Drown

"When were you going to tell me?" Lindsey stands in my doorway. Her messy hair tied up in a loose ponytail and remnants of last nights makeup are smudged under her sleepy eyes.
"Tell you what?" I ask, setting my book on the bed next to me.
Lindsey steps forward and shows me her phone. On the screen is a picture of Dylan and I, kissing. "What, who even took this?"
"You don't get it, do you?" Lindsey flops onto her stomach on the foot of my bed.
"Get what?" I question.
"He's like the it guy." Lindsey says, scrolling through her phone.
"What does that even mean?" I laugh at the hilarity of the term.
"Don't you watch movies or something? He's like the popular guy, the guy every guy wants to be and every girl wants to date. Dylan's like royalty of Chester High."
"Do you even realize how dumb you sound right now? Who cares about that."
"Everyone cares, dude, that's my point. How do you plan on staying invisible when you're dating the most popular guy at school."
"We're not dating. We shared one kiss. Where is that even posted?"
"Insta."
I roll my eyes and pick up my book. "It doesn't matter. It was one kiss."
"Who are you trying to convince?" Lindsey says raising her brows at me. I ignore her, and read my book. "Whatever, just know what you're getting yourself into." She says before leaving my room.
After reading the same paragraph 3 times, I toss my book to the side and cross my arms over my chest in defeat. I gaze out the window at the passing clouds, deciding I need to get out of the house for a bit.
I throw on a clean pair of jeans and sweater, then slip on my black Chucks. I tuck my phone in my back pocket and head downstairs. The back door is open, and soft classic rock is playing from outside. I step out the door to find Mom digging in the dirt and singing along to Tom Petty's Free Fallin'.
"Morning." I greet her with a smile.
"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you have fun last night?" She asks, pulling up weeds from the in ground planters. Luna lays by her side.
"Yeah, I had fun." I twirl a piece of hair between my fingers. "I was just going to take Luna for a walk, maybe explore the area a bit."
"Sure, have fun."
"I will, Mom." I smile at her, though her back is towards me and she can't see. It makes me so happy to see her doing what she loves. I pat my leg and Luna hops up. I get her harnessed and leashed and head outside.
We wander up and down streets throughout the neighborhood. The houses are space far - it's nice not being so close to our neighbors. We turn down a over grown gravel path. It looks like it hasn't been used in years. The gravel path leads up a small hill, at the top sits an abandoned house.
"Wow, it's beautiful." I whisper to myself. There's something so fascinating about the way nature reclaims what is her. Dark green vines creep up the deep red bricks. I step up onto the front porch, the old wood creaks underneath my feet.
We explore each room, taking in it's rustic beauty. Of course Luna is more interested in the scrap pieces of wood and miscellaneous garbage. We walk through the living room, into the kitchen, and round a corner into the dining room. Luna barks just as I lay my eyes onto a body.
"Oh my god." I whisper under my breathe and take several steps back.
I don't know what is worse, the initial shock of seeing a lifeless body, or the uneasy feeling of that body moving slowly, groaning as he rolls onto his side. I let out a small sigh of relief when the man brushes his messy hair out of his face and I see it's the non-stranger from the bonfire.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
The man rubs a hand over his sleepy eyes. "Taking a nap? What are you doing?"
"Okay, but why are you napping in the middle of the floor in a creepy abandoned house?"
"I got tired? Damn, can't I at least get some coffee with this interrogation." He sits up and looks up at me. "Hey you're that weird girl from the bonfire."
"Weird? You're one to talk..." I cross my arms over my chest.
He reaches his hand towards me. "Little help?"
I roll my eyes, but help him to his feet. "Are you drunk?" I ask rhetorically as I can smell the heavy beer stench.
"Bingo." He says, making finger gun motions. "What's your name again?"
"Tyler."
"Ah, Tyler." He shuffles around looking for his backpack, which is sitting in the corner of the room. "You're my cousins new thing." He says as he fetches a beer out of his pack. "You want one?"
"No, and I'm not." I snap, which just makes him smirk. "Dylan's your cousin?"
"Yup!" He stumbles backwards into the wall where he slides down to a sitting position on the floor.
"What's your name?" I ask as Luna lunges forward, her tail wagging as she tries to get into his face, I keep a tight hold on her leash.
"Denton." He cracks open the beer and takes a sip.
"Denton." I repeat, my thumb gently stroking Luna's leash. "Is there a reason you're drunk at 11 o'clock on a Sunday, Denton?"
"Is there a reason you're not?" He counters.
"It's 11 o'clock on a Sunday." I repeat.
"You don't have to be here." Denton says, setting his beer on the ground next to him.
"I don't have anywhere else to be. And the rain is picking up. It'd be nice to have somewhere under cover to be for a little bit."
"If you must." He gestures to the floor around him.
"I must." I respond, taking a seat on the floor across from him. He takes another sip of his beer. Luna lies on the ground next to me. "So you and Dylan are cousins." I repeat.
"Not by choice."
"You don't really look related."
"We're not, by blood at least." He says, his head resting back against the near-crumbling wall.
"I'm intrigued."
"I was adopted by his dad's sister." He says, waving his beer in the air for dramatic affect.
"Oh." I respond, feeling awkward by my inquiries.
"Oh I love that." Denton grins.
"Love what?"
"The awkward silence when I tell people I'm adopted. Like it's something to be ashamed of."
"I didn't thi-"
"Sh sh sh, everyone thinks that. It's fine." He chugs back the rest of his beer.
"If it's so fine, why are you getting drunk alone on a Sunday morning." I cross my arms across my chest and Denton bursts out laughing.
"It's just what I do." He says gleefully. I gaze out the open doorway. The rain had calmed to a light drizzle.
"I should probably get home soon."
"Scared you off already?"
"No..." I say standing. "Come on, I'll walk you."
"I don't need a chaperone."
"You could use a friend." I shrug. Denton is quiet for once, he gazes up at me, and for a brief moment there is a sadness in his eyes. But it disappears almost as quickly as it had arrived.
"You're not going to leave unless I go with you, are you?"
I shake my head 'no'.
"Fine, fine." He says staggering to his feet. "I'll come."