The Novelty of Existence

7

𝚀𝙱  ⋆ 𝙳𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚢 ⋆ 𝙰𝚞𝚐𝚞𝚜𝚝

We'd all done school field trips to Quebec before. French class and all that. But, when we got to Quebec City I appreciated for the first time its beauty. Pulling the van into a parking lot, I felt like we had driven across the ocean to Europe. I guess you have to age to appreciate architecture.

"You guys do realize that the drinking age is legally 18 here, right?" Wes said, pushing his head to the front, between Aiden and me.

Paloma pulled him back. "This is Danny's province," She scolded with a huff, "He makes the rules."

We had decided that only some provinces would get a full week of our time. We all picked a province we were most interested in, and when we got to 'our' province, we made the itinerary. I was first because I chose Quebec.

I wasn't great at French, and I didn't know a lot about Quebec. That's what excited me, though. Hopping out of the van and onto the street, I felt like we had actually travelled. Quebec was a place in Canada that felt entirely removed. I was excited. I felt like a tourist in my own country.

"Whatever," Wes huffed, "I'm bar hopping all across Alberta."

"Why are we letting Wes act like he doesn't drink at home?" Aiden asked with a stretch. I chuckled.

"Bumming beers off my step brothers and legally bar hopping are two different rodeos, my friend," Wes responded with a comically serious look.

"Where to first?" Mo asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her, then at the guys.

"Isn't it awesome-"

"That we're all still friends?" The three of them chirped in unison. Mo rolled her eyes while Wes and Aiden exchanged a high five.

"You are so predictable, man."

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

𝙶𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝟿 𝙶𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚞𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗

The group had all agreed not to bring dates to the graduation party. They'd go together, and they wouldn't have to worry about some stupid middle school crushes. They did, however, dress up at the insistence of Daniel's Mother. This 'no dates' rule would reappear at prom years later, much to Paloma's chagrin.

Daniel and Wes showed up together, as they often did. Wes was not the sort of boy to have a tie at home. He tugged at it before they got out of Adla's SUV.

Soon enough, Aiden joined them at the front entrance, huffing and puffing as he locked up his bike. He wiped the sweat off his brow and rolled his white shirt sleeves back down.

The three of them decided to be good friends and wait in the hallway, getting puzzled looks from the kids walking into the gym. Danny twirled his entry bracelet around mindlessly and Wes sat on the floor.

"Hey guys, sorry my sister insisted on doing my hair before I left." Her voice echoed slightly through the hallway.

A flick of the light switch. Paloma was a girl, and suddenly, the guys knew it.

She ran down the hallway to them in a little, flowy baby pink dress and her hair loose. Not in those frizzy braids anymore, but wavy, silky, long.

Paloma's eyebrows furrowed at the silence. "I said sorry," she said, "Let's go." She twisted away from the boys and walked to the gym entrance to get her entry bracelet.

The boys followed behind, cautiously. Did they have a girl in their group this whole time?

"I'm gonna get some punch," Paloma said, before disappearing into the middle school crowd.

"Whoa."

"Guys, I think I like Mo."

"Don't be gross, Danny."

"I'm serious, do you think she'd say yes if I asked her out?"

Wes shook his head and turned to face Daniel. He pulled Aiden into the group huddle. "Listen, we can all agree that Mo is hot now."

"Can we?" Aiden interjected.

Wes shot him a disappointed glance, "Dude, you're too high on Xanax to notice."

Aiden giggled. Ever since that day that he had finally told his friends about his diagnosis, he had become closer to Wes. Daniel was always extra kind to him, and Paloma acted as his bodyguard, but Wes made him laugh.

"If you ain't laughing, you're crying." Wes had once said to him a few years before this when he had shown up to school with a cut lip and a black eye.

"Yeah, let me just go puke them up and come take a second look." He countered.

"Dude, don't joke about that, this is serious," Wes responded with faux concern. This made Aiden laugh again, which made Wes smile.

"She's coming back," Daniel said through his teeth, looking genuinely terrified of this new, pretty girl walking their way.

Wes glanced over his shoulder and back to Daniel. "That's it, we make a pact right now." He said, "Mo is off limits. Without her, there's no us, and we can't let stupid teenage romance come between our squad."

Daniel and Aiden looked at each other, and Aiden shrugged. "I'm in," he sighed, "It's like looking at my sister anyways."

Wes slapped him hard on the back with pride, which made him wince. Wes put his hand in between the three of them.

Daniel thought for a moment, then nodded. Wes was actually making sense. "For the group." He agreed. Aiden put his hand on Wes's hand, and Daniel placed his hand on top of Aiden's.

"Hey, are you guys forming a new pact without me?" Paloma's voice rang through as she got closer to them, an already empty solo cup in hand. The boys shared an awkward glance before Aiden stepped toward her.

"Let's dance." He said. Paloma was so shocked by this that she forgot the pact altogether. She shoved her cup into Daniel's hands and followed Aiden to the dance floor. 

"Our bravest soldier," Wes said dramatically, placing a hand over his heart.
Daniel sighed and looked down at the cup, PALOMA scrawled on its side.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

"Where to first?" Mo asked, grabbing onto my arm. I looked down at her, hair swishing as she walked. She held on to me to tell me, I love you, I'll miss you. She wouldn't say it out loud in front of the guys for fear of ridicule.

I leaned my chin on her head for a quick moment, to let her know I felt the same way.

And at that moment, I felt a sting of regret pierce my heart. Was I regretful for what I may have missed out on in the past, or for my deceit in the present? I wasn't sure.