5 seconds before midnight

I watched the way she swayed as she walked in the hallway. She was just so mesmerizing that you couldn’t look away from her. My gaze got interrupted when George, my boyfriend, came up to my locker.

“Hey babe.” He says.

“Hey.” I close my locker and start to walk away. He follows me.

“Are you coming with me to Steven’s party tonight?” He asks.

“I don’t.”

“But you said you would come with me. And it’s New Year's Eve. You have to come.”

“I just don’t know George. I work today.”

“Come on Willow.” He grabs my arm to make me stop. I look up to him and I can see how much he wants me to go in his eyes.

“Fine.” I say. “But don’t ask me to show up any earlier than 11:15.”

“Fine by me.” He kisses the top of my head and turns the other way. 

I walk out of the school and start walking towards Starbucks where I work. I keep thinking about this party and how I have to go to it. I really don’t like parties. A bunch of people crowded into a house is not my kind of fun. As I walk into the coffee shop I notice her. Her. Why is she here?

“Hey Bailey. I didn’t know you worked today,” I say.

She turns toward me, “Yeah I’m here for Micheal. He’s taking my shift tomorrow.”

“Cool.” I smile and head to the side room. I grab an apron and walk back out.

“Hey Willow. Are you going to Steven’s party tonight?”

“Um yeah. What about you?”

“I was thinking about it. Sam wanted to go so I feel obligated to go.”

I laugh, “ I know how you feel. I feel the same way with…with George.” My voice goes quiet when I say his name.

“Are you and George okay?” She asks.

“Yeah. Yeah.” She looks at me. “Maybe we have had some problems lately. I don’t know, I just think that I’m confused and being with him sometimes makes me cringe.”

“What are you confused about?” I look over to her dark blue eyes and feel the warmth and how my heart starts to beat faster. I think about when I look into George’s eyes nothing like that happens. “Willow?” I realized I’ve been staring into her eyes this whole time.

“Oh uh. It’s really nothing. I just don’t feel a connection anymore.”

“Oh.” She sounds disappointed. I look over at her and give her my best fake smile.

“You know Willow. If you ever need anything you can always talk to me. I’m always here.”

“Thanks.” The conversation ends there and for the rest of the day we work in silence unless we need something the other has.” Our shift ended around 6:30. I went into the side room, took off my apron and grabbed my stuff. On my way out I said bye to Bailey cause she was still cleaning her section. She just smiled and waved at me. I got home at 9:30 because I stopped by the supermarket to grab dinner and a drink. When I got home I got a lecture from my mom for being late, but I didn’t really care because all I could think about was Bailey. The way her blue eyes meet mine and looked so sincere when she talked to me. The way I felt butterflies like I have never felt before. Just the way she made me feel in general. But there was George. “God George.” I think in my head. I don’t want to break his heart but, I have never felt with him the way I feel with Bailey. Even if she has a girlfriend. I lay on my bed and just stare at my ceiling for the next couple of hours.

A while later I got a message from Jamie(my best friend).

“Girl you won’t believe what just happened.”

“What?” 

“I just witnessed a heated argument between your crush and her girlfriend.”

“How heated?”

“Like break up heated”

I sit up on my bed staring at my phone when another text comes in from George.

“Hey babe!”

“Hey.”

“Are you on your way yet?”

I look at the time and it’s 10:35.

“Yeah, Yeah I am leaving really soon. Just have to get ready.”

I roll off my bed and change out of my work clothes. I walk downstairs to leave, but my mom stops me.

“Where are you going?” She asks.

“George’s friend is hosting a party for everyone in school.”

“And you, my daughter Willow, are going to this party?”

“George wants me to go so I kind of have to. Unless someone tells me I can’t.” I look at her with pity eyes.

“Not a chance Willow. You are going. Consider it your punishment for being late.” I roll my eyes, turn around and grab the keys. “Who said you are taking the car?”

“His house is like 30 minutes away by car.”

“Fine.” She finally says.

On my way to the party all I can think about is if Bailey is going to show up. It’s dumb, but what if she does. What if her and Sam broke up? It’s really all about the what if’s because Jamie could have just seen an argument. He also does make things seem bigger than what they really are.

When I arrive I look for Bailey, but I don’t see her. I wonder around before I see George. He waves so I have to go over.

“Hey. Are you ready for our midnight kiss?” He asks.

I put on a fake smile and answer, “Yeah so ready.” He smiles and goes back to drinking beer with his friends. I wonder away not caring if I will see him at midnight. While I’m wandering I hear my name, but I just ignored it. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with people. I just came here for George. God I have to break up with him soon. Not tonight though. All of a sudden there is a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and I face Bailey.

“What are you doing here!” I try to scream over the music in the room.

“Can we go somewhere quieter?”

“WHAT?” I shout.

“CAN WE GO SOMEWHERE QUIETER?” She yells back. I nod and point towards the stairs. After searching the 10 bedrooms Steven has in his room we find one that is empty. She enters first and I close the door behind me.

“So you never answered my question. What are you doing here?”

“I um.” She pauses and takes a while to respond. “ So I guess you heard that Sam and I broke up?” 

“I didn’t but, I try to play it off like I did know. “Yeah. Um I’m really sorry.” I don’t really understand why their breaking up has to do with my question. But I get lost in the thought because she is looking at me in a weird way. A way she has never looked at me but, a way I have looked at her.

“We broke up.” She says again. I give her a funny look. Honestly I am really confused. Why does she keep saying it. Like I get. “We broke up..” She says for the third time but, this time she adds why. “... because I have feelings for someone else. Someone I work with. Someone who always makes me laugh. Someone who makes me feel good. And honestly I hope the person feels the same way about me.” I stare at her blankly. No way did she just say that. The girl I have had a crush on for so many years tells me she likes me. Not straightforward like that but, in her own way. The only sound I can hear is my heart beat and the sound of everyone shouting in the distance.

“9,8,7,6,5!”

“I like you Willow!” She yells. I smile. I look at her for one more second until I hear, “HAPPY NEW YEAAAR!” At that moment I grabbed her and kissed her. I waited so long to do that. That kiss made my whole life. That moment I didn’t care about George, I only cared about her. I pull back and smile at her. She smile back and this time she kisses me.