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Boom. Boom. Boom. Fireworks blasted through the sky, illuminating the dark night sky with a dazzling spectrum of colours. It was a chill night, with a soft breeze blowing through the air every so often. In the distance, celebration and fanfare sounded through the air; people dancing, singing, and yelling with glee. A clock displayed on a large screen affixed to rather large and ornate stage. It was 11:50pm on December 31st; the New Year was nearly here!
Mr. Tickle and Mr. Tall stood on a hill a short way from the commotion, watching as the sky was lit ablaze with from the celebratory fireworks. Various flashes of various shapes and sizes, each building up to the finale.
“Hard to believe we’ve known each other for so long,” Mr. Tall commented, not tearing his eyes away from the fireworks display. Mr. Tickle gave a soft chuckle in response.
“Time flies!” the orange Mr. Man added, letting out a sigh. “It really flies…”
Mr. Tall was quick to pick up on the sudden drop in his voice, turning his focus over to his orange friend.
“Everything okay?”
Mr. Tickle briefly glanced up at the taller Mr. Man before looking back towards the sky.
“I’m fine…” he said. “Just, I don’t know… Scared I guess.”
“Scared?” Mr. Tall slid down until he sat upon the damp grass, maintaining his focus on his orange friend.
Mr. Tickle glanced over at him before quickly averting his eyes once more. He wasn’t quite sure how to put it, and he almost felt ashamed of his fears, although he wasn’t entirely sure why. He’d been able to get through other New Years celebrations just fine, but for some reason he now felt a dread swelling up in his body. He ended up sliding himself to the ground, joining Mr. Tall in the grass.
“Scared of the New Year…” the orange Mr. Man managed to choke out. “So much has changed already. I don’t know if I’m really prepared for this…”
“What’s got you feelin’ like this now?” Mr. Tall inquired.
“This whole ‘new decade’ thing I guess? I guess everything changing so much didn’t really get to me until now…” Mr. Tickle looked down toward the grass and fiddled with his fingers, letting his wild swarm of thoughts swirl through his head. “I just… It’s already been several years since I moved to Dillydale and even longer since we split up, and I’m still trying to process that change. An entirely new decade just means things will change even more! I’m not ready to leave things behind…”
“You’re not leaving anything behind.” Mr. Tall said, looking back up towards the storm of fireworks. “Things are simply changing and moving, and you’re changing and moving with them.”
“But things still end up being different…” A frown formed on Mr. Tickles face, his brows furrowed.
“You change with the things around you, Ticky. Things may be different, but so are you! Y’know, growth and all that…” Mr. Tall turned his gaze down toward the grass as well. “We’re all learning and growing, and change is only a natural result of that. Your experiences and memories all build up into the things around you and who you are now, whether by your choice or not. Without those experiences, you would have never found yourself where you are now, and without change, you’ll miss out on any new good you may find for yourself in the future. That’s why I think it’s important to appreciate the good while it lasts; at the very least it will always remain in your heart for as long as you hold onto if, even if it‘s long since disappeared.”
Mr. Tickle looked back up, glancing toward his blue friend, an eyebrow slightly raised.
“Since when did you become so insightful?” the orange Mr. Man asked with a slight chuckle.
“I grew.” Mr. Tall simply stated, returning Mr. Tickle’s glance
The orange Mr. Man blinked, finding his eyes drawn to the firework laden sky once more. He found himself pondering on Mr. Tall’s words for a moment, the dread he felt almost seemingly melting away. It was somehow reassuring to him.
The firework barrage was beginning to build as the seconds went by, midnight drawing closer and closer. The two soon found themselves intently listening to the crowd below cheering out the seconds, all while watching the colours flash before their eyes.
“10! 9! 8! 7! 6!”
Mr. Tickle looked back towards Mr. Tall, a small smile growing on his face. They had been close to each other for so long, and the two were always there for each other in their times of need. He was happy to have been able to spend the last New Year celebration of the decade with his best friend.
“5! 4! 3! 2! 1!”
Almost on impulse, Mr. Tickle nearly lunged at his blue friend, extending his arms and embracing him in a tight hug. Mr. Tall was startled by this, but soon returned the hug as he began to laugh. Mr. Tickle joined in, muttering out a “thank you” as the sky was almost entirely lit up with colour and the roars of the crowd below sounded through the air.
“Happy New Year!”