New Boy (A Javid Story)

The Ball Drop

Crutchie, Jack, and Katherine were freezing as they stood in Times Square, all holding hands. Jack was in the middle with Crutchie on his left and Katherine on his right. Despite the cold, all three had grins on their face as they anticipated the new year. Medda stood next to Katherine, talking to one of her friends that neither Jack nor Crutchie recognized. As the countdown started behind them, Jack gripped Katherine's hand even tighter. He turned to Crutchie, ruffling the shorter boy's hair a little. "Ya ready?"

"Of course. You?" Crutchie asked, already knowing the answer. 

"I'm never ready for anything." Jack laughed a little at the answer he gave every time someone asked him if he was ready for something. His foster brother rolled his eyes but smiled, looking up at the ball as the countdown started to wind down. 

3...2...1...

"Happy New Year!" The crowd erupted with cheers and Jack pulled Katherine in for a kiss. Crutchie cheered along with the rest of the crowd, hugging Jack once he was done kissing Katherine. 

                                                                                         ***

Elmer, Jojo, and Romeo were gathered in Elmer's living room, eating popcorn as they waited for the ball to drop. 

"Look! There's Jack and Crutchie!" Jojo pointed to the screen.

"Where?" Romeo asked, scanning the screen. 

"Hey guys!" Elmer grinned and waved, causing the other two boys to laugh. "What? I warned you guys that would happen." 

"Yeah, El, yeah you did." Romeo laughed, wrapping an arm around Elmer. The three boys stood up as the countdown started, playing a game. 

"Favorite memories of 2018, go." Jojo challenged as the timer hit sixty seconds. 

"The hot sauce incident." Romeo said first. 

"Christmas party." Elmer spoke up. 

"The giant tub of animal crackers." Jojo laughed.

"Our English class." Romeo added. 

"Race fightin' Jack for candy canes." Elmer grinned. 

"Race fightin' Albert for Twizzlers." Jojo remembered. 

"Bein' with you guys." Romeo finished as the count got even louder. 

3...2...1...

"Happy new year!" The three boys yelled, hugging each other before grabbing the pots and pans from Elmer's kitchen and taking them outside, most likely annoying Elmer's neighbors endlessly. 

                                                                                     ***

Race and Albert were on Race's couch, eating out of tubs of Ben and Jerry's. Just because it was new years didn't mean Race wasn't going through a breakup. They watched the countdown, talking about the good things. Mainly the good things that didn't involve Spot. 

"There was the hot sauce incident." Albert brought up, eating another spoonful of ice cream. 

"I thought we agreed never ta speak of the hot sauce incident ever again." Race countered, a small smile on his face. 

"Aw, c'mon. It was funny." Albert laughed. 

"Yeah, it was." Race nodded. "Jack couldn't taste anything for a week." 

"Oh, what about ya Twizzlers?" Albert smirked. 

"Yeah. Stop stealin' em!" Race shoved Albert lightly, causing the other boy to laugh. 

"That all you got?" He challenged. 

"Oh, it's on." Race tackled Albert and the two wrestled on the floor for about five minutes until Race stopped. He couldn't help but remember the night he spent wrestling with Spot by the pond, and all of a sudden he didn't want to wrestle anymore. He climbed off of Albert, resuming his position on the couch. 

"Race? What's wrong?" Albert asked, sitting up next to him. 

"Nothin'." Race shook his head. 

"Racetrack Higgins. Something is wrong, I'm not blind y'know." Albert rolled his eyes. 

"It's nothin'." Race shook his head again. "I just...I miss Spot." 

"I know ya do, Racer. But if he was dumb enough to break up with you, if he thinks you ain't amazin', then it's his loss." Albert wrapped an arm around Race. 

"You really think so?" Race smiled a little. 

"I know so." Albert nodded, refocusing on the TV. 

"Thanks, Al." The blonde nodded. "Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you." 

"You'd probably be in jail somewhere." Albert laughed a little. 

"Yeah, probably." Race nodded, looking at the TV. Race was practically sitting in Albert's lap, and the closeness was driving Albert insane. The pair stood up as the countdown started, and Albert still had an arm around Race. He looked at him a little. Race's curly blonde hair looked soft in the light of the TV, and there was a smile on his face, even though he was going through a breakup. It took all of Albert's strength not to confess everything right then and there. The excitement in Race's eyes as the countdown started to finish made Albert smile, and he refocused on the TV as the countdown ended. 

3...2...1...

"Happy New Year!" Race yelled, grinning as he turned to face Albert. "Happy new year, Al." He noticed his friend seemed lost in thought. "Al?" He checked again. 

And, without thinking, Albert kissed him. 

It took both boys a minute to figure out what was going on. Race hesitated for a moment before pushing Albert away. When he saw the fear and shock in the other boy's eyes, he knew that had been the wrong choice. "Al..." He started, but he didn't get to finish. 

"No, save it." Albert shook his head, walking away. "I'm goin' home." He mumbled, grabbing his tub of ice cream. 

"No, Albert, wait." Race protested. 

"Bye, Race." Albert walked out of the apartment, leaving Race standing in front of the TV once again, full of confusion. 

                                                                                     ***

Davey Jacobs was surrounded by his family as they watched Times Square on their television. He had his younger brother, Les, on one side of him and Sarah on the other, with their parents on either end of them. He was holding Les's hand, a grin on his face as he watched the numbers on the screen tick down. 

He didn't have a new year's kiss this year, not that he had ever had one before, but that Davey was okay with that. As much as he wished Jack was kissing him that night instead of Katherine, Davey was perfectly happy with being with his family instead of with Jack. 

Davey put his brother up on his shoulders as the countdown reached ten, and he grabbed his sister's hand. 

3...2...1...

"Happy new year!" The Jacobs family yelled, and Les blew a noisemaker right in Davey's ear. 

"Happy new year, David." Sarah smiled. 

"Happy new year, Sarah." Davey nodded.

"Happy new year!" Les yelled again, falling back so that Davey's hands on his legs were the only things keeping him from hitting the ground. 

"Ah! Les!" Davey complained, pulling his brother back into a proper position. For Davey, it had been a pretty good new year. And he couldn't wait for what 2019 would bring. 

(Woah, three chapters in two days?? Weird.)