1/1/2015; Day One
let them talk 'cause we're
dancing in a world alone
This could have been my first New Year out. Haze had settled in from the fireworks going off for the past hour, and it was around 2 am. The refrigerator at home had been emptied, and my jeans were tight and my shoes were nice, and I was ready.
Julianna was waiting at the gas station, like we had planned this for days, and we had.
It was shockingly chilly, and we were sufficiently dressed.
This is where we all lost and found each other. We picked up Regina from her place, speeding through empty streets and a strangely lively EDSA, beside cars possibly filled with late bloomers like us. After that, I saw Judd and Nissy, and many other friends at Black Market, and suddenly it was 5 am, the latest I had been out of the house for awhile. Friends- or whatever you call some of them- had come and gone, and I'd hear stories of people coming home later that day past noon, but the four of us piled into my car and headed home.
Regina.
Judd.
I called for her to wait, because photos at 5 am are rare, rarer still on a day like this.
Nissy and a Family Mart pitstop.
We were very happy to be here.
Everything was still when we got to Judd's street.
Nissy had this great little Lindsay Lohan inspired alcohol monitoring ankle purse. She said it could only fit lipstick and money. It made a lot of sense.
It was quiet as we hung outside to talk, like everyone had gone to sleep, except for the people in clubs, and the three of us.
Judd's family had gone home to Olongapo, so we had the house to ourselves.
This obviously meant partial nudity. We stayed like this for awhile.
It was finally getting light out, and I had to leave for home. Nobody knew I was out, but I figured they'd sleep in at least once a year.
Before I left, cigarettes.
And debris from the night before.
And streetlights switching off around us on the first day of the year.
Funnily, I'm horrible at writing about beginnings, because most of the time it's the endings that get to me. But something about that morning finally felt new.
The drive home was brief and blue.
And after fulfilling some family obligations like actually having lunch with them, and smiling, and throwing on another red shirt, and looking like I slept all night, I was back at Judd's.
It was great.
