A heartwarming night

“Happy new year!” We all shrieked ignoring the fact that our mouths were filled with creamy cheesecake, as the numbers on our phones switched to 00.00. Miranda, Devin and I ran to the porsche, just in time to see the first set of fireworks exploding in the night sky. It was chilly outside, but the happiness of watching the colorful lights dancing across the dark sea of heaven together with my closest friends made it feel like we could’ve been standing in Thailand, in the midst of summer. We all hugged each other and I raised my champagne glass filled with Sprite. None of us were bold enough to illegally buy real champagne. 

“Let 2020 be a great year!” I said and we clung the glasses which made a crystellike sound. The fireworks continued to glow beautifully for another fifteen minutes, until they appeared with long spaces in between and finally no more came.

“Well, that was that. Should we finish that cheesecake? It was pretty damn good!” Daniel suggested when there was nothing more to see, and the thinness of my tight midnight blue dress dawned on me. We nodded in agreement and rushed back to the sofa where three half-finished plates of lemon cheesecake stood waiting for us. 

“I’m so happy your parents let us be here all alone meanwhile they’re enjoying themselves at a boring New Year’s dinner. That’s like the best New Years gift ever!” Miranda said.

“Yeah, I know. But I’ll bet my parents at least got some slightly more sophisticated food” Daniel responded. I thought about the huge greasy pizza we ordered a couple of hours before, and then looked down at the store-bought cheesecake I was holding in my hand. 

“Nah, this is way more sophisticated. We actually walked on our own legs to the pizza place, which is SO far from here-”

“Two blocks” Daniel coughed.

“Don’t forget we also went back! And it’s literally snowing outside - that’s how cold it is! We worked hard for our meal, I bet your parents didn’t need to spend one second in the cold to get their food!” I finished.

“Well actually … they walked to their friends’ house, which is way more than two blocks away” 

“Well if you want to trash talk the lack of effort put into our fancy New Year dinner then fine! I, at least, am and will forever be eternally proud over our highly, highly fine pizza.” I said and crossed my arms over my chest in a bossy gesture. Miranda couldn’t help herself from laughing. And suddenly we were laying on the floor, arms tightly around our cramping stomachs and tears trickling from the corners of our eyes, incapable to stop laughing. Tonight, I thought, was going to be a great night. 

About an hour later, Daniel came up with the fantastically stupid idea of dipping his head in the snow. Of course we let him. Because I wouldn’t exchange the video of Daniel, with his face covered in sparkly snowflakes accidentally falling on the slippery asphalt and then hitting his head on his neighbor's mailbox, if a gun was pointed to my forehead. Well, after a moment of consideration - I probably would give the killer the video. But not because I wanted to save my own skin, but because I think everyone deserved to see that masterpiece of a video at least once in their lifetime. After Daniel hit his head, we continued with slightly more calm activities. Like watching a movie whilst eating popcorn. But instead we ended up chatting about everything from Miranda’s secret (not-so-secret) obsession with sloths to how I someday wanted to beat a world record. So when the tv suddenly became quiet, we realised that we couldn’t even mention the main characters name. Yikes! 

“Well ... I think it’s time for you-know-what!” Miranda said happily, and I couldn’t help but admire the freshness of her voice. It was four in the morning, we were all awake because of the excessive amounts of Sprite and candy we had consumed during the past few hours but her voice was somehow so incredibly fresh. Or maybe I was just going a little insane. Definitely a bit insane. 

“It’s time for resolution-writing!” It was an annual tradition in our tiny gang of friends. Every morning, on the first on January, we would look at our previous list of resolutions, cross out the goals we had accomplished, and then make the new list together. We all sprang from our seats to grab our lists and we met at the dining table, where an empty pizza box still laid. We always pinkie-promised to not read our resolutions until the next New Years eve - so that we could get surprised over how stupid they were. Which, if you thought about it, was a foolish promise. Because if you can’t read your goals - how the hell are you going to remember them and actually accomplish them? I think both Daniel, Miranda and I had realised this years ago, but we still held this tradition close to our hearts. I unfolded my paper and read my list for the first time in three-hundred and sixty-five days.

Resolutions for 2019

1. Going vegan
2. Slap someone, like … for real
3. Keeping my plants alive
4. Watch less Netflix (good luck with that one!)
5. Learn how to breakdance

I looked at my relatively short list and couldn’t suppress a smile thinking of the 15 year-old fatigued me who wrote these points. My recognition of them were extremely vague, maybe even non-existent, I couldn’t quite think clear because of the sleepiness slowly eating my last brain cells. I quietly went through all of the goals. The first one I kind of accomplished, I only ate dairy and eggs on rare occasions (New Years Eve was one of those occasions), and I had given up meat and fish two years ago. Number two on the other hand, I unfortunately didn’t fulfill. Nor the following three either, I disappointedly discovered. Well, a half of five is acceptable, right? I thought. 

“Which one is the weirdest on your lists? I have both Become fluent in latin and Learn how to breakdance on my list!” Daniel said. 

“Oh my god, so have I!” I burst out, eagerly peeking at Daniels remarkably long list. 

“You have latin on your list too? Wow that’s like … wow!” 

“No no no! But I do have breakdance … hm … wonder how that idea came to us ... “ 

“Well I have Get drunk and then run around the neighbourhood with a Mickey Mouse-pyjamas so consider yourselves beaten on the title of the weirdest resolution” Miranda said and we all started laughing uncontrollably again. After many minutes of trying to calm down and miserably failing repeatedly, we finally pulled ourselves together. 

Then Miranda lowered her head and spoke in a wheezing whisper. “But the funniest part of it is that … I actually accomplished that resolution!” 

It took a very long time of explaining and laughing before we went to bed that night, Miranda in her beloved Mickey Mouse-pyjamas. A fact I found hysterically funny. When I laid my head onto the pillow and sleep started to welcome me to the world of dreams, a silent flow of something warm spreaded through my veins. It was an amazing feeling, almost like jumping on clouds. Looking back at it afterwards, I realized that feeling was pure happiness. With my best friends beside me, and a new year waiting to be explored I was feeling hopeful. This was about to become a spectacular three hundred sixty-five days.