The Calm Before the Storm
The Calm Before the Storm
“Joey!” Brihn O’Ryan called out, her blue graduation gown billowing around her as she sprinted across the parking lot. “Joey, wait up!”
He turned around so quickly, his tassle whacked him across the face. His crooked smile, famous all over the Internet, shined just for her.
“Brihn, can you believe it?!” He exclaimed, holding his arms out wide to the world. “We’ve graduated!”
“Joey, I have to tell you something,” Brihn panted, out of breath, putting a hand on each of Joey’s shoulders. He looked at it curiously.
“What is it, Brihn?”
“Joey Richter... You’re my best friend. And I’ve completely fallen in lo-”
“Brihn? Helloooooooo?” The voice of Joe Walker interrupted Brihn daydream and bringing her back into her body- sitting sleepily on the beat-up navy sofa in her Ann Arbor apartment.
“Huh?”
“I said I think we’re gonna head home now. Got a big day tomorrow and all.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Graduation! Honestly, Brihn, I have no idea where your head goes sometimes...”
You probably wouldn’t believe it if you did. Brihn thought to herself cynically, while at the same time stealing a glance over at Joey. Oddly enough, he also seemed to be lost in his own thoughts....
“What time is it?” Darren Criss yawned, stretching fully across the navy blue and beat-up sofa and almost kicking Brihn right in the face. Walker checked his watch.
“Half past midnight.”
“I’m tooooooo tireddddddd,” Darren whined. “Walker, carry me home?”
“You wish.”
“C’mon! You’re big and muscle-y.”
“And if you keep bitching, I’m going to kick your ass all the way home.”
Darren rolled his eyes dramatically and flopped off the sofa. He and Walker made their way towards the door, followed by Brihn. Joey lagged behind.
“You coming, Joey?”
Instantly, Brihn’s eyes locked on Joey’s. She wished she could just tell what he was thinking, but his crooked jaw and chocolate eyes gave nothing away.
“Nah, you guys go ahead,” she heard Joey say- feeling his eyes all the way through her.
Darren and Walker exchanged a knowing look. “Ooookkkkk,” Walker said with raised eyebrows. “See you tomorrow then.”
Brihn could just pick up Darren’s voice saying “it’s about time! It only took them four years to-” slam. They shut the door. Joey and Brihn were all alone.
They didn’t even need to meet eyes. Wordlessly, Joey followed Brihn up the stairs.
It was an unusually warm early May night in Michigan, so the ancient ceiling fan circling above Brihn’s cleanly made bed was hardly enough to cool the room. Joey, in a pair of Michigan blue basketball shorts, took in a deep breath and lifted his shirt over his broad shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Brihn, trying not to blush in the darkness, pulled back the sheets and crawled in, Joey following.
Brihn was shocked by how... (unquestioning? unsurprised? secure?) she felt about all of this. Something in her body kept telling her that this was right. Their dissonant heartbeats resonating throughout the room weren’t enough to clog her mind. Instead, a cool, calm wind blew through her thoughts. She made the first move.
Her smooth legs glided gently into Joey’s thick, dance-toned ones. That light touch led to an entwining, a molding of warm skin and quickening pulses.
After some time, they moved closer, Brihn’s back now pressed into Joey’s bare chest, her hips locked within his. His broad body held her perfectly, like a glass goblet cradling deep red wine.
She heard his breath, awake and alive, catch when the palm of his hand found her hip, his fingers moving along her midriff until his arm was secure around her. When his breath steadied out once again, it blew over Brihn with the steadiness of the Lake Michigan tide.
They remained this way for quite some time, though neither of them ever came closer to sleep. They just silently enjoyed the feeling.
They had stayed so still that Brihn was almost surprised when she heard the movement of the sheets as Joey was bringing his face closer to her body. She felt him brushed some brunette hair aside away from her shoulder with the tip of his nose. Then, he pressed his lips firmly against the back of her neck.
This was the moment. As the kiss ended with a soft sound, Brihn’s hand reached over and gripped Joey’s. She twisted her body so they were now face to face, chest to chest, hip to hip, and Joey’s arms wrapped around her lower back as if he was holding on to his whole life- past, present, and future.
Their eyes, impossible to distinguish in the darkness, somehow found each others. Joey and Brihn’s breath battled in the mere millimeters of separation between their lips. This was the moment they had to savor- the last moment before everything changed, where hands were poised and ready and passion was at its breaking point. This was the moment. This was the calm before the storm.
He turned around so quickly, his tassle whacked him across the face. His crooked smile, famous all over the Internet, shined just for her.
“Brihn, can you believe it?!” He exclaimed, holding his arms out wide to the world. “We’ve graduated!”
“Joey, I have to tell you something,” Brihn panted, out of breath, putting a hand on each of Joey’s shoulders. He looked at it curiously.
“What is it, Brihn?”
“Joey Richter... You’re my best friend. And I’ve completely fallen in lo-”
“Brihn? Helloooooooo?” The voice of Joe Walker interrupted Brihn daydream and bringing her back into her body- sitting sleepily on the beat-up navy sofa in her Ann Arbor apartment.
“Huh?”
“I said I think we’re gonna head home now. Got a big day tomorrow and all.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Graduation! Honestly, Brihn, I have no idea where your head goes sometimes...”
You probably wouldn’t believe it if you did. Brihn thought to herself cynically, while at the same time stealing a glance over at Joey. Oddly enough, he also seemed to be lost in his own thoughts....
“What time is it?” Darren Criss yawned, stretching fully across the navy blue and beat-up sofa and almost kicking Brihn right in the face. Walker checked his watch.
“Half past midnight.”
“I’m tooooooo tireddddddd,” Darren whined. “Walker, carry me home?”
“You wish.”
“C’mon! You’re big and muscle-y.”
“And if you keep bitching, I’m going to kick your ass all the way home.”
Darren rolled his eyes dramatically and flopped off the sofa. He and Walker made their way towards the door, followed by Brihn. Joey lagged behind.
“You coming, Joey?”
Instantly, Brihn’s eyes locked on Joey’s. She wished she could just tell what he was thinking, but his crooked jaw and chocolate eyes gave nothing away.
“Nah, you guys go ahead,” she heard Joey say- feeling his eyes all the way through her.
Darren and Walker exchanged a knowing look. “Ooookkkkk,” Walker said with raised eyebrows. “See you tomorrow then.”
Brihn could just pick up Darren’s voice saying “it’s about time! It only took them four years to-” slam. They shut the door. Joey and Brihn were all alone.
They didn’t even need to meet eyes. Wordlessly, Joey followed Brihn up the stairs.
It was an unusually warm early May night in Michigan, so the ancient ceiling fan circling above Brihn’s cleanly made bed was hardly enough to cool the room. Joey, in a pair of Michigan blue basketball shorts, took in a deep breath and lifted his shirt over his broad shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Brihn, trying not to blush in the darkness, pulled back the sheets and crawled in, Joey following.
Brihn was shocked by how... (unquestioning? unsurprised? secure?) she felt about all of this. Something in her body kept telling her that this was right. Their dissonant heartbeats resonating throughout the room weren’t enough to clog her mind. Instead, a cool, calm wind blew through her thoughts. She made the first move.
Her smooth legs glided gently into Joey’s thick, dance-toned ones. That light touch led to an entwining, a molding of warm skin and quickening pulses.
After some time, they moved closer, Brihn’s back now pressed into Joey’s bare chest, her hips locked within his. His broad body held her perfectly, like a glass goblet cradling deep red wine.
She heard his breath, awake and alive, catch when the palm of his hand found her hip, his fingers moving along her midriff until his arm was secure around her. When his breath steadied out once again, it blew over Brihn with the steadiness of the Lake Michigan tide.
They remained this way for quite some time, though neither of them ever came closer to sleep. They just silently enjoyed the feeling.
They had stayed so still that Brihn was almost surprised when she heard the movement of the sheets as Joey was bringing his face closer to her body. She felt him brushed some brunette hair aside away from her shoulder with the tip of his nose. Then, he pressed his lips firmly against the back of her neck.
This was the moment. As the kiss ended with a soft sound, Brihn’s hand reached over and gripped Joey’s. She twisted her body so they were now face to face, chest to chest, hip to hip, and Joey’s arms wrapped around her lower back as if he was holding on to his whole life- past, present, and future.
Their eyes, impossible to distinguish in the darkness, somehow found each others. Joey and Brihn’s breath battled in the mere millimeters of separation between their lips. This was the moment they had to savor- the last moment before everything changed, where hands were poised and ready and passion was at its breaking point. This was the moment. This was the calm before the storm.