Mike

  “I’m going to give you the keys to my trunk,” Joe said as he handed the spare set of car keys to Mike.

  “Why?” Mike said. This was a very odd thing for Joe to do considering he treated his car better than any of his girlfriends.

  “I have something I want to show you,” Joe said and got out of the car.

  Mike followed his brother to the back of the car. The night air was beginning to get crisp. It was still warm during the day, but fall was starting to roll in. It was necessary to have a light jacket after sunset. Mike wore a solid t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and one of his dad’s medium weight flannel shirts tied around his waist. He was wearing a cap just as the night before—backwards. He was feeling comfortable with this look. It was a 180 from his brother’s college prep attire. Mike’s strawberry blonde hair was beginning to grow out—his auburn roots making an appearance.

  Joe popped open the trunk. There was a 12 pack of Cokes and a 12 pack of Sundrops.

  “You want to show me cokes?” Mike asked utterly confused.

  “No, there’s more,” Joe said and pushed aside the sodas. He felt around at the corner of the trunk and pulled back the upholstered bottom. Where the spare tire would be, Mike saw 6 bottles of liquor—3 bottles of no name vodka, a bottle of Jack Daniels, and two bottles of Wild Turkey.

  “Where did you get this?” Mike’s eyes were wide in disbelief.

  “I have my ways,” Joe said. “Listen, this is for you and me only. You can have some close—CLOSE—friends over here. I don’t want anyone and everyone over here,” Joe gave Mike a warning look.

  Mike nodded. He completely understood the instructions. Only close friends which was a dwindling number these days. He was looking forward to hanging out Rocco and the band, however. He liked hanging out with them at band practice last night and wanted to get to know them more. In just the one night, he instantly felt a comfort level that he had not had with his Chris and Stanton.

  Joe reached for a bottle of the vodka and twisted the top open. He handed it over to Mike. He reached back towards the sodas and pulled out a sleeve of Solo cups. He ripped open the packet and pulled out two cups.

  “Pour us some vodka,” Joe said holding out the cups.

  Mike had no idea how much to pour. He didn’t want to make it obvious that he had alcohol in his drink. He quickly dashed a splash of vodka in each cup.

  “Oh, Jesus Christ. Hand that over” Joe said as he put the cups on the ground. He grabbed the bottle with one hand and leaned down and pinched both cups together with the other hand. He started to freely pour the vodka in each of the cups—2 ounces, give or take an ounce, in each of the Solo cups. He handed the cups to Mike and twisted the top back on the vodka. He then grabbed two cans of Sundrop. He cracked both cans open. He filled one Solo cup with about a quarter of the contents of one can and then filled the second cup with a quarter of the contents of the other can. He put the cans in the trunk and took one of the cups.

  “Bottoms up!” he said and started to chug the contents of the cup. Mike took a sniff and took a sip. Citrus soda and fire water. Despite the heat of the liquor, the Sundrop masked the taste of the vodka quite well—so much so that Mike quickly drank the rest of the mixture while his brother smiled. When he was done, Mike inhaled deeply and thought he would exhale flames. The burn of the vodka spread throughout his body. As his tensions started to subside, Mike watched as Joe topped off each of the cans of Sundrop with vodka.

  “No one will know what’s in here,” Joe told him as he handed Mike a can. Mike sniffed the can. Mike laughed. He was starting to feel good. “I want you to pace yourself though. I’m not taking your ass home in an hour.” Mike nodded in understanding.

  Joe put the vodka back where he got it, covered up the bottles, and closed the trunk. They had parked across the street from the party. Even though the party officially started 30 minutes ago, they were some of the first people to arrive. They both had their cans and walked across the street.

  Tiffany’s house was out in the country so there was no real danger of not finding a place to park. The only danger for Mike and Joe was that if the car were parked far away, they would miss out on most of the party getting refills. The house had a huge front and back yard. The back yard sprawled at least an acre and ended at a forest. There were plenty of spots to wonder off away from prying eyes. The medium sized three-bedroom house was a non-descript brick house with a huge front porch. Tonight, the front porch was set up with speakers and musical equipment.

  Since everything looked set up, Mike wondered if Rocco was here. He looked around for his car and spotted it in the back. His first inclination was to go find Rocco, but Joe pulled his brother over to Tiffany. Tiffany was standing by the front porch giving directions to her brother.

  “But I want you to play this tape,” Tiffany demanded. Her brother took the tape and nodded. He put the tape in the stereo and pressed play. The sound of late 80s rap blared through the speakers causing the partygoers to cover their ears. Her brother turned the volume down to a tolerable level. Tiffany climbed up the porch and turned the microphone on.

  “Welcome to my party, fuckers!” she yelled and turned the microphone off. She was already feeling good. She walked off the porch and started to mingle in the crowd. Joe and Mike approached her.

  “Hey Tiffany,” Joe greeting.

  “Hey Joe, honey!” Tiffany sang and gave him a huge hug. Joe wondered how long she was going to last tonight. She looked over at Mike and screamed, “Is this your little brother?”

  “Yeah, this is Mike,” Joe said. Mike extended his free hand, but she reached over and gave him a hug. Mike almost dropped his can.

  “Welcome baby!” she yelled. “There will be plenty of girls for you meet tonight.”

  Mike gave Joe a look and laughed. He tore himself from Tiffany although she still hung on to his neck.

  “Is the band here?” Mike asked. He was so anxious to see Rocco.

  “Oh yeah. They are inside getting ready. But no one is allowed inside. If you have to pee, you have to go out in the back,” Tiffany slurred and laughed.

  “When does the band start?” Mike asked anxiously.

  “Let’s see, the party started 30 minutes ago so that means it’s 8:30, so at 9,” Tiffany said looking Joe over.

  “Okay, cool,” Mike said and took a sip from his can. He was a little disappointed at this news. He couldn’t wait to see Rocco. Joe looked over and saw his disappointment.

  “Hey Tiffany. Hang on, I’ve got to tell my brother something. I’ll be right back,” Joe said. Tiffany gave him a nod and pointed to the porch indicating that he should met her there after his word with his brother. Joe turned to his brother.

  “Hey, I’m going to hang out with Tiffany. You got your set of keys?” Joe asked. Mike nodded. “And chill out! You’ll get to hang out with Rocco soon,” Joe winked at him and gave him a light punch in the shoulder. Mike stopped dead in his tracks. Was he making it that obvious how much he wanted to see Rocco?

  Joe turned around and walked back over to Tiffany leaving Mike alone. He looked around but did not know anyone he knew. He took a swig from his can but remembered that he needed to slow it down. Normally, he would be a nervous wreck without any of his friends around, but the liquor was quelling his anxieties. He was enjoying being outside with a good buzz going.

  “YOOHOO, Mikey!!!” a voice from behind him shouted. It was Toya accompanied by Moni.

  “Good evening, ladies,” he said in a suave manner. The liquor was taking effect. Toya ran up and gave him a huge hug.

  “How are you?” she bellowed with a huge smile on her face. Moni nodded.

  “I’m good. How are y’all?” he swaggered.

  “You look like you’re feeling good,” Moni said with a half-smile. Mike laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “What’s in that can?” Moni asked.

  He handed the can over to Moni. He would consider them close enough to share in the stash. Moni smelled the can and looked up at Mike. He smiled and raised his eyebrows. Moni took a swig and exhaled loudly.

  “Holy shit, dude. This is 100 proof,” Moni exclaimed.

  “SHHHH!” Mike slurred and whispered, “It’s a secret.”

  “Okay,” Moni replicated his whisper. He took the can back and handed it to Toya. She gave him an anxious look and took a small sip. She coughed.

  “Oh my God!!! How much have you had of that?” she made a sour face.

  “I just started. Want some?” he offered.

  “Hell yes,” Moni said immediately.

  “Just a little,” Toya whispered.

  He motioned them to follow him to Joe’s car across the street. They approached the car as the music faded slightly in the distance. Mike pulled out the keys but dropped them on the ground. He bent down without putting his can down. He opened the trunk and turned towards them.

  “Do you want Coke or Sundrop?” he asked.

  “I’ll have what you’re having,” Moni said.

  “I’d like a Coke, please,” Toya said and batted her eyelashes.

  Mike selected a Coke and a Sundrop. He handed them their selection.

  “Open them up and take a big drink first,” Mike said smiling.

  They caught on quickly to the scheme. Moni cracked open her Sundrop and chugged back almost half of the can. Toya opened her Coke and quickly drank less than a quarter of the can. While they were emptying their cans, Mike fumbled through the trunk to get the opened bottle of vodka. He first took Toya’s can and refilled the empty space with vodka. He did the same with Moni’s Sundrop although hers required more vodka. He replaced the vodka and closed the trunk.

  “Cocktails are served!” Mike sloppily said. The trio laughed giddily. Mike needed to slow down. He opened the trunk again and took an unopened Sundrop. He needed something to take that didn’t have alcohol. As he closed the trunk, he spotted Chris, Stanton, and Matt in the distance.

  “Let’s get back to the party,” he said quickly. He, Toya, and Moni would be back in the front yard before those three would make it. As far as he was concerned, the trio of guys would have no access to his brother’s stash.

  As soon as Mike, Toya, and Moni entered the front yard, Austin came out from the front door onto the porch. His goal was to check to see if the equipment was in place and ready for the band to start their show. Mike watched as Austin walked around the porch checking all the equipment. Mike ran up to the porch. He was followed by Toya and Moni. Austin glanced over and his expression of concentration eased.

  “Mike! Hey!” Austin said.

  “Hey Austin, are you guys ready?” Mike replied with an exaggerated smile.

  “We’re getting there,” Austin said.

  Toya and Moni inched forward. “These are my two friends, Toya and Moni.”

  “Pleased to meet you!” Austin greeted.

  “Are you in the band?” Toya asked with a huge smile on her face. The small amount of liquor was starting to hit her.

  “I am!” Austin sang. “I’m the drummer.”

  “I love a man in a band,” Toya batted her eyelashes which made Austin chuckle.

  “How’s Rocco holding up?” Mike asked.

  “Oh, yes! How’s Rocky?” Toya added.

  Austin smiled widely knowing exactly why Mike was asking this question. “He’s holding up very well. You want me to go get him?” Austin knew the answer was going to be yes.

  “Yeah! I want to tell him to break a leg,” Mike replied.

  “Just a minute, let me check this last thing,” Austin went over to check a final piece of equipment. He turned back to see Mike, Toya, and Moni chatting. Austin thought it was adorable that Rocco already had a little following—sophomore groupies. Mike looked up at Austin. He could tell Mike was antsy to see Rocco, so he gave Mike a wink and went inside.

  A few minutes later, Rocco came out on to the porch. Their eyes locked and it was as if the heavens sang. Rocco was wearing almost the same thing as when he first met Mike—the same Fugazi t-shirt, the same flannel which was tied around waist this time, and the same pair of baggy jeans. They were just a tad too long because the cuffs were bunched up over his Converses leaving only the white fronts showing. Tonight, Rocco was wearing a Yankees ballcap backward. It seemed that he and Mike got the same memo about alternative styles. His hair was slicked back and tucked under his cap. He hadn’t shaved so he had noticeable stubble. Rocco gave Mike his standard crooked half smile and walked over.

  “Hi,” Rocco said as he approached the edge of the patio. Mike’s heart pounded fast, and his stomach was filled with butterflies. Rocco looked like a rock god standing on a pedestal.

  “Hi,” Mike stammered.

  “Hi Rocky!!!” Toya shouted.

  “Toya! And Moni! Oh my god, it’s great you all are here,” Rocco snapped out of his gaze with Mike.

  “Hey Rock,” Moni said.

  “Where else would we be?” Toya said putting her hand on her hip. Rocco laughed.

  “You guys having a good time?” Rocco asked the group.

  “Of course!” Toya bellowed and took a sip from her can.

  “Yeah,” Mike answered shyly.

  “What’s the crowd like?” Rocco asked and looked around. Between the time that Joe and Mike arrived and this moment, there was a steady trickle of groups of teenagers accumulating. If he had to guess, Rocco would think there were at least 50 people so far.

  “I haven’t really paid that much attention,” Mike said. “We’re here though.”

  Rocco’s heart melted when Mike said this. The best he could do was to give him an “AWWW”.

  “Hey, come here,” Mike said and motioned Rocco to come closer. Rocco jumped down from the porch and approached Mike. “Wanna sip?” Mike held out his can. Rocco looked at Mike suspiciously and sniffed the can. The smell of vodka overwhelmed his nose causing him to wrinkle his nose. He took a sip and made a face of disgust. Mike, Toya, and Moni started laughing.

  “Good lord, dude! How much did you put in here?” Rocco winced.

  “SHHHH!” Mike said. “It’s a secret.”

  Rocco laughed and gave the can back to Mike. “You better pace yourself. I want to hang with you after the show.”

  Mike’s face lit up and he nodded fiercely. “Take it then. I’ve got a clean one in my pocket I can drink during the show.” Mike dug in his pocket and pulled out the unopened Sundrop. Rocco smiled and nodded. He took Mike’s opened, spiked soda and started to turn back toward the porch. Mike grabbed his shoulder. “Hang on.”

  Rocco turned back around. “Yes?” he said in an exaggerated British accent.

  “I’m not sure if ‘break a leg’ is the right thing to say so have a good show. I’ll be right here watching,” Mike said with a sheepish grin.

  Rocco smiled and gave Mike a huge hug. Mike relished the moment. Rocco’s familiar earthy smell filled Mike’s nose and caused him to smile. This was more intoxicating than his can of spiked Sundrop. They pulled away.

  “I better finish up,” Rocco hugged Toya and Moni and went back inside.

  Mike popped open his clean soda and took a sip. His mouth was a little dry from nerves. Toya gave him a big smile and took a drink as well.

  “Is your boyfriend ready for the show?” Mike turned around to see Stanton, Chris, and Matt. Mike wanted to get mad but he thought better.

  “Hey guys,” Mike said nonchalantly.

  “Hey Mike, Toya, Moni,” Chris said. “How long have you all been here?”

  “I’ve been here for about 20 minutes,” Mike said. That seemed about right. He looked at his watch and saw he was correct.

  “We got here 15 minutes ago,” Moni said.

  “How’s it been going?” Matt asked.

  “Well, Mike--” Toya started but was interrupted by Mike grabbing her arm so she would not say anything about the stash. He gave her a look as if to say “quiet!” She stammered and then continued, “Mike was just asking us if we had seen you guys.” Mike gave a smile of approval.

  “Well, here we are, Loverboy,” Stanton said. “Where do you think we can get a beer around here?”

  Toya gave a huge, closed smile and looked around. Moni was silent. Mike just shrugged his shoulders.

  “Where did you guys get those cokes?” Chris asked.

  “Oh, we came with these,” Moni said. Mike was loving these two—they could play along very well.

  “Hmmph,” Stanton huffed. “Come on guys, let’s go find some booze or something.” Stanton started to walk away.

  “We’ll see you in a few minutes?” Chris said.

  “Sure,” Mike said noncommittedly. Chris blinked and wrinkled his eyebrows slightly. He picked up that Mike didn’t really caring about hanging out with them. He turned away a little dejected.

  When they left, Toya turned toward Mike with huge eyes. “Mike, I almost gave up your stash. I’m so sorry!”

  He laughed. “But you didn’t!”

  “Why do you hang out with Stanton. He’s a big asshole,” Moni said.

  “You’re right, he is an asshole. The thing is he’s just sorta always around. Chris and Matt are my friends,” Mike honestly answered.

  “Let’s make it a point to avoid him tonight,” Moni said.

  “Challenge accepted,” Mike said as he smiled and shook Moni hand.

  “Mike, I have something I want to tell you,” Toya said suddenly very serious.

  Mike picked up on her change in tone. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know how to put this,” Toya said looking around. She paused and then started, “I think Rocco is into guys.” Mike stared at her, not in disbelief, but in anticipation of what he thought was inevitable. She saw that Mike was staring and misinterpreted this as Mike not understanding what she was saying. “I think he’s gay.” Mike looked at Moni who nodded.

  “Okay,” he said as calmly bracing himself for her to ask him if he were gay too.

  “I’m pretty sure he likes you,” Moni backed her up.

  “What makes you think that?” Mike said nervously.

  “The way his glance stays on you, and I’ve seen him checking you out during class,” Toya replied.

  “Oh, really?” Rocco was checking him out. He got a sense that Rocco was a little more that friendly towards him but to hear that other people have seen Rocco checking him out was quite a confidence boost.

  “I hope you don’t think less of him,” Toya said.

  “Oh, not at all. It’s kinda flattering but, you know, whatever,” Mike said trying to appear as unattached as possible even though he was giddy on the inside.

  They chatted a little more without getting into Mike’s orientation. During this time, the crowd had gotten larger. Many of the kids had started migrating to the back yard which was not as well lit. It was certain that the back yard was reserved for underage drinking and weed smoking—among other unsupervised teenage activities. There must have been at least 100 kids now. It was 9 when the door opened, and Tiffany’s brother brought out Rocco’s guitar and Raz’s bass. He plugged them into their amplifiers. He turned on the mics and tapped them to make sure they were working. The crowd in the front yard started to pack their way around the porch. Mike had already cemented himself in the front row directly across from where Rocco would be standing.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my pleasure to introduce Fred,” Tiffany’s brother said. The front door flew open. The crowd started to cheer here and there. No one matched the cheers and applause coming from Mike, Toya, and Moni. First Austin came out, then Raz, then Rocco, and finally Pete. Mike’s face lit up.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Pete approached the mic, “What’s up Miners Creek? We’re Fred and we are here to rock.” He stepped back, nodded to Rocco, and then shouted “2…3…4…”

  Rocco

  The party was to start at 7. In all likelihood, the crowd would start trickling in around 7:30. Rocco pulled up to Tiffany’s house around 6:00 to make sure everything was set up. It would take a while to unload all their equipment and get the levels right. They had only practiced in a garage which reflected most of the sound back to them. Since this was outdoors, the music would sound radically different. They did not want to leave that to chance.

  Rocco got out of the car and started to take his equipment out of the car. As he got the last piece of equipment out, Pete pulled up behind him. Pete got out of his car and walked over to Rocco and the equipment. Pete did not feel the need to bring any equipment except his own microphone. That’s just how he was, lead singer diva mentality. It didn’t really annoy any of the other bandmembers. He was a great singer, so they put up with his attitude. Pete, at least, helped carry what Rocco brought to the porch.

  “Any of the other guys here yet?” Pete asked.

  “I don’t know. I hadn’t looked,” Rocco replied although he didn’t see anyone else’s car. Raz was likely to get a ride from Austin. They lived on the same route, and Raz had not learned how to drive even though he was almost 18. Pete was the oldest by 6 months. He turned 18 last year as he was held back a year in 6th grade. Austin and Raz would be 18 next month. Rocco would not be 18 until the end of April next year.

  Austin and Raz pulled up. They started to unload their equipment which included Austin’s drum set. That would be the bulk of the unloading. The only items Raz and Rocco had to unload were their amps and their guitars. It didn’t take long for Rocco and Pete to get their items on stage. They walked over to Austin and Raz to help them trek the equipment to the porch.

  “The band is here!” Tiffany said running out of the house. She had a plastic cup of what looked like Sundrop but was likely enhanced with alcohol. She ran up to Rocco and hugged his neck, “Hey Cuz!”

  “Hey Cuz!” Rocco said reciprocating the embrace.

  “Looks like you guys are getting set up. Y’all want a drink?” she pushed her cup into Pete’s face. He got a healthy whiff of the liquored soda.

  “Maybe after we get everything set up,” Pete said smoothing his hair down.

  “Okay, well, come on inside when you are done. I’ve got the green room ready,” Tiffany exclaimed laughing at the joke. The green room was just the living room.

  Austin gave her an okay sign and hopped up on the porch. The guys went back and forth transporting Austin’s drums to him so that he could place them where they needed to be. Tiffany’s brother was setting up the sound system. He had rented speakers that were powerful enough for the band to use. Each side of the porch had stacks of speakers taller than Pete—the tallest and lankiest member of the band.

  It took them half an hour to get everything set up. They tested their equipment. Pete walked out to the middle of the front yard. Each band member played a little of the first song. Pete would gesture up or down so that each member could adjust their levels to where each instrument sounded fine. Once each member had done their sound check, they all played a few seconds together. Pete approved.

  A handful of people had started to wonder in. Rocco went over to Tiffany’s brother to tell him that they were done with the sound check. The speakers were all his to start playing music.

  “Alright guys, let’s go inside and get ready,” Pete announced.

  Raz and Rocco unplugged their guitars without taking them off around their neck. There was no way they would leave their guitars on the porch for anyone to steal. Austin had no option with his drums. They all went inside to their “dressing room”. Austin and Raz sat down on the couch. Rocco went over to the mirror to give himself a look over. He was not concerned about looking perfect. He just wanted to look somewhat presentable. Lugging over music equipment was hard work and made him sweat. Pete wondered over to check his hair.

  “Looking good Rocco,” Pete said.

  “Likewise,” Rocco replied.

  “You think your boy will be here?” Pete asked.

  “Mike? Yeah, he will,” Rocco answered.

  “He’s a sweet guy. I don’t think you have to worry about anything,” Austin said.

  Rocco turned away from the mirror. “What do you mean?”

  “Rocco, it’s very obvious he’s into you,” Austin said rolling his eyes.

  “How can you tell?” Rocco wanted to know more.

  “He couldn’t take his eyes off you the entire practice. It’s like the rest of us didn’t even exist,” Raz replied.

  “Really?” Rocco liked what he heard but had a hard time believing them.

  “Dude, he acted just like a girl with a crush,” Austin said.

  “Seriously?” Rocco still couldn’t believe them but they were his friends so they wouldn’t lie. He also couldn’t believe how much they already accepted him being gay.

  “I don’t know of any other guys who give so much attention to another guy. He’s into you,” Austin assured him.

  Rocco looked off for a moment. Maybe they were right. Maybe the entire time that Rocco assumed Mike was just being extra nice, he was into him. The hug they shared last night was uncharacteristic for a guy/guy hug. When Rocco got hugs from his guy friends, it was just a momentary touch or one of those side hugs. This was a long face-to-face embrace. Rocco smiled a little at the thought of Mike being into him.

  “Yeah, maybe,” Rocco trailed off as Tiffany came in with cups, Sundrop, and vodka.

  “Did I hear someone is into you, cuz?” Tiffany said in a teasing manner. Rocco blushed but also panicked. How much did she hear?

  “Who’s the girl?” she asked as she put down the refreshments.

  “It’s nothing,” Rocco said. All the guys looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

  “Well, whoever she is, you better make a move tonight,” Tiffany said. “You guys have everything you need?”

  “Yeah, we’re cool,” Pete said. Tiffany nodded her head and left the room.

  “You haven’t told any of your family yet, have you?” Austin said.

  Rocco looked down. “No, only you guys know.” There was an uncomfortable silence in the room.

  “It’s alright. It’s on your own time, dude,” Austin said and poured a drink. Raz followed Austin’s lead. “Pete and Rocco? A drink?”

  “No, I don’t want to fuck up my voice,” Pete said. Austin nodded in understanding.

  “Sure. Just to calm my nerves,” Rocco said. Austin poured him a citrus soda cocktail and handed it to him. Rocco took a sip and exhaled. It was stout. “Jesus, Austin, this is strong!”

  “You look like you need a little extra,” Austin said. Rocco gave a nervous laugh. He was nervous not only about the show but also to see Mike. He wanted to do more with Mike now that his friends put in his head that Mike was into him.

  As it got closer to 7:30, Rocco started to pace the living room. Every few minutes he would peek out the front window. Each time he looked out, he saw more people in the yard. Most of the people were just congregated in small groups talking. Some were dancing to the music. The more time that elapsed, the more nervous Rocco became.

  “Rocco, come sit down. Get away from that window,” Austin said and made room for him between himself and Raz.

  “Yeah, you’re right. I’m freaking myself out,” Rocco agreed. He sat down and let out a sigh.

  “It’s going to be just fine. Just find a person in the audience and play only to that person,” Raz assured him. “Just pretend you are playing to Mike. No one else in the world exists.” Rocco looked off and smiled dreamily at this thought.

  “Thanks, Raz. I already feel better,” Rocco said.

  “We are getting close to time, I’m going to make one final look over of the equipment, make sure no one has stolen my drums,” Austin said and went out to the porch.

  Rocco took sip of his drink and looked over at Raz. “Are you going to playing for anyone?”

  “Nah, I’m not interested in anyone at the moment,” Raz said and took a drink.

  “Are you looking?” Rocco asked.

  “Not really,” Raz replied. He looked up at Pete who was primping in the mirror. “Pete, you look fine.”

  “The front man is the look of the band. I got to be perfect,” Pete said and continued. Raz rolled his eyes and looked over at Rocco. He mouthed “whatever” which made Rocco laugh.

  Five minutes later, Austin came back in. “Rocco, Mike’s out there. He really wants to see you and wish you luck.” Rocco’s anxiety disappeared. He suddenly felt a rush of happiness.

  “Really?” Rocco rushed over to the window. He spotted Mike right in the front. Rocco stared at him—taking in the sight. He was adorable with his backwards cap. He was chatting with Toya and Moni.

  “Go get him, Loverboy!” Raz yelled.

  “Yeah, schwing, you fucker,” Pete joked and spanked Rocco on the butt.

  Rocco exhaled loudly, “Okay, I’ll be back.” Rocco walked out on to the porch. Their eyes locked. Mike was wearing close to what he was wearing last night—a solid t-shirt, a flannel shirt tied around his waist, and a pair of baggy jeans—a completely different look than the preppy look he sported the first day of school. Mike’s smile grew. His blue eyes sparkled in the porch light. A lock of red hair hung out from the cap barely touching his round glasses. His lips were glistening like they were last night.

  “Hi,” Rocco said as he approached the edge of the patio. His heart pounded fast, and his stomach was filled with butterflies. If this was what a groupie looked like, he was all for it.

  “Hi,” Mike stammered.

  “Hi Rocky!!!” Toya shouted. He had hardly noticed Toya and Moni as he was mesmerized with Mike at this moment in time. He was thrilled to see them however once he snapped out of his daze.

  “Hey, come here,” Mike said and motioned Rocco to come closer. Rocco jumped down from the porch and approached Mike. “Wanna sip?” Mike held out his can. Rocco looked at Mike suspiciously and sniffed the can. It was the same thing he was nursing in the dressing room—Sundrop and vodka. He took a sip.

  “Good lord, dude! How much did you put in here?” Rocco winced.

  “SHHHH!” Mike said. “It’s a secret.”

  Rocco laughed and gave the can back to Mike. “You better pace yourself. I want to hang with you after the show.” Rocco hoped for more.

  Mike’s face lit up and he nodded fiercely. “Take it then. I’ve got a clean one in my pocket I can drink during the show.” Mike dug in his pocket and pulled out the unopened Sundrop. Rocco took Mike’s opened, spiked soda and started to turn back toward the porch. Mike grabbed his shoulder. “Hang on.”

  Rocco turned back around. “Yes?” he said in an exaggerated British accent.

  “I’m not sure if ‘break a leg’ is the right thing to say so have a good show. I’ll be right here watching,” Mike said. Rocco stopped and admired how he said this. He relished the moment. Without hesitating, Rocco smiled and gave Mike a huge hug. Mike smelled like Polo and Irish Spring which was causing Rocco to get delirious. They pulled away.

  “I better finish up,” Rocco hugged Toya and Moni and went back inside.

  “Well, how did it go?” Austin asked. Rocco just smiled and walked over to the couch.

  “OOOO, he’s in love,” Raz said in a sing-song voice. Rocco scrunched his eyebrows. He put Mike’s can on the coffee table.

  “What’s that?” Raz asked.

  “It’s a drink Mike had. It’s got liquor in it so he wanted me to take it so he wouldn’t get drunk,” Rocco replied.

  “’Cause he wants to be awake for you to ravish him,” Pete mocked.

  “Ravish?” Rocco laughed at this term. “Stop it.” He was feeling much better. His nerves were calmed. He was going to have Mike to play to. The liquor was loosening him up a little.

  Tiffany’s brother came in. “You guys about ready to start? It’s getting close to time.”

  Pete exhaled and started walking towards the door. “Yep.” The other guys put their drinks down and got up.

  “You guys stand at the door. I’ll introduce you, then you come out and do your thing.”

  Pete nodded. Tiffany’s brother gave them a quick nod and went out to the porch.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my pleasure to introduce Fred,” Tiffany’s brother said. The front door flew open. The crowd started to cheer here and there. No one matched the cheers and applause coming from Mike, Toya, and Moni. First Austin came out, then Raz, then Rocco, and finally Pete. Mike’s face lit up.

  Pete approached the mic, “What’s up Miners Creek? We’re Fred and we are here to rock.” He stepped back, nodded to Rocco, and then shouted “2…3…4…”

  It was as if Rocco were in an altered state. Normally, he detested any kind of public performance. He hated speeches and talking in class, but this was a totally different thing. He had never played guitar to a crowd of more than 5 people, much less over 100 people of his peers. When he hit that first note, the crowd disappeared replaced by black space. The only person he could see was Mike standing in the front row bobbing his head. The space surrounding him was filled with the bars of music he was supposed to play. When he was to break from strumming, instead of his music, he saw the band member’s instruments playing. But it wasn’t the instrument itself but an animated version of the instrument. When he started to question what he was seeing in front of him, reality itself set in and he saw the crowd. This, of course, caused him to panic so he closed his eyes to get back into the music. When he opened his eyes, he focused only on Mike. The music and animations returned. It took a couple of times of snapping out of his groove before he just gave in and let the imaginary hallucinations take hold. The music of one song seamlessly merged into the next song. Before he knew it, the show was over. He had played every song they practiced. The show seemed like it took both less than 5 minutes but also hours. It was both endless and instantaneous. He had completely lost himself in the music, and it felt marvelous. He did not realize the crowd of classmates were cheering and hollering so loudly that his ears hurt. They had played the crowd into a frenzy. They loved it.

  “I want to introduce you to the band,” Pete yelled to the crowd. “On guitar, we have Rocco…”

  Rocco snapped out of his stupor. The crowd went wild. He began playing the first few riffs of their first song. The crowd started jumping up and down in wild craze.

  “On bass, Raz!” Raz ripped out some basslines which led the crowd to holler.

  “On drums, Austin!” The crowd screamed as he did a solo.

  “And I’m Pete,” the crowd again went wild. “We’re Fred. Good night!”

  More cheering and demands for more. However, they had played their entire playlist. So, the show was over. Raz and Rocco unplugged their instruments and went inside with Austin and Pete.

  “Holy shit! They fucking loved us!!!” Pete exclaimed. All the guys gave each other a huddled hug. They were drenched in sweat and excitement. The crowd was still chanting for more.

  The front door swung open. It was Tiffany, Joe, and Mike.

  “Oh my god! You guys were spec-fucking-tacular! I have so many people wanting you to play their party,” Tiffany said holding onto Joe’s hand. Rocco felt like he was going to hyperventilate at the excitement until he saw Mike standing behind Joe. Mike was all he needed to see to calm down.

  Mike ran over to him and gave him a hug around his soaked neck. Rocco wrapped his arms around Mike’s waist and started laughing. He was in such a fantastic state of existence at this moment. He had just played a killer successful first show and Mike was giving him a hug. He honestly did not know how things could get any better than this single moment. They unlocked their embrace and locked eyes.

  “You guys were phenomenal!! Everyone loved you,” Mike exclaimed. Rocco could tell that the liquor had worn off for them both. He was getting a little headache from all the excitement and was starting to get light-headed. Mike caught on to this. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I just need to sit down a minute,” Rocco exhaled. Mike took Rocco by the hand and led him to the couch.

  “You want something to drink?” Mike asked.

  “Sure,” Rocco looked at him and smiled. Their hands had been intertwined since the hug. Mike released his grip to fix Rocco a drink. Rocco did not want to lose contact with Mike, so he placed his hand on Mike’s lower back. Mike looked back, smiled, and continued to pour the drinks. No one else in the room had noticed this interaction. They were too hyped up from the show. This was Mike and Rocco’s own intimate moment.

  “Do you want me to make it an adult drink?” Mike asked pointing at the vodka.

  “Okay,” Rocco said. At this moment, he would let Mike do whatever he wanted. Mike poured a healthy amount of vodka in each of their drinks. He handed one cup to Rocco and kept one for himself. Rocco took a large gulp and began to feel more at ease.

  “I’m just in awe of your performance,” Mike said.

  Rocco noticed everyone else in the room was all giddy. Pete was in his element taking in all the praise. Rocco had not noticed when Wendy came into the living room, but she was clinging onto Austin. Joe and Tiffany were practically fused into one body. It was sensory overload for Rocco.

  “Do you think we could get some air?” Rocco whispered to Mike. Mike smiled and nodded.

  They got up and snuck out of the room without anyone noticing them. They went through the house and out the back door into the dark back yard. There were almost as many kids in the back yard as in the front. Rocco could smell weed when they passed clumps of teenagers. As they keep going further back into the darkness, the crowd of weed smokers started to change into pairings of couples making out. Mike grabbed Rocco’s hand and continued into the darkness of the back parts of the yard. Rocco could not make out much of anything except Mike’s white skin in the moonlight. They were far into the backyard away from the lights of the house. In the immediate distance a few feet away were the woods. Rocco could make out the shapes of trees as well as couples heavily making out. Rocco was sure there was more going on in these woods than just kissing. Once they had gotten a few yards in the woods, Mike let go of his hand.

  “Want to sit here?” Mike asked.

  “Okay,” Rocco said. He was delirious from excitement and anxiety. He just wanted to go outside. He didn’t want to go far out into the woods. However, they were already here so he took a large gulp of his drink and sat down on a large rock. The liquor was reactivating in his system. His head started to buzz, and his body was feeling warm and numb. Mike sat down next to him on the rock and took a drink. They both looked ahead in the distance at the darkness. The house and its light were far ahead of them. They could slightly hear the muffled sound of partygoers and music. Mostly they could just hear bass.

  Mike put his drink down. Rocco took a swig, but Mike took his cup and set it on the ground next to his. Rocco gave him a tipsy crooked smile. Mike took both of Rocco’s hands in his.

  “You were so amazing up there,” Mike whispered and stared deep into Rocco’s eyes. Rocco couldn’t speak. His heart began pounding in his chest.

  He wanted to grab Mike’s face and give him a kiss. However, something unexpected happened. Mike leaned forward and gave Rocco a kiss. Rocco pulled back in shock. The wetness of Mike’s lips was still on his.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” Mike gasped and turned his face away.

  Rocco paused a second. “No, don’t apologize.” He grabbed Mike’s face, ran his finger along Mike’s lower lip, and began kissing him. Mike wrapped his arms around Rocco’s neck and fell into Rocco’s kiss. What started out as a peck evolved into a long open-mouthed lip lock. Rocco’s heart pounded even harder. This kiss lasted for what seemed like an eternity. They each separated to get some air.

  “Your heart is pounding,” Mike whispered.

  “Yeah, I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a while,” Rocco said.

  “Me too,” Mike said and leaned back in for more kissing. They made out on that rock in the woods for 30 minutes. Occasionally, they would hear snapping and rustling close by but were not in the slightest bothered. It was too dark to know who was back here. Mike knocked over his drink and broke away from Rocco’s lips.

  “Damn, I lost my drink,” Mike said. Rocco started to laugh.

  “Does that really matter?” Rocco chuckled.

  “Not at all, but we’ve been out here a while. You think we should get back to the party?” Mike asked.

  “Yeah, I guess so,” Rocco said.

  “Your fans want to see you.” Mike snickered. Rocco started to laugh again.

  Mike started to get up, but Rocco stopped him. “One more?”

  Mike gladly complied and gently kissed Rocco on his lips. He stood up and looked back at Rocco. Rocco reached for his drink and got up as well. Mike took his hand and started to leave when Rocco stopped.

  “Wait a minute,” Unbeknown to Mike, Rocco had to rearrange himself. Good thing it was dark. “Okay, let’s go. You want some of my drink?” Rocco offered Mike his cup. Mike took a sip and then gave it back to Rocco.

  “We will have to make a trip to my brother’s car,” Mike said.

  “Wait, what? In his back seat? Wouldn’t it be safer to make out here in the woods?” Rocco asked.

  Mike started to belly laugh.

  “No, silly! We have a secret stash of liquor in his trunk,” Mike continued to laugh.

  Rocco joined him in laughter. They made their way back through the back yard. The light and the noise started to get brighter and louder. They continued to hold hands past the other couples making out and into the weed smokers. Once they reached the side of the house, they unlocked their hands. They weaved their way through the crowd towards Joe’s car. Several of the partygoers gave Rocco a thumbs up or an “awesome”. Somehow, they wound up meeting Toya and Moni.

  “Oh my god, Rocky! Where have you been? You all were amazing!” Toya said. Moni gave him a sideways peace sign in approval.

  “Thanks!” Rocco said.

  “Hey, we are getting a refill. Do you two want to come along?” Mike asked. Toya and Moni eagerly nodded and followed them to Joe’s car.

  At this point in the party’s progression, there were countless Solo cups in circulation, so Mike figured they could use the cups Joe had instead of trying to disguise their cocktails in a can. He pulled out four cups and distributed one to each of the friends. He reached for a bottle. However, Joe must have invited more friends than he intended. There was only one bottle of whisky left.

  “Looks like we only have whisky,” Mike said and twisted open the cap. He freely poured all four some liquor. They were also no Sundrops and only two cans of coke. He opened both cans of coke and distributed the soda evenly among the four cups. “Looks like we have to make these last.”

  “Don’t worry, there’s plenty of stuff inside,” Rocco said. “I also have this.” Rocco pulled out a joint from the pocket of his flannel just enough to show everyone and quickly returned it.

  “Oh shit!” Moni said.

  “No, good shit!” Rocco said. He and Moni laughed. Toya and Mike didn’t catch on.

  “Shall we return to the affair?” Moni asked the group.

  They made their way across the street back to the party. Rocco spotted Austin and Wendy. He poked Mike on the shoulder and pointed at them. All four made their way over to Austin and Wendy.

  “Rocco! Where have you been?” Austin yelled. “I’ve been looking for you all over the place. You disappeared! We’ve been getting so many requests to play gigs. Everyone loved us.”

  “I had to get some air,” Rocco said and looked over at Mike. Mike grabbed Rocco’s hand and squeezed it.

  “Well, we are booked for a party in a couple of weeks…paid!” Austin exclaimed.

  “That’s so exciting!” Mike shouted. Rocco smiled. He didn’t play for the money, but it was nice.

  “Fucking sweet,” Rocco purred. “We should add some songs to our play list. Make it worth their money.”

  “Now you’re talking,” Austin said. At that moment, “Unbelievable” by EMF came on over the speakers.

  “Wooo, I love this song! Let’s dance!” Wendy yelled. Everyone in this little gathering started dancing—at least as good as teenagers can dance. Austin and Wendy joined hands and jumped up and down. Toya was a little more animated with her hips while Moni started to bob her head. Mike started to jump up and down and was joined by Rocco. The entire time Mike was thinking about the taste of Rocco’s lips—sweet from the soda but salty from perspiration.

  “You gonna light that up at any point?” Moni looked over at Rocco and pointed to the pocket where his joint was. Toya and Mike heard this request.

  “I suppose we can,” Rocco said. He looked over at Mike who shrugged his shoulders.

  “Hey, Austin, we’re going to spark up a J. Want to join us?” Rocco leaned over to ask Austin.

  “I think we’re going to pass but come back when you’re done. We’ll be right here,” Austin replied.

  Toya, Moni, Mike, and Rocco broke off from the dancing crowd and ventured to the backyard. Rocco dug around in the darkness for the pocket and pulled out the joint. He dug in his front jeans pocket for the lighter. He put the joint in mouth and lit up. A strong herbal odor permeated through the group. Rocco inhaled deeply and passed the joint and lighter over to Moni. He held his breath as long as could and coughed out the smoke. Moni did the same but smoothly exhaled. She passed the paraphernalia to Toya. Toya held the joint like a cigarette and lit it. Instantly she started hacking and gave the joint to Mike. Mike took it but looked at the joint not knowing what to do.

  “Just do it like a cigarette but hold it in,” Rocco said picking up on Mike’s hesitation. Mike lit the joint and inhaled. He held it as long as he could which was 3 seconds and coughed it out. He passed it back over to Rocco.

  Rocco took another long toke and handed it over to Moni who also took a drag. Both Toya and Mike passed. Rocco took a final long deep drag and gave it over to Moni.

  “Keep the rest,” Rocco said as he exhaled. Moni lit it one more time before snubbing out the roach.

  Rocco leaned back against the house and allowed the weed to circulate throughout his body. He was beginning to feel super relaxed and carefree. The dark sky was starting to illuminate with pockets of subtle colors.

  “Oh shit, Rocco. This is some good shit.” Moni sighed. Rocco felt a warmth envelop his body.

  “Let’s get back,” Toya said. “They are starting to play some really good music.” Toya hadn’t taken in enough, so she certainly was not high.

  “Hey, Mike,” Rocco said in a sing-song tone. “Hang on a minute.” Toya and Moni looked back at Mike and Rocco. Toya smiled and turned back to Moni.

  “That joint was nasty!” Rocco heard Toya say as she and Moni went back to the front.

  “Are you feeling anything?” Rocco asked Mike.

  “Not really,” Mike replied.

  “Sometimes it takes a couple of times for some folks,” Rocco said and stared at Mike dreamily. Mike smiled at him. Rocco’s half opened eyes were adorable.

  “I want to kiss you some more,” Mike said.

  “I’d like that,” Rocco lazily said. Since they did not have the privacy of the forest, Mike leaned over like he was going whisper something in Rocco’s ear. Mike touched his lips on Rocco’s ear gently. Rocco sighed in contentment. “Can we do more of what we did in the woods another time?”

  “All the time,” Mike said and grabbed Rocco’s hand to lead him back to the front. They rejoined Austin, Wendy, Toya, and Moni. Rocco felt like he was swaying even though he was standing still. Mike continued to hold hands with Rocco. They were oblivious to the eyes of others; however, it would not have mattered. No one was really paying much attention because they were either drunk, dancing, making out, or chatting among themselves. It felt nice to be out in the open holding hands with each other. Rocco noticed once that Wendy saw them holding hands and pointed them out to Austin. Austin caught sight of this and smiled and nodded at Rocco. He could swear that he heard Austin say “I knew it” to Wendy but he could have just imagined that.

  As the night wore on, the crowd started to get thinner and thinner. The party was starting to wind down around midnight—at least it was winding down for Toya, Moni, Mike, and Rocco. Moni’s bigger brother arrived to take Toya and Moni home. Rocco’s high and buzz were beginning to wear off albeit not fully. Wendy whispered into Austin’s ear. He turned to Mike and Rocco.

  “Hey guys, we are going to head out. I’m going to take my drums apart and put them inside,” Austin said.

  “Need some help?” Rocco asked.

  “Nah, I got it. We are just leaving everything in the living room?” Austin asked. Tiffany had agreed to keep all the equipment inside so that the band members could pick everything up tomorrow.

  “Yeah,” Rocco said still holding hands with Mike.

  “Cool. I’ll see you here tomorrow at 6, right?” Austin asked.

  “Yup, six,” Rocco replied.

  “Good night, guys,” Wendy said and followed Austin to the porch.

  “How are you getting home?” Rocco turned to Mike to ask.

  “I’m supposed to go back with Joe, but I’ve lost him,” Mike said. That’s what he assumed but, since Joe was likely somewhere with Tiffany, he was not sure a ride home with Joe was an option anymore.

  “I could take you home,” Rocco said giving Mike a coy smile.

  “I suppose you could,” Mike said returning Rocco’s smile. “But we should find Joe to let him know.” Rocco nodded. The two began roaming around the party on the hunt for Joe. They couldn’t find him in the front, so they ventured inside. It didn’t take them long to discover Joe and Tiffany on the living room couch making out.

  “Joe!” Mike loudly said trying to get his attention. Joe pulled back from Tiffany and looked up.

  “Hey Mike, what’s up?” Joe was visibly tipsy.

  “Rocco’s going to take me home. I’m kinda ready to get out of here,” Mike spoke.

  “Okay, buddy. You guys have a good night,” Joe winked at the two and went back to Tiffany.

  “Well, that wasn’t too difficult,” Mike said to Rocco which made Rocco chuckle.

  “Are your parents going to wonder why you two didn’t come home together?” Rocco asked. Joe waved them away.

  “Nah, they’re already in bed,” Mike said. The two went outside to Rocco’s car. He unlocked the doors. Mike got in the car and turned to Rocco. “Thank you for everything tonight.”

  Rocco smiled and started the car. It took some maneuvering around some of the random cars for him to get out into the road. Despite the buzz and the high subsiding, Rocco was extra cautious driving Mike home. Not only did he want to avoid a DUI, but he also wanted to make sure Mike got home safely. Due to his caution, it took about 40 minutes to get to Mike’s house. None of that mattered because that meant he got to spend 40 more minutes with Mike. Once he pulled into his driveway, he turned the car off and turned to Mike. Mike turned to Rocco.

  “I really don’t want this to be a one-time thing,” Mike said.

  “Neither do I,” Rocco replied. The two leaned into each other and kissed for a few minutes. The porch light came on which prompted them to pull back.

  “Can I call you tomorrow?” Mike asked.

  “I’d like that,” Rocco said and dug around the car for a piece of paper and a pen. He wrote down his phone number and handed it to Mike. Mike started to get out of the car when Rocco put his hand on Mike’s hand. Mike stopped and turned around. Rocco took his cap off and reached up to take Mike’s cap off. Mike’s red hair fell over his eyebrows. Rocco put his cap on Mike head and Mike’s cap on his own head. Mike smiled and got out of the car. This had been the night Rocco had hoped for and he had something to show for it.