Here Comes The Sun [wattys 2016]

JULY 2007

JULY 2007

It was Jem's birthday in one week and Alex had started to rack his brain, thinking of what to get him.

He considered buying a scarf or sweater or something but crossed that idea out almost immediately. Alex wasn't really a sentimental gift-giving person but a piece of clothing seemed boring and impersonal even to him. He knew Jem would accept anything graciously -even if it was a pebble Alex had picked up on the way- because he was Jem, but Alex had made up his mind. He was going to give Jem his best birthday ever.

He just didn't how.

In the end, he got so desperate that he asked his mom for ideas.

His mother was sitting at the kitchen table, writing cheques to the electricity company. She subconsciously bites the end of her pen and gazes into nothing with her eyes glazed over, in deep thought. Alex waits patiently. Finally his mom looks at him with bright eyes. "You could bake him a cake!"
"Mom, seriously."

"I am serious."

"No... just give me another idea."

His mom gives him a patronizing look. "It's a perfectly good idea."

Alex frowns at her. "No."

She rolls her eyes and returns to her work. "I don't know, Alex. Buy him a nice sweater."

"That's so boring."

She keeps writing and answers without looking up, "Okay, then. Why don't you get him a new pair of headphones or something?"

Alex raises his eyebrows. "I could do that."

"Yep."

*

Then next day at The Bowl, Alex casually tries to ask Jem about the headphones.

"Jem. How old are your earphones?" Alex says.

Jem is on his board while Alex is huddled inside The Bowl, with Jem's Ipod. Jem is performing the most mind-blowing tricks with his board and Alex is watching him, just watching him in awe. He's a miracle to watch and Alex doesn't enjoy skateboarding half as much as watching Jem skateboard.

Jem performs some version of a kickflip and both he and his board land gracefully on the ground with a satisfying thud. He slides his board into The Bowl (which hits Alex squarely in the hip) and jumps in after it.

He wipes his hands on his jeans and looks at Alex. "Two- three years. Why?"

"Nothing. Just asking."

Jem isn't stupid and Alex is a horrible actor so he tries to change the subject. "Ronan might be coming over for a day or two."

Jem sits next to him and their arms familiarly press against each other. "Nice. When?"

"Next month."

Jem grins. "That's pretty cool. I want to meet him."

"He wants to meet you too."

Jem takes removes one earbud from Alex's ear and puts it into his own. "The other half of the skateboard vandalising vigilante duo. Hand me the Ipod."

It's a little difficult for Alex to hand over the Ipod with how his right arm is so firmly pressed against Jem's but he doesn't even move an inch away. He hands Jem the Ipod and laughs. "Hardly vigilantes. It's a skateboard."

Jem clicks on a random playlist and puts it on shuffle. Bohemian Rhapsody begins to play and he immediately makes a face and shuffles again. Alex laughs.