New Years

1-1

For a school which boast of its reputation for being the crème de la crème, the cream of the crop, the lion's share of schools, the best education that money could buy, Kadic's way of distributing news was rather… well, to be honest, it sucked.

Things weren't displayed for them on TVs like at some of those other schools (they didn't even have TVs… well they did, but teachers had to sign up for them days in advance, they were still on rolling carts and they had VCRs). Announcements were hardly anything more than just a scratchy, tinny call which barely reverberated throughout a classroom, much less the whole school itself. They were short and to the point.

So, when the distant sound of someone screeching out the latest news came on the morning announcements, no one paid much attention. After all announcements were hardly worthy of an ear to listen to.

"… and tonight there will be a New Year's Ball-"

There was the sound of some screaming in the background, and another person, much closer to the microphone coughed.

"Excuse me, I mean New Year's Bash."

Some more yelling.

"Everyone is required to bring their own New Years Resolution to the ball- excuse me bash- which is located in the gym. Have a Happy New Years!"

Aelita turned to Jeremy, "That sounds like fun, doesn't it?"

Jeremy shrugged in a noncommittal way, after all, he had long since learned not to pay attention to the announcements, "If you say so."

"What sounds like fun?" Odd asked, poking his head out. (He was always destined to sit behind Aelita and Jeremy it seemed. He bet he would die sitting next to Ulrich.)

"The New Year's Bash," Aelita said with a roll of her eyes. Honestly, was she the only one who paid the announcements any mind?

Odd's eyes lit up, as Ulrich, next to him, rolled his eyes, "They're actually having one this year!" He began to babble (and bubble, bubble with joy), "I mean, I suggested one last year but I had no idea that they would actually consider it. I should get an award or something-"

"Yes," Aelita replied, cutting him off, "It's going to be in the gym. And everyone's got to bring resolutions with them. Don't you guys ever listen to the announcements?" Aelita said, rolling her eyes once more.

"No," the three boys said simultaneously, laughing.

---

"Hey Yumi," Odd said with a smile as she clunked her tray down, "You going to the bash tonight?"

Yumi's face went blank, "Excuse me?"

"See," he said, turning to Aelita, victoriously, "We're not the only ones who listen to the announcements, you're just the only one who does."

Aelita huffed, "Lucky for you, or you'd have no idea what was going on."

Yumi turned to Ulrich, "What bash?"

"Some New Year's thing Sissi cooked up," Odd began to mumble about the unfairness of it all, her getting his well deserved credit, but everyone ignored Odd and his mumblings. They happened much too frequently and held far too little truth for anyone to may him much mind, "We all go watch the ball drop, drink some punch, dance, you know just like a regular dance- except with a theme."

"And," Aelita chirped in, "You've got to bring a New Year's Resolution with you."

Yumi laughed, "That sounds like some Sissi would cook up."

"Yeah," Ulrich agreed, and paused a few moments in an attempt to seem not as desperate as he felt, "So you going?"

Yumi laughed again, "Sure. Why not? I've got nothing else to do tonight."

Ulrich beamed at her, hoping that all of his gratefulness transferred into his grin in that moment.

---

It was nine thirty. The flashing lights were already giving Ulrich a headache, and so far the dance had been a complete let down. He had spent the last three hours leaning up against a wall next to Jeremy.

Thank you very much, but he could have done that in the comfort of his own dorm room.

Ulrich downed his fifth cup of punch that night, turning to Jeremy, his fellow wall flower, "Where do you think Yumi is?"

Jeremy glared at him, tearing his eyes away from the pink DJ, "I don't know, my guess would be the same place she was when you asked me five seconds ago." He hissed.

Ulrich stared at his empty cup, "Yeah..." he said slowly, "That would make sense."

Jeremy snorted, "What's in that punch you're drinking?"

"I don't know, but it sure is good. Better than normal."

Jeremy snorted again, "That's probably because it's spiked."

Ulrich simply shrugged.

---

It was ten o' five.

Ulrich was now on his seventh cup of punch, anxious, and yet much more mellow at the same time.

"Jeremy, you don't think anything's–"

Jeremy held up his hand to stop Ulrich, he had experienced this conversation three times in the last thirty minutes. Five times in the last hour. Nine times this entire night.

"Ulrich, I am sure Yumi's fine. She's probably just running late. Or stuck in traffic. Or eating dinner. She'll be here. Soon."

Ulrich looked at the floor, scowling. He opened his mouth, "Are–"

"Ulrich, I swear to God, if you ask me one more time…" Jeremy trailed off. He actually really wasn't sure how to finish that threat. He paused for a moment. There really wasn't much Jeremy could threaten Ulrich with. The thought was depressing, "… or I will… stop forcing you to do your Biology homework!"

Ulrich snickered, "Oh no Jeremy! Even you wouldn't be cruel enough!"

"But I would be cruel enough to stop talking to you until Yumi gets here."

That shut Ulrich up.

---

Ten fifty three. Still no Yumi. Not a text, not a call, not a pigeon with a note tied to it's leg. Nothing.

Nine and a half cups of punch down.

Ulrich opened his mouth.

"She will be here Ulrich. She's fine." Jeremy said with a sigh. He waited two seconds, "Yes I am sure." Another two seconds, "In fact I'm absolutely positive."

Ulrich took another sip of punch.

---

Eleven o' two.

He looked at his watch, "It's eleven Jeremy."

Jeremy sighed, love made desperate fools out of them all, "I'm aware of that fact Ulrich, seeing as there is a giant clock projected onto the wall opposite of us."

"Where could she be?"

Jeremy sighed once more, looked up briefly for a moment, seemingly uttering some sort of prayer, and pointed dead ahead, "Perhaps walking right towards us."

Ulrich glared at Jeremy, "Thanks Jer for being all so understanding."

"Hey, I was understanding the first ten times you asked me, but around the eighty third, even the most patient person would begin to feel their resolve thinning."

Ulrich wiped the glare off of his face almost immediately, and replaced it with a wide smile, one fit for greeting royalty, "Hey Yumi."

She smiled, "I hope I'm not too late, I had to spend an hour explaining to my parents why I was heading out… and then…" she blushed, not wanting to mention how long it had taken her to put together a suitable outfit.

"It's not problem," Ulrich said as Jeremy rolled his eyes, "You're not too late for my tastes."

The three stood their awkwardly for a few moments. Ulrich, glancing at Yumi but trying not to seem too obvious. Yumi, glancing at Ulrich but trying not to seem too obvious about it. Jeremy, keeping his glance steady with the girl up on the stage making those intoxicating mixes.

And finally, she couldn't bare it a moment longer, "Hey Ulrich, would you like to dance?"

He smiled gratefully, "Sure."

Yumi glanced at Jeremy. The look said it all. It was a "Are you going to be okay? And don't say no because I will kill you," type of look.

Jeremy caught the translation. Whether it be by luck or chance or by his own selfish means, he caught it.

He shook his head, "I'm fine, I'm just enjoying the show. Plus, I have a better view of Aelita from here."

Yumi laughed, "As long as you're sure."

"I'm sure."

Ulrich finished his (what was it now, twelfth cup?) of punch nervously and threw it on the ground, after all, this way it could keep the other trash company so it wouldn't be lonely in the empty trash can, "Let's go Yumes."

Jeremy grabbed her arm before she walked off, "Thank God you came here when you did Yumes, I was about to kill him."

Yumi just shot him a smile, "No problem Jeremy, but we'll be back soon."

"Please, don't bring him back that soon. Give me at least ten minutes of peace and quiet. I beg of you."

She laughed, when Ulrich suddenly appeared again by her side, "You coming or not Yumi?"

"Coming. Sorry."

And the two walked out to the dance floor.

There was nothing magical about it, really.

They'd done it- walking together- so many other times before, it was just like walking to the next class together. And it wasn't like they had never danced together before- they made a habit out of dancing together at every dance.

But that didn't stop either one of them from feeling this odd, tingly feeling (it was uncomfortable, it was exciting, it was them) as they walked out to that dance floor. They may have been dead- center in the spotlight, in the midst of everyone and their date, but they found it easy to pretend it was just them, alone in their own world.

She smiled, moving effortlessly, "So what have you been doing while I was gone?"

He shrugged, talking and dancing was much too hard for him to concentrate properly on both at the same time, "Pretty much standing there with Jer. Drinking punch."

She raised an eyebrow, "You were kept occupied for two hours by drinking punch?"

"It was good punch," he protested.

"It was strong punch," she corrected with a smile.

He shrugged.

"I saw Odd spiking it," she supplied.

He shrugged again. He didn't care. He felt good. He felt brave. He felt invincible.

She smiled again at him.

And for a while, they didn't say much more. Dancing with one another was enough… in fact, it was almost like its own form of communication.

She'd shimmy, he'd do the box step (there wasn't much else he knew how to do), she'd twirl, he'd shift his feet, she'd throw her hands up in the air and he'd do all he could to stop his jaw from hitting the floor.

But before long, he felt the pulls of temptation and punch. The room was getting much too hot, he had to break this trance. He had to break it fast.

He gulped, he needed to keep himself preoccupied-

"So, Yumi, what was your New Years Resolution?"

She blushed, managing to keep the talk and the rhythm at the same time, "What was yours?"

He wagged his finger at her, "No, no, no I asked you first, remember?"

"A woman's got to keep some mystery about herself," she said, still blushing, still dancing, "And I bet you don't even have one," she added teasingly.

He was never more serious in his life, and he pulled a slip of paper out of his jacket, "I always have a New Years Resolution. Don't you?"

She twirled before answering him, "That doesn't mean I'm going to tell you."

He leaned in closer, "You should," he whispered.

And it was something, perhaps the adrenaline, perhaps the fact their bodies were so close, perhaps it was the punch (or, more so what was in the punch), or maybe it was one of the other bodies that surrounded them, that pushed them even closer.

But it was in that moment, when Ulrich looked in her eyes, and he saw exactly what he needed to see, and okay, so it was definitely the punch that made him do it but for whatever reason…

Ulrich closed that final distance, there mere millimeters they were apart from each other, touched his lips against her.

And even though it was barely anything at all, just a light brushing, and they both knew it was practically a throwaway kiss, it felt like so much more. Ulrich could feel his toes curling up inside his shoes. He hadn't ever been so affected by a kiss, much less a kiss this chaste.

He pulled back. Checking her eyes warily (he could always blame it on the punch, she'd buy that wouldn't she?) he found they were still closed. She opened them slowly and smiled at him.

He couldn't help it, he grinned back, and went to lean in for another kiss…

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Odd appeared (he always had this horrid sense of comedic timing about it, Ulrich had no idea how he managed it). "You've never been great with timing Ulrich! Midnight's in ten minutes!" Odd cried out, in that high-pitched mocking voice of his, snickering.

He pulled back, smiling at Yumi and saw her face turn ten different shades of red at being caught, kissing, in the middle of a dance floor, ten minutes before midnight (he was sure his was as well).

It was then that Sissi came up (she and Odd must have the same frequency tapped, the one that told them when to show up at the most inconvenient time possible). She touched Ulrich on the shoulder, in that insistent way of hers, in hopes to position herself for midnight's kiss.

Yumi saw the flinch that passed over his face as he felt that tap, and giggled a bit, because really, what else could she do?

He turned around slowly, hoping it was just Odd.

It wasn't.

Sissi, for one, had been practicing this moment for a while. She figured she'd start a conversation with Ulrich, and he'd forget the midnight was coming, so caught up in their intense conversation. Then, the clock would suddenly sound, and she'd kiss him. Or maybe, he'd kiss her. She could just hear herself saying, 'Oh, well, you know, it is tradition after all, I'm not one to break tradition…'

"Hello Ulrich dear, what's your New Years Resolution?" she asked, attempting to coat her voice with sugar. The effect was rather bittersweet and rather appalling.

"It doesn't matter much now," a faint smile appeared on his face, "I already did it." He said, as he grabbed Yumi's hand, "See you at school Sissi." He waved with his free hand and proceeded to drag Yumi off to the side of the floor.

Yumi giggled some more, not minding being pulled away, "Yeah, see you at school Sissi."

She felt her jaw drop what was going on.

Odd threw an arm over Sissi's shoulder, "It's not your fault, they're inevitable. You couldn't have done anything to stop it."

---

Off on the side of room, back positioned against a wall, Ulrich drew Yumi up against him. He quirked an eyebrow, "Where were we?"

Yumi pulled a face, "Oh I don't know… right about here."

She kissed him in a way that was most certainly not chaste. And he found himself long gone in the taste of Yumi's lips. And she in his.

And they remained that way for long past midnight.