New Year's Eve

4

New Year's Eve 2006

Age: 16                

"Robert!" I called his attention when I stepped into the function room. It was dimly lit, with only a few disco lights leading the way.

Robert snapped his head away from his dad when he heard his name. Guilt surged through me for interrupting their conversation, but neither of them seemed to mind. He excused himself from the conversation and came hurtling towards me at a lightning pace, with a huge grin on his face.

I barely had any time to react — except to let out a squeal — before Robert wrapped his arms around my waist. He then swung me around in circles. Seeing the world pass by in a blur made me dizzy, but I didn't care. At least I was in Robert's arms.

Unlike I had anticipated, my crush on Robert didn't seem to disappear. In fact, it had intensified by a considerable amount. Which sucked because there was no way he would like me back. There were a couple of occasions where he would glance at me when he thought I wasn't looking. Or when his hand would linger on mine, when he handed something to me. That was when I thought he might reciprocate those feelings for me. But I dashed those thoughts away almost as soon as they arrived. My self-doubt got in the way.

"I've missed you so much!" Robert exclaimed when he finally put me down. "How was your Christmas?"

We were on Christmas break from college — Robert and I got into the same college, so of course, I was a happy bunny. For a change, my parents decided we would spend Christmas with my mum's parents, who lived in Scotland.

Now my parents broke the tradition.

We went to Scotland the evening we broke up from college and I got back home to Manchester, the day before New Year's Eve. Therefore, Robert and I had spent no time together over the holiday, which was awful. It felt like I had lost a limb.

"Cold and long, but otherwise fun!" I chuckled in response to Robert's question. "How was your Christmas?"

"Oh, the same as usual." Robert shrugged. "I got great presents, ate way too much food and Dad got a little too drunk, so yeah, the usual. But I missed you! It was weird not seeing you every day. It didn't feel right only texting and calling you; I wanted to see you in person!"

A small blush crept up on my cheeks as Robert's words sunk in. He had missed me. He actually missed me. And he wasn't afraid of saying it out loud.

"Same," I uttered, with a huge grin on my face.

Robert's hand found its way down to my wrist — which immediately sent a heat flowing through my body — and he winked at me. "Come on, let's have some fun!"

Dissimilar to previous years, Robert and I didn't mess around and get on people's nerves. We had matured past the point of wanting to cause chaos. Sure, we still danced around like idiots; no amount of time would ever change that. But instead of hindering the party games for the children, we helped instead. I know it was difficult to believe, but it was true.

"You and Robert have matured," Mum commented after I had picked up the discarded wrapping paper from the centre of the pass the parcel circle.

I shrugged, attempting nonchalance. "What can I say? College has changed us."

Then I placed the wrapping paper over my head and used it as a scarf as I pranced off in the bin's direction, leaping and twirling as I made my journey.

"I take that last comment back!" Mum called towards me as I left, chuckling as she did so. I laughed at my mum before throwing her a wink over my shoulder.