Jade's house wasn't exactly the go-to spot for gatherings. In fact, it was probably the last place anyone would expect it. But Cat had managed to convince her to host a New Year's Eve party. At first, Jade had resisted, grumbling about how she hated people knowing where she lived and didn't want to deal with all the mess afterwards. But Cat had a way of pushing just enough to make Jade relent. After all, her Dad was away on business, and the place was big enough that they could all sleep over too. Plus, Cat had promised to help decorate, and if anyone could bring some life into the otherwise soulless home, it was her.
Cat had done a remarkable job with transforming the space. She'd taken streamers and fairy lights from the school's prop cupboard and hung them from the ceiling, casting a soft, glowing warmth that Jade didn't realise her home had been missing. A large banner that read "Happy New Year!" was strung up in the living room, surrounded by metallic balloons that reflected the lights in every direction. On the dining table, Cat had arranged an assortment of snacks and drinks, and the music playing from the stereo had a more upbeat vibe than Jade's usual moody playlists.
For a moment, as Jade stood in the middle of the room, she was struck by a memory of her mother decorating the house for parties. Elizabeth West had always had a knack for making their space feel festive and welcoming, even in the cold, modern house that Jade's dad had preferred. Seeing it like this now, a small pang of nostalgia hit her. It was nice, she thought.
She shook off the thought quickly and turned her attention back to the present. Her friends were all on their way, and soon the house would be filled with noise, laughter, and likely some chaos. But Jade was oddly okay with it. Maybe it was because Cat was so excited, or maybe it was just that, for once, she didn't want to feel like the odd one out on New Year's Eve.
As the doorbell rang, Jade sighed. Here we go.
Once everyone had arrived, the hangout was in full swing. Beck had added some music of his own to add to the mix, while Andre was busy setting up a corner for impromptu karaoke (even though it wasn't Karaoke Dokie, Andre was always ready to sing). Tori and Robbie were sat on their phones on the couch, both looking a little out of their element, especially when they saw the selection of drinks on the counter.
"Your dad buys you alcohol?" Tori asked, wide-eyed, as she stared at the array of bottles.
Jade raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms with a smirk. "My dad buys alcohol and is bad at hiding it. Though, yes, I may have put in some requests this time." She leaned over and handed Tori a Smirnoff Ice with a grin. "Something weaker for you and Robbie."
Tori blinked, taking the bottle in confusion. "Hey, I can drink stronger than—"
"No, you can't," Jade interrupted with a flat tone, giving her a pointed look. She handed a second bottle to Robbie, who looked even more unsure.
"Uh, yeah," Robbie mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not really a drinker."
Jade rolled her eyes. "Which is exactly why I picked this out for you two. It's just soda with a splash of alcohol. You'll be fine."
Tori hesitated for a moment, glancing down at the bottle in her hand. "Well, I guess... I mean, it's New Year's, right?"
"Exactly," Jade said, flashing a smug grin. "And if you can't handle that, you can always just sit in the corner and drink water. No shame in that."
Robbie gave a half-hearted chuckle, still unsure. "I'll just… sip it slowly."
Cat bounced over to the group, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she saw the drinks being passed around. "Are you guys drinking? This is going to be so fun! We should all toast at midnight!"
Jade rolled her eyes playfully but smiled. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't go overboard, Cat."
"I won't! I'm just happy we're all here together," Cat said, beaming as she twirled around, her outfit shimmering in the lights. "This is the best New Year's ever!"
Beck joined them, casually sipping from a beer. "I gotta say, Jade, I didn't expect you to ever host something. You've got a decent setup here."
Jade shrugged, leaning back against the counter. "Don't get used to it. This is a one-time thing. I don't want you thinking I'm all social and friendly now."
Andre laughed from across the room. "Too late for that! I think we're all starting to see the soft side of Jade West."
Jade shot him a glare, though there was no real malice behind it. "Keep it up, Harris, and I'll kick you out before midnight."
Andre just grinned, unfazed. "Love you too, Jade."
As the night wore on, the hangout at Jade's continued to buzz with life, though each of them was feeling the effects of their respective drinks in different ways. Beck, always the calm and collected one, had stuck to a couple of beers, the amber liquid barely affecting him. He had always been more of a smoker anyway, content to sit back and observe the chaos rather than dive headfirst into it. He leaned against the wall, watching the others with a slight grin, the flickering lights reflecting in his eyes.
Andre, on the other hand, was the perfect drinking partner for Jade and Cat. He was no stranger to their ways, and keeping up with Jade's sharp wit and Cat's boundless energy was second nature to him. A few drinks in, and he was still as smooth and cool as ever, laughing easily at Jade's sarcastic comments while occasionally hopping up to join Cat for a dance or two. His laughter filled the room as he watched Tori trying to keep up.
Tori, of course, was an entirely different story. Normally bright-eyed and smiling, she seemed to be glowing even more than usual, if that were possible. Her first few sips of the Smirnoff Ice had turned into enthusiastic gulps, and a few bottles later the alcohol had started to work its way through her system. Her cheeks were flushed, her smile wider than ever, and she giggled at almost every little thing. Beck noticed her stumbling over a cushion on the floor, but she just laughed it off, looking like she was having the time of her life.
And then there was Robbie. Poor Robbie.
He had confidently declared that he could handle a bit more than the light stuff after finishing his first, and against everyone's better judgment, he had grabbed a stronger drink. Unfortunately, Robbie was not the kind of guy who could handle anything stronger. Now, he was wobbling unsteadily on his feet, his movements slow and exaggerated, his face a little too pale. Every time he tried to walk across the room, he nearly tripped over his own feet.
"Robbie, maybe you should sit down, man," Beck suggested, watching the boy struggle to keep his balance.
"I'm... I'm fine," Robbie slurred, holding up a hand to wave off Beck's concern. "I just... need to find Rex."
Jade snorted from across the room, leaning against Cat as the two of them sat on the floor. "Rex can't help you now, Shapiro. You're toast."
"I am not toast," Robbie argued, swaying on his feet before stumbling into a chair. "I'm... I'm just... I think..."
"You're drunk, Robbie," Tori said, giggling as she took a seat next to Andre on the couch, still holding a half-finished bottle.
Robbie blinked, looking confused. "Oh. Yeah, maybe."
The night continued and midnight approached, the group relaxed more and more into the party. Beck and Andre took turns DJ-ing (well, choosing the next song on the playlist), while Cat danced around, dragging everyone onto the makeshift dance floor at one point or another.
Jade, for her part, found herself actually having fun, something she hadn't expected when she agreed to this. She watched her friends from a distance for a moment, feeling a rare sense of contentment. Maybe it was the decorations reminding her of her mom, or maybe it was just seeing how much Cat enjoyed herself, but for once, she didn't mind being in the middle of all this.
"Jade!" Cat's voice rang out over the music, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Come on, you promised to dance!"
Jade groaned dramatically but pushed herself off the counter. "I never promised anything."
Cat pouted, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the group. "You don't have to promise to have fun!"
As the countdown to midnight approached, the music slowed, and everyone gathered around the living room. Beck had managed to get a countdown timer projected onto the wall, and the room buzzed with anticipation.
"Ten… nine… eight…" The group chanted in unison, laughter and excitement bubbling up.
Jade found herself next to Cat, who was practically vibrating with excitement. She glanced down at the smaller girl, who looked up at her with those wide, innocent eyes that always made Jade's heart flutter just a little.
"Three… two… one—Happy New Year!"
The room erupted into cheers, and Cat threw her arms around Jade, squeezing her tightly. "Happy New Year, Jade!" she said, her voice full of joy.
Jade hugged her back, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Happy New Year, Cat."
As they pulled apart, Cat looked up at her with a mischievous glint in her eye. "You're not so bad at this whole party thing, you know."
"Don't push it," Jade muttered, though the smile never left her face.
Around them, their friends toasted, laughed, and celebrated.
As the hours slipped by and the excitement of the new year's countdown faded, the group began to wind down. Andre, always the last one to tire, was still chatting away, but even he was starting to show signs of slowing. Beck had reclined on one of the couches, arms crossed behind his head, his gaze drifting between his friends. Tori had curled up on the other side of the room, still grinning to herself as if everything in the world was perfect.
Soon enough, they all started settling in for the night. The plans were for the girls to take the rooms upstairs and boys down stairs, but it just seemed to happen that they'd all crashed amongst the many couches of the West living room. The floor was littered with pillows and blankets, and one by one, they all claimed a spot, too tired (or too tipsy) to think about going anywhere else.
Cat had claimed her place next to Jade, as always. Jade had allowed herself to relax, lying on the floor with Cat curled up beside her, their legs intertwined under a shared blanket. Cat rested her head on Jade's shoulder, her arm draped across Jade's stomach. Despite everyone around them, they looked completely at ease in each other's company.
Jade, who normally hated any form of public affection, didn't seem to mind tonight. Maybe it was the alcohol loosening her up, or maybe it was just the comfort of knowing that they were surrounded by friends who cared about them. Either way, she let herself be close to Cat without a second thought, her fingers absentmindedly running through Cat's bright red hair.
It didn't take long for most of them to drift off to sleep. Beck had pulled a blanket over himself on the couch, Andre was sprawled out on an armchair in the corner, and even Tori had fallen asleep in a pile of cushions, still wearing a goofy smile on her face.
But Robbie, despite the alcohol-induced haze clouding his mind, couldn't quite fall asleep. He laid on the floor, his head fuzzy and thoughts muddled, but something had caught his attention. Through the fog, he noticed how close Cat and Jade were lying together. It wasn't unusual for the two to be near each other—after all, they were best friends—but tonight, there was something different.
He squinted, his eyes heavy as he tried to make sense of it. Jade's arm was wrapped protectively around Cat, and Cat's head was nestled comfortably against Jade's chest. It wasn't just a friendly closeness. There was something more intimate about the way they were cuddled up together, something Robbie couldn't ignore, even in his drunken state.
"Hey... Beck," Robbie whispered, nudging the boy who was half-asleep on the couch.
Beck groaned, turning his head slightly but not bothering to open his eyes. "What?"
"Do... do you think there's something going on with Cat and Jade?" Robbie asked, his words slurred but sincere.
Beck opened one eye, glancing in the direction of the two girls. At first, he didn't think much of it, but as he looked closer, he noticed the same thing Robbie had. The way they were holding each other—it wasn't just casual. There was a tenderness to it, something Beck had only seen from Jade with him in private.
"Huh," Beck mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he sat up slightly. "I don't know, man. Maybe? They have been spending a lot of time together lately."
Robbie frowned, trying to piece it all together despite his foggy brain. "But... they're, like, together together?"
Beck shrugged, his exhaustion winning out over his curiosity. "Could be. I didn't know. They didn't tell me anything."
Robbie sighed, flopping back onto the floor with a groan.
"Maybe they don't think it's a big deal," Beck replied, stifling a yawn. "Or maybe they just weren't ready to tell everyone yet. It's not like it changes anything, right?"
Robbie nodded slowly, though the alcohol made his head spin. "Yeah... yeah, you're right."
With that, Beck leaned back into the couch and closed his eyes again, ready to drift off to sleep. Robbie, however, stayed awake a little longer, his thoughts swimming in circles. He wasn't mad or upset, just... surprised. He'd always seen Jade and Cat as friends, but now it made sense. The way they had been acting lately, how close they'd become—it was more than just friendship.
As his eyes finally started to close, Robbie made a mental note to talk to them about it in the morning. Not in a confrontational way, but just to know what was going on. He couldn't be left out of something again. And with that final thought, Robbie let himself drift off to sleep, the soft sound of breathing filling the room as the New Year settled in around them.