C4 A voice like honey

ODESSA

My brother Felix opens the door to find us laughing as Jessica, “there you two are, mama sent me up to check on you” he takes the glass from my hand

“Felix!” I frown.

“Ah sweet alcohol how I missed you” he gulps half of it down.

“Did mama actually send you?” I connect the bottle to my lips since I don’t have any glasses left.

“No but I told her I was coming to check on you two,” he grabs the bottle and fills his glass to the brim. “You know you’re not fooling anyone, coming up here every hour.”

“You aren’t either,” my brother just came to mooch off my stash since Yaya found his last night.

“I don’t get why you guys can’t drink in front of your family, isn’t the drinking age in Russia like 18?” Jessica looks confused.

“We technically don’t have a drinking age in Russia and our mama has been cool with us drinking since we were 17,” I grab the bottle from Felix.

“The problem is her mother, our Yaya.” Felix closes the window Jessica opened, “she’s very strict and very Catholic so mama wants us to hide the underage drinking.”

“Wait is your Yaya the one that kept pulling down my dress?”

“That’ll be her,” Felix nods. “So how did my baby sister rope you into spending New Years with our rowdy family?”

“I asked to come actually” Jessica stands for a refill. “I knew no party will be fun without my girls so I crashed your family’s.”

“Well happy new year Jessica Beer, I’m glad we finally got to meet.” Felix clings his glass with hers before downing it.

“Your brother is pre-med right?” She says when he slips into the bathroom.

“Yep, at Brown University.” I pull out another bottle from under my bed, I brought 2crates and only 4 bottles are left.

Good thing we’re leaving soon.

“Wait why?” I give her a look.

“Is it so wrong to ask?” She walks back bed as I open the bottle.

“Not wrong but weird considering you’ve barely talked to him the entire time you’ve been here,” I refill his glass.

“I’ve been spending time with you and your mother, you guys are like a hallmark commercial.”

“Yeah right, we both know you’ve been avoiding him” Jessica thinks I don’t notice the way she leaves every time Felix walks in but I have.

I bet the only reason she’s still here is because she’s sort of tipsy.

“Who’s avoiding who?” Felix emerges from the bathroom air drying his hands.

“Her family, they got her a plane ticket but she lied and said she had exams” I answer.

“Why?” He gives her a look that makes her cheeks turn red for some reason.

What’s happening here?

“It’s because I’m scared once I get there I won’t be able to leave, I love my family and town but they would lose their minds if they knew I dyed my hair and have a nose piercing.”

“That’s not all, they also think she’s pre-med so they don’t even know she’s trying to be a broadway star,” I add.

“Wait, don’t you video call them and don’t they ask questions?” Felix leaves the glass on half again.

And I thought we were over doing it.

“I do but I have a wig and I’ll be a star by the time they figure out I went to an ivy league school to study performing arts,” we all laugh.

“Well if you need any pointers about pre-med stuff, I got you” he looks at his watch. “3minutes till midnight we better go or mom will come up.”

They finish their drinks in unison and we all pop in mint gum to kill the smell as I hide the half empty bottle behind my pillow.

“You know, I’m glad I met you Odessa Vecker” Jessica throws her arm over my shoulder clearly drunk.

“Me too Jessica Beer,” I slap a sloppy kiss on her cheek drunk as her.

We’re hiding on the balcony downstairs as Felix gets non-alcoholic drinks that he insures he will spike with alcohol.

“The new year is 40seconds away, here you go ladies.” Felix hands us glasses that look like lemonade. “Don’t worry, dad helped me add tequila,” he assures as my phone rings.

I take a glass pulling it out and to my surprise, Liam’s name is on the screen.

We’ve never called each other before which means I never heard his voice and with good reason but curiosity gets the best of me so I press the green button.

“Hello?” I move to corner of the balcony for privacy.

“Vecker? I’m not too late right?” There’s a lot of background noise but his deep, rough voice is clear and melts into my ear.

Jesus Christ, it’s as smooth as honey.

“Late for what?” I raise my voice as everyone in the house begins counting from 10.

“To do the countdown with you,” he literally screams to overpower the noise in his background.

“Not really,” I look around not really sure for what.

“5, 4…” my family shouts.

“…3,2,1! Happy New Year!!!” Liam screams as the night sky fills with fireworks.

“Happy New Year Griffith,” I laugh as I hear his friends try to kiss him.

“Thanks Vecker, I’m glad I brought the new year with you.” His statement makes my breath hitch, “look I know you can’t drink so I’m holding a tequila shot in your honor.”

“Actually I’m having tequila disguised as lemonade so I guess we’re having the same thing,” why does that make me happy?

“Then, cheers mate!” I hear him down his shot as I gulp half my drink down, “damn that’s hot” he hisses.

“I’m definitely starting the year with a hangover,” I laugh as I hear my mom call for us. “I have to go but text me pictures of your night, I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

“You too Vecker, I want to see proof that you cleared a crate in 2weeks.” His warm laugh sounds amazing too, “goodbye and once again happy new year.”

I click the red button and turn around to find my brother kissing Jessica.

“Huh” I freeze “so she wasn’t kidding about the wine,” I open the camera knowing America won’t believe me without proof.

After hugging and wishing festivities to almost everyone, I excuse myself to the bathroom where I find 2messages from America and 7 from Liam, 4 of which are pictures.

America: Happy New Year babe!!

America: Sh*t, is that Felix? (Laughing emoji) go Jess!

Me: Happy New Year’s Mecca!

Me: I’m not touching that topic, she’s kissing my brother for Christ sake (throwing up emoji).

I flush the toilet and click on Liam’s messages.

Liam: Really wish you were here Vecker.

Liam: Is it bad we’re starting the new year off drunk?

Liam: Took another shot for you, #send help.

Attached to the message is a picture of him as his friend pours tequila from the bottle down his throat.

The second picture is a balcony picture of him wearing a white crisp shirt and black plaid slim-fit dress pants as he holds a noise maker.

“Of course you look hot,” I bite my lip.

His blonde locks are sleeked back to show the small metal hoops on his ears. That’s how I looked before, the message says.

The third picture is of him sleeping in a bathtub with a party hat on, his blonde hair looking wet as the strands fall over his forehead, that was me an hour ago the message says.

I snort at the last picture as he kisses a mannequin doll that’s holding a beer bottle with the message, my New Year’s kiss.

“Classic,” I shake my head and open the camera.

I already sent him a picture of my tequila infused lemonade, so I send the one Jessica took of me earlier after we got ready with the message me last year.

Then take a selfie after checking my reflection in the mirror and send it to him, with the message me this year.

The last picture I send is of me kissing my cup, where I write my new year’s kiss before I leave the bathroom where Yaya immediately kidnaps me.

Looks like it’s going to be a long night, #sendhelp