In those minutes, I didn’t care because…
It felt right.
We felt right.
I didn't know it then, but that's when I fell in love with him.
He pecked my lips one last time and gradually pulled away from me, leaving me breathless and winded, with incoherent thoughts running rapidly in my mind. When I opened my eyes he smiled, big and wide above me, and the intensity of his gaze was once again familiar. It was the same stare that was for me, and only me, the same one from the beach. His eyes never appeared that way with Stacey, and I knew because I’d watched. It was the only thing that comforted me when I wanted to fall apart.
“There,” he stated. “Now you can say you’ve experienced things.”
This wouldn’t be the first time he laid claim on me, and it was far from the last.
We graduated eighth grade. Only Austin was left to watch over Alex for one more year, and then she would be alone again. Two more years until we were all under the same roof and school. Our friendship stayed the same, but the feelings we had for each other grew in ways that were far more complex. After that kiss there was no going back, and that was probably why I did it in the first place. I claimed her.
Summer came and went and so did another school year, and then another summer. Before we knew it I was sixteen, and Alex was about to turn fourteen. It was her last year in middle school and we were in tenth grade, Austin in ninth. I went to get my driver’s license on my birthday with Alex impatiently waiting in the sitting room with my mom, and the boys waiting at the beach to celebrate. When I told them I passed my test she jumped in my arms, shrieking and acting like a girl. My mom smiled, and we all walked outside. Parked right out front was a silver Chevy Silverado with my dad in the drivers’ seat.
I instantly looked at Alex who smiled and enthusiastically nodded her head, turning to my mom who was holding up keys.
“No?” I softly asked.
“Happy birthday, baby,” Mom replied, placing the keys in my hand.
I was shocked as shit that they bought me a truck. It was very unexpected, even though I had been hinting that I wanted one. Our boards would fit perfectly on the bed and it had enough room to fit the boys and Alex. Now that I had a truck we could try different beaches to surf. Dylan got a black Jeep for his birthday, and Jacob got a classic black Ford Mustang that we spent hours fixing in his garage.
“I can’t believe you got this truck! This thing is a beast, Bo!” Alex excitedly shouted while I drove.
She looked so tiny sitting in the seat beside me. She wore a black dress that seemed more like a baggy shirt on her. She wore dresses all the time now, but they never clung to her body, still a tomboy at heart. I would say her style was sort of like a hippy, and the makeup on her face was always minimal. She didn’t need it. She was naturally beautiful with her dark brown, waist length, wavy hair. It was as soft as it appeared to be. We still spent every second we could alone in our abandoned house, but we hadn’t kissed again.
“Where are we going?”
“I’m kidnapping you for the day.”
She giggled. I loved hearing her laugh.
“It’s not kidnapping if you tell me first, besides it’s your birthday shouldn’t I be the one kidnapping you?”
“I want to spend my birthday with you, that’s what I want to do.”
She blushed, it was subtle but I saw it.
We pulled up to our abandoned house and I grabbed her hand before she went up the patio stairs.
“Stay here.” I went upstairs and grabbed the blanket and picnic basket that I stole from my mom earlier that day. I left it inside for us. “We’re always in there,” I stated, answering the question that appeared on her face as she followed me down to the beach.
The house came with a private beach and no one could see us without trespassing. I laid out the blanket on the sand and she sat down, helping me take out the sandwiches, chips, and waters from the basket.
“I can’t believe you did this.”
I shrugged. I didn’t want to make a big deal about it. I wanted to do something nice for her, so I did.
“You even used the crunchy peanut butter. Your mom doesn’t even buy this kind.”
I grinned.
We ate our food in silence but every so often I heard Alex take a deep breath. I knew she was content. In the grand scheme of things this was a very simple surprise but to her this was huge. This was worth everything and I wanted to make her happy, that was my present. We spent the entire day talking about meaningless things and when the sun began to set I laid down extending out my arm for her to lay on. She snuggled up beside me.
We watched the sunset in comfortable stillness with the waves of the ocean receding on the shoreline. I couldn’t help but think about the next time…
I would have her like this.
***
Dylan was exclusively dating this girl named Aubrey. She had blonde hair and bright green eyes, and her body was exactly like the ones he admired in those magazines all those years. Jacob dated Ava, who had red hair and blue eyes, and she was much more petite than Aubrey, who was Jacob’s style — she wasn’t as tiny as Alex though, she was still our Half-Pint. Austin was a player and that surprised all of us. He had a different girl around him every time I saw him. They flocked to him like bees to honey.
There was a birthday party waiting for me the next day at Alex’s parents’ restaurant. I hated being the center of attention, but I was a good ol’ boy and played my part. Stacey was there, and we were still playing the same old game, and just like before, it worked for me.
“Stacey’s eye fucking you from across the room,” Dylan chuckled, hitting the solid six ball in the corner pocket.
“No shit,” I replied, casually looking around for Alex.
“So what are you waitin’ for? She’s like a bitch in heat. I can smell her from here.”
I hit the stripped five ball in the side pocket.
“She’d let you hit it tonight. I’m predicting that she may already be waiting for you, too. You know, birthday present and all.”
Jacob raised a questioning eyebrow.
“God, Dylan, do you have to be so crass?” Ava asked, annoyed. “How does Aubrey put up with you?”
“I have a big dick,” he stated.
I shook my head, shutting my eyes. I swear he did it just to fuck with her.
Ava was very sensitive. I found Alex talking to Aubrey by the bar. She really liked her, more so than Ava. I think it was because Ava was really whiney, but Lily was by Alex’s side. My baby sister was ten and looked up to Alex for some reason, she followed her relentlessly, and I knew a part of Alex really loved that. I saw her trying to teach Alex how to play her guitar a few times, but Alex couldn’t carry a tune. Lily on the other hand, her voice was a gift and the talent she had with her guitar excelled everywhere she played.
“You wouldn’t be talkin’ that way if Half-Pint were here,” Ava declared.
“That’s because she’s a lady.”
“Cut the shit, man, you tryin’ to cock block me?” Jacob joked, making Ava slap him in the chest and left.
“Thanks, man.”
“Stop being such a pussy. Tell Lucas to grow a pair and get balls deep into Stacey already. Damn, man, you’re already doin’ everything else with her, what’s one more thing?” Dylan snidely alleged.
We had messed around a few times, she had blown me and I had fingered her, but I wouldn’t go down on her. It was too personal, even though she begged me for it. Alex didn’t know that, at least I didn’t think she did.
“Why don’t you worry about your own dick?” I eyed him.
“Because I love ya and I want you to get your dick wet.”
“Right…”
“I mean check out Austin,” Dylan nodded behind me.
I turned to find him making out with some chick. “I swear he better be using rubbers, he’s going to get an STD or shit get someone pregnant.”
“Legit,” Jacob stated.
“So how was it gettin’ your cock sucked?” Dylan blurted, making me look over at him.
“What?”
“Your cock, Lucas, you can’t tell me you didn’t love it. Now times that by ten and that’s what it feels like to sink into a warm pussy. Lose your goddamn virginity already, you’re making us look bad.”
“He kinda has a point, Lucas, what are you waitin’ for? You got a girl who doesn’t even care if you want to fuck her seven ways from Sunday with no commitment. Git ‘er done,” Jacob added.
I locked eyes with Stacey from across the room. She sat on a barstool sipping her water with hooded eyes.
I nodded to the boys. “Yeah,” was all I could say.
It wouldn’t be the last time I thought with my head and I’m not talking about the one on my neck.
“How’s school going, Alex?” Aubrey asked as we stood by the bar.
“Good. My classes are killer but so far, so good.”
I really liked Aubrey. She was sweet and down to earth. Dylan started seeing her exclusively a few months ago. She was fifteen and her body was ridiculous, I guess she resembled Stacey in that aspect. They both looked like they should be in nudie magazines. Although you would never be able to repeat that after talking to her, she didn’t act that way one bit.
Stacey, on the other hand, was a different story. She didn’t pretend to be anything she wasn’t already called to her face and behind her back. I never understood Lucas’s attraction to her, other than she gave it to him for free. Why buy the cow and all that. I hadn’t a clue how far they’d gone. I didn’t ask and he didn’t offer. It wasn’t discussed. The boys were good about keeping things behind closed doors, seeing as we didn’t go to the same school and all, but come next year that would change. It made me nervous just thinking about it. Stacey and I weren’t friends, we barely even spoke, but I knew her role in Lucas’s life and she knew mine.