Dan stood in the kitchen, surrounded by half the party, a champagne glass held as an afterthought between his fingers, his head thrown back in laughter. Riley stood in the living room, near the Christmas tree, watching the people in the kitchen, and she could tell that most of them weren't sure why the joke was funny. Only Connor seemed to be genuinely laughing—he was bent over, his champagne dribbling onto his pants, slapping his knee—but that was his job as Dan's best friend.
The champagne glass in Riley's hand was still full. She'd taken a sip to be polite, but she didn't really like champagne, and she didn't want to be drunk tonight. Because alcohol made her sleepy, and if she fell asleep there was absolutely no way she was getting kissed at midnight. Though she was probably safe now with only seven minutes to go.
The laughing over, the group in the kitchen dispersed, and Dan pushed his way through the crowd to the empty living room. He smiled at Riley as he came her way, waving his glass in a wobbly salute. She'd already taken his keys.
"Did you hear that one?" he asked, chuckling.
Riley smiled and nodded, even though she hadn't. She heard plenty of her brother's jokes at home. As his sister she wasn't obligated to laugh, but he was good at making her feel bad when she didn't.
Dan chuckled again, but stopped when Emily walked into the room, smiling at them. Riley watched, amused, as her brother tried to smile and look cool at the same time. Emily frowned before joining her friends. Dan groaned and knocked back the rest of his champagne.
"Now you don't have anything to toast with," Riley said.
"Doesn't matter. I'd rather be drunk now."
"She came because Connor asked her."
"Do you have to remind me again? You crush my soul a little bit every time you do."
Riley shrugged. Dan had been in love with Emily Thomas for the past thirty-six hours—he would live.
Connor was next to wind his way from the kitchen into the living room. He stopped to talk with Emily and her friends, smiling easily and laying a casual hand on Emily's shoulder. Dan groaned again, and Riley felt her fingers go cold. Riley wasn't in love with Connor—she wasn't silly enough to think that you could love someone who didn't realize you were of the opposite sex—but she liked him, and for quite a bit longer than Dan had liked Emily.
The champagne glass in Riley's hand was still full. She'd taken a sip to be polite, but she didn't really like champagne, and she didn't want to be drunk tonight. Because alcohol made her sleepy, and if she fell asleep there was absolutely no way she was getting kissed at midnight. Though she was probably safe now with only seven minutes to go.
The laughing over, the group in the kitchen dispersed, and Dan pushed his way through the crowd to the empty living room. He smiled at Riley as he came her way, waving his glass in a wobbly salute. She'd already taken his keys.
"Did you hear that one?" he asked, chuckling.
Riley smiled and nodded, even though she hadn't. She heard plenty of her brother's jokes at home. As his sister she wasn't obligated to laugh, but he was good at making her feel bad when she didn't.
Dan chuckled again, but stopped when Emily walked into the room, smiling at them. Riley watched, amused, as her brother tried to smile and look cool at the same time. Emily frowned before joining her friends. Dan groaned and knocked back the rest of his champagne.
"Now you don't have anything to toast with," Riley said.
"Doesn't matter. I'd rather be drunk now."
"She came because Connor asked her."
"Do you have to remind me again? You crush my soul a little bit every time you do."
Riley shrugged. Dan had been in love with Emily Thomas for the past thirty-six hours—he would live.
Connor was next to wind his way from the kitchen into the living room. He stopped to talk with Emily and her friends, smiling easily and laying a casual hand on Emily's shoulder. Dan groaned again, and Riley felt her fingers go cold. Riley wasn't in love with Connor—she wasn't silly enough to think that you could love someone who didn't realize you were of the opposite sex—but she liked him, and for quite a bit longer than Dan had liked Emily.
