I was almost looking forward to the festivities; our ritual, if nothing else, was something familiar. Something that bridged the gap between the old world and the new one. Ryan Seacrest still looked pretty much the same, and Olivia’s house still looked pretty much the same, and with everything else being equal I could pretend that Dad was just inside.

That’s when June called.

This was unusual. Feeling extremely creepy – wondering if I had some sort of masturbatory wish-granting powers – I transferred my phone to my left hand just in case she was able to sense what I’d be doing with my right and answered on the fourth ring. ‘Hey, June,’ I sang to the tune of ‘Hey, Jude’. I was cooler over the phone.

‘Oh yes, serenade me.’

I laughed; hearing her voice calmed something in me that I hadn’t realized was uneasy.

‘So, question for you: what are you up to this evening?’

‘Oh, uh, nothing.’ Liar. ‘Not really. Me and Olivia were just gonna, uh, hang around. Why? What’s up?’

‘Well, I don’t wanna steal you from her or anything.’

‘No, it’s OK.’ More than OK. Steal me. Take me away.

‘I was going to ask if you wanted to go to a party and grab a coffee. Not, like, in that order.’

My voice, evidently, had decided its services were no longer required.

‘OK, my fault. Context,’ June replied to my silence. ‘Heath throws this big New Year’s party every year, and so I was wondering if you wanted to come. Oh, and since I was gonna pick you up I thought we could grab a coffee before. I guess? Do people get late afternoon coffee? We can. I do. Anyways. Offer’s on the table.’

‘I mean, yeah,’ I said, worried my inexperience was oozing through the receiver. ‘Yeah. Sounds fun.’

I sensed June raising an eyebrow. ‘You don’t sound convinced.’

‘What? No. No, I’d love to come, it’s just, I haven’t really been to many party-parties.’

‘That’s OK. I can show you the ropes.’

‘OK. OK. When? Now?’

‘Whoa! Eager! I appreciate your enthusiasm. I can pick you up around five? Stuff at Heath’s won’t start until later, but, you know.’

‘OK. Yeah, OK, cool. Nice.’

‘Do you have any other words of affirmation you’d like to share with the audience?’

My cheeks went red hot. ‘Positively.’

June laughed, and all of me lit up. ‘Oh, Whitaker. You goon. See you in a bit.’

‘’Kay. Bye.’

I hung up, tossed my phone on the floor and flopped on to my bed.

This was a wonderful turn of events.