Page 49 of Lost Boy
I like it a lot.
“Not even two minutes after you walked in, all mused up, you’re laughing with your friends, like a hyena on acid, in the middle of the cafeteria. Then Gracie walks in, looking the same. I saw it all from the lunch line, Cole. You look like an asshole, and I’m telling you how it is.” Jamie is frank, but he cares. He always tries to help his friends, especially if there’s some sort of self-destructive behavior going on. Cole’s parents are never around, and he has no one but Jamie, me, and the team. And sometimes Gracie.
“Shit. Whoops. Guess you’re right. I’ll just make it up to her tonight.” He wiggles his eyebrows obnoxiously, then mumbles, “If you know what I mean,” out of the side of his mouth. I roll my eyes at how ridiculous he can be. And exhausting. Jamie can be on drunk Cole duty tonight. I’m going to have my eye on Fallon.
“It’s on the shore again,” I inform them, giving Cole a warning glance. Last time, he got drunk and attempted to take the jet skis out. They weren’t his, and they weren’t mine, either. We weren’t at our docks, but his intoxicated brain couldn’t understand that. It was a fight to get him away from the heavy machinery.
Cole holds his hands up. “I’ll be good. Promise.”
Jamie rolls his eyes, a small smile curving his lips. The two of them have been friends longer than us, practically since birth, because their parents are best friends. “You’re clueless if you believe yourself, dude,” Jamie replies dryly, and Fallon snorts.
Score one for Jamie!
“Hey! Don’t all three of you gang up on me! No fair. Gracie did too.Dang.Everyone hates me today.”
“We love your crazy ass, and you know it.” I pick up a fry and toss it across the table at him, but he leans forward, catching it in his mouth instead.
Cole throws his arms up in triumph, making a scene like always. I glance at the cheerleader’s table where Gracie and her friends sit and don’t miss her massive eye roll. He’s outrageous, yes. But she’s too hard on him and kinda mean.
“Let’s rideshare so we can all get fucked up,” Cole declares loudly as Mrs. Lee walks by, giving us a stern and disapproving glare.
“Whoops.” He lowers his voice by fifty percent but repeats himself. “As I was saying, let’s Uber so we can all get fucked up tonight.”
I glance over at Fallon, searching his face. “Cool with you?”
He lifts a shoulder, continuing to eat his lunch.
I turn back to Cole. “Sounds good, dude.”
“Yeah. I’m cool with whatever,” Jamie agrees. “I don’t want to drive.”
“Same,” I add.
“You got weed? I’m almost out,” Fallon asks Cole, speaking softly.
“I got you, don’t worry. It’s gonna be a good night. We’ll show you a proper Acadia Lake party and make up for what happened last time ’cause that was bullshit. You’ll see. It can be fun, and the public school kids can be chill. Most of them.”
I get an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, hoping we have a good time tonight.
* * *
The bonfire burns bright, orange flames dancing against the dark waters of Acadia Lake. The waves lap against the sandy shore, adding to the chill vibes. Some parts of the shore are made entirely of pebbles and stones, making it a bitch to walk on, especially when you’re drunk. But this is the spot. Always has been.
“Drinks,” Cole declares loudly over the rock music blaring from the open truck doors where everyone parked.
We head to the huge plastic tub filled with ice, and Cole and Jamie drop off our twelve packs, grabbing a cold one for each of us. These parties are public school style and work on donations, which is sort of genius if you ask me. You can’t drink without dropping off more than you plan to consume.
“What do you want? They have a few different kinds of beer and some wine coolers. That’s it.”
“Whatever.”
I reach into the ice bath and grab the most palatable beer available, tossing it to him and forgetting he’s not one of my teammates a second too late.
He fumbles with the slippery can but doesn’t drop it.
“Shit. Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” He pops the top of his beer, holding the can away from his body when it foams over. He takes a big slurp, and his tongue darts out to lick away a lingering droplet.
