The Sleepover

Two

As the bus made its way through our small town, I sat near the back, gazing out the window. There was nothing new that I hadn't already seen hundreds of times. On that particular morning, I was lost in my thoughts, increasingly nervous about an upcoming sleepover. However, Devin seemed unfazed, as usual.

"Hi, bro," I said flatly, as he boarded the bus and sat next to me - a ritual we had performed every morning since we met.

"Hey, you're thinking about it, aren't you?" Devin replied, with a knowing look in his eye and a roll of his own. This wasn't the first time he had seen me overthinking something and I'm sure it annoyed him, but he was always cool about it.

"Yeah, that's what I do best," I tried to joke, giving a slight grin. However, even I could hear the uncertainty in my voice.

Devin noticed too and leaned in closer. "Why are you so nervous about it?" he asked, playfully punching my leg to lighten the mood.

"How are you not nervous about it?" I rubbed my thigh where he had punched me. He sure could hit hard.

Devin shrugged. "It's just a house, some people, food, games, a nap, then we go home."

"You make it sound so easy," I said, disbelief clear in my voice. How could he be so confident in nearly everything?

"It is, what's the big deal?" Devin asked with a playful smirk.

I sighed, searching for the right words. My voice cracked as I spoke. "Dude, the girls!" I finally exclaimed, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Devin chuckled, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "You're acting like a girl, you'll fit right in," he teased.

"No, I'm not! Shut up before I punch you," I snapped, feeling a little insulted.

"Like that would hurt," he smiled, making a silly face and rolling his eyes.

"I'll make it hurt," I warned, trying to remain serious but failing as I laughed along with Devin.

"Whatever, bro," Devin sighed, his demeanor turning serious for a moment.

"How is this not a big deal to you?" I asked, confusion clear in my voice.

"It is a big deal," he admitted. "But I don't get so worked up about it like you do. I don't see the point in getting stressed over something that's supposed to be fun."

I thought about this for a moment and considered his words. Despite my nerves, I was grateful to have Devin by my side. He always knew how to make things seem less intimidating. I just hoped he was right and that the party wouldn't be as scary as I was making it out to be.

As the bus stopped outside the school, we continued our discussion about the sleepover. I couldn't shake my apprehension.

"I mean, just think," Devin said, trying to put a positive spin on things as we walked down the aisle. "We will be one of the few guys at Carter Middle who can say they've been to a boy-girl sleepover."

I nodded, but still looked worried. "Yeah, and everyone will ask questions," I said.

Devin tried to reassure me. "So what? It's not like it's an interrogation or a bad one anyway," he said with a shrug.

My eyebrows raised. "It could be..." I said in a low voice, thinking about a whole other list of potential problems.

"Do you squat when you pee?" Devin asked with a grin, trying to lighten the mood as we exited the bus.

"No," I said with a touch of laughter, sounding relieved that the conversation had taken a more lighthearted turn.

"Good. I was beginning to wonder," Devin said with a chuckle. "Look, man. The other 8th graders will worship us like kings. We'll be heroes. Legends!"

I shook my head at the idea. "I don't want to be a legend," I said, sounding whiney. "And what about the 8th graders?"

"What about them?" Devin asked, shrugging.

"They'll be jealous and give us a hard time," I said, sounding worried again as we entered the school.

Devin dismissed my concerns. "Who cares? If they're jealous, it's because a couple of 13-year-olds stole their thunder," he said confidently with a smile.

"I'm not 13 yet. I still have a way to go," I reminded him. "And for the record, I don't like thunder or lightning. It's scary." My face heated up with embarrassment once again.

Devin playfully rolled his eyes. "Geez, you're such a dork. A late bloomer," he said with a giggle as we rummaged through our lockers.

"I have to go to class. I'll catch you at lunch," I told him as we gathered our things to head off to first period.

"Alright, save me a seat," Devin said, closing his locker door. I looked back to make sure he was still there and felt a twinge of sadness as I missed him already.