It's easy to find Kyle during the party because he's the DJ.

Outside in the backyard, there is a giant jumbo screen, with flashing internet memes, gifs, and some kind of weird swirl of colors. He's on a small stage, wearing a giant metal helmet with cat ears on it. An LED screen on it shows blinking eyes and it's even more ridiculous looking with the sparkling purple suit he has on.

I'm watching the entire event from my bedroom window, and it's hypnotic. People dancing to the beat, the flashing lights, and the sporadic fireworks going off throughout the neighborhood makes it feel like a fancy TV commercial. It doesn't help that almost everyone at the party tonight has been in a commercial, and I start to get nervous again.

I got all dressed up, and I'm at the party, but I'm still lonely without Anne and Nick.

"It's the New Year," I tell myself. "Time to nut up, Charles."

I pre-game by taking a few shots, smack my face a bit to wake up, and I'm ready to show my best self.

I double-check my outfit and leave my room to a full hallway of people with familiar faces but none of which I know their names. They're drunk, and happy to see me, because they're drunk, and weirdly I go along with it.

"Nice to meet y'all," I tell the men in the hallway.

"Oh! I love your accent," one of them says.

I grin, used to the compliments about my accent.

"Y'all all sound like you got accents to me," I reply.

They laugh, and soon the topic turns to accents and travel, and where they're going to vacation that summer. They all travel for work apparently, and they all seem to know each other.

"Y'all look familiar, do I know you from somewhere," I ask.

They all give each other looks, and funny grins, and then bust out laughing.

"We're 'adult entertainers', " the tall one says.

I try not to make a weird face, but my face twists up anyway, and they all start laughing again.

"My name is Angel, this is Rusty, and that is Onyx."

"Everyone in this town makes me feel like my name just ain't it," I laugh. "My name is Charles."

"We're so happy you like our work," Rusty says.

He looks at me and I feel like he is undressing me with his eyes. I want him to keep doing it but I don't even think I should be talking to any of them, especially if people find out where I recognize them from.

"It was nice meeting you," I mumble. "Gotta go..."

They laugh again when I leave and I am so happy they cannot see me twist my face again in embarrassment. I make a mental note to clear my browser history while I try to go down the spiral staircase. People are sitting, talking, and draping themselves over it. Even the way they loiter looks glamorous and I start to believe I'm really in a commercial.

When I get to the foyer, I see a beautiful woman in a crowd of people. Something about her seems familiar so I go to see what's happening. She's wearing a long dress that is glittery and falls onto the floor, and her blue hair is up with some fancy crown on. I stare and stare until I notice the piercing and then I realize.

"Star is that you," I exclaim.

"I was waiting for you to notice," he said. "I felt like being pretty tonight when I decided to prepare myself for next year's mistakes."

Everyone laughs and he continues to tell some story about the time that he ran away from the police during a protest that turned into a riot. At first, I think I have heard this story already, but then as the story goes on it is a different riot that he somehow was in.

"You're gonna get yourself hurt being in the wrong place at the wrong time," I tell him.

"I am always at the wrong place at the right time," he replies. "You have not lived until you have thrown a brick during a fire downtown."

"Oh gosh, you are so bohemian," a woman says. "Come home with me. I want to keep you like a pet."

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She is very drunk and rubs Star's arm as if she is petting a small rabbit. I grin while Star explains that he is not interested in women, and then laugh when the drunk woman says she simply wants to keep her in her house.

"You need some water to sober up. Girl, you can't keep me in your house," Star said.

"Rich folks in L.E. do it all the time," I explain. "Ky- I mean, DJ KayFi lets me stay here for free."

"Excuse me," Star says.

He leans in like I am saying something insane, but in this town it's quite normal. Or maybe it's normal with all the celebrities in this part of town? I'm not sure. The more I try explaining it the weirder it seems to Star, and the more the other people in the crowd laugh. The drunk woman is still petting him like a rabbit, trying to take Star home, and he is slowly coming around to the idea of it.

I tell them goodbye and go up the crowded stairs again to my room. I need to use the bathroom and get an energy drink from my mini fridge. When I opened my door I saw a light from my bathroom and got annoyed with myself because I forgot to lock the door. I lock it on my way in, and sit on my bed, waiting for the stranger inside to finish up.

When the person walks out I feel as if he has walked in on me and the other way around.

A built, older man in a tuxedo exits. He's very handsome, with grey streaks in his hair and his eyes seem that sort of mixture of green and brown with blue that you can't quite place what color it is.

"I couldn't find an empty bathroom, somehow in this house," the man said. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Call of nature."

"That accent, where are you from," he asks.

I laugh and am no longer upset about the stranger using my restroom. Maybe because he is handsome.

"I ain't from anywhere you'd know," I say.

"Try me."

"Edelweiss."

"A handsome man is from a town of pretty flowers," he replies. "Sounds about right."

"How did you know it's a flower?"

He goes on to tell me about his hobby, and his love of flowers. He bought a large house specifically for a large garden, and for a moment I feel like he is a normal man, until he tells me he bought a small chain of flower shops just so he can pick whatever he likes at any time.

"I've been talking too long, you're probably tired of listening to an old man," he says. "Tell me about yourself."

I'm suddenly self-aware. I think about how he called me handsome, how we are alone together, and that he is too nice compared to most of the rich men in this town.

"I uh, I'm just a guy, y'know," I say. "Name's Charlie and I write songs."

"I'm William. Nice to meet you."

He shakes my hand, and I offer him some whiskey and vodka on my shelf. We drink and talk, and I tell him about the past half year I've spent in L.E. Unlike everyone else though, when I tell him about what I want to do with my life, he doesn't laugh. He takes me seriously. Everyone in this town wants to be famous, and so many people come from all over, to the point that I feel embarrassed whenever I tell people, 'I can sing'.

"Where did you learn how to sing," William asks.

"Church."

I take a shot of vodka because it is a shame I am still sober this late night. He has a glint in his eyes when he looks at me and I am prepared for The Question.

"Can you sing for me," he asks, like everyone else.

"You'll have to pay to first!"

"Fleecing an old man, I see."

"I steal candy from babies as well."

He chuckles and demands to hear me sing again. I relent because the drink is finally hitting, and I'm feeling warm all over. Better sing one last song before the year ends.

I open my top dresser drawer and try looking for my guitar, but then realize I am not sober, and it cannot fit in there. I look right next to it, and find the blue one there, next to a stack of old records.

"Move over," I mumble. "Gotta sit to play."

He scoots down the bed, and I play my favorite song, God Only Knows. Lines crinkle around William's pretty eyes, and his teeth are so white it burns. I miss a few chords, but I don't think he can tell because I never stop playing and never stop singing, a true performer even when my head is swimming.

When I'm done he opens his wallet and gives me a hundred dollars.

"I can't take this," I say. "It feels illegal."

"You said I have to pay to hear you sing," he replies. "I'm supporting an up-and-coming singer!"

"No," I slur."Never."

"How about my card," he offers. "So I can pay you for more time? I like our time together."

I do not understand what he is implying and confuse his proposition with networking. He gives me a business card, and he has a separate card too for his personal number.

Loud shouts echo through the house, and the countdown begins. I take another shot with William and pump my fists in the air while waiting for the big surprise that Kyle promised for tonight.

Giant fireworks soar throughout the neighborhood when the clock strikes 12. William and I walk out to my balcony and watch them from outside. He leans in close and hugs me, and I lean into his chest because he is warm and my mind is hazy.

"Are you drunk," he asks.

"I pre-gamed!"

"This isn't a football match," he laughs.

"Always drink before the party in case the food is shit," I say drunkenly.

"This is your home," he laughs again. "You decided on the food!"

"I am the house pet. I did not choose the food!"

"Time to go inside," he sighs.

He takes me inside, worried I'll fall over the railing, but I don't care. I try to escape outside to the beauty of the blinding lights, but he grabs me tight from behind. He's crazy strong and it surprises me.

"Sit down, please," he begs.

"No!"

He leans over me, puts his face on my shoulder and I try to stay upright. His head moves up to my neck and I'm excited how warm his breath is on my ears.

"You've got to sober up," he says. "I don't want to kiss you while you're drunk."

"Sir, I can't kiss you," I tell him.

"Yes, you're drunk."

"No, because it's illegal. I can't have three people."

He is now done with my nonsense and pushes me onto the bed. I think he is going to change his mind about kissing me, but he takes an empty cup to the bathroom and returns with some water.

"Drink or else you'll feel it in the morning," he tells me.

I do as he says, and I lie down on the bed because the room is spinning and for the first time in a long time, I have overestimated my tolerance. I didn't eat much today anyway.

When I wake up I feel it in the morning like he warned me. I feel like a horny idiot and almost believed the entire thing was some weird sex dream until I find his card in my pocket.

I make a bad decision and do not throw it away.