Okay… you might’ve been regretting your choices just a little bit.

Charlie’s family was wealthy, and with that wealth came connections. That meant a Christmas party was always held like clockwork to celebrate the upcoming year. Of course, it wasn’t all bad at first. I mean, being out of school was a plus in itself, and the atmosphere was quite nice.

Sure, the almost mansion of a house was pretty intimidating, but the presence of the guys helped calm you down… mostly.

Eventually, though, the sea of wealthy parents and business partners and random snobby teens had begun to overwhelm you. You’d pushed through what felt like a million bodies until you were in a second kitchen, one which was thankfully empty other than a couple people passing here and there.

Ten minutes of trying to calm yourself down later, Charlie came rounding the corner into the kitchen space. A look of recognition briefly crosses his features, “You know the party’s in there, right?” he asks amusedly, pointing a thumb behind him.