Home for the Summer (BOYXBOY)

12 | Running Away

"Do you think," Benji said as he landed on the sand beside Nicolas and I. "That in a few years, we'll look back on us now and be like, 'wow, I was so dumb'?"

He was already pretty drunk, which was honestly impressive seeing as though we arrived here only half an hour ago. Nicolas, who was halfway through his vodka lemonade, shrugged.

"I don't know. I think we might just miss being in high school."

We were off on the side part of the beach that was practically untouched by anyone else. The waves pulled in and out like a blinking eyelid.

"I think future me will really hate who I am right now," Benji said. "I'm not very smart or anything."

"Nobody our age is," Nico said.

"At least we're all stupid together," Benji grinned before squinting his eyes at me. "Nevermind. I forgot Apollo's a nerd."

"Excuse you," I replied but he just collapsed into giggles. "God, you're annoying when you're drunk."

"You're just pissy because you hate fun," Benji said, pointing to my practically full cup.

Actually, I would like to drink, but my brain kept whipping to Nico and wondering if he was comfortable. Something about getting drunk around him made me a bit worried.

"Ollie," Nicolas said with a smile. "Wanna see who can finish first?"

I rolled my eyes. "That's not fair. You're much further into your drink than I am."

"How about if you win, I won't bring up your loss at mini-golf ever again?" I hummed in thought before giving in. We had a safe word. And, it wasn't like Nicolas expressed not wanting me to drink. If he felt strange, he would just tell me.

"Ready... set... go!" Nicolas and I both began gulping down our drinks at the same time. It tasted like shit. Benji poured in more vodka than lemonade, which left me with both a stomach ache from the sweetness and a burnt throat from the alcohol. Still, I managed out first place.

"How on earth," Nico cried after coming in second. I bent over and laughed at his confused expression.

"I'm very competitive, Nico!"

"Well, I knew that already-"

"Guys," Benji exclaimed as he stood up. "We should totally go skinny dipping!"

"It's a public beach," I said.

"So?"

"So, we'll be arrested."

"Oh my god. You're so lame, Apollo."

"What if we play never have I ever?" Nicolas chimed in. Benji smiled and sat down on the sand again.

"Me first," Benji said, refilling his cup. Nico and I did the same. "Never have I ever... kissed someone."

Nicolas and Benji both took a sip and I could feel myself growing embarrassed.

"Wait, aren't you supposed to say something you haven't done before?" Nicolas asked. His words were already slurring a bit and I smiled. I could feel the alcohol settling in my stomach, too.

"That's boring, though."

"Fine," Nico shrugged. "My turn. Never have I ever skipped school." Benji took another sip with a smile. "You're gonna lose!"

"Well, I'm very experienced," he replied, raising his eyebrows. Nicolas and I both laughed before I glanced down at my hands.

"Okay," I mumbled. "Never have I ever smoked weed." Nobody drank and I scoffed. "Seriously?"

"That's sad," Benji said before perking up again. "Never have I ever... had sex." Benji took a gulp of his drink but Nico and I stayed still. I was strangely relieved by this fact. "Really? Haven't you had a girlfriend, Nicolas?"

"Well, I just kinda wanted to take things slow," he chuckled. "And I was always too scared to do anything with her. Is that weird? That sounds so weird."

He was drunk, and I bet I was too, but it's sort of hard to tell if you don't open your mouth. That's the thing about drinking; It's almost useless unless you're with other people.

"No, that's not weird," Benji said. "I had a girlfriend last year and we had sex and it was great, but she dumped me a month later. I was, like, so sad because doing it kind of makes you more attached, I guess. It's intimate."

Nicolas shrugged with a grin. "I think I would be excellent at sex." We all erupted into laughter, because nobody really says that sort of stuff out loud. "Okay, my turn. Never have I ever broken my arm on a water slide." His eyes looked pointedly at me and I slowly took a sip from my cup.

"Not fair," I cried. "You can't target people!"

"Well, you haven't taken a single drink yet!"

"Come on, I finally get to win something because I'm lame! Let me have this."

"Nope," he grinned and I grumbled under my breath. Yep, I was definitely drunk.

"Never have I ever," I thought. There was a moment I met Nicolas's eyes and it felt like there was a question resting on his lips. I took a breath and looked away. "Stolen something." Only Benji sipped from his cup.

"It was a pack of gum from the supermarket," he said, leaning onto his side. "Never have I ever... kissed someone of the same sex."

I froze, because Benji practically read my mind right then and there. He passed me a very sly smile and I began to wonder if my best friend was psychic. Nobody drank. "New question," Benji rushed out. "Never have I ever liked someone of the same sex."

I didn't quite know what to do, so I waited, hoping Nicolas would raise his cup so I could just copy him, but he didn't. The three of us were very still.

"My turn," Nicolas said after a beat. "Never have I ever ran away from home." Only Nico took a drink.

"Wait, for real?" Benji's eyes were very wide as Nicolas nodded. "Why?"

"My mom," he grumbled, leaning onto my shoulder. Because I was drunk, I reached over and patted his head. "She was bit of a mess."

"How come?"

Nico shrugged and lifted himself from my body again. "She had a drinking problem and couldn't stay sober for a while when I was growing up, so I would run away a lot and just... go over to Ollie's. But, now, she's been sober for a few years which is so great. But, then," he paused. Something passed over his eyes as he spoke. "She had a relapse before summer started and had to go to rehab. And, look at me now; Running away to the same house again."

I pulled him into a very tight, very awkward hug, but neither of us seemed to mind. "Everything's going to be okay," I said and Nicolas nodded against me. For a moment, I wondered if he was going to start crying, but he didn't. He just looked off towards the ocean. I wished then that I could read his mind and see what exactly he was thinking. I wished I could take it all and throw it to the sea.