Me, You

Liam’s health was improving.

The doctors said he’d be out before Independence Day. And every Independence Day since they got married, Sophia and Liam always rented out a cabin at Lake Placid Lodge, a two hour drive from Albany. This time we would be coming along.

Since Liam was getting better, the hospital extended visiting hours for him. Of course, this meant we spent most of our days sitting with Liam in his room when he wasn’t in treatment. This also meant that the bucket list that got us here in the first place collected dust in John’s glove compartment.

But, it was after one of Liam and John’s talks that he came out of the room slightly dazed but extremely happy. I was sitting on the hallway ground with Sophia when John yanked me up and starting for the exit. He shouted back, “See you tomorrow, Soph!”

“What are you doing? It’s not even noon, you guys normally don’t stop talking until visiting hours are over,” I jogged behind him.

“Liam arranged something for us today,” He stopped and waited for me to catch up in the parking lot, “But, we can’t be late.”

“What are we doing?”

He just suppressed another smile, lips tightly pursed, “You’ll see when we get then.”

I groaned as I strapped myself in, “John, you know I hate surprises.”

“Do you want a hint?” I shot him a dirty look and nodded, “Okay, it’s on the bucket list.”

I scrambled to snatch the list out of the glove compartment and scanned it as he got onto the road. There were relatively a lot left, despite finishing some after meeting Liam.

75. Go to a rave.

Would Liam allow that?

4. Go hiking, drunk.

Probably not.

I guess I was getting on John’s nerve, asking too many questions. He shot me a look and turned up Death Cab for Cutie, making me fall asleep.

Forty minutes later, I opened my eyes again and the car was parked. John opened the passenger door for me. Peeking past him, there was a giant field with men setting something up... a hot air balloon. I looked up at John and he grinned, “Number 20.”

20. Ride in a hot air balloon.

He helped me out and walked towards the group of men.

“Are you George?” John asked the man who seemed like he was in charge.

The man stopped fiddling with the ropes and shook hands with him, “You Liam’s friend, John?”

“Yeah, this is his daughter, Louise.” He gestured towards me and George shook my hand.

“I didn’t think he had kids,” George said questionably.

“It’s kind of a long story,” I piped up.

He shrugged it off, “Well, you guys are here just in time, let’s get going.”

Taking off, George explained that it normally took months to schedule a hot air balloon ride with Adirondack. But, because of his friendship with Liam and Liam’s ‘condition,’ George could never deny a favor for Liam. These private trips normally cost $750, but ‘Who could charge a man who survived cancer that much money?’ he asked.

George got quieter when he served sparking grape juice- since, you know, we were underaged and ‘didn’t drink.’ Then we got to have a conversation ourselves, looking over New York.

“Liam says that this is where he proposed to Sophia,” He peeked over the edge.

“Are you going to propose to me right now, O’Callaghan?” I joked.

He chuckled and scooted a little closer, “I mean, obviously not. If anything, I’d be proposing to you in a casino in Vegas.”

“Really? Why?”

“You’re not exactly a conventional lover.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well for one, most don’t let themselves have six boyfriends in high school.”

“Oh come on, there are girls who’ve had more than six boyfriends in one year, and you know that.”

“Yeah, but most don’t willingly kiss them all after they break up.”

I punched his arm, “You pressured me, not exactly what I’d call ‘willingly.’”

He laughed and then said, “Also, normally, you don’t kiss your best friend unless you want to pursue a relationship with them.”

Jared’s party three years ago.

“Well, I was drunk and you were dating Mia anyways,” I blinked a few times, trying to ignore the fact that John’s face was getting closer.

“I broke up with her though,”

“I knew you were going to get back together soon enough-”

“Only because you starting dating Rex, my best friend,” I finally looked up at his too close face and noticed the hurt in his eyes.

“But, you’re just as unconventional as I am,”

He raised his eyebrows, not exactly surprised, “How so?”

“First off, most normally stop dating a girl after the third break up,” I said, my brain getting fuzzier the closer he got.

“Point taken, go on,” I could smell the mint gum he chewed.

“And most normally don’t ask their best friend to get their first kiss over with to be more prepared for the real girl they like-”

“Who said I didn’t like you?” He asked.

That’s when I finally realized it. What was happening and what was going to happen. Between us. Something that’s been going on between us for a long time.

“You know, this wasn’t exactly a spontaneous gift from your dad,” He rested his arms against the edge of the basket, looking out, “I needed his help trying to figure out what to do and say...”

“John?” I leaned in, my arm brushing against his.

“I like you a lot, Lou. I’ve liked you for a long time now. But, sometimes I get so terrified of what could happen after this because I don’t ever want to lose you-”

I pulled him in and kissed him because that was what made sense. It made sense how John was always jealous of Halvo when we were together; my subconscious need to always be better than Mia in John’s eyes. I liked John and somehow throughout all these years, he liked me too.

His heart was beating fast. And maybe, he could feel mine too. When he pulled away, I was terrified, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” He tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear.

“Then why'd you pull back?”

He gave me a cheeky grin, “I was just thinking about how weird it is kissing you when you don’t taste like beer or strawberries.”

We had our first kiss when we were fourteen.

It was kind of wet, but sweet like the popsicles we were eating under the school monkey bars.

School was out for the summer. Middle school was finally over and soon enough, we’d be off to high school. So, we took the popsicles Jenny made and our bikes to the middle school playground, to hang there one final time.

John’s lips were stained with the red Popsicle juice.

“Come on, please? Do it or else I’ll tell Halvo you like him,” He sneered. The stupid idiot had Popsicle juice running down his chin.

My face felt hot, “Go ahead, I’m pretty sure he knows already.”

He gaped, knowing he couldn’t respond to that, “Fine, do it and I’ll help you date him.”

“Why don’t you wait until you start dating Mia?”

“Please, Lou,” John was pleading now, “You’re my best friend and I know you wouldn’t judge me. I just want me to be decent when I do- date her, I mean.”

“So I’m just your test dummy?” I made a face.

“What? No- I mean, yeah kind of. But, not in that way-”

I shut him up by kissing him right on the mouth. He kissed back. Looking back on it, he did kiss back. I didn’t know at the time, simply because I was maybe too young. It was my first kiss after all. But, he kissed back.

When I pulled back, he was too dazed, only saying,

“You taste like strawberries,”