By late morning, the apartment was alive with soft sunlight and the quiet rhythm of an easy day. Ariel and Holly moved slowly around the living room, gathering stray bits of wrapping paper, scooping up ribbons, and flattening the last of the empty boxes from Christmas. Ariel hummed along to a mellow playlist as she bundled up tissue and bows, occasionally tossing a wad of crumpled paper into Holly’s trash bag like it was a basketball shot.

  “Did you seriously use three different kinds of wrapping paper on the same gift?” Ariel teased, holding up a piece patterned with cartoon penguins.

  Holly grinned, shoving a big box flat with her foot. “Of course. Every good gift needs a little drama. And besides, I had to make sure you didn’t guess which one was the plushie.”

  Ariel popped a stray bow on Holly’s head, smirking. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Sinclair. Next year, I’m just wrapping yours in a grocery bag and calling it avant-garde.”

  Holly laughed, flicking a bit of tape onto the growing pile. “Go ahead, I’ll call it art.”

  They moved together, easy and close, enjoying the gentle routine of putting their world back in order.

  As Ariel tucked away the last of the tape, she glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, what do you think about having everyone over for New Year’s? Lila, Marissa, Jordan, Maddy… Just something relaxed. Board games, snacks, maybe a movie if people want?”

  Holly’s face lit up. “Yes! That’s perfect. We haven’t all hung out together in forever. I’ll text the group chat and see who’s in.”

  Ariel nodded, already picturing their friends filling the apartment. “We could do snacks and finger food, nothing fancy. Lila could bring that dip she likes, and Maddy always brings enough treats for a dozen people. I’ll bake something.”

  Holly knelt to scoop up a pile of ribbon, tossing it in the bag. “Marissa will probably bring those matcha cookies. I bet Jordan will want to play that ridiculous party game again.”

  Ariel grinned, feeling the beginnings of excitement. “I’m in. We’ll have the board games stacked and ready. And if anyone tries to talk me into karaoke, you have to be my backup.”

  Holly pointed at her, mock-serious. “Deal. But only if you promise not to start a game night riot when you win again.”

  Ariel shot her a smug look. “No promises.”

  The mess slowly disappeared, replaced by a bright, open living room that was ready for friends, laughter, and a new year’s fresh start. Holly looped her arms around Ariel from behind, chin on her shoulder, both of them beaming at the thought of their home filling with the people they loved.

  “New year, new memories?” Holly whispered.

  Ariel squeezed her hand. “Yeah. Let’s make it the best one yet.”

  Boxes broken down and trash bag tied, Holly flopped onto the couch and unlocked her phone. She tapped out a quick message to the group chat—Lila, Marissa, Jordan, and Maddy all in one long thread.

  Holly:

  “hey loves! thinking about a chill new year’s at our place! Snacks, games, lots of lounging. you all in? ????”

  It took all of thirty seconds for Jordan to reply:

  Jordan:

  “I’m there. I’ll bring my trivia cards.”

  Lila chimed in next:

  Lila:

  “Yes!! I’ll bring my spinach dip. Should I also bring games?”

  Marissa added a little heart and a simple, “Can’t wait. I’ll bring cookies and something sweet for drinks.”

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  Maddy, as ever, went all out:

  Maddy:

  “GAME NIGHT!!! I have the new expansion for Carcassonne and I’m not afraid to use it. Also, I will bring a bag of weird Japanese snacks. Prepare yourselves.”

  Holly showed the flurry of replies to Ariel, who was already scribbling ideas onto a sticky note.

  “Looks like it’s a full house,” Ariel said, smiling as she grabbed a notepad and started a list. “So, we’ve got cookies, dip, drinks, and a pile of games incoming. That leaves us with… something warm and easy? I could make those baked sliders again, or a big pot of soup.”

  Holly plopped down beside her, bouncing with excitement. “Do both! That way people can snack between rounds. I’ll set up a hot chocolate bar—marshmallows, peppermint sticks, the works.”

  Ariel grinned, scribbling it down. “And popcorn. Always popcorn. We’ll need plenty of little bowls for game fuel.”

  They moved around the living room, stacking their favorite board and card games on the coffee table, and Holly surveyed the lineup. “Should we do a tournament bracket? Or just play whatever people feel like?”

  Ariel pondered. “Let’s keep it loose. Let the chaos reign. If the party wants karaoke, we pivot. If the party wants blanket forts, we pivot.”

  Holly hugged her, swaying them both side to side. “Perfect. I’ll pull out extra blankets and pillows because the party definitely wants blanket forts. We’ll make this place feel like the coziest game den in Seattle.”

  Ariel laughed, feeling in tune with Holly’s confidence. “It definitely already is.”

  They finished planning, their list quickly filled with ideas, both the practical and the silly. The whole apartment buzzed with the anticipation of friendship, laughter, and ringing in the new year together.

  The next afternoon, the two of them bundled up and headed out into the post-holiday bustle. Seattle’s streets were still dusted with leftover snow, and every grocery store was half-packed with other people prepping for their own parties.

  Ariel pushed the cart with a kind of determined glee, while Holly flitted from display to display, already filling her arms with bags of kettle chips, cheese cubes, and three different varieties of fancy crackers.

  “We only need snacks for six people,” Ariel called after her, eyeing the mounting pile of treats.

  Holly held up a bag of popcorn in each hand: one sriracha, one caramel. “But what if everyone wants something different? Variety is key!”

  Ariel just laughed, tossing both bags into the cart. “Okay, but if we’re still eating this stuff in February, I’m blaming you.”

  They made their way through the aisles, gathering more than just the essentials:

  - Two types of dips (spinach-artichoke and spicy feta)

  - A party-size pack of frozen sliders

  - A wheel of brie “just because”

  - Enough crackers and breadsticks to build a small fort

  - Assorted veggies and hummus (to “make it look like we tried”)

  - Marshmallows, chocolate bars, and peppermint sticks for the hot cocoa bar

  - Four bags of popcorn (“We’ll need backup in case of a game-fueled snacking emergency,” Holly insisted)

  - A giant bag of party mix

  - A tray of bakery cookies and mini brownies

  - A last-minute addition of pocky and wasabi peas, courtesy of Ariel’s impulse section sweep

  In the beverage aisle, they debated sodas versus sparkling juice, then bought both, just in case. Holly insisted on picking up two kinds of hot chocolate mix—classic and white chocolate—while Ariel grabbed a bottle of non-alcoholic bubbly for the midnight toast.

  By the time they reached the checkout, their cart was overflowing and Holly was giddy, twirling a bag of gummy bears on her finger. Ariel looked at the pile and laughed, shaking her head. “Is this how adults prepare for parties? Because I feel like we’ve stocked a youth group lock-in and a gamer convention at the same time.”

  Holly just grinned, “Hey, it’s the new year. Go big or go home.”

  On the drive back, their little car was packed to the roof with snacks and laughter. Ariel drove, still teasing Holly about her chip obsession, while Holly made plans for a “mystery dip sampling game” and debated the merits of having a pre-party snack before the actual party.

  By the time they carried everything up to their apartment, they were both a little breathless, their arms loaded with enough treats to feed a dozen friends. The whole place smelled like fresh bakery and chocolate, their kitchen counters quickly disappearing beneath the mountain of party supplies.

  Holly turned, flushed and bright-eyed. “I know we went overboard, but… this is going to be the best game night ever.”

  Ariel, already tearing open a bag of mini brownies, just nodded. “Absolutely. And if it isn’t, at least we’ll have snacks for months.”

  They high-fived, then dove into sorting, stacking, and prepping—ready to ring in the new year surrounded by laughter, games, and the comfort of their found family.