Max woke up with the worst pounding in his head he had ever felt. He couldn't remember exactly why.
Someone had wrapped their arms around him, he craned his neck over his shoulder to try to see who.
It was Ronnie, he was still asleep.
Max rolled over so his face was pressed to Ronnie's chest. He was so warm.
Ronnie's eyes flickered open.
"What time is it?" He groaned.
"I'm not sure." Max whispered.
Ronnie let go of him to grab his phone off the nightstand.
"It's 10:17." Ronnie said groggily.
There was noise coming from the kitchen.
The two boys got up, neither bothering to put on pants.
They sat down at the kitchen table.
"Mornin' cowboys." Robert smiled.
"Get it, because you ride dick." Monte pointed out the obvious.
"I don't ride dick." Ronnie retorted.
"M- Me either." Max defended himself.
The whole group bursted out into laughter.
"Oh god. I- can't." Robert was holding his stomach.
Monte was wiping tears from his cheeks.
The group regained their composer, laughing was just making their hangovers worse.
"Do you have anything for headaches." Max whined, rubbing his head.
Monte threw Max a bottle of ibuprofen, he struggled to catch it.
Max poured two into his hand and filled up a glass of water. He took them, then passed the bottle to Ronnie.
Ronnie poured a fistful into his hand and dry swallowed them.
"I'm never going to drink again."
Max stared blankly at the table.
"I highly doubt that." Craig emerged from the basement.
thought you were gonna be asleep all day." Monte pulled a chair out for Craig, making sure he wasn't near Ronnie.
"What happened to your face?"
Craig very obviously couldn't remember the events of last night.
"What the fuck do you think happened." Ronnie barked back at Craig.
Robert sighed,
"Why can't you two knock it the hell off, you used to be so close, why can't you just be friends?"
Ronnie looked at Craig.
They had been friends since seventh grade. Craig had moved to North Las Vegas from Arizona. He was a shy kid, much like Max.
Ronnie, Robert, Monte, and Craig had been through a lot together.
Ronnie's dad's drug addiction,
Monte's grandpa passing, and what caused most friction in the group, Craig's transition in the summer of 2004 and Ronnie and Craig's relationship the year after.
"Why can't you just be friends?" Robert groaned.
What a stupid question.
"Listen, you two don't have to be best friends again, we just don't want you constantly ripping on him, Ronnie." Monte tried to reason with Ronnie.
Craig looked worried,
"Monte, it's fine, you don't have to-"
"It's not fine, you're not the only one he's hurting when he says stuff about you." Monte interrupted.
"It's too early, and I'm too hungover for this, let's just let it go." Craig calmed Monte down.
Max slumped his head on the table.
"I'm hungry." He whined.
