Everything Is Alright
Together We'll Ring In the New Year
Justin's POV
“Come on, Justin,” she was saying. “We’re going to be late.” I didn’t want to go. I wasn’t feeling very social at the moment, believe it or not.
“I don’t want to go,” I told her for the 50th time today. I sighed.
Why won’t she listen to me?
“Nicole and Tony will be depressed if you don’t…” she said, trailing off.
“I…I don’t feel good,” I said stubbornly.
“Liar.” She called me on it.
“Betty…” I complained.
I sat on Tony and Nicole’s couch a few hours later, feeling completely ignored. But most of all bored. Why did I come here? I hadn’t expected it to be anyone else besides the guys, Nicole and Betty, maybe Matt’s girlfriend, too. I wouldn’t have minded only them. But the rest of these people all suck. I’d rather be home feeling violent. Or lonely. Whatever. I suddenly saw Betty walking past as the doorbell rang again.
“Betty,” I said, trying to get her attention.
“Hold on,” she said, barely glancing at me and continuing to the door. I turned to watch and wait. Didn’t my words have any meaning anymore? I could try to find that out later. I watched as some guy walked in. Another person I didn’t know. So I was confused when she smiled and kissed him on the lips. I stood up. I didn’t know what was going on anymore. I walked over to them as they pulled away.
“Betty?” I said, silently asking her for an explanation with my eyes.
“Justin, I wanted you meet my boyfriend,” she said, beaming. The guy held out his hand. I stared at it.
“Nice to meet you,” he said. I glanced at her before taking his hand. She was looking at me curiously. Was this why she didn’t have any time for me? I gave them a fake smile, though.
I still had that fake veneer plastered on my face five minutes later.
“What are you smiling about?” Jesse asked me quizzically, joining me at the appetizer table Nicole had set up. I quickly wiped the fake look off my face.
“Nothing.” We sat on the couch. “Just met Betty’s boyfriend,” I said randomly.
“You too?” he asked. “What’s with the ring?” he asked, taking a sip of beer. Which reminded me that I was too bored to even drink today. That was one good thing, wasn’t it?
Wait a second.
“What ring?” I asked, snapping out of my thoughts.
“Heads up,” he said, as she approached us. Sure enough, there was a ring around her finger. Uh oh. That meant damage control for me. I remembered her telling me she rocks too fast for love. Neither of us are good at relationships, really. Jesse walked away, leaving me alone with her. She sat next to me on the couch.
“Getting married, Betty?” I asked casually, motioning to her left hand, hoping her answer would be what I was looking for.
“What?” she asked, confused. “Oh. No. It’s just a ring Keith gave me,” she said, shrugging indifferently. Was that his name? I couldn’t remember.
“Oh. Good,” I said. It slipped out.
“Good?” she repeated.
“Uh…I accidentally said that,” I said sheepishly. She smiled. “So you really like him?” I asked, glancing at her. She was playing around with that ring on her finger.
“Yeah. I do,” she said, kind of quietly. Those words stung. They told me that it was too late. That it was my last chance for changing lanes. The train left the station and I missed it by a mile. Or whatever other stupid metaphors I could come up with. I should have said how I felt long before tour. But it was too late. I stood up suddenly.
“Where are you going?” she asked quizzically.
“Uh…bathroom,” I lied, walking away quickly. I ran into Josh.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I lied again. “I need a drink,” I added, under my breath. I decided to find a spot where no one would bother me. I went into the room that was mostly empty, what I assumed was Tony and Nicole’s guest room, and closed the door behind me. I laid down on the sheetless mattress and looked at my watch. 10:19. Would it even be worth it to wake up at for the countdown if I fell asleep? No one would miss me or notice I was gone; not until later, anyway. If they were sober enough, that is. And Betty seemed preoccupied. Besides, it’s not like I had anyone waiting to kiss me at midnight.
I closed my eyes, hoping to forget the world for a while.
“Come on, Justin,” she was saying. “We’re going to be late.” I didn’t want to go. I wasn’t feeling very social at the moment, believe it or not.
“I don’t want to go,” I told her for the 50th time today. I sighed.
Why won’t she listen to me?
“Nicole and Tony will be depressed if you don’t…” she said, trailing off.
“I…I don’t feel good,” I said stubbornly.
“Liar.” She called me on it.
“Betty…” I complained.
I sat on Tony and Nicole’s couch a few hours later, feeling completely ignored. But most of all bored. Why did I come here? I hadn’t expected it to be anyone else besides the guys, Nicole and Betty, maybe Matt’s girlfriend, too. I wouldn’t have minded only them. But the rest of these people all suck. I’d rather be home feeling violent. Or lonely. Whatever. I suddenly saw Betty walking past as the doorbell rang again.
“Betty,” I said, trying to get her attention.
“Hold on,” she said, barely glancing at me and continuing to the door. I turned to watch and wait. Didn’t my words have any meaning anymore? I could try to find that out later. I watched as some guy walked in. Another person I didn’t know. So I was confused when she smiled and kissed him on the lips. I stood up. I didn’t know what was going on anymore. I walked over to them as they pulled away.
“Betty?” I said, silently asking her for an explanation with my eyes.
“Justin, I wanted you meet my boyfriend,” she said, beaming. The guy held out his hand. I stared at it.
“Nice to meet you,” he said. I glanced at her before taking his hand. She was looking at me curiously. Was this why she didn’t have any time for me? I gave them a fake smile, though.
I still had that fake veneer plastered on my face five minutes later.
“What are you smiling about?” Jesse asked me quizzically, joining me at the appetizer table Nicole had set up. I quickly wiped the fake look off my face.
“Nothing.” We sat on the couch. “Just met Betty’s boyfriend,” I said randomly.
“You too?” he asked. “What’s with the ring?” he asked, taking a sip of beer. Which reminded me that I was too bored to even drink today. That was one good thing, wasn’t it?
Wait a second.
“What ring?” I asked, snapping out of my thoughts.
“Heads up,” he said, as she approached us. Sure enough, there was a ring around her finger. Uh oh. That meant damage control for me. I remembered her telling me she rocks too fast for love. Neither of us are good at relationships, really. Jesse walked away, leaving me alone with her. She sat next to me on the couch.
“Getting married, Betty?” I asked casually, motioning to her left hand, hoping her answer would be what I was looking for.
“What?” she asked, confused. “Oh. No. It’s just a ring Keith gave me,” she said, shrugging indifferently. Was that his name? I couldn’t remember.
“Oh. Good,” I said. It slipped out.
“Good?” she repeated.
“Uh…I accidentally said that,” I said sheepishly. She smiled. “So you really like him?” I asked, glancing at her. She was playing around with that ring on her finger.
“Yeah. I do,” she said, kind of quietly. Those words stung. They told me that it was too late. That it was my last chance for changing lanes. The train left the station and I missed it by a mile. Or whatever other stupid metaphors I could come up with. I should have said how I felt long before tour. But it was too late. I stood up suddenly.
“Where are you going?” she asked quizzically.
“Uh…bathroom,” I lied, walking away quickly. I ran into Josh.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I lied again. “I need a drink,” I added, under my breath. I decided to find a spot where no one would bother me. I went into the room that was mostly empty, what I assumed was Tony and Nicole’s guest room, and closed the door behind me. I laid down on the sheetless mattress and looked at my watch. 10:19. Would it even be worth it to wake up at for the countdown if I fell asleep? No one would miss me or notice I was gone; not until later, anyway. If they were sober enough, that is. And Betty seemed preoccupied. Besides, it’s not like I had anyone waiting to kiss me at midnight.
I closed my eyes, hoping to forget the world for a while.