How To Love You

Thirty two

The curtains added an orange glow to the dim morning light. It reminded Sean of of the times he slept in a beach hut, watching the ocean emerge under the golden shimmer. For a moment his mind conjured the rhythmic waves, soft on the sandy shore and feels his heart beat to the same slow pace. He breathed in deeply. A new day had begun. His fingers pressed and tapped away on his phone, brows scrunched up in concentration. It was early morning, approximately an hour left until Sean and his friends had to leave for college. 

'So I told her that she could come around to my place whenever' Julian hummed, legs stretched out on the sofa as he stretched his arms out wide.

'Man, seriously? This ain't your place. It's ours!' Josh Price grumbled, throwing his head back in annoyance.

'I didn't say anything when you did the same. Seriously, bro, it's just one night'.

'Fine, but I'm staying with the Lew family. So if you text me and I don't reply, then it's cause I'm stuffing my face with food' Josh Beauchamp commented, brushing his fingers through his hair. 'That's okay, right Sean?'.

No response. The latter was simply swiping away on his phone, fully focused on the task at hand that he hadn't even realized his friends were repeatedly calling his name. 

'Sean?'

'Bro?'

Josh Beauchamp rolled his eyes at the oblivious boy, waving a hand in front of the boy's face before slapping his hand onto the back of his head.

'Ouch- what the fuck?' Sean groaned, dropping his phone into his lap as he rubbed the sore area.

'What's so important on your phone?' Josh Price teased, reaching over and grabbing it. ' I bet it's got something to do with Rice. I mean, come on, you literally came back home last night cause you were with her'.

'I told you it was because of the storm' he protested, leaning forward to take his phone back but Josh B held him back. 'Seriously, stop. That's private stuff'.

'Sean, my man, if you're secretly dating Kaycee behind our backs it's okay. We'll approve easily' Julian chimed, sitting beside Josh Price as they unlocked the protesting boy's phone and stared at his screen.

Julian quirked a brow, leaning back against the sofa. A sigh of defeat escaped Sean's lips, as he brought a pillow to cover his face. Josh Price said nothing, instead just whistling as he shimmied his shoulders with a playful grin plastered on his lips.

'Wait-show me, too' Josh Beauchamp hummed, as Julian explained what he saw in a sing song tone.

'Sean's looking at girls!' Julian sang, chuckling at Sean's embarrassed expression. Sean buried his face into his hands, throwing the pillow at the three as he mumbled incoherent words under his breath. All the while, Josh B, Josh P and Julian were scrolling down the lists of girls he was following, a whistle leaving their lips whenever their eyes landed on a so-called 'hottie'.

'Its not what it looks like' he grumbled, a scowl on his face as he took his phone from their grips. 

'I really thought he was into Rice but it doesn't look like that, anymore' Julian commented as the others nodded in agreement.

'I don't fucking like any of these girls' Sean rubbed his fingers to his temples. 'I was just unfollowing them. It's a long story'.

'We've got all day, lover boy' Josh B snickered. The boys chatted amongst themselves as if their were pressing buttons on Sean's patience.

'SerrisandSarahsetmeupwithsomegirlslikeagesagobutasofrightnowimnotlookingtobewithanyone' Sean mumbled, head bent down low as the words flew from his mouth.