Stealer of Hearts

The house was dim while the end table light lit up the room as well as the television set, the low buzz of people talking on-screen surrounding the air. I laughed and leaned forward on the couch while my Mother came rushing in from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn in her hand. She placed the bowl down on the table and excitedly turned up the volume on the TV.

Dick Clark's voice suddenly met my ears and I listened to him with a smile on my face. My parents gathered around me on the couch and sat back, giving me the popcorn bowl to hold while I sat in the middle. My Father's hand was on my lower back, his calloused fingers rubbing along the skin that was exposed underneath my hoodie.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Clark's low, smooth voice said, "The New Year is coming and the year is ending in just a few minutes. This is an exciting time for many folks, even those who made the trip to New York City." The screen flashed to Times Square in New York City, where people littered the streets and crowded up against barricades. Police offices rode around on horses to get a better view over the top of people's heads and keep an eye on activities. The crystal ball waited on top of its home, waiting to be dropped within a minute.

I wonder what it'd be like to actually watch it from Times Square.

"...excitement is rising here in Times Square; the ball is about to drop, the New Year’s on its way in just a few seconds from now. Keep your eye on the ball and here we go," the reporter in Times Square rushed his words out and my Mother turned up the volume slightly more- anxious to welcome the New Year (and also one of her favorite moments) and to block out most of the noise from the party across the street.

The crystal ball began to move and the digital screen on the building below it began to flash large numbers. We could hear the voices from across the street as they turned the music down and began the countdown, as well as my family. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5..." The ball drew closer and closer to the bottom, glowing and flashing in the dark night. "...4, 3..." The voices began to grow louder, in the neighborhood as well as in New York. "...2, 1..."

"Happy New Year!" My mother exclaimed, jumping off the couch and clapping her hands. I had to laugh at her childish ways and got up, giving her a tight embrace.

"Happy New Year." I turned back towards my Father and gave him a hug as well, returning the phrase. When I let go of him, he went to my Mother and hugged her tightly, placing a kiss on her lips. I smiled at the love they had for each other, still evidently there and strong. It just goes to prove that some marriages can last forever- or, at least over thirty years or so.

Will I ever experience that kind of love?

The fireworks went off, filling the television screen and the Los Angeles night sky. The explosions and crackling were deafeningly loud, but it brought about a happy sensation in the world. We all have made it through another year, and now it's time to start over new, create new goals and do different things. Here came another year, another opportunity to face what fate brings to us. Here comes another year to ponder what's in store for us and a chance to wish that it's better than the year before.

Cheers could be heard echoing down the streets, screaming and yelling as some people went outside their houses to watch the fireworks that were being lit in our very own neighborhood. If there was anything that I love about being at my parents' house, it was the fact that their city allowed them to light their own firework explosives.

I left my parents to their own private world and went out to the front porch. I didn't bother with turning the lights on, and went over to where I knew my Mother's rocking chair was. For some odd reason, she placed it outside, but I didn't mind; it was nice to be able to sit and stare out at the street while being able to rock back and forth.

I sat down and wrapped my scarf tighter around my neck, burying my hands deep into the pockets of my hoodie. It was strange to think how California's winter weather gets colder every year, but it's a nice get-away from the hot weather that seemed to be getting hotter every year as well.

I watched as the sky lit up with various colours and patterns of red, blue, green, purple, and goldish white. I sighed and tilted the rocking chair back, pulling my legs up onto the seat.

Even if the party across the street, overcrowded with people, weren't there to scream in my face that I was alone - relationship wise - through their images and scenes, I couldn't help but let my mind wander off into a far away place - back to where I wish I still was, exactly a year ago.

I guffawed as Brian Haner decided to stick his feet into the cold ocean water in attempts to walk into it ankle deep. He shrieked the moment his toes touched the water and pulled back, running a little ways back up the shore. The beach was crowded with people sitting (or lying) on the sand, as they waited for the show and new year to come.

"Oh my gosh," I laughed and made my way carefully up the shore behind him. It was dark and since the shore was rarely lit up with light, I didn't want to risk falling in a hole, tripping over, or stepping on small sand crabs buried under the stand. "You're so stupid," I told him once I was next to him. "You knew that was gonna happen."

"Shut up." He pushed me to the side and I stumbled, trying my best not to trip over a woman who happened to be lying on the sand next to where we were walking at that moment.

I pushed him back. "Jerk."

He ignored my actions though, and stared dead straight ahead. I raise an eyebrow at the side of his face and a corner of his lips lifted up in a smirk; instantly, I was afraid to ask what he was staring at. "There's Zack." He winked at me and nudged me in the side.

"Ew, stop nudging and winking like that." I moved away from his elbow jabs and glared at him. "And so what if it's Zack?"

He opened his mouth and took in a deep breath, placing a hand on my lower back. "I think you should go over to him." He gave me a little push and my feet shuffled a few paces ahead of him.

I looked back at him. "And where are you gonna do?" I saw him look around for a bit.

He pointed in a direction, towards a group of girls that was standing around in a circle on the street. "I'm gonna go over there." He began to walk away and I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. I scanned the crowd of people walking on the paved street to find where Brian had spotted Zacky. I found him standing in front of a small window, a few seconds before he walked away.

I began to run up the concrete steps that led up to the pavement and ran up to him. I hooked my arm through his as soon as I was close enough. "Hey!" I greeted him happily and he flashed me a smile. I spotted the stick of pink cotton candy that he had just purchased. "Mind if I have some?" I asked him in the best sweet voice I can make and stuck out my bottom lip.

He chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Help yourself."

I squealed and tore off a piece, popping it into my mouth and smiling as the sweetness melted in my mouth. "So, where are we going?" I questioned him as he led us back down to the sand and through the mess of people sitting down.

"Matt found a spot near the pier and he's saving it for us until we get there so that he could go meet up with Val," he told me and I nodded.

We didn't find him until probably five minutes later. It was way too crowded and that didn't help in the fact that the beach stretched out to eight miles long and it was pitch dark. It's hard to focus on a person's face when you can only see them through the lights the illuminated from streets behind them and the moonlight that shone on the ocean.

Matt left as soon as he saw us coming, and we took his spot on the beach towels that he had laid out for all of us. I took a look at my cell phone and saw that it was 11:50, ten minutes until midnight and the new year. "We have ten minutes left," I informed Zacky and his eyebrows rose in amusement.

"Wow, already?" I nodded, answering a question that didn't need to be answered. For some reason, there was nothing else for us to say to each other. In a way, I would've thought we were falling into an awkward silence, surrounded by other people's chatter, up until when he decided to lay down on his back and pulled me down with him.

I rested comfortably on the space between his shoulder and biceps, his arm wrapped around my shoulder. My hand reached up to take a hold of his hand that hung loosely around my right shoulder. I smiled and stared up at the sky, the moon a colour of pure white and the stars sparkling magnificently. I could feel his heartbeat through the flow of his blood and I could see his chest rising up with every intake of breath.

It was comforting in addition to the soft sand below me.

Within a few minutes before midnight, his whole group of friends had arrived along with Tuesday Morning, and gathered around on the circle of towels that Matt had set up. But they were all talking amongst themselves, paying no attention to us as we began to have our own private conversations.

"Just a few more minutes," Zack said beneath me, with a smile that showed he was nervous underneath. I could evidently feel his heartbeat growing faster than it normally was. I nodded and used my elbow to prop myself up, shifting up a bit so that I was still at eye level with him. I laid my head in the palm of my hands and I began to play with his hair, sweeping it out of his face.

He grinned and shifted underneath me, taking my hand and lacing our fingers together on his chest. This was something new, but I couldn't say that I didn't like it.

"So, uhm..." he hesitated and someone off in the distance shouted that we had a minute left before they started the ten seconds countdown. His eyes drifted towards the direction of the voice but then they returned to me. I could feel a gaze on us, but I tried not to pay any attention to it. He chuckled to himself. "I'll just do it now."

I frowned. Was he talking to himself? "Do what?" I asked and he looked down at our hands.

"Ask if you'd like to be my girlfriend," he said softly and I gasped with a smile. Though I wasn't quite sure of exactly what he said, a big part of me had confidence that what I thought I heard was correct.

I nodded. "Of course I'd like to be your girlfriend." He smiled and released my hand, reaching up to put his hand on the back of my head. He pulled me down gently until our lips met in a soft kiss. Soon enough, I heard the chants of the people counting down, before I pulled away in time to see the fireworks begin to be set off in a chain reaction.

It was probably the best New Year's Day I've had by far.

Tour had ended a few weeks ago, and I haven't spoken to him ever since then- not a single word from him. I'm not sure what has happened to our friendship, and I'm not sure if I even want to know, but one thing I know is that I didn't want it to end. Despite all that has happened, I didn't regret what I had with him, and I hope he doesn't either.

My hand involuntarily reached up to my neck, gripping the heart and diamond-covered ring that hung around the necklace that he had given me only a few months ago.

What could I do to mend our friendship?