Falling Asleep on a Stranger
5
I sat next to Veronica as we all sat by the fire. I hadn’t really talked all the much only when I’m talked to. I looked around and watched them. They were all telling stories about each other and I’m just zoning out. I felt someone nudge me in the side. I looked over and saw Jaime there. I smiled at him which he smiled back. I think I die a little every time he smiles. He nodded like he wanted to go somewhere else. He stood up and took my hand in his. We started walking away when I heard someone whistle. We looked back and saw Mike (which I finally found out his name) giving us two thumbs up. Jaime flipped him off and we continued to walk. I wasn’t really sure what or where we were going.
“So how’s Illinois?” He asked. I looked at him, strangely.
I laughed, “Good. How’s uhhh wait, I don’t even know where you’re from?”
“I’m from San Diego. We all are.” He said. I smiled.
“Well then, how’s San Diego?” I asked. He chuckled a little.
“It’s great.” He said. I nodded and things were silent again. We walked until we got to the spot that I always go to play my acoustic.
“You seem to like it here, right?” Jaime asked. I nodded.
“It seems to be the quietest place here. Back at my camp there are too many kids screaming.” I said.
“Well you are more than welcome to bring your guitar over to our camp place and jam. I’ll even get mine out and jam with you.” He said. I looked at him.
“You play?” I asked. He nodded.
“I’m play bass.” He said.
“That’s cool.” I said looking across the lake and saw the others all sitting around the fire. I notice that Mike was doing something weird as the rest were laughing. I smiled.
“So, what’s up with Veronica and Vic? Are they together or something?” I asked. Jaime looked across the lake then back at me.
“I don’t think anything is happening with them. Why? Do you like Vic?” He asked. I looked at him and saw he was no longer smiling.
“No. I don’t like Vic. He’s cool. I was just wondering because they seem real close like almost dating.” I said. He smiled again but shrugged.
“I think they both like each other. I mean, if you actually watch them. Look at them, Vic has his arm around her like his protecting her. “I said looking across the lake at them.
“Yeah, I can see that. I should ask Vic about it. Maybe you can talk with Veronica about it.” Jaime said. I smiled because I already knew the answer but I nodded my head anyways.
“Sure I can. But I already know the answer. Just look at them, Jaime.” I said. He nodded then stood up and we started walking again. We walked around talking about anything and everything. He was a pretty cool guy too bad after this week; I’ll never see him again. I felt his hand brush up against mine and soon his hand was in mine. It was weird a bit that I’ve just met him but felt like I’ve known him my whole life. That sounds cliché but very true. Eventually, we headed back to the others. I notice my brother was there.
“Alex, where have you been?” He asked before taking a drink of his beer. I shook my head.
“I’ve been here.” I said.
“Now you’re going to be quiet. You were so talkive earlier.” Jaime said. I shrugged. The others laughed. I shook my head and took the bottle of beer that Mike had offered me. They all looked at me shocked.
“What? I drink.” I said chugging the first half of it.
“I think I’m in love.” Mike said pulling me onto his lap and hugging me tight. I pulled myself away from him, going over and sitting next to Jaime.
“Oh I see how it is.” Mike laughed. I shrugged before taking another drink of my beer. They started talking about funny things that happened to them back in the day and I just sat there listening because they were funny people. I looked over and saw Veronica and Vic cuddled together. I smiled.
“What are you smiling about?” Jaime whispered. I nodded over to Veronica and Vic. Jaime smiled.
“I can see it. They’d make a cute couple, wouldn’t they?” Jaime whispered.
“Yes, they would.” I said looking at Jaime. I looked away when someone cleared their throat. I looked up and saw Veronica standing there.
“While you two were eye screwing, we ran out of beer. So are you up for going into town with us?” She asked. I blushed while Jaime just laughed. I shrugged then looked around and didn’t see my brother anywhere.
“Did my brother leave?” I asked.
“Yeah, your dad needed him for something but your dad said it’s cool if you can still chill here. Just as long as you stay out of trouble.” Tony said. I nodded.
“Sure.” I said standing up. I looked back at Jaime.
“Jaime doesn’t approve. Maybe he wanted to stay here and have his way with you, Alex.” Mike said. I shook my head.
“I get the feeling that you’re the sicko of the group, am I right?” I asked. Everybody laughed.
“Jaime used to be until you came along, babe.” Mike said before climbing into the van.
“Mike’s had a little too much already. Don’t mind him none.” Veronica said. I shrugged.
“I’ve dealt with guys like him. My band mates for one.” I said then the rest of us piled into the van and we headed to town. We listened to Avenged Sevenfold, Blink 182, and Green Day on the way there. Vic and Veronica was in driver and passenger seat.
“You two are really good friends, Vic?” I asked. Vic looked at me quickly then back at the road.
“We’ve all been best friends.” Vic said.
“No, I mean you and Veronica.” I said.
“Yeah, we’re best friends. Why? Haven’t you ever had a guy best friend?” He asked.
“Yeah, sure I have but they never lasted long. Once out of high school, I never saw him again. Well I did but I rather not talk about it.” I said. About a year after graduation, my best friend came back to visit me on spring break and things got serious between us and things happened then the next day when things went too far, he left and never called or text me. I felt Jaime grab my hand. I looked at him and saw he was frowning. I hated seeing that so I smiled at him.
“Shit happens.” I said as we parked the van in front of the store. We all piled out and roamed the store.
“So how’s Illinois?” He asked. I looked at him, strangely.
I laughed, “Good. How’s uhhh wait, I don’t even know where you’re from?”
“I’m from San Diego. We all are.” He said. I smiled.
“Well then, how’s San Diego?” I asked. He chuckled a little.
“It’s great.” He said. I nodded and things were silent again. We walked until we got to the spot that I always go to play my acoustic.
“You seem to like it here, right?” Jaime asked. I nodded.
“It seems to be the quietest place here. Back at my camp there are too many kids screaming.” I said.
“Well you are more than welcome to bring your guitar over to our camp place and jam. I’ll even get mine out and jam with you.” He said. I looked at him.
“You play?” I asked. He nodded.
“I’m play bass.” He said.
“That’s cool.” I said looking across the lake and saw the others all sitting around the fire. I notice that Mike was doing something weird as the rest were laughing. I smiled.
“So, what’s up with Veronica and Vic? Are they together or something?” I asked. Jaime looked across the lake then back at me.
“I don’t think anything is happening with them. Why? Do you like Vic?” He asked. I looked at him and saw he was no longer smiling.
“No. I don’t like Vic. He’s cool. I was just wondering because they seem real close like almost dating.” I said. He smiled again but shrugged.
“I think they both like each other. I mean, if you actually watch them. Look at them, Vic has his arm around her like his protecting her. “I said looking across the lake at them.
“Yeah, I can see that. I should ask Vic about it. Maybe you can talk with Veronica about it.” Jaime said. I smiled because I already knew the answer but I nodded my head anyways.
“Sure I can. But I already know the answer. Just look at them, Jaime.” I said. He nodded then stood up and we started walking again. We walked around talking about anything and everything. He was a pretty cool guy too bad after this week; I’ll never see him again. I felt his hand brush up against mine and soon his hand was in mine. It was weird a bit that I’ve just met him but felt like I’ve known him my whole life. That sounds cliché but very true. Eventually, we headed back to the others. I notice my brother was there.
“Alex, where have you been?” He asked before taking a drink of his beer. I shook my head.
“I’ve been here.” I said.
“Now you’re going to be quiet. You were so talkive earlier.” Jaime said. I shrugged. The others laughed. I shook my head and took the bottle of beer that Mike had offered me. They all looked at me shocked.
“What? I drink.” I said chugging the first half of it.
“I think I’m in love.” Mike said pulling me onto his lap and hugging me tight. I pulled myself away from him, going over and sitting next to Jaime.
“Oh I see how it is.” Mike laughed. I shrugged before taking another drink of my beer. They started talking about funny things that happened to them back in the day and I just sat there listening because they were funny people. I looked over and saw Veronica and Vic cuddled together. I smiled.
“What are you smiling about?” Jaime whispered. I nodded over to Veronica and Vic. Jaime smiled.
“I can see it. They’d make a cute couple, wouldn’t they?” Jaime whispered.
“Yes, they would.” I said looking at Jaime. I looked away when someone cleared their throat. I looked up and saw Veronica standing there.
“While you two were eye screwing, we ran out of beer. So are you up for going into town with us?” She asked. I blushed while Jaime just laughed. I shrugged then looked around and didn’t see my brother anywhere.
“Did my brother leave?” I asked.
“Yeah, your dad needed him for something but your dad said it’s cool if you can still chill here. Just as long as you stay out of trouble.” Tony said. I nodded.
“Sure.” I said standing up. I looked back at Jaime.
“Jaime doesn’t approve. Maybe he wanted to stay here and have his way with you, Alex.” Mike said. I shook my head.
“I get the feeling that you’re the sicko of the group, am I right?” I asked. Everybody laughed.
“Jaime used to be until you came along, babe.” Mike said before climbing into the van.
“Mike’s had a little too much already. Don’t mind him none.” Veronica said. I shrugged.
“I’ve dealt with guys like him. My band mates for one.” I said then the rest of us piled into the van and we headed to town. We listened to Avenged Sevenfold, Blink 182, and Green Day on the way there. Vic and Veronica was in driver and passenger seat.
“You two are really good friends, Vic?” I asked. Vic looked at me quickly then back at the road.
“We’ve all been best friends.” Vic said.
“No, I mean you and Veronica.” I said.
“Yeah, we’re best friends. Why? Haven’t you ever had a guy best friend?” He asked.
“Yeah, sure I have but they never lasted long. Once out of high school, I never saw him again. Well I did but I rather not talk about it.” I said. About a year after graduation, my best friend came back to visit me on spring break and things got serious between us and things happened then the next day when things went too far, he left and never called or text me. I felt Jaime grab my hand. I looked at him and saw he was frowning. I hated seeing that so I smiled at him.
“Shit happens.” I said as we parked the van in front of the store. We all piled out and roamed the store.