perf*ct (boy × boy) ✔

fifty-seven: a thing of beauty

nathan dawson's pov:

To see Lava and Jacob standing in front of me was so unreal that it took me hours to believe they were actually there. Even as we talked, or signed or wrote words on a phone to show each other, I felt like they couldn't be real. I had never even though about the possibility of seeing my two closest friends in person, yet they went through all the effort just to see me.

I was convinced I was dreaming, and that any moment I would wake up. At any moment I would find out they weren't really there and I hadn't talked things through with Liam. But then, as the hours passed by in our garden, chatting and stuffing our bellies uncomfortably full with delicious BBQ, I let myself believe it was all real. Which it was, of course.

Unbelievably, undoubtedly real.

In the middle of all the chatting, laughing and eating I had forgotten mom's promise for my gift that was going to arrive later. It was brought back to my mind by the sound of a car engine and a car door being slammed shut. Everyone was already there in the garden with us, so the fact that someone had just parked in front of our house puzzled me.

"Nathan, honey, I believe someone is here to see you." Mom smiled at me from the other side of the table. I couldn't read the look in her eyes, so I just furrowed my brows and tardily stood up from my seat. I wanted to remark to her how I had seen more than enough people for one day, thank you very much. 

Instead I kept walking until my eyes locked with the person, who was leaning against the hood of an old dark green Mustang. His warm blond hair was neatly cut and instead of his signature grin he had a thin smile on his lips. His eyes were observant behind his glasses, like he wanted to take in every detail of me and read my expressions closely.

"H-hi, dad." I didn't realize I had stopped walking until I had to urge my legs to take the final steps to him. It had been almost two years since I had last seen him, and I never quite knew how to act around him. Besides, why hadn't mom told Nicholas to come with me? 

"Hey, son." Dad seemed lost with the parenting thing as well, but after a brief fidgeting he closed the distance between us and embraced me. With an awkward pat on my back he pulled away and told me: "So, you made it through highschool. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

I guess dad could see the confusion in my eyes, because he turned sideways to me and gestured at the car: "This thing of beauty is for you."

"For me? Really?" My gaze swept over the car once again. There was rust on its dark paintwork and it wasn't in what you would call a mint condition, but it was certainly a thing of beauty.

"Yes. I'll have to teach you how the engine works, but other than that, it's all yours." After those words I was the one squeezing dad into a hug and whispering "thank you, thank you, thank you".

"Now you have no excuses not to come see us every weekend." Mom's voice made me turn around. Dad patted her shoulder and they smiled at each other before dad joined the group which was starting to gather near the car. I couldn't remember the last time those two were in the same place without having a fight, so seeing them smiling at each other was a huge step forward.

"Like I wasn't going to come anyway." I pointed out, but couldn't keep the grin off my face. I was so excited to finally have my own car that I wanted to scream and run around the yard.

"Oh, if that's the case, we can just send it back.." Mom started making her way to the car, as if to take it away. 

"No, mom! It's mine now." I wrapped my hands around her, keeping her from walking away. She stumbled and wrapped her arms around me to regain her balance, which made us both chuckle. Then she gave me a teary smile and brushed a lock of hair behind my ear, but didn't say anything for a while.

"You've been taking care of everyone around you, and it's about time for us to give you something back." Mom glanced at the car and then back at me.

When we joined the others, I basked in the glory as Nicholas and Samuel gaped at the car. Alex Crespo slammed his arm around my shoulders and leaned all his weight on me while preaching how amaaazing the car was.

Then Solar, Kieran, Johnny and Audrey Grace were there, and Solar freed me from Alex Crespo's grasp. I looked around to find Jacob playing around with Jonathan, and Lava talking with Harper. Jeffrey kept company with Solar's family. It took me a little longer to spot Choni and Anshil, because they were already taking a look under the hood with dad.

But no matter what they were doing, no matter with whom, everyone was smiling. There was no room for sadness, no room for tears, even if we knew we would soon have to say our goodbyes. Most of us were leaving Frostford for colleges and universities, but I knew for sure we were going to find our ways back to each other sooner or later.

"I'm going to miss you guys." Nicholas sighed a few hours later, when we were saying goodbyes to our last guests. His gaze moved from me to Alex Crespo to Samuel to Audrey Grace and lastly to Solar: "Even you."

"Don't worry, we'll see each other plenty." Solar reassured Nicholas, referring to the fact that he and Nicholas had gotten into the same university. They had different majors, but they would still see each other plenty and more. 

"Whatever." Nicholas shrugged, but he was fighting a smile when he turned away and disappeared into the house with Anshil. When Alex Crespo, Samuel and Audrey Grace left as well, it was just me and Solar in the dusk yard. The air felt humid and heavy clouds hung in the sky. It was going to rain.

"Want to sit in my car? Or go for a walk?" I turned to grin at Solar.

"I think it's going to rain." He pointed out, with that beautiful winning smile of his. He nodded towards the car and I followed after him wordlessly.

When the raindrops pitter-pattered against the car's roof and the evening grew darker, we tilted back our seats and made ourselves comfortable. Solar entwined our fingers over the cup holder in between our seats.

We said nothing, yet the silence spoke all the words we wanted to say; even if everything around us was changing, we would stay the same.