We have learnt throughout our lives that lying is a bad habit but after living in this strange world, you tend to adopt it. I could lie to anyone for any reason but,

Lying was something I could not easily do in front of Emma.

I was sitting at my desk with a word document open on the screen. I had to start on my essay but I was nowhere into writing because I had to come up with a good excuse to go out. Not like Emma needs to know but you know the feeling.

I could say I need to stay for the library for extra research but she knows I'm never the kind to go into a library.

I had no practical excuse to give her so I'll just go. I'll just tell her that I want to go for a walk and by the time I come back, she'll be fast asleep. That should be fine.

---

I dressed in some casual top over my jeans and had my boots on because there was snow on the roads. I let my hair in a loose ponytail just to appear like I'm going out for a walk.

Emma was sitting on her bed with her laptop on her lap. She had her eyes on me and I could see it from the mirror I was standing in front of. I took my leather jacket and tucked my phone into my pocket.

"I'm just going out for a walk." I turn to Emma. She looked at me for a minute and then nodded her head. I grinned to myself in my mind and walked to the door.

"Will that leather jacket alone do for the cold weather outside?" She stopped me with her question. "Yeah, I'll be fine with it. Don't wait for me to have dinner, I might take time." I inform her.

"That's one hell of a walk." She comments, I chuckle. "See you later, Emma." I say and walk out of the room and close the door behind me.

I walked downstairs and on to the main road and stopped at a curve to get a taxi. I got one in the next ten minutes, another minute and I would have become a popsicle.

I let my hair out from the ponytail I made and set it with my hand. I waited for the driver to reach the road that would lead me to Brandon's building.

I paid my fare to the driver when he stopped in front of the building. I stepped out and looked at the building in awe. Brandon, a year senior to me, was a rich guy and his parents gave him an apartment along with his twin, Brian. Rich as in, they could afford to have an apartment in their name in Midtown Manhattan.

The doorman greeted me and directed me to the elevator and told me that the apartment was on the twenty-fifth floor. I thanked him and stepped into the elevator and pressed the button that had the number '25' engraved on it.

I checked myself in the mirror and settled my hair better and settled my leather jacket right.

The elevator doors opened and I walked to my right. The last door on this side was the apartment I was to be in. I rigorously rang the bell, one ring on the bell would never be heard between all the loud music.

A drunk boy opened the door. Ignoring him, I walked in and let myself get comfortable to the environment I was going be in for the night.

"You're here! I thought you might have dropped the thought of coming." I turn around to see Justin in his lovely green full sleeve t-shirt. I felt as if only Justin had the right to wear green because he knew how to wear a fabric that was green in colour.

"Have I ever stepped back from any party?" I lean forward to greet him with a hug, he hugged me and we pulled away.

"I might need your help." Justin looked really shy, I nod my head indicating to him to continue. "I need a girl for the night or something. You know how much of a loner I am." He asked me. I shook my head in denial.

"I'm not doing that," I say and walk towards the drinks. "Please, Holly! I don't want to be a loner." He whines as he followed me.

"Justin, I'm a loner as much as you are and I am hopeless at being your "wingman" so you are on your own." I turn and tell him. His face showed disappointment but what I said was a fact.

"Now I'm heading over to the drinks and you head over to a girl and work your charms." I pat his shoulder. He nodded his head and let out a sigh before turning to his right. Once he disappeared among the people I turned again to the bar.

Brandon and Brian's apartment was a club right now. You have a bar counter to get the drinks of your choice. The apartment was so full that you could not walk to the other end without bumping into someone.

The twins were of legal age to drink but their guests were close or not even close to it.

I stood by the counter and waited for the bartender to get free from the people he was serving. When he was done, he noticed me and came to where I was standing.

"Good evening gorgeous." He charmed me with his bright smile. "It has been a long time since we last met." Yes, I recognise this guy, he's the famous student bartender who studies during the day and plays with alcohol in the night.

"Indeed it has. Got caught on to some stuff for a bit." I reply with a small smile. "I like that jacket you're wearing. Where did you get it from?" He asked me as he stared at my jacket.

"Uh, Topshop I guess." I shrug. "My boyfriend keeps telling me that I should get one but between my schedule, it's hard to shop." He tells me. He directed another bartender to attend to the people that came in for refills of their drink.

"Tell him to get it for you as a gift." I suggest. "I could do that." he nods his head with a smile. "So, what can I get you?" He asks me.

"I -" "She'll have a Bloody Mary." I heard a guy stand next to me order for me. I turn to see the person I hate to stand next to me.

"Sam, I'll have a Blue on Blue." I tell him and he turned to fix my drink.

"What are you doing here? Find someone else's pants to get into." I spoke without looking at him.

"Oh Holly, we can't ignore each other when we have the same course and same mind at many things. Plus, it's just a second chance that I'm asking for." He sounded a little drunk.

"I regret high school because of you. A second chance is beyond any universe." I mutter.

"You're wearing a leather jacket." I felt his hand on my back, moving slowly down to my waist. I move away from his touch. "You know how I get turned on by that." He leans forward to look at me.

"Everything turns you on." I heard him chuckle.

"Daniel, which part of "we're over." do you not understand?" I turn to him. "I know you miss me, Holly." He moved closer to me. "Not even in my wildest dreams," I reply and take my drink that Sam placed on the counter. "Find someone else to pleasure because we were done a long time ago." I push him aside and walked away.

I walked a little away from him. Emma always wonders why Daniel keeps annoying me or comes to me but that's his nature. He had many to fall on his feet and satisfy his needs but he always had to have a word with me. Keeping that thought aside, I drank my drink and met up with a few of my acquaintances.

I wasn't thinking right when I ordered my drink. I enjoyed the drink but I kept wanting more. Trying to forget everything that happened last week for the night, I kept going back for more drinks.

I knew that tonight may not turn out very good. That also meant I wasn't going back to my room at a decent hour.

I ignored my thoughts and let the alcohol consume me and moved to music that played loud.

-----

"You have no idea how much more I like you now."

"Well, this was one way of telling you that will never do anything to upset you."

Am I at a movie? These dialogues are so weird to hear.

I tried to open my eyes and I was welcomed to bright sunlight on my face.

Great, now New York wanted to be bright and sunny!

"Look who finally decided to wake up!" I heard someone say. She sounds just like Emma.

"That's because it is Emma, Holly Anne Winters!" She yelled. That sure was Emma. Did I say that out loud?

"Could you not yell? My head hurts." I slowly managed to sit up in bed and I found Emma sitting at the end of my bed. "It's called a hangover. That is no new word to you." She looked so angry at me.

"Emma, calm a little. Let her get out of it." I heard a male voice. "I'm not going to. She lied and went to a party." She replied to whoever that was.

"Emma, it was just a party for Christ's sake," I mumbled and rubbed my eyes.

"Don't bring Christ into your defence." She warned me. "See, I hate it when she gets all drunk and for all I know, that Daniel must have been there to annoy." I frown, well she knew things a little better maybe.

"Emma, she'll be fine with one cup of tea or some meds or something." He said again.

"I'm not doing any of that, Ryan." So it was Ryan! What was he doing here? Did he stay the night here with Emma?

"Just get her a lemon tea or something, babe," Ryan told Emma. She got up from the bed and walked to the kitchen to fix me a cup of tea.

Just get me some Advil or Aspirin or whatever it is called.

"Here, take an Advil for a headache." Ryan gave me a tablet along with some water and then sat on Emma's bed.

"The invitation for the party was the team and it was open to many. I was there as well and later when I was about to leave, I found you completely drunk and dancing like a maniac." I looked at him after having the tablet. "I couldn't leave you there like that so I somehow got you home." He tells me.

"It must have been hard. I'm really mad when I'm drunk." I chuckle and say.

"It was at first, but when you got here you were asleep. I could not have bothered but I knew that the girl I'm going out with will never agree to go out with me if I do not treat her best friend like my sister." I laugh a little.

Things people do when their hearts are weak because they've fallen for someone.

Emma came back with two mugs in her hand. She handed one to Ryan and the other to me. She sat on my bed, facing me. What is she going to get by looking at me?

"You heard, there are guys that care." She pointed out to me.

"Oh, so now you hear the conversation in kitchen other times you say you can't hear." I frown. "I never said that." She snapped, I smirk and then took a sip of my tea. I place my mug on my nightstand and looked at Ryan.

"Ryan, thank you for bringing me here. You could have just -" "Don't continue that. Any friend or brother would do that and I just brought you home." Ryan stops me. "It would be dangerous if you came here by taxi, considering how drunk you were." He tells me, like a brother. I nodded my head and took my mug for another.

"How do I repay for this good gesture?" I ask him.

"It cost me nothing to be nice. Don't worry about it." He smiled.

There was silence between the three of us. Ryan and I concentrated drinking our tea and Emma seemed to have travelled to a different place in between this.

"There is a way you can repay him." Emma spoke up. Both Ryan and my attention shifted to Emma.

"It was Ryan's idea." She begins.

"No Emma, it was just a thought." Ryan stops her. "I know it was a thought but I want to work that out. I made a promise that Holly will see a different winter this year and I'd like to start with Thanksgiving." Emma tells him.

"What about Thanksgiving?" I ask. Emma knew how I wasn't a fan of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I may have been one if my parents actually had time to spend some quality time as a family for these two occasions, they chose its parties to keep others happy.

"Look, I want you to have a great Christmas this year and I don't know how I can do that because I'm heading home for it but we could spend Thanksgiving together." Emma tells me in calmness in her eyes. I did not respond to her words.

"Ryan came up with an amazing idea of going for a Thanksgiving dinner together!" She got all excited.

Thanksgiving dinner, with the three of us? No, that doesn't sound very nice.

"I don't think it's a good idea. I mean it's going to be, I do not want to come in between you two. You should go together." I tell both of them.

"You won't be plus, Ryan might have a date for you." She sings and looks at me with a big smile.

Of course, she's promised that I will have "good" guy this winter too.

"It's actually my roommate. He's a nice guy and he isn't very comfortable with many people around him." Ryan speaks up.

"And what makes you think I will be a good example for him to get comfortable?" I ask him. "You're fine Holly. You just show to be a mean person, but you aren't." He looks at me. "But it depends on you if you want to come for dinner." I nod my head with a small smile.

It's a lovely Sunday afternoon and Ryan left our room around one. Emma got some lunch ready while I got myself freshened up.

When we sat down for lunch on our beds, I apologized for not telling her and I told her all that happened. All about Daniel and my Blue on Blue drink addiction.

Although after hearing what Daniel has been up to, she decided that I really need to get a boy in my life. She was persistent, that's a better word I think, and getting a boy for me was the solution.

Daniel's only problem was that he always wants to win but he didn't get enough from me or I left him making him feel like he lost.

----

It was an unusually pleasant Thanksgiving Thursday and Emma and I was walking into Ryan's building.

Unusual because the weather was pleasant and you can survive even without a jacket.

Emma wore a long white and dark magenta dress which seemed to fit the "Thanksgiving " theme while I wore a half-sleeved green sweater dress and stockings and some high boots.

We took the elevator and checked ourselves out in the elevator mirror. Emma wasn't happy with my dress but I was beyond happy with it.

The elevator door opens and we got out. Emma knew the room, I just walked along with her. I heard a few whistles and got stares from guys and girls who were standing in the hallway.

We stopped in front of a door. Emma knocked on the door and we waited till Ryan answered the door. The door opened and so did our jaws.

We were welcomed by a shirtless Ryan.

Well-toned body with six packs that could be clearly visible from a good distance and his hair was messy but even then, he looked extremely attractive. My Emma did choose someone really good.

"Answer the door with a shirt on at least!" I heard someone yell and I saw another figure standing next to Ryan. Ryan took the shirt that was given to him and started wearing right in front of us.

The boy turned to see us and I was surprised. I knew Ryan's roommate.

"Oh, we meet again, Holly Anne." He gave me a pleasant smile.

"Jasper." I give a pleasant smile as well.

I could feel someone stare at me. I turned to Emma who looked at me, curious and must be wondering how I knew Ryan's mate.

----