24 HOURS STRAIGHT
"What now?" Meg asks. "It's obvious, isn't it?"
"We stay up all night?" Nate grins.
"Exactly," I say.
"ALL-NIGHTER! IT'S SHOTS O'CLOCK!" Alex screams, rowdy. He's already gaining a second wind, not that he ever lost his first one.
"I'll call Cap," Brooks says to me, pacing a few yards down the beach. "See when they can get us."
"Great job," I tease Brody.
"Me!" Brody says incredulously. "All Jay's fault. Should have known the tides better. Mr. I'm the older brother, so I'm driving." Brody curses Brooks.
"And now we're stranded. The tides stranded us!" Lauren says.
"Fucking tides," I giggle, a fading trace of my day drunk escapade.
"We're hardly stranded," Brody tells her.
"Desolate beach. Night. No boat," I count things on my hand, peering up and down the beach. "Yup, stranded."
"We'll manage. And if we don't, I can't think of a better spot to die," Nate says.
Lauren laughs and moves sideways when Brooks rejoins us.
"It's gonna be a bit," Brooks announces. "Kai and Aki took the other boat into port. Cap can't send them til they're back."
"Perfect. Fuck the boats. Forget them. This is the adventure we wanted, my friends," Nate says.
"All night adventure," Alex echoes.
"Should I cancel our ride home?" Brooks asks, looking at all of us. His eyes glimmer in the moonlight.
"Cancel it. 100% cancel it," Trix nods.
Brooks looks down at me.
"Gotta do what the bride says." I shrug.
"I'll make the call," Brooks says.
"Aw, yea. Shit's going down!" Alex yells. "Nate, get the booze. You still got that joint?"
"I'll make a fire," Travis says.
Twenty minutes later the beach is transformed into something out of a Caribbean fairytale. A blazing bonfire illuminates the entire beach, gilding our cozy corner of the world.
The joint's been passed around like a communal cup of wine at mass. Meg surprised everyone by pulling out a stash of edible gummy bears. At one point, Whit pulls aside her tank and Alex does a belly shot right off her stomach. Licks the salt off her neck. Real senior week shit. Patronus level shit.
"This is a great alternative to the separate bachelor-bachelorette nights," Trix says, plopping on the sand between Meg and me.
"Oh my god, that was tonight. You're right," I say. I completely forgot already like the trash maid of honor that I am.
"Def better." Meg drains the contents of her plastic cup. "Miss the penis shaped straws we bought though."
"And all the posters of naked men we blew up to life-size," I add, Meg nodding in approval.
"Haha, we did do that, didn't we?" Meg asks, guilty.
"Damnit!" Trix giggles.
"I am sure one of the guys would be willing to replace the poster..." I sip from my cup, rum drenching my lips. "Alex, probably. Wouldn't even need to persuade him."
Trix and Meg laugh, but I hear an indistinct cough float from Whit's direction.
"Hey lez play-a-game!" Lauren slurs.
Oh fuck. Someone just had to suggest a game.
"No game. Let's dance!" Trix says, standing up too quickly and spilling her drink down my bare chest.
Trix saves the day.
"This is the perfect song!" Meg says.
"Thanks," I joke.
I've been queuing up the music playlist on my phone. Lots of drunken EDM rave vibes tonight. Maybe I'll be a unicorn again.
The Cataracs' Top of the World blares so loud that I think the coastline shakes beneath us. I can feel the beat in the soles of my feet.
My soul, my heart, my head, my everything -literally feels on top of the world. Patronus level top of the world. Nothing can bring me down.
Midnight rolls around and I know this not because of a watch or the stars, but because Alex shouts, "Shirt's off for tomorrow!"
"So, WEDDING TALK," Meg says, rounding everyone up. "Let's talk about the wedding we've ALL been waiting for since like tenth grade."
"Tenth? Really?" Trix giggles, wrapping her arm around Travis. He keeps his joint high above her hair and rests his arm on her shoulder.
"I knew it then," Travis kisses the top of her head.
Vom. But I guess they're cute or something.
"We all wanted to marry Trix in tenth grade," Alex chimes in. He shrugs at Travis apologetically. "Sorry man."
"We all wanted to marry each other," I joke.
"At one point or another," Meg laughs.
"Looks like it's all going to work out, huh?" Nate grins. Meg flashes him a look.
"Better for some of us. Sorry, Meg," I tease.
"Not to bash this incestual friendship parade but y'all are fucking weird." Whit rolls her eyes. Lauren cracks up, nodding.
"The weirdest fucking group of friends I've ever known," Lauren agrees.
"The way we like it," Travis says, defending us all against these judgmental drunkards.
Brooks puts both hands over my shoulders and pulls me to him.
"I love you guys. Fuck do I love you guys. Even you newbies," Nate says, pointing lopsidedly at Lauren and Brody.
"Can't imagine being stranded with anyone else," Alex seconds.
"Could only happen to us," Trix coos.
YOU ARE READING
We Go Down (Bremmy 2)
ChickLit[2022 Watty's Shortlist] *SEQUEL* Crash & Burn Together Emmy and Brooks made it work One More Time. Sure, it was messy and not always sexy but that's what their love is about. It's low key unhealthy and high key relatable. Dealing with Trix and T...
