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These new year posters make me so happy! Thank you @the_lov3twins for the fun poster!

Chapter 63: ONE

*23.23 on New Year's Eve*

Last year I was in my bedroom when the clock struck midnight. And I wasn't even upset about it.

I didn't have to worry about holiday surge pricing or how I was going to get home. I didn't have to stand for hours in uncomfortable clothing. I entered the new year in comfort and a onesie.

But this year, there was uncertainty. So much fun, but also uncertainty.

I watched Austin speak to the mysterious girl. Her hair descended in dark waves around her shoulders and her smile was radiant. They sounded so excited talking to each other.

"What are you doing here?!" Austin asked her, visibly surprised.

Lara replied, equally shocked, "I was going to ask you the same thing!"

They held onto each other, given the wild crowd around them. 

Her lipstick was incredible. I was hypnotized by how glossy they were. 

There was a sort of poetry to their reunion. They had bumped into each other, thirty minutes before midnight, on the other side of the world. 

Cearra, Chad and I leaned in to eavesdrop. We were trying to be subtle. I poured Chad some orange juice as we pretended to have a reason to linger.

"My uncle has a place in Dubai so I'm here for the week," Lara said, speaking over the heavy sound of the beach club's music.

Could they seriously not turn the music down? Private conversations are happening over here.

"We were just at his party," Austin answered, "I saw your aunt there, but I had no idea you were with them. Are your sisters here too?"

Chad's eyes doubled in size, "She has sisters?"

"Can you stop?" Cearra asked him.

Chad was practically drooling over her. Lara was stunning with a confident but not arrogant vibe about her. Her white dress paired and white converses made me regret why I didn't prioritize comfort. My toes were in pain.

"No, it's just me. I'm here with some friends," she answered, waving at a random group in the crowd, "What about you? I can't believe you're here."

Luke, Bianca and Oma came towards them now, having spent the last thirty minutes on the dance floor. My eyes naturally gravitated to Luke as he grabbed a bottle of water and twisted the cap open. He's cute.

Bianca, however, headed straight for the new girl. "Hi there. Do you need help? You have a silver bracelet and this area is for gold ones."

She was flaunting our VIP status.

Suddenly, Chad jumped over the couch, abandoning our identity as the three spying scrooges, and landed on the other side.

"We can get you a gold bracelet!" he exclaimed, almost out of breath, "No issues."

Chad startled Lara, who bumped into Austin. I could see Cearra's gaze scrutinize Austin's hands as he steadied her.

"Thank you," Lara said, looking alarmed by his entrance, "But who are you?"

Chad laughed and I wondered what the joke was. 

He rolled his shoulders back and extended his hand for a handshake, grandly saying, "I... am Roland Chadwick the Third."

Austin glanced back at Luke like it was a cry for help.

Meanwhile, Lara shook Chad's hand, "Thank you, but this bracelet is for backstage access so it's all good."

She just owned us and our "VIP status" and I'm so here for it.

Bianca's expression turned green with envy. "How do you have that?"

Lara started to look annoyed by the interrogation. Her emerald green eyes flickered back to Austin, "The DJ invited us."

We all looked at the DJ with his headphones on stage, headlining the entire party. The time was ticking to midnight on a giant screen behind him.

"He looks forty," Austin said. "How well do you know him?"

Austin was behaving like a protective older brother, even though I knew he was an only child. He hadn't seen her in years, so they couldn't be that close. So who was Lara?

Just before Austin went full 'concerned parent', Luke walked up to cool down the situation. The unexpected reunion had been disrupted by our game of 101 questions.

"I'm Luke," he introduced himself.

I knew what Luke was doing; turning on the charm and expecting everyone to bend to his will. We've all seen that playbook. 

I've fallen for it.

"Hi," she smiled at him, "I definitely remember you. Do you still like basketball?"

He nodded, trying to remember, "Did we meet when..."

"When Austin dated my older sister, yes," Lara nodded, finishing his sentence, "It's a sore subject. You should be glad she's not here right now though."

Cearra pinched my hand.

"I need to go," Lara told us, "It's almost midnight and we're celebrating the ball drop back there."

She hugged Austin and they said something that we couldn't hear. Then she smiled at us before leaving.

We'd been hanging onto her every word. She'd dropped in with so much mystery and now she was dropping out. I had so many questions.

Bianca turned on Austin, "Who was she?"

Direct, but OK. It's what we all want to know.

"She's a family friend I haven't seen in years," Austin said, changing subject, "Who else is feeling weird about this DJ situation? I don't like the idea of Lara and that DJ backstage. She's way too young."

"Didn't she say she was our age?" Cearra asked, speaking to him for the first time since this whole thing happened.

I had a question for him too: How old were you when you dated her sister?

Luke pulled me away from everyone with a knowing look on his face. He was starting to sense that I had an acute interest in Austin's love life, though he didn't know about my plot for #Austerra just yet.

"What are you up to?" he asked me, his smile showing me that he was partly amused by my antics, "Your expressions were all over the place."

"I'm just curious about Austin's ex-girlfriend. It sounds like she was older than him?" I asked, trying to keep my innocent act going.

Luke laughed and shook his head, "You're not going to reel me in with that act and pry out information on my best friend."

I exhaled, "Why not? You're my boyfriend?"

"And you're my girlfriend using me to get to my best friend," Luke repeated slowly, folding his arms across his chest, "It's heartbreaking."

I unfolded his crossed arms and he scooped me up in them.

"After midnight, let's get out of here," Luke suggested.

"OK," I squeaked.

*23.59 PM*

My own countdown to my first kiss of the new year. A kiss with someone I loved. I haven't told him yet. I was scared he'd run away, I was looking for the right time, I was wondering if he felt the same...

Once you say words, you can never take them back. What's said can never be unsaid.

The timer on stage flickered to a double-digit countdown. The DJ took his giant headphones off and stopped the music. The lights honed in on him and his spiky blue hair with pink tips.

I stared at the timer on the big screen as a chant started to rise out of the crowd. Like they were possessed.

10, 9, 8,

7, 6, 5,

This felt like a fun math test

4, 3, 2

O N E

The silence before the chaos was what caught me. Luke pulled me against his chest, and I leaned into him without hesitation. His lips crashed down on mine and I tasted his tongue in my mouth. His hands grabbed my waist as he was about to lift me up.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Chad yelled in our ear, jumping on us with a giant bottle of champagne in his hand.

I almost stumbled as my heels found their footing on the ground again and Luke shook off Chad.

Our whole group came together now, hugging each other, kissing each other, screaming happy new year. I was wrapped up in it all, finding myself hugging Cearra, then Oma... even Bianca.

I watched the interaction between Cearra and Austin... and the kiss did not happen.

We took photos, Chad sprayed champagne, the crowd was screaming as the DJ put the music on again and we started jumping up and down. Up and down because we had no idea what on earth the new year would bring but tonight was a killer start.

Fireworks blasted into the night sky, loud and sparkling. I felt Luke's arm find his way around my waist again, as I leant against his chest. I looked up, knowing that he was looking up with me.

I found myself staring at him. The bright lights from the fireworks lit up his face and his beautiful eyes.

The DJ turned on his microphone and yelled out, "Welcome to the new year, party people! Now I know you got a lot of love to give and life to live, but we are here in this moment, together! So put your hands together for a mother f*cking good year!"

I looked away from the fireworks and at the DJ on stage. He threw his headphones down and waved his shirt in the air.

He grabbed his microphone, "Thank you for celebrating with me tonight! I love you all, keep the dream alive and, until then, let's all get lucky tonight!"

I looked back at Austin who did a 180. His eyes fixed on the DJ like he was a devil. And I knew what he was thinking.

The DJ wanted to get lucky with Lara.

"New year, new plan," Austin yelled out, "We need to go backstage!"

A/N: Can we talk about this insane timing right now?  It is almost New Year's in reality and in this story... honestly, the lines are blurring between the two!  Happy new year to every single one of you <3 

P.S. I received a toy raccoon (no joke). You can check it out on my Instagram (@NatalieInACorner)

See ya in 2021!!

<3 Natalie

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