Greyson was the first one to hit home base. He had boarded the plane right after he showed his friend around. He tried calling me several times but his family kept on calling him. They all were calling him to tell him that he was insane and that he was a disgrace and that he was stupid. But he finally managed to get a call through to me. We stayed on the phone until he had to put it on airplane mode. He actually almost missed his flight because Dad had asked him something called a baklava ("What? It is really good!")

Joshua was next. He came in the midafternoon about a day after Greyson did. Greyson and I picked him up, Dad was too busy, and stopped by a restaurant in the First Colony called Dimassi''s. These people love Mediterranean food!

Dani was the last one. She actually came home earlier than expected. She told us that Alex had gotten a call from his boss saying that he needed to get his pretty little behind back to the office or he was going to be fired. Originally it was just going to be Alex coming home then the rest of them, but in the end they decided to scrap that plan and all come together.

They spent New Years Eve at my house. Dad has been at work since last night. The rest of us woke up at 4 in the afternoon and did anything to kill the time. We got so bored that at one point we were playing Go Fish back to back. Even though John Jaques Jr, the man who created the game Happy Families, a card game similar to Go Fish, intended this game to be a non-frustration game, even the sublestest arguments can occur. But what better way to wait for midnight than playing back to back intense, high risk rounds of Go Fish?

Finally, per tradition, we watched the Ball Drop happening in New York. I was situated between Greyson and Joshua on the big couch while Dani was on the armchair to our left. It is our usual setup for this special occasion, and the reason why is coming later. 

We listened to all the performances and the people drone on for hours on end. But finally at 10 seconds to midnight, the ball started to drop. The cameras managed to get every single person in Times Square into a shot or another, counting down until 0. Finally the ball hit the bottom and we watched all the people lose their minds. I have kind of honestly stopped caring for the New Year. I mean, everything is the same, except the number of the year, what is all the fuss about?

"Happy New Year," Greyson said. He was close to my ear, whispering this very softly. I could feel his nose pressed into my head, the breath tickling my hair. He grabbed my chin and turned my face towards him. He was leaning in for the special kiss that only comes once a year. There is a kind of tingle with this particular kiss, I couldn't help but smile a little excitedly. He was close, like an inch or so, but I knew it was too good to be true.

Every year, these two nimrods can't resist recreating Andrew Garfield's and Ryan Reynold's Golden Globes moment. Right at the perfect moment, when Greyson is just about to kiss me, Joshua will grab Greyson's face and just go for it. Right on the mouth, just no second thought. I sit under the two love birds while they are making out. And they don't just do a peck and call it a day, they are fully committed. Dani records the whole thing while laughing her head off. I think her secret ambition is to play all of our old and embarrassing pictures and videos at our weddings. After being best friends for I don't know how long we have enough pictures and videos to blackmail the other 3. It's amazing being here!

"Are you guys done yet?" I said as I laughed. The couple finally broke apart. We all laughed at how pink Joshua is in the face right now. Greyson cleaned his lips and kissed me. They both gave me a hug, Joshua still blushing very much. But it was hard to keep still because of how much we were all laughing.

We spent the rest of vacation doing dumb stuff. We went to the movies where Greyson and I had an intense argument about how much butter should go on your popcorn; Joshua had his first choco-taco despite it being 23 degrees out in Houston; We went thrifting where Dani found a vintage Rolling Stones t-shirt and a lot more in 8 days.

Right now we are chilling at Dani's house. Joshua had grabbed her guitar and was messing around with it, quietly laughing sporadically. You could see that he was kind of out of it. The smell could also give a hint. Dani had settled next to him, somehow managing not to be disgusted by the scent. She was trying to show him something but failed. The giggles eventually infested her too. They ended up just playing random things accompanied by Dani's beautiful singing.

I look at her while she sings "Your Song" by Elton John. Dani is that girl that is impossible to summarize. She is all over the place but she has her life together, all color coded and in alphabetical order. Could I try that out for at least 10 seconds, please? It would be a wonderful feeling.

However Greyson, on the other hand, is not so wonderful. He hit the gym after his short hiatus and was contemplating all his life choices. He is so sore that he could barely lift a finger. His cheeks are flushed, in the between of pink and red, that it looks kind of adorable on him. It looks like a toddler who has been running for hours on end and is now wanting to take a nap. He is in that state where you are sleeping but you are aware of what is going on; I want him to go to sleep but he is in that weird mood where he wants to drink a 4 pack of Monster and party all night.

"Can I come in?" asked a voice outside the door accompanied by 2 sharp knocks.

"Yeah," Joshua said with a giggle.

The secret prize door revealed Alex, Dani's older brother. He is 2 years older than us and in general a nice and cool guy. But, just like everyone else, he has his flaws.

"Does anyone have a charger?" he asked us as he typed out a novel on his phone.

Everyone shook their heads no but I came to the rescue. "I have one in my bag," I said. I picked it up and dug around to find it.

"Here," I said as I managed to hide the ridiculous amounts of receipts I hoarded. "Just give it back please."

The author finally looked up and got the charger. But he took it with a look of disgust. He looked at Greyson, who was dead and laying next to me, then at me, holding the charger out indicating for him to take it.

"Thanks," he said with his teeth gritted.

"Yeah... no problem." I said kind of nervously.

Alex was about to head out again but right then and there everything fell apart. Joshua accidentally strummed a string really loud and small laugh escaped his mouth, which caused to put all eyes them. Greyson said "Stupid" so quietly that only I could hear and I actually slapped my forehead. Alex turned around and saw the duo on the couch. Immediately we all saw the smoke come out of his ears.

"Daniella," he said sternly.

She ignored this.

"Daniella," he said again.

Dani tried to ignore it but his gaze was burning her. When it was too much she just scoffed and relocated to the comforts of her bed. Once she was under her comforters he nodded to her back and left.

"I don't have to remind you again," he said before he closed the door.

Joshua looked at the ground until Alex passed. Once gone all of his attention was on Dani. Every funny feeling in him was gone and replaced with a sense of longing. He looked at her so caringly; his eyes were looking sad and worried and you could literally see that his body was just itching to be closer to her. She had her back turned to him, and she was on her phone, but you could see clearly that her eyes were unfocused. The tension was strong in the air.

"Joshua," Greyson said abruptly. He shifted around so he could have a better look at Joshua.

"What?" he asked his best friend. He did not look at Greyson though - they were still on Dani.

When Greyson realized how focused Joshua was he resorted to other means. He took a receipt from my bag and crumbled it up. He picked up his sore arm and took an aim for his face. It hit his right eye but it did not deter the focus Joshua had. Every laugh and carefree thought had left him. Joshua was trying to say something but no voice was filling it in.

"Guys," I said as I got up. "Let's go."

Greyson immediately perked up, his eyes looking like they were ready to close. Joshua still had his gaze at Dani but she looked at us.

"Why?" she asked.

"Let's go," I said.

I walked over to Joshua and shook him back to Earth.

"What?" he asked again, finally looking at the person talking to him.

"Get up, you lazy bum." I picked up his arm and got him up. He looked at me, a question in his eye, and I nodded to it.

Greyson was the last one to get up, but the person with the most energy. It is not a lot, but it is more than the rest of us. We grabbed our stuff and headed out. We headed downstairs and tried to be very secretive as we left the house. Luckily everyone seemed to be in the living room. We got through unnoticed. But before I closed the door I heard some of the conversation spill.

"Papa, she is being careless."

"Alex, tú siempre estás sobre ella. ¿Cuál es la razón de ello?"

"Mama! Make Papa understand!" he said desperately.

The old woman in a nightgown held her hands in the air at her shoulder, as if she was backing out of the conversation, and said "Dejame en paz!"

Once everyone got out I tried to close the door very quietly but it didn't work all the way through. The snap was loud and carried over to the living room. I ran down the steps but before I could Alex burst the door open again. The others were getting situated in the car.

He looked at me then at the others. He passed me and went straight for the car. I ran behind him while Greyson got out. He got in front of Dani's door, not making it accessible. Alex had reached the car and was trying to open it but Greyson took his hands off.

"Hands off man," he said calmly. Alex was still trying to open it but Greyson was not letting him. I was standing at the side, hoping things won't escalate - again. When Alex was getting out of control Greyson pushed him into the grass.  It was not that hard of a push but nonetheless made Alex feel more provoked. He started like a madman but Greyson was able to fend for himself. Alex was about to hit Greyson but Greyson was able to grab his arm and pin it behind his back. Dani, at this point, got out of the car but used the door as her shield.

"Keep her away from that freak!" Alex said heatedly to Greyson. He was struggling to do anything but was moving around like crazy. He was trying to get out of Greyson's grip but could not. Greyson was also struggling but had the advantage of not having his arm pinned behind his back.

"That freak is my brother," Greyson simply said to his face. He pushed Alex again into the grass just looking annoyed. Alex rubbed his wrist and was muttering to himself. He turned around and instead of going to Greyson again he made it for me.

"If he does anything to her..." Alex said, letting the last bit fade. The hot breath was all over me. I had to take a step back to get out of the shade of the tower. Greyson came to us and turned Alex around to face him.

"If you have anything to say, say it to me won't you?" He stared hard at Alex which made him look away. He looked at me again, telling me everything silently. I looked past him and saw Dani. She was frozen, much like me at the dinner party, looking at this party. She had her mouth covering her hand looking scared. She didn't know whose side she was on: her blood or her water?

Finally Alex headed inside, saying things to the air that were inaudible to us. He finally got inside the house free from us. Greyson and I looked at each other before we went to the car. We all just sat there for a second before we left. We were sitting there quietly, Joshua's giggles lingering in the air.

"Where to?" Greyson asked me.

"Home," I said to him.

I looked in the rear view mirror and saw Dani at a loss. She had tears stuck in her lashes and her hand was covering his mouth. It is subtle but you should notice how uncomfortable she is. My eyes raced over to Joshua. He was looking out of the window, laughing at all the small things. My heart aches so badly for him. He is such a sweet guy but at the same time he is ruining himself slowly. There is a bright side, like it is not tobacco or anything really, really life changing, but this is bad too. We all tried to help him get off, tried to offer alternatives and treatment options, but at the end of the day it is his choice. He is going to have to live with the consequences, and the rest of us are just going to have to see how this plays out.

"Stop the car," Joshua said abruptly. We were at a red light but he looked so extremely car sick. Greyson pulled over to the side and parked. Joshua opened the door and threw up. Greyson and I looked into the back and we saw Joshua was pouring out his guts. Dani looked grossed out but she rubbed his back. I mean we have seen this happen a lot but it does not mean that it is disgusting.

After everything got out of his system he closed the door and passed out. He slumped into the seat and was sweating so much. We headed home after this. Dani just had to look away from him, tears protruding out of her eyes at this point. Greyson was focused and looking at me, the both of us having an entire conversation silently.

We got home and here comes the hard part. We got out beside Joshua, who was still in another world. Greyson opened his door and grabbed him, assisting him to the door. He put Joshua's arm around his neck and practically carried him to the door. We all got inside and shut the door behind us. Dani didn't let us console her, and just stepped outside on the deck. 

"Put him in the spare room," I said to Greyson as I watched her step out. 

"You sure?" he asked.

I looked to see if Dani had closed the door. "I can't put him on the couch. He isn't feeling good." He looked so pale yet so red at the same time. 

"Whatever you say." He took Joshua to the room and helped situate him. I went to the kitchen to get him water and some medicine.

I went to the room where Joshua was tucked into bed so peacefully. Greyson stood up and moved to the side. I sat on the edge and set the stuff on the nightstand.

"Joshua, wake up," I said, slightly nudging his shoulder. He woke up pretty fast, faster than his normal self, and looked so sick and dizzy. His eyes were very unfocused. I touched his cheek and it felt like fire. I sighed very deeply, helping him up. I poured him a glass and took out the medicine.

"Take this, please," I said, helping him. He took it and made a face when the aspirin hit his throat.

When he drank his water he said "Can I go talk to her?"

"Sleep first then you can," I whispered to him. 

"I just want to say something to her." He said it so quietly but I could hear the desperation in his voice. But I can't. I know he will say something that he will regret when it leaves his system. 

"I promise you can talk to her afterwards, but sleep first."

He thought about it and then said "Ok." He laid back down and went to sleep again. I got up and took Greyson with me. I stepped outside real quick to check on Dani, who said she come in later. I tried to get her to come inside but she said she wanted some fresh air. I gave up and left her to her own devices. We went upstairs and went to sleep ourselves. We changed, getting into bed very tiredly. I grabbed my phone and was scrolling through Twitter, trying to distract myself, while Greyson was looking at the ceiling.

"Is Dani going to be okay?" he asked me abruptly.

I looked up and thought about it for a second. I shut the phone and said "You know how Alex is about her."

He turned to his side and said "I know, but, like, he never lets the girl breathe."

"I mean I get where he is coming from. They are Catholics. And he is really, well... you know, the 'good girls wait till marriage', that whole mentality"

"That's the saying," he said with a small smile towards me. I looked at him, appalled once I get his small message.

"And what is that little smile for, Mr.?" I said in a Michelle Tanner manner.

"Nothing," he said as he looked at me.

"Hey, you know better than anyone that I still haven't."

"Did I say you did?" he said, while he kept on smiling towards me. He knows the truth though; Dad wouldn't let us go to bed together, or even close the door, if he knew Greyson wasn't that type of guy.

I exhaled at this response and looked away. Unwillingly, as I strangely looked at my camera, the recent events hit me again.

"What did Joshua take today?" I asked, a note of worry baked in there.

Greyson sighed and said tonelessly "The usual. He would have chewed on some gummies if I didn't throw them away."

"I thought he said he didn't like the taste." I remember how he acted with the gummies. It was like Sesame Street was all of a sudden doing heroin. 

"Yeah, but he said that he really needed it today. We fought for about 30 minutes about it but he eventually cooled off."

I sighed and said "I guess."

I was going to sit there, thinking about it, but I did not want to go down that rabbit hole right now. I directed the conversation towards another topic.

"Are you ready to go back to practice?"

"I had a funnel cake, fries, and Fanta all in one sitting during the break. Either I will be dead at practice or at Coach's hands."

I laughed at his poor choices. He smiled again, not looking forward to the future. We sat like that for a second before I laid down next to him. We calmed down and just listened to our thoughts. It was messy and jumbled up. It hurts to think, and I wish it would stop but it can't.

It is hard being like this. When you remanence on these years they looked so fun and that they were the best time to be alive, but in the moment it is nothing sort of torture at times.

"Grey-"

"I know," he said sadly. He looked at me and opened his arms. I inched into them, hoping it would comfort the hole in my soul. It helped a bit. The hole was covered, not fixed.

...

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