“It’s New Year’s Eve,” Kevin said through the phone. “I know you don’t have work tomorrow, why won’t you come over?”
“Because,” Anthony said. “This last year was terrible; I’m not celebrating a new one. The whole thing can go stuff itself.” Anthony pulled a bottle of scotch of the shelf and put it in his cart.
“A new year represents new beginnings, a chance for things to be better.”
“Or a chance for things to get even worse. Over the last year my girlfriend of four years broke up with me, my father died, I was fired twice, and had four cavities filled. I’m in no hurry to get into another year where maybe my sister will die, I’ll get an arm amputated and finally just get blown up with buying new pens. I’m not coming over so just go get drunk with Emily.”
“Tony,” Anthony hung up on Kevin. Anthony wandered around the super market for a little longer before he checked out. Beer, Doritos, and a box of tissues. Anthony grabbed his bag and went to his car.
Back at his apartment Anthony unloaded his “groceries” and sat on the couch. He was not sure what to watch so he flipped through the channels for a while. At five minutes before midnight Anthony took a bathroom break. While washing his hands there was a beep from his watch, “I won’t say it, not even to my self,” Anthony muttered.
He stepped out of the bathroom to the sound of announcers describing a crowd. “I thought I had left it on a western movie,” Anthony said as he walked back towards the living room.
But there, sitting on his couch, was Julie.
“There you are,” She said. “You just missed the ball drop, couldn’t you have waited a few more minute to use the toilet?”
“What are you doing here?” Anthony asked.
“Pouring another glass of wine,” Julie said with a smile. “And if you behave you can still get that midnight kiss I promised.”
“Is this some kind of joke?” Anthony asked. “I haven’t seen you for months and now you just drop in to make fun of me?”
“Months? I’ve been here all night, we planned this last Friday,” Julie said. “Maybe you’ve had enough to drink. Let’s just go to bed, maybe you’ll remember things better in the morning.”
“Go to bed?” Anthony said. He was almost shouting. “You stopped sleeping with me weeks before we broke up and what, now you’re here because you couldn’t find a date for New Years? That’s pretty pathetic.”
“Why do you keep talking about breaking up?” Julie asked. “Are you going to leave me?”
“Leave you,” Anthony replied. “In June you couldn’t get rid of me fast enough. I was devastated, I spent weeks barely able to eat. I thought we were going to spend the rest of our lives together, but after my Dad’s funeral you started getting distant. Just when I needed you most you left me.”
“Your dad’s funeral?” Julie said. “Anthony, we’re seeing him tomorrow for your family’s New Year’s Day party.”
“We,” Anthony said, “aren’t going anywhere.” His phone started to buzz in his pocket. Anthony was desperate for anything to let him look away from Julie, who was on the verge of tears, so he turned away from her and answered the call.
“Hey sport,” a familiar voice said. “Just wanted to call and wish you a happy New Years!”
Anthony couldn’t believe his hears. His feet went numb and his fingers started to get cold. “Dad?”
“Your mother’s already headed to bed so it’s just me. Hey, you and Julie are still going to be at the party tomorrow, right?”
“Dad, this can’t be you,” Anthony said in bewilderment.
“How much have you had to drink? Of course it’s me! Anyway, I’ll see you at the party tomorrow, lots of love.” There was a click and the phone was silent.
Anthony looked at his phone as the home screen reappeared. He saw the calendar app. It clearly showed a ‘1’. He tapped it and looked at the calendar.
“That can’t be right, it should say Sunday…” he said. To his amazement the calendar showed him that it was still the previous year. “Does this mean I’ve got a second chance? Can I change things?” Anthony turned around to with a smile to greet Julie, but as soon as he did he heard the front door slam. Julie’s coat and purse were gone.
