Hands Down

It was the first day of summer break and like every typical high school cliché; a party was to be had in celebration. Tonight, the festivities would be taking place at Matty’s beach house. It was the perfect location. His vacation house was large – two stories, spacious rooms, located right on the beach and close enough to shops where the college kids could buy the beer. Everyone, and that means literally everyone in the graduating class, would be there. It would be a night they would never forget, a bon voyage to the high school way of life and a welcome aboard to the freedom of college.

The sun was going down, which meant that in a matter of minutes, teenagers would be filing in with booze and food in hand, ready to practically party the night away. Everything was set up, the music was all sorted out, fireworks, although illegal, lined up and ready for use and the sky was crystal clear, so the beach was free for use without worry of rain.

“Looks good, man.” Kellin came out of the bathroom, shaking his hands off from the excess water. “Might want to get more paper towels, though. You’re out.” He jerked his thumb towards the room he just left.

“Always so detailed, Kellin.” Matty joked, grabbing a roll of paper towels and running to toss them in the bathroom. “You ready for tonight?” He asked once he came back into view.

Kellin leant against the counter, already picking at the chips that were set out for guests. “I guess so.” He shrugged. Being the youngest in the senior class, he kind of got picked on, but in a teasing manner. He was the baby of the group and everyone loved him.

“You guess?” Matty raised an eyebrow, a smirk now appearing on his face. “Alright, what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” He jumped up on the counter to sit, legs dangling and banging onto the cabinets underneath.

The younger boy frowned, shaking his head, hair flying everywhere. “Nothing.” He murmured quietly, raising his head as the doorbell rang.

Matty just shrugged, sliding off of the counter to get the door. He knew what the problem was. Hell, everyone knew what the problem was. Kellin was in love, head over heels for the one and only Vic Fuentes. And seeing as how this was pretty much the last day everyone would be together, he had it in his head he’d never get a chance with Vic.

The pale boy sighed, joining his friend at the door to greet the first of the guests arriving. Deep down, he still had a little sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, he’d gain some confidence that he knew he had, and use it to his advantage.

The night grew dark and body after body began to fill the empty spaces. Soon enough, Matty’s two-story beach house was crammed with kids; most of them already on their way to being drunk, others were quiet in small corners of the room.

Kellin was never much of a big party guy. He’d enjoy the occasional drink now and then and every once in awhile he’d let go and have fun, but tonight he didn’t want to. He wanted to remember. He wanted to brave.

“Matty, I’m gonna head outside, okay?” He called out over the music. Matty just nodded, taking another sip of whatever drink was in his hand and continued talking to the pretty girl that stood in front of him.

After pushing his way through the mass of bodies, Kellin finally made it outside, welcoming the cool night air as it hit his face in a small breeze. It was pleasant outside. The music could still be heard; probably a mile down the beach and a bonfire was already going. They were probably breaking all sorts of rules, but this neighborhood was a chill one. No one ever complained. Kellin closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and enjoying the sounds of the ocean waves crashing against the shoreline. Before he could get too carried away, a small cough interrupted his fantasy.

He jumped immediately, almost tripping in the sand until a pair of strong arms wrapped around him. “Careful there, Kels. Don’t want you falling and hurting yourself.” A smile made it’s way to his face. He knew that voice better than anything.

“Hi Vic.” He murmured, frowning in embarrassment at his little stunt. “Thanks for that.” A blush made it’s way to his face as he felt Vic drop his arms to turn Kellin to face him.

Vic nodded, offering Kellin a warm smile. “You good?” He questioned, tilting his head to the side a bit and Kellin thought it made him look like a confused puppy.

“I’m good.” He answered, running a hand through his dark hair. “Want to go for a walk?” He asked confidently, biting his lip as he awaited an answer.

“I’d love to.” Vic turned to face his friends, waving at them as way to let them know he was leaving. Mike, Vic’s brother, gave him a knowing smirk and Vic only hoped Kellin didn’t catch on to Mike’s action. “Let’s go.” He set his cup on the ground and followed Kellin down the beach, kicking up sand in the process.

Waves crashed along the shore as the boys continued their walk, talking about school and where they were going to go after they graduated. Vic had been accepted to a school upstate, as did Kellin. Both were pleasantly surprised since they’d be able to keep in touch and visit each other frequently.

They were maybe a mile away from all of the commotion, but it could still be heard, especially as a group of girls let off small fireworks. Their screeching got louder as the sparks grew bigger. The site was breathtaking, really. Fireworks always were.

“Kind of a wild night.” Vic spoke up, dropping onto the sand and encouraging Kellin to join him.

Without hesitating, Kellin plopped down on the ground, the sand sticking to his hands as he tried to situate himself comfortably. “Yeah.” He replied quietly.

They were in a rather secluded area, not really seen from the party since a few shrubs lined the back row of them, branches hanging down in front of them. The sand was cool as was the wind and the smell of the ocean blew through the air. It was a calm a little getaway from the party.

Just sitting next to Vic made Kellin’s heart race rapidly. It didn’t help when Vic shifted positions, brushing his leg against Kellin’s. The touch alone was intense, just the feeling of Vic near him made his stomach erupt with tiny butterflies. This was it. The time was now. If Kellin wanted to step up and be brave, he had to make the move before tomorrow came and Vic was gone.

“Hey, Vic?” Kellin whispered, cursing himself that it didn’t come out louder.

It didn’t matter, though. Vic still heard and turned his attention to the small boy next to him. He flashed him a bright smile, moving in closer to better hear him.

The action made Kellin blush furiously, but he did his best to hide it, although Vic was making everything extremely difficult. “Kellin, you okay?”

“Uh huh.” Kellin said quickly, swallowing the lump in his throat. His mind was racing, his thoughts becoming jumbled and his heart was beating a thousand miles a minute. Then it just happened. “I like you.” He blurted out, eyes going wide as he realized he actually said what he’d been dying to say for four years.

Kellin watched Vic’s face, searching for a sign of any kind, but instead he received a response in the form of a chuckle. His heart sank a little, not knowing exactly what that meant. Was Vic laughing at him?

His thoughts were interrupted when Vic placed a hand on his knee. “I like you too, Kellin.” He smiled, giving Kellin a gentle squeeze to show he was sincere in his words.

At that moment, the world around them froze and Kellin just flicked his gaze from Vic’s eyes to his lips. This beautiful brunette that he’d been pining over since they started high school, liked him back. Not wasting another moment, Kellin lunged forward, pressing his lips to Vic’s softly.

Vic kissed him back straight away, tangling his fingers in Kellin’s raven hair to deepen the kiss automatically. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t ecstatic. When he met Kellin in math class four years ago, his life seemed to change forever. That pale, scrawny boy had captured his heart, and attention, and he hasn’t been the same since.

The kiss was electrifying, as they had both expected it would be, filled with passion and hunger that seemed impossible for two teenagers to muster. Their lips molded together perfectly, moving in a steady rhythm.

Kellin pulled away first, gasping for air, but his hand never left Vic’s neck. “Wow.” A shaky breath drew out of him and he closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them he would still be there, solidifying that this wasn’t just a beautiful dream.

“Yeah.” Vic breathed, bringing Kellin back towards him for another short, smooth kiss. Kellin’s lips were so soft and addicting and Vic didn’t want to let go of him. Ever.

Kellin laughed, pulling away again and resting his head on Vic’s shoulder. “Why did it take us so long?” He whispered quietly, genuinely wanting an answer.

“Because we’re both scared little shits.” Vic replied, running his fingertips up and down Kellin’s back. “But let’s not worry about that now, okay?” He wrapped a steady arm around Kellin, pulling him closer and then he laid back down on the sand, letting Kellin rest on his chest.

“You’re going to get sand in your hair.” Kellin commented, looking up at Vic with his large, blue eyes.

“I don’t mind.” Vic smiled down at him, encouraging him to lie back down. Here it was quiet, blockaded from the ruckus down at the other end of the beach. They were away from their friends who, once they found out, would not stop bombarding them with questions. Questions they didn’t need to know the answers to.

Both boys laid in a comfortable silence, intertwined in each other as Vic played with Kellin’s hair. Every once in awhile they’d speak up, talking about the little things they did for each other. For instance, one time in 10th grade, Vic had sent Kellin a candy cane during the candy cane gram, but marked it as anonymous, so Kellin wouldn’t know. Inside the card of the candy cane read a little poem, something short and sweet and from the heart.

And in 11th grade, when Vic was having a hard week with personal matters and school stuff, Kellin would slip little notes of encouragement into his locker, knowing that those few words made Vic feel ten times better.

It was the little things they did for each other that made them so special. Of course, all of their friends knew. They had even tried to throw spontaneous parties throughout the year just in hopes that their friends would either get drunk and admit their feelings, or find the courage to do it on their own.

It took some time for them to finally come together, but whether they knew it or not, they always belonged to each other. The day that Kellin met Vic was the day his heart was stolen, with no sign of it being returned. And Kellin was okay with that. His heart was Vic’s for him to do as he pleased with it.

Each word they spoke was quiet as they stayed on the beach, under their tree of isolation. They were careful not to make any loud noises, knowing that if they did, their friends come over and ruin the moment. It was nice being alone together, just lying in the sand, wrapped in each other’s warmth and occasionally stealing kisses.

As the night dragged on, the sky grew darker, the wind got colder, and a roll of thunder could be heard in the distance. “What time is it?” Vic asked, waking Kellin out of a tiny slumber.

Kellin reached in his back pocket, pulling out his phone. “Almost one in the morning.” He mumbled out lazily, yawning as he sat up. “How long have we been out here?”

“A few hours.” Vic replied, sitting up as well.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Kellin frowned, standing up and pulling Vic up with him.

“You looked too cute. I couldn’t.” Vic grinned, lacing his fingers with Kellin’s as they made their way down the beach.

Matty’s voice could be heard in the distance. “Okay, guys! That’s a wrap! You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here!” Kellin and Vic chuckled at Matty’s words. He always ended his parties as if he were closing a bar.

As the boys approached the house, Vic heard his friends, cat calling and giving off girlish squeals. “Ooh la la, what do we have here?” Jaime teased, pushing Vic’s shoulder gently.

“Did you guys bang?” Mike quizzed, eyebrows furrowing.

“Don’t be so inappropriate. The polite way to ask is,” Tony started, shaking a finger at Mike. “Did you have intercourse?”

The three of them busted out laughing, Tony nearly falling off of the balcony. “You guys are drunk.” Vic commented, squeezing Kellin’s hand a little tighter so he didn’t feel so uncomfortable.

Kellin smiled, assuring Vic that he was fine. He’d actually found the three of them to be quite entertaining, but then again, they always were.

“Kellin and Victor, sitting in a tree—hey ow.” Mike whined after receiving a slap from his brother. “I’m just sayin’, it’s about damn time!”

“Here, here!” Tony and Jaime yelled in unison, raising their cups in the air.

Vic turned to Kellin, rolling his eyes at the animals behind him. “I have to take them home, make sure they get back safe. Want to ride with me? I’ll drop them off at Jaime’s or something.”

Kellin smiled, his hand never leaving Vic’s. “Yeah, sure.”

“Alright you nimrods, let’s go.” Vic dragged Kellin away, his friends following behind. Kellin pulled out his phone, shooting a text to Matty that said he was riding with Vic and he’d see him tomorrow. Seconds later he received an extremely suggestive text to which he laughed at and ignored.

After dropping the three of them off at Jaime’s house, Vic made a turn to head to Kellin’s. Rain started to fall, soft droplets coating the windshield, but it wasn’t heavy, so it was still nice. The radio played quietly in the background and Kellin’s hand still sat comfortably in Vic’s. The whole night had turned out to be better than Kellin had imagined it would. Going into the party, he was a bit grouchy, since he really didn’t think he’d be able to get any alone time with Vic.

However, the night certainly worked out in his favor.

As they reached Kellin’s house, the rain started to pick up, now thrashing around heavily outside. “You can wait in here if you want.” Vic said turning off the car and letting it sit in Kellin’s driveway.

“No, it’s okay. I should probably go in.” He replied as he undid his seatbelt. It was well after midnight. His parents were probably asleep, but his little sister was sure to be up. And she was quite the tattletale.

“Let me at least walk you to your door then.” Vic smiled, opening the car door and rushing out into the rain. Kellin did the same, but instead of heading towards the front of the house, Kellin dragged him around the gate to the side.

“I have to sneak in my window. My sister is brat.” He quietly shouted over the rain. It was pouring, making it harder to hear.

Vic nodded, placing his hands in the pockets of his now drenched hoodie. They were silent for a moment, just staring at each other as the rain continued to pelt them. “I’m really glad you came forward tonight.” Vic said, stepping closer to Kellin and placing his hands on his shoulders. “Really glad.” He repeated, leaning forward and pressing his lips to Kellin’s once again.

Kellin snaked his arms around Vic’s waist, pulling him closer to eliminate any free space between them. “Me too.” Kellin muttered softly, resting his head against Vic’s. “I feel like this is the best night, ever.”

“Agreed.” Vic chuckled, wrapping his hand around Kellin’s neck, kissing him again. “I can’t stop kissing you.” Vic breathed in between kisses.

“I don’t want you to stop kissing me.” Kellin smiled, melting at Vic’s every touch.

The rain began to slow down as they stood there by the side of Kellin’s house, just kissing. Going into this party, they both had high hopes that something amazing would happen, something unforgettable. And it did. It finally did.

Kellin pulled away again, giving Vic one last peck before backing away, their eyes never breaking contact. “Will you call me later?”

“I’ll call you in five minutes if you want.” Vic said jokingly, although at this point he was serious, too. He never wanted to let go of Kellin.

The younger boy let out a soft laugh, his smile growing by the second. “And we’ll hang out soon?” Kellin was sure they were together, but he needed confirmation.

“Of course. I mean, you are my boyfriend now, aren’t you?” Vic smirked, watching as Kellin hit the side of his house.

Kellin bit his lip, nodding at Vic’s words. “I have to climb my house now.”

“I know.”

“It’s embarrassing. Don’t watch.”

“I want to make sure you get in safe.”

Kellin chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ll be fine. Go home before you catch a cold.”

Vic sighed dramatically, smiling as he backed away. “Fine. I’ll see you later. Bye, Kellin.”

“Bye, Vic.” Kellin smirked; watching as Vic got into his car and drove off, waving as he did so. For a brief moment, Kellin settled against the side of his house, the smile never leaving his face. Finally, after years of waiting, he had Vic Fuentes. "Hands down this is the best day I can ever remember."