FicWad

The girls organized another party for the New Year, wanting partly to celebrate it in style at the house, and partly to cheer Izzy up. She had been ignoring Pete for the constant time he was in the house, which honestly wasn’t very often, as he was out of the house most of the time. They invited all the usual guests to the party, and by 11pm that night the house was packed. The girls sauntered around greeting their guests, the boys (minus Andy who obviously wasn’t drinking, and Pete who still hadn’t turned up,) were using their time to down shots. Patrick stood in the kitchen, hoping that Ali would come through the door and talk to him. Everyone else was in the front room, and Izzy was trying her hardest to get over Pete by flirting with every man in the house. Eventually Ali pulled her to the side and told her not to drink anymore, only to be flipped off and watch Izzy go back to the kitchen to get another drink.

“Fine, don’t listen to me then,” She mumbled, and sighed against the wall. She turned when the front door slammed, signaling either more party guests, or Dirty running outside to pull some sort of drunken prank. She guessed option one, though she did secretly hope it was Dirty pulling a prank, she needed a little entertainment. She witnessed the new guest in the house when she turned and saw Pete, a girl hanging onto his arm. She raised an eyebrow and looked to Pete who just shrugged.

“Hey Ali, hope you don’t mind I brought someone with me.” Ali narrowed her eyes and at him and then glared at the girl who just looked up to Pete.

“I’m going to go get a drink Petey, do you want one?” She asked, and Pete nodded.

“Yeah, nothing too strong though,” She nodded happily and skipped off towards the kitchen. Ali turned to Pete angrily and stared him down.

“What the hell Pete?” She hissed, and Pete looked skeptical.

“There’s nothing wrong with me bringing a date to an open party Ali,” Ali scoffed.

“There is when you broke up with one of my best friends a week ago and bring that date to the party you know she is going to be at,” Pete glared and shrugged again.

“It doesn’t seem like Izzy cares.” He muttered, and motioned behind Ali to where Izzy was back to flirting with the guys at the party. Pete sighed and moved away from Ali before she could say anything, and Ali sighed and the drama of her friends. She rolled her eyes to herself and looked towards the drinks on the table in the room.

“I need a drink,” She muttered.

*


“Don’t tell me that you’re drunk too,” Andy muttered as he walked up to Jenn, her back to him, leaning on a table. She turned around slowly and smiled, a smile that Andy recognized as sober, and he smiled, sighing at the fact he had finally found someone sober to talk to.

“Thank god, I was going insane being the only non-drunk person here,” Jenn laughed and nodded.

“I know, I don’t drink at New Years,” She said, and Andy tilted his head.

“Why not?” He asked, and Jenn shrugged.

“I just don’t, I like to ring in the New Year and remember it,” Andy laughed and motioned to the garden, pulling on her arm slightly.

“Shall we go out there? I can’t hear myself think in here.” Jenn nodded and let him pull her to the garden, the music drowning out into the background and the shouts from the house becoming a little quieter.

“It’s so loud in there,” Andy mumbled, sipping on his soda. Jenn nodded and they listened to the music that was now in the background, and watched a few people walk past them.

“So have you-” Andy was interrupted as Dirty ran past them, a frying pan in one hand and four or five toothbrushes in the other. Andy tilted his head and laughed, Jenn doing the same thing as he disappeared around the corner. Andy coughed slightly and turned back to Jenn.

“As I was saying, have you had any word from the DNA people yet?” He asked, and Jenn sighed, shaking her head.

“I phoned them up the other day and they said they’ve had the results back, it’s just the legal stuff that is taking the time. I just wish they would hurry up and tell me,” Andy nodded.

“You’ll find out soon enough, then you’ll know for sure,” Jenn nodded, and the two fell into silence again as more people went to and from the house. Pete ran outside and smiled drunkenly at them, pulling some girl behind him. Jenn glared at him.

“Bastard, I should take a pair of scissors to that precious hair of his for doing that,” Andy laughed.

“Careful, he would kill you for that,” Jenn smiled.

“I don’t care, the manwhore shouldn’t be here with another girl.” Andy nodded.

“Well I-” He was interrupted as the house started counting down from twenty, and they realized it was almost midnight.

“I didn’t know it was midnight already,” Andy muttered, and Dirty appeared next to them from no-where, the toothbrushes discarded but still holding the frying pan.

“I dare you two to kiss in,” He listened to the chanting coming from inside. “Eight seconds,” Jenn widened her eyes and shook her head, protesting the idea. The house continued to count down and Dirty laughed and smirked happily when midnight struck and the two kissed anyway. He ran off giggling and Andy laughed at Jenn.

“Oh please, it’s not like it really meant anything,” Jenn smiled.

“I know, but you realize everyone is going to think we’re together now?” Andy smirked.

“Oh well,” He muttered, and led her back into the house where everyone was celebrating the New Year. Jenn turned back to Andy.

“Andy?” She asked, and he nodded.

“Yeah?”

“Happy New Year,”

*

Gabe looked down at Grace as she turned in his arms slightly, a small smile on her lips as she looked out into the backyard from behind the sliding doors, laughing slightly as the two observed Andy and Jenn with Dirty. The house was now down to the last ten seconds, and as soon as ‘one’ was screamed, Grace let her jaw drop open at the sight of an Andy/Jenn smooch. Gabe smirked too, but dragged her head towards him, the two pressing their lips together to share their own New Years peck. The house grew more rowdy as the minutes after midnight passed, and Grace peered up at Gabe as he took a gulp from his cup of alcohol.

“Are you thinking?” she asked, laughing afterwards. Gabe chuckled softly and shrugged, glancing over her shoulder with a deep look.

“Kind of,” he paused and locked their eyes again. “I’ve just been thinking about the past and the future and fate,” he whispered, still loud enough for Grace to hear. Grace nodded.

“Like what?” she questioned. Gabe shrugged.

“Just how life works out in the end,” he explained. Grace nodded once, before turning and watching the kitchen as Patrick and Izzy shot back various liquor, troubled faces on both of them.

“God I hope I never have to go back to that,” Grace mumbled, letting her lips tighten as Izzy stumbled into the counter drunkenly. Gabe gulped, and Grace looked back at him questionably.

“What?” she beckoned. Gabe lowered his eyes and let a shaky breath go.

“I might need to in a moment,” he mumbled, turning and licking his lips nervously. Grace creased her eyebrows together and shifted her eyes around the room for any explanation to Gabe’s sudden change in behavior, before letting her eyes widen as they landed on a familiar brunette now in the kitchen area with them.

“You’ve got to fucking kidding me,” she breathed, taking a step away from Gabe in slight anger.

The brunette was actually Danielle, and the name and face made thousands of thoughts and feelings come rushing back to Grace. It was like stepping back in time to high school, and Grace suddenly felt like she was at Prom again, watching Gabe walk away with the very same girl that ultimately broke them up. Yes, Danielle was the girl that did the very thing. Gabe gulped again, looking down at his suddenly solemn girlfriend.

“Grace, I didn’t know she went here,” he voiced. Grace shook her head.

“Niether did I,” she mumbled back. She glanced up at him, and then held her breath as Danielle looked over, her eyes lighting up before she started to walk over. “Shit,” Grace breathed, forcing a smile as Danielle grinned as they met.

“Grace! Gabe!” she looked at the two. “I haven’t seen you guys since high school!” she voiced, a bright expression there. Grace skewed her lips to one side as she was ambushed with a friendly hug, and turned to watch Danielle wrap her arms around Gabe, him reluctantly returning the hug that lasted longer than it should have. Grace observed the way Danielle peered at him as she pulled away and rolled her eyes, annoyed already.

“I’m gonna get a drink,” she muttered, turning sharply to walk to the kitchen island and join Patrick and Izzy in their sorrows. Gabe watched her walk off and was about to follow when Danielle grabbed his wrist, a mischievous grin appearing on her lips.

“Come on,” she voiced. Gabe raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

“I think I should-”

“Good,” Danielle cut him off before he could protest and pulled him after her, his eyes drifting back to where Grace was watching, her eyes slowly falling to the ground as he disappeared. Just like old times.

*

Ali had been sitting in the living room with a cup of water, not really in the mood for the party that had been planned, and not really caring that it was a new year. She had not received a New Years kiss, regardless of the fact Travis and her were still, regardless of the previous night, a couple. Matter of fact, she had not seen him all night, and wondered where exactly he had gone and what he was doing. Sighing, she wondered off to the other side of the room, bumping into Ashley who was moderately tipsy and laughing at Joe’s ‘white boy’ dancing.

“Ash,” she started. Her friend looked at her, a sloppy smile plastered on her face.

“Hmm?” she sounded loudly, raising an eyebrow. Ali sighed again.

“Do you know where Travi is?” she asked, leaning closer so that Ashley could hear. She shook her head once and looked up at Joe.

“Travis?” she prompted. Joe laughed at her, grabbing at her around the waist.

“Noooo!” he paused and shook his head wildly. “I’m Joe!”

Ali shook her head and looked at Joe again.

“No. Do you know where he is?” she asked again. Joe seemed to skew his lips to the side in thought before looking up to the ceiling.

“Upstairs,” he simply said. Ali nodded and turned back around, this time making her way to the stairs, only after glaring at Pete again as he lounged on the couch with his new girl, the two obviously drunk as well. Ali still walked up the stairs, and moved down the hall towards her room where the door was slightly ajar. Walking in however, made her temper flare almost instantly. On her bed was Travis, under him a half-naked girl, a bottle of vodka on the ground and still spilling out onto the ground creating a spill. She gritted her teeth angrily before snapping on the lights, watching as Travis jumped up and off the bed, the girl doing the same, but instead of staring at Ali, just ran past her with her clothes tucked under her arm. Ali placed her cup down on her dresser before stomping over to Travis and in a swift movement slapping her hand across his face. He glared at her momentarily before rolling his eyes. Ali crossed her arms.

“What the fuck?” she hissed, staring intensely at him. Travis shrugged.

“You don’t put out, Ali,” he simply responded. Ali pursed her lips together before sighing, already worn out from what was happening right now.

“Fine. If sex is all you want then go get some,” she looked up at him as he raised an eyebrow. “I’m done,” she looked down at the vodka before sighing and turning around.

“Ali,” he spoke softly. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head again, still with her back to him.

“Get out of my room,” she whispered. Ali still however walked out, before she marched downstairs, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She made her way to the kitchen, where she knew Patrick was. However, when she appeared there, he was laughing away, holding a shot glass as he snapped it up to his lips, his head throwing back as he swallowed it down. Ali gulped before moving next to him, looking up at him. Izzy seemed to turn at this moment, to Grace who seemed just as drunk as well. Ali sighed.

“Patrick,” she whispered. He swayed before looking down at her, his eyes blinking at different times as he grinned sloppily.

“Oh… Ali,” he stretched out her name with more ‘e’ than he needed to and Ali skewed her mouth to the side, fighting the sadness she was feeling. “What,” he hiccupped and poised a finger in the air. “What’s wrong?” he asked. Ali was about to respond when Izzy entered the conversation again, her arm throwing itself around Patrick’s.

“Tricky,” she giggled at the name. “You, you should sing your song!” she announced. Ali frowned and sighed, feeling even worse. Patrick laughed and nodded, closing his eyes as he pressed a hand to his chest in mock eloquence.

“Ohhh we’re pretty boyyyss, for secret giiirls,” he paused to hiccup. “Who, are, you kidding?” Izzy and Grace laughed out at his slurring of words and Ali just shook her head, feeling the tears glazing over her eyes.

“Forget it,” she voiced, rushing past Patrick and out past the crowd in the living room as well before running up the stairs again. Instead of locking herself in her room, which had now been violated, she slammed the door to the bathroom and left the lights off, locking the door and letting her body slam into the door. She slowly slid down and hugged her knees, letting her face bury into more darkness. Ali finally cried and alone, she rang in the New Year.