Hot Starry Nights

4:1 ~ Howard

  "Blake?" I sigh in relief and drop my bat. "Blake, you scared the ever-living shit out of me."

  "Howard!" He- she- it- they? Run forward and hug my, nearly crushing my bones in the process. "I'm so sorry, I hadn't meant to, I just- never mind, it can wait. Are you alright?" He backs away, looking in my eyes.

  "Yeah. Um. Why do you look so . . . different?" His short hair had grown out; it's now long and thin, and has been dyed to a platinum blond color. He's wearing a crop top, (I'm pretty sure Ember owns the same one), and matching pink cargo joggers with white sneakers. Still the same eyes I once looked up to.

  "Oh. Um. Do you remember that day you came home from Nathan's house and our beloved mother was screeching at me?"

  "All too well. You never came back."

  "Sorry about that. Anyway, it's not that I didn't want to, but our lovely, lovely mother kicked me out. For good. Because I'm trans. She/her."

  "That . . . makes a lot of sense. I'm gay, so I guess it's a good thing that our parents are rarely ever home anymore. Are you staying the night?"

  "That would be great. I walked and got here about an hour ago, but no one was home. I'm pretty tired."

  "How long did it take you to walk?"

  "About an hour. I don't live that far from here, maybe four miles? I won't be for long though, I bought a new house. It's a lot bigger."

  "You walked for four miles?"

  "It's not much. I go on a lot of hikes. And I work out every now and then. I'm a very active person."

  "What the fuck is going on here? Who the fuck are you?" I feel a pair of hands slide around my torso tightly and a head rest on my shoulder. I guess he woke up.

  "Nat, do you remember Blake?"

  "Not really. Is this his girlfriend? She's pretty, looks like you." Heat rises to my face.

  "This is Blake. She's trans."

  "Cool."

  "Also, I'm aro/ace."

  "Also cool."

  "Nat, you should really go to bed. You seem very tired."

  "Idonwanna."

  "You need to."

  "Nope." I pick him up in my arms and hold him to my chest, walking into my room and dropping him on the bed. He tries to pull me with him, but I resist. I turn the light out and close the door as I leave. 

  "So do you want to sleep in our parent's room or on the couch?"

  "You two seem a lot closer than the last time I saw you." I look back at her and she has the same smirk I've seen my entire life. Yep, she's definitely still the same person.

  "How so?"

  "Well, number one, y'all act as if he's living here."

  "That's because he is. And don't bother asking why. He's got family issues at home right now."

  "Fair enough. Number two: he's sleeping in your bed. Explain that one."

  "He has a lot of sleep issues, just like us," I say, rolling my eyes. "It's easier to watch him if we're in the same bed. Plus, he's straight. It's not like we've done anything in there."

  "Actually, I don't have any problems sleeping anymore." She pauses, thinking for a moment. "Are you sure he's straight? He hugged your torso from behind. And put his head on your shoulder. And he said I was pretty because I look like you."

  "It's just because he's tired." False. "And he's told me he's straight." Also false. "The most he's ever done is hug me." False as hell.

  "You may not remember me very well, but I remember you. And every single thing you said just now was a lie." Are you fucking kidding me? How the hell does she remember me that well anyway? It's been years.

  She pulls a box off the counter and we sit on opposite ends of the couch, facing each other. She pulls something out of the box and hands it to me. A White Claw. Of course. Fuck it. It's not like I have school to worry about anymore anyways.