happy New Year! stay safe and have fun tonight, everybody!

here's an update on me. I got bangs.

///

It was New Years Eve, and every high school student was crowded in the gymnasium of Midtown High. Red plastic cups full of tropical punch and sherbet were passed around. The seniors snuck in vodka, which you turned down gladly.

You stood in the back, by the bleachers, wearing a sparkling lilac dress and flats of the same color. You swayed to the music playing, loving the feeling of the skirt brushing against your knees.

But you were alone, and it was half an hour until midnight.

You sipped on your punch. Ned walked by, Betty hanging off his arm. She reached up and placed a red lipstick kiss on his cheek, marking his skin.

"Hey," you said to them. "Have you seen Peter around?"

"I haven't," Ned said, fixing his gold 2020 top hat. "He left like an hour ago, said he'd be right back."

"Yeah," you said. "I'm worried about him."

"He'll be here," Betty said. "He probably started to feel a little sick or something."

You nodded, forcing a smile. "You're probably right, Betty," you said, but she wasn't right. She didn't know that Peter was out fighting the Green Goblin.

"Come on, Ned. Let's get some practice kisses in before midnight." She pulled on his arm and he was yanked forward, sloshing some of his punch on the floor.

It splattered on your purple shoes. You sighed and went to the bathroom to wipe them off.

When you walked out of the women's bathroom, the clock read 11:56. You sighed again, knowing that it was extremely unlikely that he'd be back before midnight.

You went back to your spot by the bleachers, where you watched everyone gather around one another. They began to count down from 60 at 11:59.

You stood there, arms crossed, tapping your foot with every number.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

"Happy New Year!" roared the entire area. A horn blared. Confetti rockets went off. Glitter poured from the ceiling, and a loud song played from the speakers. It was blaring.

And you stood alone. Flash kissed two girls. Ned and Betty were kissing way before the countdown, and they had yet to stop. MJ pushed away one of the boys reaching up to kiss her.

The eruption of excitement dwindled, being replaced with the same sound as before the New Year started.

You decided to get more punch. You took a step forward-

Hands grabbed your waist. Alarmed, you turned and saw it was Peter, flashing a black eye and an untied black tie around his neck. He had a spot of blood on the collar of his white shirt from his cut forehead.

"Peter!" you said. "Good grief, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. He looked sad. "I missed midnight though. I'm sorry. I-I tried to hurry, which is why I was a little clumsy. He gave me this because I was distracted."

"Peter," you said, frowning.

"I really wanted to kiss you on midnight," he said. "I know you wanted our kiss to be perfect."

You laughed and shook your head. "You're a dummy, Peter Parker."

"What? Well, that's not nice."

"You know, you missed some exciting stuff. Like Ned and Betty making out like idiots... oh, and Flash kissed two girls."

"Two? Well, I am glad one of them wasn't you."

You laughed. "I am too."

"You're not mad at me?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Peter, when have I ever been really mad at you?"

He laughed awkwardly. "Good point."

You cupped his face in your hands,  and you grinned from ear to ear. "Three," you said.

"Oh. Now? I... okay." He put his hands back on your waist. "Two."

"One," you said, and you stood up on your toes and kissed him on the lips.

He tightened his grip on your waist and you wrapped your arms around him, and you smiled. Someone bumped into Peter, and his head bumped into yours. You broke off, laughing.

"You okay?" he asked, grinning.

"I am fine," you said. "Happy New Year, Pete."