By six thirty Nico is showered, dressed, flossed and brushed, cologne sprayed sitting and waiting for seven to come. Not that anyone would know, but he feels embarrassed by how many times he changed his clothes. He settled on some basics; a black T-shirt, plain with nothing nerdy on it, jeans, and chucks. He sits at his desk, opening and closing the apps in his phone, too nervous to really pay attention to what he’s looking at. He managed to choke down some dinner while avoiding looking at his lovesick parents, and he regrets it as his stomach twists and knots. He plays some sudoku, the squares and numbers comforting, taking just enough attention to occupy himself.
Finally, Elijah texts that he’ll be outside in a few minutes. Nico breathes deeply, hoping he isn’t sweating too much. He stomps down the stairs, yells goodbye to his parents, and sits on the curb to wait. He spies Elijah rounding the corner and gives him a halfhearted wave. Elijah smiles ear to ear, surprising Nico with a hug when he reaches him. Elijah has grown even taller and broader, his body solid muscle against Nico’s. His dark hair is cut short, more grown up looking than the shaggy hair he wore throughout middle school. He wears a simple gold chain, a crisp white shirt, dark jeans and clean white sneakers. Nico can smell his body wash, cedar wood and amber, and starts to feel taken by nostalgia.
Amy and Aaron Bart are twins with wealthy parents who have a giant house in the neighborhood behind Elijah and Nico’s. Their parents go on business trips and vacations year round, leaving the twins to host the most epic parties their year has ever seen. Nico had only heard the stories about them and seen videos, but it was the stuff of high school legends.
“So, how’s it going? It’s been so long since we really talked. How are your parents?” Elijah asks, bumping Nico with his shoulder.
Nico laughs. “So weird, to be honest. My dad told me that they were going to get divorced but saw some hippy therapist instead and now they’re dancing in the kitchen and making out. I’m convinced they’ve been drugged or hypnotized or something.”
Elijah’s laugh is loud and hearty. “Man, I cannot even begin to imagine that. Must be weird, but you’ve got to be happy for them, right?”
Nico shrugs. “Yeah, better than them acting like the other doesn’t exist. And we’re eating real food lately, not something from a paper bag. How about you?”
“Same old. Mom and dad are happy, they just got a new puppy that is way too cute even if he pees in the house sometimes. I stay busy playing basketball on the weekends. Just waiting for college now, I guess.”
Nico nods, knowing exactly how that feels. It’s almost like high school won’t really be over until they pack up and move into the dorms. They are silent for a moment.
Elijah puts a warm hand on Nico’s shoulder, and Nico looks up, surprised.
“Thanks for coming tonight. I know it’s not your scene, but I’ve really missed having you around.”
Nico’s cheeks burn at the sincerity in his voice and guilt gnaws at him for cutting Elijah off without an explanation.
“I figured why not. You’re right, it’s our last hoorah before college. Shit, maybe I’ll get drunk tonight.”
Elijah laughs again, giving him a squeeze before dropping his hand back to his side.
The house is bigger than Nico remembers from the twins’ birthday parties in grade school. Elijah walks in without knocking and Nico is hit by the cacophony of voices and music. The house is already filled with teenagers holding red solo cups, some stumbling around, plenty yelling and laughing. He sees a table set up for beer pong, a room off of the main living room with a bong that is being passed around, and outside people in their underwear are jumping into a massive pool.
Elijah daps up his friends and hugs a gaggle of squealing girls. Nico hangs back, taking in the party around him. It looks just like what he sees in movies. Elijah comes back and steers him toward the kitchen, opening the fridge and grabbing two beers, handing one over.
They pop the tabs and cheers, Nico disliking the yeasty taste but drinking it anyway. Elijah pulls him from room to room, sharing stories of previous parties while Nico catches his old classmates in various states of inebriation. After another beer, they wind up outside next to the fire pit, Nico trying not to look too hard at the half naked girls in the pool. Elijah grins.
“Feel like taking a dip?”
Nico’s eyebrows shoot up. “Not particularly, no.” Elijah laughs and keeps talking about school and sports and his family, and Nico sinks into the warm buzz, Elijah’s company familiar and comfortable.
They wander back inside and someone calls out to Elijah. They head into the room with the bong, a small group sitting in a circle in the middle of it. Nico spots the twins, one of them holding the bong and the other lighting it. A cloud of thick skunky smoke billows from Amy’s lips as she says, “Sit. We’re about to play spin the bottle.”
Elijah scoffs, but goes to join them, asking, “Seriously, are we in middle school again?”
“Come on, have some fun!”
Elijah looks back at Nico and pats the spot on the ground next to him. With his third beer in hand, Nico sits, his knee resting against Elijah’s, who doesn’t move away.
Someone across the circle starts and the couples crawl to the middle to share a kiss. There are more girls than guys participating, and more than once they get to watch two girls lock lips. The third pair peck quickly and Aaron boos.
“Come on you know the rules! Gotta use tongue and do it for at least five seconds.” The girls, embarrassed, come together again and do as he says, cheers erupting from the group. Amy kisses some guy Nico doesn’t recognize, though he is good looking, and Aaron lands on a geeky girl that Nico had precalc with. No one complains or backs down, and before he knows it, Elijah is up. He spins the bottle hard and it whirls around, stopping right next to where it started. Nico looks up in surprise, feeling his face turn red as he realizes that the bottle is pointing at him. The crowd oohs and starts chanting “Do it, do it, do it!”
Nico looks at Elijah, the nerves coming back tenfold, but Elijah just smiles and laughs.
“It’s just a few seconds, whatever.”
Someone, Amy he thinks, yells, “It would be, like, homophobic not to do it.”
Elijah raises an eyebrow in question and Nico thinks, fuck it, and closes his eyes, leaning toward him. He feels Elijah’s hand go to his neck, his fingers resting in Nico’s hair, his thumb just touching the lobe of his ear, and then Elijah’s mouth is on his. His hand tightens, holding Nico to him, parting his lips with his tongue. Nico hesitates, then opens his mouth to him, Elijah slipping inside. Nico’s chest tightens as Elijah’s tongue slides against his, tentatively pushing back with his own. He is making out with another man. Not just a man, but someone he has known for most of his life. He’s never even kissed a girl like this before, but he follows Elijah’s lead and they continue for a few seconds before Elijah breaks away.