It was around 10:30, and Clover and Kae still hadn’t shown up. I had been holding Kae’s present in my hands the whole time. I was getting really worried, wondering if maybe Kae decided he didn’t want to work things out. Maybe he had backed down and just stayed at Clover’s house.
Collin and Neill were practically fighting over Dannii. But they didn’t let her know that. I was surprised. They both played it really smooth. Although, by the time it was 11:30, I could tell she was really infatuated by Collin. If only they’d have met a long time ago…
At 11:55, I was about ready to burst out into tears. I knew that Kae probably didn’t want to work anything out. Stupid, stupid, Skye. But just as I was about to go lock myself in my room, Kae and Clover strode into the apartment. Dannii went over and welcomed them.
“Five minutes to midnight…how smooth.” She smiled. Right away, Kae looked around the room. “Where’s Skye?” he asked in a hurry. He didn’t bother getting an answer from her; he had already spotted me.
He took my hand and led me out to the balcony [we had to climb through the window…but we did it all the time]. You could see everything from the balcony. The city lights were always beautiful from up there. And if you looked hard enough, you could see the big ball in Time Square that would drop in five minutes.
“Listen…I’m really sorry about everything a couple nights before, and I wanted to give you your present that I never got to give, and I jus-” He cut me off by putting his index finger to my lips. I raised my eyebrows as I held up the mp3 player; it was wrapped in a little box. A peace offering, perhaps? He took it and set it on the ledge.
“I’m sorry too. Maybe I over-reacted. Maybe not. But you were drunk last night, and I think that gives you a little leeway when it comes to being stupid. Just don’t do it again. I missed you. Okay?” He smiled, as did I.
I motioned toward his present, “Well…open it!” I said quietly, but with intensity. He took it into his hands, carefully untying the bow so as not to rip it. He took off the lid and smiled again. “Thanks,” he said quietly. He put the mp3 player back in the box and placed it on the other ledge, the one right next to the window.
“I left your present inside with Clover,” he stated. We both leaned in and kissed. I tilted my head sideways, and pressed up against him. Suddenly, we heard screaming from almost across the city, saying, “THREE, TWO, ONE, HAPPY NEW YEARS!!” We looked through the window to our apartment, only to see everyone trying to score a New Year’s kiss. I hugged him, pressing my head against his firm chest.
“You’re my New Year’s resolution,” I whispered.
Dannii was downstairs setting up drinks and everything else. I told her to make me stay away from the alcohol tonight; I did not want to start turning out like my Mom.
The buzzer for our apartment rang. I walked over to the door and let who ever it was in. It turned out to be Collin.
“Wow…you’re early. Well…you wanna help set up?” I said calmly. He looked at me in a sort of serious way.
“Come here for a minute…I wanna talk to you about something.” He looked back at Dannii and then proceeded to lead me into my own room.
“What is it?” I asked in a harsh whisper. I didn’t even know what I was whispering about. He smiled.
“Okay…well…here’s the thing. I came early so I could help you set up and stuff, yea. But I also wanted to ask you a favor.” He was being so cryptic, and it was driving me nuts!
“Oh dear lord man, out with it!” I physically pushed him ever so slightly.
“Will you hook me up with Dannii?” He asked quickly. I tried to hold back laughter and pretended I didn’t hear the question.
“What?” I said, almost letting out a snicker.
“Will you. Hook me up. With Dannii.” He said slowly, turning every three words into a sentence. I had finally stopped trying to laugh at him.
“Why?” I asked. He looked at me like I was stupid.
“Umm…hmm. Let’s think…she’s hot? I wanna go out with her!” He pleaded. I smiled, saying, “Okay, okay, I’ll see what I can do. But don’t blow it at the party. Just…talk to her a little. That’s all. Break the ice.” He nodded and we walked out of my room. Walking out, he was smiling so big he would’ve blown up New York with the radiation coming from his mouth.
Collin helped us set up until finally, everything was done. We only had to wait around watching TV for about five minutes before Derek and Zoe arrived. Right before we closed the door, Neill walked in and immediately went over to hug Dannii. I think he had a thing for her, too. After we put some music on, it was about 8:00 and we were already having a good time. Nicole, Aiden, and Holden arrived at about the same time. The only people missing were Clover and Kae.
Drake was getting to know people better. Right away he hit it off with most of the band members. Go figure. He was part of a band himself called The Minority.
It was around 10:30, and Clover and Kae still hadn’t shown up. I had been holding Kae’s present in my hands the whole time. I was getting really worried, wondering if maybe Kae decided he didn’t want to work things out. Maybe he had backed down and just stayed at Clover’s house.
Collin and Neill were practically fighting over Dannii. But they didn’t let her know that. I was surprised. They both played it really smooth. Although, by the time it was 11:30, I could tell she was really infatuated by Collin. If only they’d have met a long time ago…
At 11:55, I was about ready to burst out into tears. I knew that Kae probably didn’t want to work anything out. Stupid, stupid, Skye. But just as I was about to go lock myself in my room, Kae and Clover strode into the apartment. Dannii went over and welcomed them.
“Five minutes to midnight…how smooth.” She smiled. Right away, Kae looked around the room. “Where’s Skye?” he asked in a hurry. He didn’t bother getting an answer from her; he had already spotted me.
He took my hand and led me out to the balcony [we had to climb through the window…but we did it all the time]. You could see everything from the balcony. The city lights were always beautiful from up there. And if you looked hard enough, you could see the big ball in Time Square that would drop in five minutes.
“Listen…I’m really sorry about everything a couple nights before, and I wanted to give you your present that I never got to give, and I jus-” He cut me off by putting his index finger to my lips. I raised my eyebrows as I held up the mp3 player; it was wrapped in a little box. A peace offering, perhaps? He took it and set it on the ledge.
“I’m sorry too. Maybe I over-reacted. Maybe not. But you were drunk last night, and I think that gives you a little leeway when it comes to being stupid. Just don’t do it again. I missed you. Okay?” He smiled, as did I.
I motioned toward his present, “Well…open it!” I said quietly, but with intensity. He took it into his hands, carefully untying the bow so as not to rip it. He took off the lid and smiled again. “Thanks,” he said quietly. He put the mp3 player back in the box and placed it on the other ledge, the one right next to the window.
“I left your present inside with Clover,” he stated. We both leaned in and kissed. I tilted my head sideways, and pressed up against him. Suddenly, we heard screaming from almost across the city, saying, “THREE, TWO, ONE, HAPPY NEW YEARS!!” We looked through the window to our apartment, only to see everyone trying to score a New Year’s kiss. I hugged him, pressing my head against his firm chest.
“You’re my New Year’s resolution,” I whispered.