Just One of the Boys

We talked for hours, just mouthing off about anything and everything. I opened up to him and told him everything about myself, while he did the same. I learned that he had an older brother and a younger sister, and he used to live in Baltimore before coming to Hamilton. I learned that Rian, Zack, and Jack were also from Baltimore, and that was how the met. Alex told me of his dreams to become famous from his band, and to someday meet Keira Knightly.

I told him about how my mother ignored me and how I lost my dad. I told him about wanted to take over Autumn, but being too scared of not knowing how to run my own company. I told him how I hated how I lived, how I just wanted to be normal.

The moon rose, the air chilled, and the crickets began to sing. We drifted, letting the placid water lead us where it wished, forgetting about our surrounds and all of our worries as the time flew and the bottle grew empty.

“Path me anothah bottl’, thith Jaeger’th tho sthweeth,” Alex slurred, one hand flopping towards the paper back that encased the liquor. I handed him the bottle, giggling madly as I sat up. “What’re ya doin?”

“Swimmin’,” I giggled, tugging my dress over my head so I was clad in nothing but my black bra and underwear. “C’mon, join me!” Without waiting for a response, I dove into the cool water.

Under the water, everything was silent. The moon glittered above me, its light dancing in tiny streaks against the black of the water. I kicked my legs, bubbles swirling around my tanned skin, caressing and hydrating. The coldness caused goose bumps to form on my arms and legs, while my hair streaked behind me, light and airy in the moving water. When my lungs were screaming for air, I surfaced, titling my head back so the light of the moon could kiss my flushed cheeks.

“Holly! Holly, where are ya?” Alex called, his voice echoing and vibrating against the peaceful night. I turned, still treading water, waving my arms so he could see me.

“I’m here!” I responded, swimming back to the boat. “Come inta da water, Alex!” He shrugged, tugged off his clothes, and did a cannonball into the water. He resurfaced, cackling like a fool. I paddled over to him, giggling.

“I want s’more,” I whispered, hoisting myself up on the boat, grabbing the bottle of alcohol and pouring some down my throat. “Mhmm, yummy…”

“Gimme dat,” Alex snorted, taking the bottle from my hands, looping one arm around the railing and swigging deeply. We were both resting more on the boat until, with a loud shriek from my part, it capsized.

Our possessions went tumbling into the dark lake, while we sunk under water. Water rushed into my mouth, up my nose, and down into my lungs as I struggled to get to the surface in my drunken haze. I popped back up, Alex behind me guffawing loudly.

“Oh shit,” he laughed. “My stuff’s gone!”

“N’muh clothes,” I giggled, looking around. “Where’s muh clothes?” Reality hit, and I cursed loudly. Sucking in a deep breath, I dove back underwater, my eyes straining to see. There, in front of me, was a large blob I took as my dress, and floating next to it was Alex’s clothes. I gathered them in my hands and kicked up to the surface. Tossing them on the over-turned boat, I dove back under to find our shoes and my purse. My shoes were surprising easy to find, they were floating a bit below surface. Alex’s shoes hadn’t managed to sink yet, so I rescued them easily, too. My purse, however, was missing.

“Alex, it’s gone!” I wailed, sticking my head back up. Alex had flipped the boat back over and was struggling back into it. “My purse is gone!”

“No it isn’t!” he hiccoughed. “It managed t’stay in—hic—boat.” With a shriek of happiness, I swam back to the boat, flopping awkwardly in. Alex was half in, half out of it, so I dragged him in, trying not to let the boat flip again.

“You—hic—saved my bag,” I giggled, leaning closer to Alex and placing a hand on his chest. “You are a…hero!” Alex burst into laughter, leaning in close to me, while I copied him. Without thinking, I grabbed his face and clumsily pressed my lips to his.

He gripped my jaw and pushed his lips onto mine harder, his tongue slipping between my lips. I bent backwards, letting him brace himself over me as we continued to kiss, fingers entangled in wet hair while the moon illuminated us as we made out in a drunken haze.

His lips moved to my neck as I closed my eyes, arching my back against the wood and sucking in my breath. He stopped and rubbed his nose against my cheek, his breath carressing my cheek. "I'm an ass," he muttered in a laugh. "You'd nevah let me do dis sobah, huh?

"Yup," I yawned, shivering slightly. "I'm cold...and tired..."

Alex still pressed kisses against my skin, murmuring my name over and over again. It wasn't until I let out a soft snore did he realize that the time had caught up to me. It was, after all, one-thirty in the morning.

Shrugging it off, Alex rolled over so my head was resting against his chest, kissed me one last time, and let his own eyes close, the beautiful gift of dreams over taking both of us.