Home for the Summer (BOYXBOY)

13 | I Like You

The night had crept around us and, by the time we finished half the bottle, it was suddenly pitch black. Normally, I'd be terrified, but vodka seemed to settle my nerves. 10 PM was normally the time of day where confessions spilled like our mouths were unable to contain the words and we soon found the situation was amplified when drunk.

"I'm scared that I'm going to end up homeless when I'm older," said Benji.

"I used to cry everyday," Nicolas confessed later on.

"I get these horrible chest pains every night where I think I'm going to die," I said.

Nicolas seemed to find this interesting, because he rolled over in the sand until his hip was touching mine. "Yeah, I get really bad nightmares called night terrors all the time."

"Is that normal?"

"Chest pains?" Nico asked. "Or night terrors?"

Benji kept shooting me these looks that I couldn't understand, but I'm sure were hinting toward something to do with Nicolas and I. We had been a bit touchy throughout the night: Random hugs, leaning against one another, that sort of thing, but I think it may just be because Nico was a very clingy drunk. It was like we were magnetized.

I wasn't exactly sure what the plan was since it was already sort of late, but we were sloppily laying under the stars and blabbering on about nothing. At one point, Nico said something hilarious and I began to laugh harder than I think I ever have. He then fell over me, one hand on either side of my face and just stared at me. This made me laugh harder but his eyes looked so brown right then. I wished I could've taken a photo and stared at it for hours.

"I thought I was going to be miserable here," Nicolas mumbled toward no one in particular. It was even later into the night now. "I thought I would hate being back."

I twisted to face him. "Why?"

"Cause, it sort of reminds me of when I was young. I don't like most parts of my childhood," he met my eyes before giving a weak, drunken smile. "But, I like you."

"I like you too," I responded, but the words felt different in my mouth than his did ringing through my ears. I liked him, which is a weird thing to say to your friend. Nobody says that sort of thing out loud. Or, maybe, nobody says that sort of thing sober.

"Anyway, I'm not miserable. In fact, these last couple of days have been the best days of my..." but Nico stopped speaking then, and I think I understand why. You must have had a very difficult life to consider a handful of days in California as a highlight.

"I'm really glad you came," I said after a beat.

"Me too," Benji yelled. "Don't forget about me, you guys."

"How could we possibly forget you?" I replied, lifting myself up to look at him. "You're very loud."

Benji scoffed and reached forward to flick my forehead. "You're an asshole."

We all sat together, laughing, talking, sobering up against the sand. Once it hit 11, Benji stood.

"I've really got to pee," he said. "Should we head back?"

"What? No! Not till midnight," Nicolas replied.

"So, what am I supposed to do? I really have to pee."

Nico pointed towards the bushes off in the distance and gave him a smile. "Go be one with nature."

Benji made a sort of gagging noise but marched on toward the bushes, leaving Nicolas and me to sit on the sand. We were just barely tipsy at this point.

"You know," Nico said after a moment. "You lied during never have I ever."

I furrowed my brows and looked toward him. "Did I?"

"You said you've never kissed anyone."

"Oh... That wasn't a lie. I haven't," I chuckled out.

"You don't remember?" he asked, flashing me a smile. "In, like, 6th grade, you and I kissed each other for practice... Or something."

"Oh," I said. "My god. Yeah, no. I remember, but does that count?"

He shrugged. "I count it."

"What, so that makes me your first kiss?" I leaned towards him with a teasing grin which he returned with a laugh.

"Sure, whatever." I could've sworn I saw him go a bit red, but it might've just been a shadow crossing his face.

"Fine," I said, finally. "I guess you're my first kiss."

For a moment, it was just us and the gentle sound of the waves crashing. His eyes gleamed with something unreadable and his lips parted into a smile. A very strange feeling passed over me and, suddenly, I had the urge to kiss Nicolas Young. But, it was probably the alcohol and it was definitely a horrible idea, so I just stood up instead and faced the ocean.

"I think," I said as I watched the waves pull in and out. "I'm going to swim."

"What?" Nico croaked through a laugh. "It's 11 PM."

"I don't care."

"You're in jeans and a t-shirt."

"I don't care."

"You're scared of drowning."

"Nico," I said, glancing back at him. "Come with me."

He blinked and shook his head. "Are you having a breakdown or something?"

"I just want to swim." I think I was still drunk, but Nicolas seemed sober and the water seemed tempting. After he didn't reply, I looked back to the shore and began moving towards it.

"You are ridiculous," he called out, and even though I was the only other person around, it felt like he wasn't speaking to me, so I didn't respond. I don't remember when Nico joined my side or when he took my hand in his but there we were; Standing with just our ankles in the water as it swelled in and out in tiny waves. In and out. In and out. In and out. Forever.

"Do you ever wonder why we're here?" I said. It was a bit of a whisper because the sound of the ocean was almost too perfect to disrupt.

"Not really, no."

"I... Don't know. I think it's sort of a miracle that we both happen to be right here right now. I mean, we could be anywhere at any time, and yet, we're here at the same time. Don't you wonder why that is?"

"No," he said finally. "I'm just glad we are."