Happy New Year!

I don't have a Christmas story for you (because it is a little late for that...) but I do have a New Years story! It stars my NaNoWriMo characters Daniel and Varina... And also their friend and co-worker Andrew (who is a struggling, and gloomy author).

   The clock read 11:52. Just eight more minutes… And Daniel had fallen asleep.

   “Daniel!” Varina poked her comrade. His head popped up from where it had fallen on his shoulder; his tired eyes opened in protest.

   “Hmmm? Did I miss it?” he asked sleepily.

   “No, we still have seven minutes. But you fell asleep,” replied Varina. “You have to stay awake! Come on, have another cookie.”

   Daniel took the chocolate chip cookie – Varina’s specialty – from her and sleepily brought it to his lips, smearing chocolate all over his chin in the effort.

   “Here, have a napkin.” Andrew, who was in the kitchen, threw a paper airplane napkin at Daniel. It crashed before it made it to the living room. “Mayday! Mayday! We have a plane down! Survivors unknown!” Andrew yelled, jerking Daniel out of another doze.

   “Haven’t you ever stayed up for New Years?” Varina asked the sleepy Brit as he flopped on the floor to pick up the napkin.

   “Of course,” Daniel defended himself. “Well… sort of. Only once.”

   “Only once? Really?” Andrew asked, sitting down next to Varina on the couch. Daniel nodded and joined them.

   “My family didn’t ‘do’ holidays,” said Daniel, “at least not together. My father was always away with work and my mother had her own parties to go to. The nanny put my siblings and I to bed and we were expected to fall asleep. One year my brother and I stayed up until midnight on New Years. We got in so much trouble I’ve never done it again.”

   “That’s awful!” said Varina while Andrew looked sympathetically at Daniel.

   “It’s the way my family is,” Daniel shrugged.

   “Oh! Look!” Varina said, suddenly pointing at the television. “The ball is about to drop!”

   “If we had taken my advice, we would be out on the street watching it in person,” Andrew grumbled.

   “We were not going to camp out to get a good place on the streets,” Varina replied. “Besides, we had fun here, didn’t we? We played Eat Poop You Cat and Scattegories-“

   “And Daniel fell asleep every ten minutes…” Andrew added.

   “Fifteen seconds until the New Year!” squealed Varina. “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!” she turned and hugged Andrew.

   “Happy New Year!” he said back, a smile sneaking over his face.

   “Daniel, Happy New Year!” said Varina.

   Both Varina and Andrew turned their eyes on their friend. He had fallen asleep, again, and had missed the New Year.

   Varina and Andrew exchanged a glance.

   “Should we wake him up?” Varina asked.

   “Nah, he can crash here for the night,” Andrew replied, smiling down at Daniel.

   “Well, I’d better go then.”

   “Yes. Goodnight Varina! Happy New Year!”

   “Happy New Year!"


Live long and prosper!