“Hello, Darcy! Come in. Come in,” said Sean’s mom as she opened the door for us. She radiated glamor and beauty, wearing a red cocktail dress, her hair pulled back in a French twist. The party was already in full-swing. The kitchen was crowded with friends of Sean’s parents, many of whom were hovering around the vast spread of hors d’oeuvres on the countertop. Sean’s dad was leaning against the bar, locked in conversation with two other men. Lively jazz music boomed from the wireless speakers in each room. I waved a bit, then brought Paige into the basement, where the teenagers were congregating.
“Damn! Look at you,” said Sean as we made it to the bottom of the steps. He stood up from the couch to greet us. He was joined by Tyler and Tess, their friend Avi, Avi’s girlfriend Madison and her friend, Emily.
“I hope we’re not overdressed,” said Paige, apparently noticing the fact that almost everyone else was in jeans or stretchy pants.
“Hell no!” shouted Sean. “It’s New Year’s Eve and you both look amazing. We’re playing Deplora-cards. Come join us.”
Paige and I squeezed in at the end, and watched as they finished the round. It was Avi’s turn to hold the black card, which stated: Protesters in California rally against ___________. After a moment of deliberation, the results from the other players came in. Dog farts, crippling debt, topless sunbathing, Disney princesses, and insurance deductibles. Avi chose Dog Farts as the winner, Madison’s card.
“Hmmm, I would’ve gone with Disney princesses,” said Paige.
“Thanks, Paige. That was my card,” said Sean.
“But that’s something people in California might actually protest, so it’s not as funny,” said Tyler.
“It is funny, because it’s just far enough outside the realm of plausibility, but still kind of makes sense. Protesting Dog farts doesn’t make sense,” said Paige
“Which is why it’s funny,” said Tyler.
“I guess we just have to agree to disagree,” said Paige with a sigh.
“I’m with you, Paige,” said Sean, reaching over me to give her high-five.
“Me too,” I said, patting her on the back. “I think princesses was the funniest.”
“Thanks, Darce,” said Sean, kissing me on the check.
“Aww,” said Tyler. “You guys are the epitome of cute couple. I have to say, Sean, it’s making me a little jealous.”
Tyler, as boisterous and goofy as he was, was also sensitive and intelligent. Much like Tristan, he had a reputation for dating around, never committing to just one girl for more than a few weeks, but unlike in Tristan, I saw in Tyler an ability to dedicate his time, his passion and his whole self into an art form that he loved, often spending days memorizing lines, weeks perfecting his delivery and pouring every ounce of his energy into becoming whatever character he was taking on. Although, maybe it was his love of drama that made all the breakups inevitable. Still, I thought that he might be good boyfriend material, if he found someone that could reign him in a little. Even though he wasn’t anything like either of Paige’s previous boyfriends, I saw a potential match in the two of them, and hoped that they could hit it off, at least for one night. But after the princess card disagreement, I wasn’t so sure my match-making scheme would go according to plan.
We continued playing the game, laughing and arguing about which responses were best. More of Sean’s friends trickled in. After less than an hour, the basement was bordering on crowded, with some people playing pool in one corner of the room and singing karaoke from a portable machine that someone had brought along in the other corner.
As our card game winded down, Sean leaned in and whispered into my ear. “Since neither of us is driving anywhere tonight, do you want some champagne?”
I hesitated. I’d never actually tried champagne before, and wasn’t sure if I’d like it or if I wanted to experience another hangover so soon. “Do you think you can even get any?” I asked.
“I’ll go try,” he said, getting up to head upstairs.
I sat for a moment, with Paige to my right and Tyler now to my left. I knew what I had to do. “I’m going to the bathroom,” I said to Paige.
Luckily, Sean’s luxurious teen pad includes a bathroom just opposite the stairs, so I didn’t have to go far. I spent a few minutes touching up my eyeliner and pinning back the fly away hairs on the side of my head. When I came out a couple of minutes later, Paige and Tyler were closer together, and talking, just as I’d hoped. I sat back down next to Paige and pretended to read something important on my phone as I listened to what Paige was telling him about East Point Prep, how we’d recently become best friends, and about how much she liked Sean and I as a couple. “It helped me realize that I wasn’t really happy in my own relationship, so I broke up with my boyfriend a few weeks ago.”
“Oh,” said Tyler. “Do you regret it?”
“No,” said Paige, with a matter-of-fact tone. “I guess I miss having a boyfriend sometimes, like right now for example. It would be nice to have someone to kiss at midnight, but I’d rather it be someone I’m really into than someone I’m just going through the motions with.”
“Right on. I couldn’t agree more,” said Tyler.
Sean came down a few minutes later, two half-full champagne flutes in his hands. “You don’t know what kind of obstacles I had to cross to get these. I’m like Odysseus tonight.”
“Does that make me Penelope?” I asked, taking one of the champagne flutes from him. “It did feel like you were gone for like ten years, but I stayed faithful.”
“Damn. How’d I get such a smart girlfriend,” said Sean, handing me one of the glasses.
“Is it midnight already?” asked Paige.
Sean checked his watch. “It’s 11:58.”
Someone turned on the TV. “There’s no live TV on there,” said Sean. Everyone began pulling out their phones to find coverage of the ball dropping in New York. After a moment it seemed almost everyone had it pulled up in front of them, just in time for the countdown. “10, 9, 8, 7. . .”
I looked up from our laps where Sean’s phone was resting to look at his face. He was smiling, beaming really, and I couldn’t believe how perfect everything was. It was like waking up on Christmas morning as a kid and seeing that Santa brought every single item on your list that you’d mailed to the North Pole, or like trying out a really complicated pastry recipe and having it come out perfectly the first time. I’d waited for this feeling my whole life, and now here it was. But how long would it last?
“3, 2, 1.” Sean turned his head to look at me and gave me a kiss. It was slow and soft, like a first kiss. It was our first kiss of the year. We picked up our champagne glasses and clinked them together. I took a small sip and turned to Paige and Tyler, who appeared to have briefly locked lips as well. “Happy New Year,” I said to them.
“Happy New Year,” shouted Tyler, pumping his fist in the air.
“I have a feeling it’s going to be a great year,” said Paige.
I imagined all that was to come: a new role at East Point, something meaningful I could take responsibility for, a chance to connect with more kids, hopefully some kids like Damien and Yoan and Ciara, more opportunities to bond with Greg, more memories with Sean, my first love. Maybe this year, I would tell him how I felt. It did, in fact, look promising, but how quickly all of that could, and would, change.
Still, I don’t necessarily think Paige’s prediction was wrong, but it depends on who you ask. It was now January 1, 2020, and we all know what was coming.
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Darcy, Defined Page 19
