thirty seven
Time passes. It's a Thursday night and everyone who's supposed to be at Michael's apartment is there. Alex is sitting on the love seat next to the couch, the couch is filled with Michael and Jack.
Jack is teasing his older brother, pretending to spill the red sauce from his spaghetti onto their new rug.
Alex speaks up after a few minutes of silence, "So, guys."
"So, Alex," Michael repeats as he kicks his brother in the thigh.
Jack knocks it off, placing his dinner plate of the coffee table before curling into the pillows of the couch and giving Mike's roommate his full attention.
"I proposed to Matty," Alex said, "I know it's all fast, but I know I love—."
"Holy shit," Michael interrupts, "like, Matty?"
"Yeah," he responds with a laugh. "He said yes last night. I—I think it's time for me to move out."
"Holy shit," Michael says once more, "wow."
"I don't know what any of that means," the roommate sighs, "are you angry?"
"No!" He quickly responds, "just holy shit." Michael brings his hand up to his lips, trying to process that his old fuck-buddy and current roommate are getting hitched. "Shit."
Alex laughs and Jack joins him, "Dude, you've gotta chill." Alex sips at his water, waiting for Michael to say something else.
"Are we invited to the wedding?" He finally asks.
"Duh, Idiot."
Jack turns to his brother, "Can I have Alex's room?"
"It's been two minutes!" Alex shouted. "I was thinking your little boytoy could move in," he says to Michael.
Jack rolls his eyes, "Luke already lives up Michael's ass, he practically pays rent."
Michael kicked his brother again, "Bro!"
By the end of the following week, everything had changed. Alex and Matty were getting the last of Alex's boxes into the waiting moving truck downstairs. Michael and Luke were doing the opposite—moving Luke's boxes from the awaiting truck at the curb and up to Michael's place.
Luke was a little sad to leave his loving apartment, but he knew it was time. That apartment represented his past in some metaphorical way, it's the little steps to letting go that really count.
Michael was laying in his bed with his hands behind his head, he was staring up at the ceiling and counting his breaths as he tried to fall into a slumber.
Luke sat down next to him, slowly leaning back until their silent bodies were laying next to each other. He turned his head, looking at his boyfriend. "Hi."
Michael turned to face Luke, "Hey." He looked back up at the ceiling, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. "I feel happy."
Luke rested his own hands behind his head as he crossed his legs over one another. "I do too."
This was the first night in a long time that Michael could see his future. It was that little speck of light at the end of some fake tunnel that gave Mike hope. Hope for a lifetime of nothing but happiness.
Jack was waiting on the fire escape. He was picking at the flowers that Luke had planted over the last week. He was killing the pretty purple flowers, he looked at the remains in his hands and he felt sad.
Calum came outside, though, and Jack felt everything except sad. He could physically feel his heart skip a beat as he watched from the sides of his eyes.
"Morning," he said in a low, raspy voice.
"It's midnight."
Cal shrugged as he scooted closer to Jack, "Whatever." There was a good foot between them, the distance from one side of the cracked open window to the other. Empty space was between them.
"Are you in school?" Jack asked, dumping the shredded flowers onto the metal below them. He watched a few pieces flutter through the cracks and fall to the ground below them.
"Graduating in May," he responded. "You?"
"I just started at the high school."
"Gross, do you hate it?"
"A lot."
Calum let out a quiet laugh, "Yeah, I feel that. I usually skip."
"Michael would kill me if I skipped?" Jack wrapped his arms around his own body as he leant back and closed his eyes. "I punched a teacher the other day and they didn't even suspend me."
"Ah, I know you." Calum turned his head, looking at the younger boy. "You're pretty badass for a 14-year-old."
"I'm 15 now, fuck you." He opened his eyes, his head subconsciously tilting to look at his new friend. "Will you ride the subway with me tomorrow? We can go to school together."
"I was planning on riding it downtown and walking around. Do you wanna do that instead? I can call in and say you're sick."
"You'd do that?" Jack asked.
Calum reached over, his hand booping Jack's nose. "You're my partner-in-crime now, yeah?"
The teenager smiled, "Yeah."
