NOT EDITED
In the kitchen of a cabin on Blackwood Mountain, Joshua Washington sat, a beer held between his hands. His friends were at the cabin with him that night, all drinking and listening to music. It was amazing to him, really, how the man who had organized and held the party ended up getting left alone in the kitchen. He didn’t really mind, not entirely, but it was still an odd thing for one to wrap their head around.
Josh lifted his head as chair legs scraped against the floor. He smiled as a dirty blonde in glasses sat down across for him at the bar countertop. “Christopher.”
Christopher Hartley rolled his eyes. “Joshua,” he mocked. “Bored?”
“Out of my mind,” Josh said.
Chris chuckled, reaching out to grab a beer. “You and me both. Most of our fellow morons are hiding in one of the back rooms planning something stupid.”
“What kinda stupid?”
Chris lifted his shoulders. “Not sure. But I thought my time was better spent with you.”
A small smile teased one corner of Josh’s mouth. “Aww, Cochise, I knew you loved me.”
“Dude, I tolerate you. Relax.” Chris grinned, reaching out to tap the bottom of his beer bottle against Josh’s. He took a long drink before cocking his head to the side, blue eyes focused on his best friend’s face. “How’s school going?”
Josh offered a shrug. “It’s goin’, I guess.” He smiled a small little smile. “Not really here to talk about that, though. Here to hang out with you guys and have a bitchin’ time.”
Chris chuckled. “Fair enough. No school talk on break. You got it, man,” he promised. “Let’s just get… totally fucking wasted, right?”
Josh snorted. “Right. Totally fuckin’ wasted,” he repeated.
***
Chris and Josh’s ‘fellow morons’ usually consisted of eight other people. That night, though, only five of the fellow morons were, as Chris has said, actively planning something stupid.
Jessica Riley set a piece of paper down on the bar, clear at the other end from where Josh and Chris sat hunched over the countertop, drunk and sound asleep. She looked at the sleeping friends, rolling her eyes as she walked back to the group of teens gathered behind Gosh.
“Oh, my God!” Emily Davis exclaimed. “I can’t believe you actually did this.” Jessica only shushed her.
Samantha Giddings stood just off to the side, one corner of her mouth scrunched up and her brow furrowed. “Don’t you guys think this is a little cruel?” she asked..
“Oh, come on. She deserves it,” Jessica insisted.
Sam frowned, shaking her head. “She doesn’t. It’s not her fault she has a huge crush on Mike.”
“Hannah’s been making moves on him. I’m just looking out for my girl, Em,” Jessica said, patting her Asian-American friend on the shoulder. She walked out of the kitchen, both girls and Michael Munroe trailing after her.
“And it’s appreciated,” Emily said with a short nod. “Just because he’s Class Prez doesn’t mean he belongs to everyone. Mike is my man.”
“Hey, Em, I’m not anybody’s man,” Mike said.
“Whatever you say, darling!”
