Wake up Under the Sun

Even the day after returning home, I hadn’t said much to anyone. Maybe a couple of words here or there to Lex and Loren, but that was about it. I didn’t continue my conversation with Austin at the coffee shop, which meant I didn’t answer him when he asked if I wanted to go to Saguaro Lake with him and Halvo.

But he took my silence as a yes, and Halvo showed up at my door bright and early the next morning.

I sat next to Austin on a blanket, my legs straight out in front of me, toes digging into the sand. Halvo took his shirt off and tossed it at me as he stepped out of his shoes, and then he was taking off for the water. I watched him closely, wondering why he was braving the lake waters.

“So, you and John, huh?” Austin said some time later. I didn’t have to turn my head and look at him for him to understand that I really didn’t like this subject. “Do your parents know you’re home early?”

I sighed softly, my eyes focused on Eric as he splashed around in the water like a drowning child. “No,” I finally said.

Austin hummed, a slightly annoyed sound gurgling at the bottom of his throat. “How’s school? Almost done?”

I sighed softly. I hated being rude but I didn’t even want to be there in the first place. I didn’t want to answer his stupid, rhetorical questions. I didn’t want to look at his stupid moustache and that stupid smirk on his face as he easily portrayed just how high his sex appeal is.

“I know what you need,” Halvo screamed from waist-deep in the water. He hurriedly trudged out of the lake and sprinted up to us.

“She needs a couple of shots,” I heard Austin say.

“Duh,” Halvo agreed. “That’s why we’re going to go to some parties tonight.”

I didn’t want to acknowledge Austin’s smirk or the goofy, stupid look Halvo was giving me. But most of all, I didn’t want to go to some college parties and get wasted.

***
“Great idea, right?”

Austin leaned against a kitchen counter in a random person’s house, watching Eric closely as he shouted at me over the music. He sipped his beer, taking his time, something so out of character for him. Halvo was already wasted, his words slurring together.

I pursed my lips and turned away slightly, looking out at the group of people in the house. It was a typical college party. The music was loud and, by all means, shitty; there were lightweight sorority girls whining about philanthropy hours and loud, obnoxious drunk frat boy challenging each other to arm wrestling matches; there were the people I came to know ala John, the down-to-earth artsy types, keeping to themselves and enjoying the free alcohol.

I felt a hand enclose around my wrist and I snapped my eyes back to the boys in front of me. Halvo was grinning, now inches from my face. “Let’s dance, yeah?!”

Before I could protest, he practically ripped my arm out of its socket and dragged me into the middle of the throbbing crowd. With one last look at Austin, who was simply shaking his head at us with a small smile on his lips, I finally felt myself smiling back.

We spent countless hours at this one, stupid party, but I somehow found it to be extremely therapeutic. Dancing with Halvo, ironically, made me forget about the stresses weighing on my shoulders. I forgot about schoolwork and the fact that I had come home a lot sooner than expected, for the most ridiculous of reasons.

I never would have thought that John’s best friend would be able to help me forget. He didn’t try to tell me John was “really a good guy” or that I “should give him another chance.” I didn’t get lectured and he didn’t try to talk to me about what had happened. He understood that it wasn’t time to talk about it. He didn’t push me to open up about it. And I was thankful for that.

As the party began to dwindle, Austin gathered the two of us up and drove us back to Halvo’s place, where the three of us continued our own little party. Some of Halvo’s friends came over and it was a nice little gathering. The music was low enough that we didn’t have to yell at each other to be understood and we could actually walk around without bumping into someone else. But when I felt my legs begin to go numb, I took it upon myself to explore the house for a quiet room to take a breather.

I had no idea how long I had been isolated but however long it was, it definitely didn’t feel like a long time. I had managed to find Halvo’s room, which was exactly how I imagined it would be – if I had ever stopped to think about it. It held a boyish charm to it, with basketball and baseball memorabilia tacked to the walls and picture frames filled with childhood memories littered the tops of dressers. His bed was unmade, naturally, and he had clothes scattered all around the floor.

I had done so well all night not thinking about John until I had stumbled into this room. The two were best friends, sure, but was it really normal to have that many pictures of the two of them together? But I guess, who was I to judge? I didn’t exactly grow up with best friends around.

“You doing okay?” I heard from the door.

I hadn’t realized I was holding a picture frame in my hands until I went to put it down. It was of Halvo and John, of course, posing together in a backyard somewhere. It looked like the most recent photo in the room. I finally dragged my eyes from the picture and over to the boy in the doorway.

“As good as I can get, I guess,” I replied truthfully.

Halvo chuckled and moved across the room to take a seat on the edge of his bed. “I guess that’s a decent answer. Having fun?”

I sat beside him and looked at him. His eyes were glittered with happiness and I could just see how much fun he was having with all of his friends surrounding him. His lips were curved into an innocent, honest smile.

I wasn’t sure why I did what I did, but without answering him, I moved forward and pressed my lips to his. I half expected him to be shocked and flinch away but he completely proved me wrong. His hands cupped my cheeks and, without hesitation, he deepened the kiss.

We kissed until our lips were swollen, and even then we didn’t stop until Austin knocked on the door and interrupted with a cough.

“Alright, kids,” he said, his tone the most understanding I’d ever heard from him before. It was even and calm, a hint of understanding lined in there that assured me he wouldn’t be telling anyone what he had just walked in on. “I’m going to take Ms. Delaney here home now, Halvo. Your guests have pretty much all passed out.”

“Aw,” Halvo whined softly, looking from me to Austin then back to me. “Do you have to?”

Austin sighed heavily, shoulders falling slightly. “I must, my friend. I must.”

I swallowed hard, awkwardly standing from his bed. I shuffled over to Austin and left the room without looking back at Eric. Austin said a few more words to him before he gently took my hand and led me outside to his car. He took me home and even helped me inside and into bed. He had flicked the lights off, pulling the door shut, when I called out for him.

“Austin,” I said loudly. He pushed the door open slightly, peeking in at me. “Don’t tell John, okay? I.. I just.. He doesn’t need to know.”

He looked at me for the longest time before he took a step into my room. “It’s not my story to tell, Delaney. And, if I may be blunt, you two are broken up; it’s not anything for him to worry about.”

My lips twitched into a small smile. “G’night, Austin.”

He chuckled, “Goodnight, Delaney.”