"Hey buddy!" a grinning Greg greeted me at his front door.
"Long time, no see!" I chuckled, holding out an LCBO bag.
"What's in here?" he asked, taking the bag.
"Well, since it's New Year's, I figured we should celebrate in style," I grinned, watching as he opened the bag and peered inside.
His eyes widened. "There's champagne and wine in here!" he exclaimed. "Three bottles!" I nodded, laughing at his reaction. "How much did all this cost?"
"Don't worry about that," I waved a hand to signify it was nothing, but started laughing again as he began rummaging through the bag. "Do you really think I'd leave the receipts in there?" I said, grinning.
He mock scowled at me and led the way down the hall. "I forgot how well you know me," he said.
"So is the party gonna stay in your basement?" I asked, following him downstairs.
Greg nodded. "Well, that's the plan. But I'm sure once we get everyone here the rec room will simply be too full for forty or fifty people."
"Forty or fifty people?" I repeated, stopping dead, unsure I had heard right. "Did you invite everyone in our year?"
He laughed. "No, some of them are people I met from my program at Nip, but most of the people coming tonight are from high school. In fact, some of them are already here!" He led the way into the rec room, where I noticed eight or nine people sitting at a table, playing cards, drinking and watching the TV in the corner, where Canada was playing the US in hockey. I immediately recognized most of them: Adam, Greg's brother Eric, Madelyn, Sarah, Katie, Meghan, Ian and Jeremy. All of them were in my year at high school, and while I didn't know them too well, I had been on decent terms with them. The only person unfamiliar to me was at one end of the table, seated in an armchair. However, I heard one of the others address him as Earl.
"Hey guys, check out who's arrived!" Greg announced loudly. They all turned around and then, much to my surprise, jumped up with excitement all over their faces.
"AKASH!" they yelled, rushing over towards me.
"Did you tell them to do that?!" I muttered quietly towards Greg as I instinctively backed away a few steps.
He burst out laughing. "No man, of course not! What makes you think that?" I wanted to reply and tell him that my question was based on the fact that I had rarely received such a reaction from anyone before, but I wasn't able to say another word as I was dragged away by the others, who were all talking at the same time, asking how I was, what I'd been up to, and just talking to me in general. I was so stunned I couldn't process anything anyone was saying; fortunately Greg came to my rescue.
"Let the man breathe, guys!" he chuckled, getting a beer bottle each for himself and me. "Akash brought champagne and wine, but we'll use that to celebrate closer to midnight." The others murmured assent and nodded approvingly at the mention of the alcohol I brought. Greg introduced me to Earl, who turned out to be someone in Greg's nursing program at Nip.
"So Akash, you ready to get wasted tonight and have the worst hangover tomorrow?" Meghan asked with a wink.
"You can try getting me drunk," I smiled back, "but I'm willing to bet you I'll have no hangover tomorrow morning no matter how much you try!"
"That," said Earl, "sounds like a challenge! Akash, get ready for the wildest night you've had!" The others around the table shouted their approval; I simply grinned.
