Javi, Come Home

CHAPTER NINE

      Tate rode his bike to Javi's in the dark but he could've navigated those roads with his eyes closed, he was so used to them. He'd never snuck out of his house before but he wasn't sure if it was actually considered sneaking out when he didn't technically have a declared curfew.

     He spent all his time with Javi; his mom never questioned where he was or when he was coming home. He guessed it was because he and Javi never really got into trouble, or pushed their parents limits. He knew this was over the limit. If she woke up now and saw that he was missing from his bed, there'd be questions and there'd be punishments doled out.

     Questions he would not be able to answer, he realized. They hadn't told anyone about what happened — what they'd done when they camped by the lake. It wasn't like Tate wanted to keep it a secret. What he really wanted was to shout it into every void, filling the quiet with this one deeply honest truth.

     He had kissed Javi. He had liked it. He wanted to do it again.

     Which was why he was riding his bike to Javi in the dark, winding up the road with ease, pumping his legs, excited and nervous. They hadn't done it again since that time in the tent and while it'd only been a few days, Tate didn't think he could go any longer without it.

     He got to Javi's house, dropped his bike by the side of their front porch, and took the path through Lena's blooming garden to his window. The garden was so full of flowers, it smelled fragrant. Tate thought only Lena could accomplish something like that.

     There were no lights on in Javi's room but his window was open, so Tate grabbed the edge of the sill, and dug his feet into the slots between bricks, pulling himself up so his face was in the window. He didn't have a steady hold, and his forearms immediately began to ache from holding him up.

     He dug his nose into the screen and whispered Javi's name as loudly as he dared. The very last thing he wanted to do was wake Javi's parents. He whispered his name again, a little louder. There was a groan and then a mumbled, "Tate?"

    "Javi, wake up," Tate said.

     The light beside his bed flickered on and Tate could see through the screen Javi lying in bed, the sheets tangled around his lower body, his arm stretched out to where he'd fumbled with the lamp. He was shirtless and Tate needed to look away.

     Javi was slow to fully rouse, even slower as he got up and shuffled over to his window, rubbing at his eyes, confused. "What're you doing here?" he asked his words slurred with sleep.

    Tate was jealous that Javi was able to sleep so easily when Tate had been up every night since the lake thinking about the lake. "I'm slipping, open the window," Tate said instead of answering the question.

     Javi slid the screen up and out of the way. Tate grappled with the window sill, trying to climb in. Javi stared confused and still partially asleep. "This would be a lot easier with a hand," Tate said trying not to smile because he'd surely lose his grip.

     Javi mumbled an apology and took Tate's hand, reaching over to grab his shirt and help hoist him into the room. Tate's body fell through the window with unexpected weight, bringing them both to the ground. Javi groaned loudly and Tate cupped his hand over his mouth, shhhing him.

     "They're getting old and deaf," Javi said with a laugh. "They can't hear me."

     Javi hoped they couldn't anyway. He'd taken to watching a lot of porn lately but his headphones were broken so he'd play it on the lowest volume on his laptop. If his parents could hear it, well, there'd be a lot of questions raised.