We pull into Oxford's, the blue and white stand greeting us right away. Oxford was the type of place where you went and ordered your food and the workers instantly hand you a ticket number. After they finish your food, they call your number and hand you the food you ordered to take home. In other words, it was a take-out restaurant.
"Do you know when the boys are gonna get here?" I questioned Paige and Josefina, referring to Mikey, Ash, Cal and Luke. They both nodded their heads toward the parking lot and I turned around, squealing as I saw a red orb float out of the car. Also known as Mikey's hair. He sees me through the glass doors and sprints to me, picking me up and spinning me around once he got to my body.
"I MISSED YOU SO MUCH CARLILE." Mikey screams into my ear as he continues to spin me around, gaining the confused stares of the stangers surrounding us.
"I MISSED YOU MORE MIKEY." I screamed back. He put me on my feet right as the other boys came through the doors, everyone engulfing each other in hugs. I feel arms wrap around me from behind and a chin lay down on my shoulder, letting the dark brown pieces of hair become visible. I immediately turn around and embrace the boy with a tight squeeze. "How the fuck have you grown so much in the past year?" I asked Cal once I stepped back, looking at his height.
"I'm not sure, but you haven't changed a bit." He chuckles and pinches my right cheek, only to have me swat his hand away. The next to greet me was Ash, his already smiling features giving me a hug.
"Look at you. Being all pale and what not." Ash giggles and nudges my side with his elbow softly. Payfully slapping his chest, I look forward to find Luke already standing there with his arms out wide, waiting for me to fill in the hole. I give Ash one last hug before skipping over to Luke and hugging him, the warmth enveloping me.
The boys were from Australia, but ever since they went to the University in Boston, they came down to Mattapoisett every summer. It was an odd way of meeting actually. I remember being in the grocery store down the street, strolling my cart and taking a look at the fruits, picking out a few here and there. The kiwis caught my eye, and as I was placing a few in the plastic bag, I heard a voice call out from behind me. "That's a wonderful choice of fruit you got there," the low, accented voice said as it trailed to the side of me and reaching out for some as well. At the time, he had jet black, semi-long hair. "My name's Michael, but people call me Mikey. Nice to meet you." The kid stook out his hand and I placed it in my own. "My name's Carlie, and people call me Carlie. nice to meet you too." I responded and he chuckled. "I like you already." Mikey replied with a smirk and after so, we exchanged numbers, him immediately telling me that we were going to hang out soon. We did, and 2 years later, he's my best friend. I met Luke, Ash, and Cal whilst hanging out at Mikey's beach home a couple days later of meeting him.
We gathered our food after the boys ordered, and took it outside, scanning the area around us. "Where should we sit?" Ash questioned, and Paige led the way to a patch of grass to sit on. Our bodies formed a circle on the ground with Cal sitting next to me, followed by Josefina, Luke, Paige, Ash, Mikey and then back to my own. Few conversations were going on as we sat there, savoring our food. Once we finished, Josefina clapped her hands, signaling for someone to come up with something for us to do.
"Does anybody want to play 'Never Have I Ever'?" Luke suggests, looking around at everyone for approval. We all nod and clear our scraps, throwing them into the nearest trash bin. "Okay I'll start," he begins again, and each of us place up both of our hands, holding ten fingers in the air. "Never have I ever broken a bone." Mikey and I boo at his lame choice of beginning and place one finger down, as well as Paige, Ash, and Josefina.
The circle continues and Paige is up, "Never have I ever gotten drunk," She says and takes a look around, watching as Ash, Mikey, Josefina and Luke place a finger down.
