It was negative seven degrees with wind chill.
People were bundled up, coats on coats on coats. Scarves covered mouths and only eyes showed the excitement around Times Square. Taylor Swift had just preformed her new hit and Ryan Seacrest was interviewing Grumpy Cat. Not a single person in the crowd was frowning as the clock ticked closer to an hour until midnight. Speakers around played music by Nick Jonas and Lily Evans danced to the catchy lyrics alongside her best friend Marlene.
In front of the girls there was a group of four boys waved and danced along to the music as well. It was hard to tell if any of the boys were attractive or worth a look at for the New Years Kiss Cam because they were all bundled up but Lily kept her eyes peeled just as well as Marlene. Lily was warm just from dancing in her jacket and as a light snowfall started the entire crowd screamed with joy at the natural confetti. It was like the universe was celebrating with them. It was like everyone knew what a shite year it had been and the hope for a better year brought everyone together.
Lily threw her head back and laughed gaily as her hood fell back, letting her red curls tumble free from restraint. Her hair tumbled around her face as she continued rocking with the music and when she opened her eyes she saw that the hood had fallen back off one of the boys. His black hair was all curls and mess. His neck was covered by a maroon scarf that made his darker skin glow under the harsh building lights around them. He turned dramatically to match one of his mates and he stopped when he caught her staring. Her red lips curved into a smirk as hazel eyes met green.
For a moment, around them, the noise almost seemed to fade. Lily had never seen a man look so carefree and silly. Normally boys stayed wrapped up in their 'cool' façade and didn't dance like fools to a Jonas Brother. This man, he was unusual in enthusiasm. Everything about him screamed fun and Lily wanted to get to know him better. Even the glasses that he adjusted on his nose as he stared back at Lily made him come off as way more attractive than she'd thought he could be.
"Good song?" he shouted at her in a familiar accent.
"So lush!" she responded with a flirting tilt of her head.
"Dance?" he stretched out his mittens for hers, not having to stretch very far since they were crammed into Times Square together.
Without second thought, Lily grabbed his fingers and he began moving her arms back and forth so they rocked like they were in Grease or some other musical shite. Lily laughed as he moved one of her arms up and over their heads. He was a little taller than her and she had to stand on her tiptoes when he twirled her in a circle. Lily felt like she was in a movie as the snow swirled in front of her eyes as fast as he twisted her. They were both so caught up in their secretive thoughts that they didn't notice the cameras cover their animated pirouetting.
"Where are you from?" she heard him shout after he twirled her once more.
"Cokeworths!?"
"Stinchcombe!" he sang as they came to a stop when the music slowed and Ryan Seacrest began talking again, "What are the chances? We're both English!"
Lily couldn't resist the grin as their gloved hands let go of each other, "Small world!"
Marlene giggled as Lily started clapping for the new singer alongside her. Marlene pulled Lily's hood back up with a wicked smirk. Marlene didn't have time to tease Lily about her new friend though because Carly Rea Jepsen walked on stage and Marlene had a not-so-secret crush on the singer. The girls scream-sang the lyrics of Carly's new song to each other as the snow slowed from above and Times Square became a unified and amplified stereo.
Even while she danced and sang with Marlene, Lily's eyes kept glancing towards her friend from Stinchcombe. His hood hadn't gone back on but he'd stolen earmuffs from somewhere and they were bright pink. Their eyes met a couple of times more and they sent each other shy but interested smiles.
At one point in between dancing and getting some hot chocolate Stinchcombe shouted to her, "What's your name?"
Lily made sure to show him her broadest smile, "Lily!"
"I'm James!"
And then a crowd of cheerleaders in their winter uniforms separated them. Lily tried not to think about him and they waved to each other over the waves of cheer bows. Marlene had her phone out and was trying to read through texts. Finally, she seemed to have read some because one of her gloved hands hit Lily in the chest. It would've hurt had Lily not been wearing five layers under her coat.
"What?" Lily chortled as she drank the rest of her hot chocolate.
Marlene looked shaken, "Lily, you're trending."
"What?!"
Lily looked over Marlene's shoulder and saw that Marlene was on her facebook. On the screen was a buzzfeed video…a buzzfeed video featuring James twirling her around in circles in the falling snow. The video read 'Commercial Ready Couple Gaining Fans on Twitter' and featured one tweet from someone called sblack:
it's repulsive how cute these two complete strangers are, almost makes me wish my cold dead soul could feel something.
"What the Hell?" Lily's jaw dropped, "Is this real?"
Marlene laughed as she clocked the article and read the first passage.
In forty minutes these New Years Rockin' Eve attendees became twitter famous when SBlack tweeted a video of them dancing to Nick Jonas in the falling snow. SBlack says they're strangers and now all of twitter is arguing if they know each other or not. The hashtag #rockinevedancerskiss is trending and most are calling for a New Years Kiss from the two.
Lily exclaimed, "How did this happen?"
"I don't know but everyone back home is reposting this on facebook and tagging you!"
Lily looked up from Marlene's phone and tried to find James. The cheerleaders had dispersed but movement in the crowd had divided them from each other. A part of Lily was vaguely disappointed.
"Well," Lily said, "They aren't going to get that kiss, he and his mates moved on!"
"Twitter will be so sad." Marlene retorted.
The girls moved up to the gates so they could see the orb better as they reached fifteen minutes until midnight. Lily's phone buzzed, it was her mum, excited to see Lily all over the social media pages. Lily texted her mum back and illuminated that she'd lost the boy who'd made her famous. Her mum was disappointed.
He looked nicer than that Nigel bloke you'd been seeing.
Lily thought so too but there was no reason to despair, there were plenty of people around her, and surly she could kiss Marlene if all else failed. Even still, she could help but keep checking the crowds for a pair of bright pink earmuffs over black messy curls. She wished she could remember the exact curve of his smile. She wished she'd gotten his number but they'd been too busy enjoying each other's company.
Lily lowered her scarf so her mouth was uncovered as the world around them reached five minutes to midnight. The giant clock ticked and Kelly Clarkson sang her new hit but Lily didn't dance. A camera panned in front of her face and she smiled and waved.
"Where's the boyfriend?" the reporter called over the crowd with a knowing grin.
Lily shrugged playfully, "He's not my boyfriend!" she called, "We'd only just met!"
The reporter looked disappointed, "Where is he?"
"We got separated." Lily hoped she hid her disappointment well.
Not well enough though because the reporter had a pitying sort of look as the camera moved on.
Marlene whistled, "Man, you could've had a literal fairytale start to your New Years."
"This is real life," Lily wrapped her arm in Marlene's trying and failing to look unaffected, "Not some romance novel."
Marlene and Lily focused their attention on the clock. The cameras were circling around the crowd. The air seemed to grow colder as people stopped dancing and singing. The clock had reached one minute. Lily's green eyes searched the crowd once more but it was simply too crowded. She gave up on the chance for a new years kiss from anyone but Marlene.
Lily and Marlene raised their hands in the air to cheer. Marlene's hand knocked Lily's hood off again and Lily let the hood fall. They clapped along with the rest of the crowd as the countdown clock ticked closer and closer to the New Year.
"Ten!"
Lily hoped that the New Year would bring an endless amount of adventures.
"Nine!"
She wondered if she should bite the bullet and just buy the tickets to New Zealand.
"Eight!"
Her eyes fluttered around the crowd, dismayed to not see a pair of thick-framed glasses heading her way.
"Seven!"
Marlene let go of Lily's arm to cheer along with the crowd as the ball moved slightly and started slowly moving down the pole.
"Six!"
Lily shouted the numbers along with the crowd, her voice hoarse from all the singing she'd done the last twelve hours.
"Five!"
Lily's hands clasped each other in front of her chest as she stared up at the bright and sparkling ball that was almost to the end of its race against time.
"Four!"
A camera panned in front of Lily and Marlene. Lily smiled at it as she opened her mouth to shout three but that was the moment a hand wrapped around her waist, turning her slightly.
"Three!"
Lily looked into a pair of warm hazel eyes hidden behind thick-framed glasses. Curly black hair was wild atop his head and he was breathing like he'd run from the other side of Times Square.
"Two!" He shouted, eyes shimmering at her like she was the falling globe that everyone else was watching expectantly.
"One!"
The world seemed to turn upside down as he crashed his icy lips against hers. People were cheering but Lily couldn't really hear what they were saying because she was kissing James like she'd known him longer than a total of a few hours. James tipped Lily over his arm whimsically like they were in an old classic movie. Their kissing warmed her chapped lips and her gloved fingers wrapped through the curls atop of his head. He tasted like peppermint and his arms held her steady as he pulled back a little to stop the kiss.
Looking up at him, the lights of Time Square formed a halo around his head. Lily couldn't imagine a better way to start out her New Year. Gold confetti fell to the ground around them and his eyes shined as bright as the colored pieces of paper. He lifted her back into a perpendicular position and pressed his forehead against hers.
"Happy New Years, Cokeworths." He said contentedly.
Lily felt like she was glowing, "back 'atcha Stinchcombe."
"Almost thought I wouldn't make it in time."
"I'm glad you did." Lily confessed, "Almost thought I'd have to kiss Marlene."
"Hey!" Marlene snorted beside the couple.
James admitted with a shrug, "I would've still kissed you to be honest, past midnight or not."
They were both startled when they pulled apart and a camera was flashing in their faces and reporters were shoving microphones into their space keenly. For weeks after, Lily and James would meet for dates back home in England. They'd share their favorite tweets and snicker at the gifs of their New Years Kiss over a pint. James swore nothing could ever be better than landing the girl of his dreams and going viral. Two years later, at their wedding, Sirius Black would take all the credit for posting the video of James and Lily dancing in the snow on twitter and hurtling them into New Years Kiss infamy.
This quick drabble is my gift to you with the intention of giving you a sense of hope and love in your New Year. I love you guys, you made 2017.
xxx
Petals