I was excited about this chapter so I rushed it out lol sorry if the writing is bad. Anyway happy reading and remember to vote and comment!

I think New Year's Eve is my least favourite celebration.

I know... Not exactly like me to have a least favourite celebration. I usually enjoy these types of things. But for some reason it just freaks me out. I have poor time management skills alright? Always have.

So it freaks me out that for this one night everyone builds up to this one minute. The one between 23:59 and 00:01 or in standard- 11:59 and 12:01.

Like what if I miss it?

And what do I do with myself during that minute.

God it makes me want to cry.

"Emersyn you're staring at the counter again." Luella sings quietly to me, walking up to me and gently tilting my chin up. "We have guests. You either explain to me what's wrong or you shove it down into your soul and we'll talk about it in the new year."

I just search her face for answers.

"Luella what makes that one minute so important. It stresses me out so much. And is that minute the last minute of the year or is it the first."

"Okay you're wonky. I don't know how to rationalise this."

I stare back down at the countertop.

"Emersyn." Luella laughs, grabbing my hand and shaking me a little.

I just sigh dramatically and look at her.

"Me and New Year's Eve- just- it stresses me out."

"It stresses me out too." Hnery says. "So much pressure hey?"

I turn around to him, he has just walked up behind us.

I wrap my arms around his waist, shoving my face directly into his chest and he wraps his arms around me immediately, hastily, unknowing what he just walked into.

"Emersyn." Luella laughs loudly and admittedly I laugh a little into Henry.

Oh god.

Jude and Henry and Rayne had been here for maybe an hour? We'd just been talking, chatting. Luella and Rayne actually get on really well when Lue stopped hating on him.

It was fun.

Luella explained to Jude what happened last summer with Rayne and I.

Everyone apart from Luella felt uncomfortable. At first anyway. Then we all ended up seeing the funny side. She does that, an ability of making you simultaneously uncomfortable and comfortable.

I pulled back and Henry frowned down at me, his eyes connected to mine.

"That was a long hug." He states.

"I hate New Year's Eve."

He smiles a little. "We can hate it together?"

I nod. "Please."

"Alright." He laughs and pulls gently away from me. "Drink?"

"Yeah okay." I express.

"Wait shall we play a game?" Luella says.

Oh god.

I look at her stressed and she laughs. "Look, it's a newish group of friends we have to play these games."

"Why?" I say, crinkling my nose.

Rayne and Jude were sat on the sofa. Close. Really close and it was making me smile.

But also the pressure between them two. Like they haven't kissed yet, but they obviously like each other and tonight at midnight it's like a tradition to kiss and oh god the pressure they must be feeling right now I can't.

I shudder.

"Em." Luella snaps her fingers in front of my eyes and I glare at her rudeness.

I am in crisis mode inside alright Lue?

I have had a few glasses of wine. A few. I don't know if you can tell.

I am extra emotional. Which is great and also probably because of my period which is due.

God.

"Okay sure." I say. Luella grabs a few bottles that we had and walks through the kitchen and across the room, walking round the sofa and putting them down on the coffee table.

Henry looks at me.

"These games..."

Oh god. I feel you Henry.

"You need a shot." I say. "I promise, I know I am being a bad influence right now, but I promise it makes the whole thing a lot easier."

He chuckles and shrugs.

"Do one with me?"

I shrug.

"Okay."

Vodka neat burns. But we didn't have much else to shot with. Plus I personally know I can mix vodka and wine and be okay ish. I don't even know what Henry's drinking.

We do the shots and go and follow the rest of the group. I sit down on the carpet besides Luella and Henry sits in the cute chair we have.

None of us are really dressed up much. I was in pretty comfy clothes and I had just done my hair and makeup so I felt pretty. That's all.

It was really warm the atmosphere. Music on behind us, drinks between us all.

Luella extends the questions. "What should we play?"

No one says anything then Rayne looks at me and I glare.

His eyes widen and he chuckles. "Paranoia." He says.

"Man." I mutter under my breath.

"I don't know the rules." Henry says.

"Of course you don't angel." Lue says and she kneels up starts pouring a shot for everyone. Okay so the first player whispers a 'who' question into the ear of the person on the right. For example' Who has the worst relationship luck?'. The person asked the question says out loud the name of the person they think is the answer. That person called out, no matter where they are on the table, now has a decision to make. They can either find out the question that caused them to be the answer or they can play on and ask a new question. If they want to find out the question though they have to drink for the privilege. The shot." She nods to the shots she's handing out.

"And it's funny because well I might ask Emmy who she thinks is the funniest person here, right? And she'll say a name but like you don't know what I asked, so you could think it's something like serious and you'll end up drinking unnecessary."

"Golly." I mumble and Rayne laughs, flashing me a grin and him and Jude sit up, falling onto the floor around the coffee table like Luella and Me and I look up to Henry.

He meets my eyes.

I pat the floor besides me.

"Right." He says and sits down at the end of the coffee table.

"Who goes first?" Lue says.

"Jude." I immediately say. I don't know why. But he is a little quiet tonight so we are forcing him out. He smiles at me and then looks at Luella, leans into her ear and she meets his face with her ear with excitement.

Did I mention Luella sneaked out for half an hour this afternoon?

Mhm.

She went to see T. I know she did. I haven't brought it up yet.

I was buying my moment.

I was also unsure whether I should bring it up.

Like it's her private business.

But I know for sure she'd bring it up if it was me so I don't know...

Anyway I look at Luella and she scans the faces.

She smirks. "Emmy."

I deadpan at her. She just laughs and raises an eyebrow.

I take the shot. I needed to be more drunk anyway.

I wince and Henry laughs, refilling it for me and I look at Jude. Jude has to say the question now.

"I asked who her favourite person was here."

"Aw." I say and they laugh because I just took a shot for that.

Luella grins at me and I shake my head at her because I already know man-

She leans into me.

"Who here has had the most sexual partners?"

I pull back. "I hate you."

She giggles and I just look at her and then Jude and then Rayne.

I glance at Henry and he just looks afraid.

I laugh and look at Rayne.

"You buddy."

He takes the shot immediately and my lips part in amusement.

I look at Lue.

"I asked her who she thought has had the most sexual partners."

"Oh." He says and he looks around. "Is it me?"

He specifically looks at Luella and Jude.

Raynie doesn't know about that evening with August either...

"Let's not do that." I smile and pour his glass back up.

My head was already buzzy.

"Well I wasn't asking you now was I?" Rayne laughs and I glower at him and he laughs, blowing me a little kiss.

"Nah I'm interested." Jude says, smirking a little at me and then Rayne."Shall we do body count?"

My eyes widen and I look at the floor.

I look at Henry and he is looking at me. "You good?" He mouths.

I just pull a stressed face and his lips tug up in confusion.

The others aren't watching us.

Luella's just openly sharing that she's slept with six people.

She looks at Jude.

Jude looks at us all. "Do I have to separate it into male and females?" He says chuckling and we all laugh at that, I look at Rayne and he nods as if that's a pretty fair question.

"Nah just total." Lue says.

"Kay so five."

I smile and look at Rayne.

He looks slightly sheepish.

Rayne always used to get with people, like all through school-

"14." Rayne says. "I win."

"Em-" Jude says and I laugh, shaking my head.

"August wins." Everyone looks at me. "I- Rayne. I meant Rayne."

Oh my god.

I am blushing so hard and it's actually awful. Luella is sniggering and Rayne just looks confused.

Luella looks past me and to Henry.

"You cool saying your number?" She asks.

He shrugs. "Zero." He smiles a little. "and before you say anything about being Christian-"

Everyone laughs and he chuckles then looks at me, they all do, to say my number.

Rayne is quiet.

"One." I say.

I don't meet Rayne's eyes.

He coughs.

Jude and Henry pick up on the change very quickly.

I look up.

"Travelling romance?" He asks.

I slowly shake my head.

He nods.

"Oh."

"Are you mad?"

"No." He says softly.

I nod and I reach forward and take the shot.

Luella laughs and then she looks at me with a look that says are you sure you're ok missy.

I smile.

Henry and Jude are probably confused.

Actually, Henry probably isn't. He is- perceptive.

I force the game on and Luella says something, making Jude and Rayne laugh and I lean towards Henry, I pause my lips just besides his ear as he bends down for me.

I just say the first thing that comes to my mind. "Who is most likely to have a one-night stand?"

He pulls back and gestures a shrug and everyone laughs at the fact he just looks around the little group unsure.

"Luella."

She takes the shot and I laugh at his stressed face.

"I said who's most likely to have a one night stand."

Her lips part and she crosses her arms. "Explain yourself."

"I dunno, you're the most confident so-"

She makes a face that says sorta 'fair enough' and she gestures for Henry to ask Rayne a question.

We're supposed to play like whoever gets picked, is supposed to ask the question. But I think we forgot. I'll say something when it gets back round to Jude.

Rayne looks around and he smiles a little and says my name.

Henry wouldn't have said anything mean and I cant do another shot so I wave it off. I don't care.

Rayne leans into Jude's ear and Luella and I exchange a look at how Jude tilts his head back a little as Rayne's lips make slight contact with his ear. The god damn tension.

I smile.

Then my eyes widen and I press on my home screen.

It's fine. It's half ten.

I am so stressed.

I laugh at myself and Henry makes a slight movement closer to me. "I promise to tell you when it's close to midnight."

I melt a little, it sort of takes me by surprise. The sudden affection I felt. I smile and nod.

"You are nice." I whisper.

"Mhm." He hums back and when Jude says my name my eyes widen.

I look at him, then to Rayne's slightly shocked face too and I just sigh and begrudgingly take the shot.

Rayne pulls a face.

"I asked who he thought was the kinkiest behind bedroom doors."

Everyone laughs and I just widen my eyes at Jude. He laughs too and he smiles. "you seem so innocent so I thought it would be funny."

Hahahaha.

Exposed.

I smile awkwardly.

"Also we should be doing the questions by who was last picked shouldn't we?"

"Mhm." Luella says. "Your go then Em. Left or right you can choose."

I lean into her ear then. "Who is most likely to have the most exciting collection of sex toys?"

She laughs and I grin. She asked me this once, like back in Rome. We were with these people, just playing this game and the bitch said this.

So ha pay back.

"Um... Well seeing as I can't say you..." She says. She looks between Rayne and Jude and then she settles on Henry.

"the angel." She says lightly and I laugh and she matches my laughter, falling into me a little and we giggle, looking at Henry.

He just looks confused.

He takes the shot in one swift movement and my lips part.

Oh no.

"Oh god." I laugh and Luella laughs too. "Um I asked her who is most likely to have the most exciting collection of sex toys..."

Henry actually pales instead of blushes this time and he narrows his eyes at us. "Yeah pick on the virgin."

I laugh louder and Luella sniggers. "I am sorry I just-"

Henry narrows his eyes at me, having been picked so he beckons me to him and I lean away from Lue and he whispers into my ear.

"Who is most likely to have kissed someone below the belt?" He asks.

I pull back. "Bruh what does that even mean?"

He deadpans at me, his cheeks a little pink at even asking that and we stare at each other until I get what he means.

I just roll my eyes and look at the options.

All of them?

Well I dunno...

"Rayne." I say.

Henry snorts and I just shrug. It's true. Rayne was very in love with Will I am sure-

Never mind hey.

Rayne takes the shot and we admit between us what was said. Rayne shrugs. "I am good at it."

That sends us all laughing and the tension between Jude and Rayne is just increasing and I am living vicariously through it.

Rayne whispers something in Henry's ear and Henry does immediately blush. It's funny. I laugh at his face before the other catch on.

Henry looks around us and then he cringes.

"Yeah, Emersyn."

My lips part.

I can't do another shot can I?

Oh god. I am going to die. The other ones aren't even hitting me yet.

I do the shot.

Henry hangs his head in his hands and Rayne laughs. "I asked who he'd rather lick chocolate off of."

My jaw drops, a smile wide on my face as everyone laughs and Henry falls back, groaning but laughing in embarrassment.

I just laugh.

Rayne's phone goes off and he reaches for it. And I love that him and Jude both look down at it, like there's no sense of like censorship.

"It's August." He says. "I told him that Luella lives here."

"And Trev knows I live here."

"Um do they know I live with you?"

They both shake their heads. "They didn't ask."

I laugh a little.

"What did August say?" Lue asks Rayne. "Is he doing better now?"

Rayne nods. "He's good just had a bad day. Um, he said that if I was at Luella's then I should pop down and see them."

"You can go." I say. He doesn't need my permission, but it will make him feel better.

He looks at Jude. "You staying here or you wanna come?"

"To your brother's flat?"

"He's having a party." Rayne says.

"Oh." Jude looks surprised and then he leans forward and takes the shot that he hadn't touched. "Yep lets go."

He then pauses. "Henry?"

"Mm?" Henry says.

"You coming or staying here?"

Henry looks at him as if that is a stupid question.

Jude nods.

"Right." He says. "Fair enough."

Rayne and Jude grab their phones only and they head to the door. I just change back to wine. Swaying a little to the music.

Then I look at Henry.

"You want a cookie?"

"Most definitely."

We all get up, amused and searching the now pretty messy kitchen for the cookies Henry's mumma made for us.

"Luella is texting." I stage whisper, looking directly at Luella and Henry is trying to just break into the tub.

Luella looks up and throws me a guilty look.

"She also saw T this afternoon." I whisper to Henry.

He pauses. "Who's T?" He whispers back just as equally unsubtly.

"T is her ex."

"Oh." He says. "That's never good."

I grin at him in amusement and then I focus back on Luella.

She's stood there with her hands on her hips and I laugh out loud at the sight of her.

"I have tried my best okay!" She explains. "It was one... one... hello."

"One Hello." I repeat... "Did you sleep with him?"

She shakes her head furiously. "Nope."

"Good girl."

Henry sniggers a little at that and then he bursts the lid off, almost sending the cookies flying but I catch them.

Like a fucking boss.

"Did you smoke or consume anything illegal?"

She softens and shakes her head. "Nah Em, it was just a chat."

"You wouldn't be looking this guilty for just a chat Luella."

She laughs nervously. "Ha, well a chat, a kiss, a blow job, what's the difference?"

"Lu-el-la!" I exclaim, throwing my head back in laughter and she laughs loudly, slapping her hands over her face and I look up to Henry who has a cookie half in his mouth.

He looks down at me. "She made a boo boo." He mumbles.

I grin and turn to her.

"Lue-"

"He was sad!"

"Luella!"

"What was I supposed to do!"

"Not-"

"I had to." She laughs. "It makes him so happy."

I cringe. I don't need to know this about T.

"Luella that is my friend you're talking about."

"Yeah well- you scared me yesterday." She mutters. "I thought you were talking to him, I was hit with terror. I had to remind him why he loves me."

I rolls my eyes. "He doesn't love you because you give him-"

Henry holds out a cookie for Luella and Luella just takes it. Nibbling on the end and looking at me with puppy dog eyes. "Don't be mad at me."

"Then stop hurting T." I pout.

She pouts back. "He wasn't feeling pain I promise."

I snigger at that and throw her a disgusted look.

"Oh shut up. Like you never-" She looks at Henry. "Cover your ears."

Henry gapes at her and then shrugs, lifting to cover his ears and I laugh loudly, pulling his arm down and he sniggers pulling away from us both and pouring himself another drink.

"You gave-" She nods to the door. "Right."

I gather by the door she means August.

I pull a face. "Let's not."

"Boring." She complains and then giggles when I glare at her. "I am joking, god. I just love calling people boring, like they always try and prove they're not."

"Not me. I just agree." Henry says and walks back up to me and I freeze when his hand presses gently against my back, my eyes widened, and Luella just looks at my expression shocked.

"You aren't boring." I say, pulling away and looking at him. "Watching your reaction to things is actually rather entertaining."

"Mhm." He hums and we all head back to the sofa. Lue and I just follow him but she sits on the floor so I just sit down next to him.

"So who were you texting?" Henry says to Lue.

"T." She admits. "He wants us to come downstairs."

"Who does he think you're rooming with?"

"he just assumes it's the same girl from last year."