Sink (and don't come up for air)

Old Friends

Laughter rang through the house.

"There's no way you could pass as a middle schooler. You're like the smallest kid in our grade!"

"That's not true! Jake is shorter than me," James said, offended by the accusation.

Brendon snorted, "Yea but Jake is supposed to be in 2nd grade, he's only in our grade because his mom wanted him to be up a year!"

James scowled, "whatever, you're only like an inch taller than me."

"Still taller than you, little one. Anyway, the point is that you can't pass as a middle schooler and there's no point in trying."

James sighed and flopped back onto his bed, "but I really want to go to the fair and it's for middle schoolers only!"

"Well we aren't allowed to, but in," Brendon looked down at his fingers, counting, "3 years we can go! That's not too long."

"Brendon that's forever!" James rolled over and pushed his face into a pillow.

Brendon rolled his eyes and checked the clock, "I have to get home. It's past 6. My mom already doesn't like that I'm here and if I stay longer than she said I could she'll be so mad!"

Grace still didn't approve of James's dads being together and had tried to ban Brendon from seeing James. Brendon, no matter how young he was, already knew that his parent's beliefs weren't right and had complained until Grace finally agreed to let them see eachother "as long as you don't associate with the sinners he calls parents".

Brendon grabbed his bag off of James's desk and headed towards the door. James followed behind him.

"Dads! We have to take Brendon home now!" James called,

Jack and Mikey both came out of the kitchen and met the two 8 year olds at the front door. Jack opened the door and let the boys walk under his arm and out to the car.

Once they were all in the car Mikey turned around in the passenger seat, "seatbelts!"

Brendon and James put on their seatbelts and gave a thumbs up back to Mikey. He turned back to face the front and the car engine started.

Conveniently Brendon and James lived very close to eachother so the car ride was never very long. No matter how close, Jack and Mikey would never make Brendon walk home alone. They of course knew that his parents didn't approve of  them but Brendon didn't seem to care and if he wanted to see their son then they would let him.

Arriving at his house, Brendon hopped out of the car, thanked them for the ride, and ran into his house.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!"

Grace's voice came from the kitchen, "you're late."

Brendon frowned, she didn't seem too happy. He walked into the kitchen greeted by the faces of both his parents, "sorry I wasn't paying attention to the time."

Boyd looked at Brendon and sighed, "it's ok you weren't too late but you have to start coming home on time we have times set for a reason."

"Sorry."

Grace stood up from the table and pulled out a chair, "sit, we are eating soon," and sat back down.

Brendon sat and put his bag on the back of the chair.

The two sat quietly while Boyd was getting things out of the oven.

"So....um....you know James was talking about how he really wanted to go to the middle school fair. It seems really cool I wish we could go," Brendon said trying to start a conversation.

Grace scoffed, "you are third graders you can't go to the middle school fair. That troublesome boy better not be trying to sneak in."

"He's not troublesome mom! And he's not going to try to sneak in we both know that we are too young. I was just saying that it seems fun and I'm excited for when we can go."

"Whatever, let's eat I don't want to talk about that child."

Brendon grabbed a plate off the table and started putting things on his plate just as Boyd sat down.

"So what's going on in my favorite heartbreaker's life? Any girls?" Boyd winked.

Grace smacked his arm, "Brendon is 8 years old I would hope he's not looking into any girls yet."

Brendon grinned, "no dad, no girls."

"Aw well, you'll get em soon," Boyd reached over and ruffled Brendon's hair.

"Sure," Brendon laughed.

After eating Brendon decided he should go to the park. He told his parents where he was going and told them he would be back in an hour or so. Brendon's parents never really cared where he went as long as he was in walking distance and didn't need them to drive.

During the short walk to the park Brendon thought about what his mom had said about James. Brendon knew that James was a good person but his mom said that wanting to sneak in made him troublesome. Although Brendon had assured her that neither of them would ever do that he knew that's what James had wanted to do. He was pretty sure he convinced James not to but he couldn't help thinking what his mom would say if James did end up trying to sneak in.

Arriving at the park he decided not to think about that. He ran over to the swings and sat on one of them.

Brendon looked around. He looked over at the sand box he used to play in. Brendon never went in there anymore because it was "just for babies" according to the other kids at school.

Suddenly someone sat down next to him, "how've you been?"

Brendon looked up, saw the familiar brown hair and brown eyes, and jumped up off the swing, "R-ryan?"

Ryan grinned up at the standing boy, "hey Brendon."

Brendon stared in shock, he hadn't talked to Ryan since he was 6.

"Miss me?" Ryan asked, also standing.

Out of no where Brendon was engulfing  Ryan in a giant hug. Ryan laughed and hugged back.

"You haven't talked to me in 2 years," Brendon mumbled into Ryan's shoulder.

"I know," Ryan broke the hug and looked at Brendon, "I know, I'm sorry. Would you believe me if I said I've been really busy lately?"

"No I wouldn't because Ive seen you around school talking to you're friends and I used to try and get you're attention but you would always walk away. So no. I wouldn't believe you."

Ryan frowned, "sorry. I know I was a jerk. There's not really an excuse, people were saying it was weird that I was friends with a kid in the grade under us. I believed them for a while I guess. But now I've realized that that's stupid. So here I am."

"Alright, but if you abandon me again I'm not forgiving you so easily," Brendon say sitting back down on the swing.

Ryan sat too, "ok that seems fair. Now really, how have you been?"

Brendon smiled as they talked, glad to have his old friend back.