Sparks (TheCampingRusher Short Story)

Chapter 11

-Larry's POV

It's the final day for Brayden, Mitch, Ryan, and I. The guys are all running around the house trying to find this and that, while I sit at the counter drinking some Yop.

I took the time yesterday to pack up all my things before I went to bed. So I haven't a care in the world, and then Ryan comes up to me.

"So you wanna tell me what all the weird stuff was about?", he's referring to last night.

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Brayden and I came back to the house, hand in hand, smiles extremely wide. So naturally everyone is staring at us. I can feel my grip tighten on Brayden's hand. He squeezes back gently, to reassure me. I relax a bit, but not enough to convince everyone in the room that nothing is going on. Not enough to convince Ryan to leave me alone for the rest of the night.

After about an hour of endless pestering, I excuse myself to, "go to bed". I say goodbye to everyone, Brayden last. He leans in to kiss me, but I swerve out of the way and rapidly give him a peck on the cheek. He raises his eyebrow at my weirdness, but I just shrug it off and say something about how tired I am.

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I stare down at my yogurt cup intently, trying desperately to convince him that I didn't hear a word he said.

"I know you heard me, Lane. Don't play games. "

"We're just good friends that's all."

"Good friends don't lean into other good friends for smooches. But really good friends do", he stresses every letter in the word 'really' and I feel the lump in my throat get bigger.

"I think we're both trying to figure out exactly where we stand right now.", I make sure to look Ryan in the eye to make sure he knows I'm done talking about this subject.

"Really? Because he seemed pretty sure of how things were last night. That is, until you totally blew him off.", and with that he's off and I'm left alone to my thoughts again.

The rest of the morning consists of nothing but incredibly depressing goodbyes and even some tears-mostly from Parker but oh well.

Once we're at the door, bags in hand, we give the guys one last hug and we're out.

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"Home sweet home, everybody!", I say as I plop down onto Brayden's couch. We're all exhausted from the trip and barely awake, and we've only just arrived back home.

"If I don't get to my 'sweet home' soon I think I'll pass out.", Ryan says from beside me, eyes barely open.

"Are you seriously leaving already? You're such a baby." I reply, punching his arm lightly to keep him awake. He says something about recording later and gives us an exhausted goodbye before walking out the door.

"And then there were two." I sigh, massaging my temples struggling to stay awake. It was just Brayden and I now. Mitch had gone home straight from the airport and Ryan had literally just left.

It was getting late, and it was also Monday. I had already missed a day of school and I wasn't the slightest bit concerned with missing another. The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could even think it over.

"Can I stay over? I really don't want to go home.", I rest my head on Brayden's shoulder as he mumbles a hazy response, and then I doze off.

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I wake up the next morning in a different spot than the one I fell asleep in. The firm mattress beneath me smells like sweet tea and the boy that it belongs to is lying down next to me, breathing steadily.

He's still asleep.

I can see the rise and fall of his bare chest as he quietly fills his lungs with air. His chocolate locks are scattered recklessly around his head and his right arm hangs over the side of the bed.

I take this opportunity to snap a picture of him; barely able to contain my giggles I open up the twitter app.

Larry @LarryLane

@thecampingrush in his natural habitat #whattacutie

I press tweet and lay back down. But I don't sleep. I stay, eyes closed, but sleep doesn't find me. Not until my breath is in sync with his and his arm is snaked around my waste. Only then do I find that the warm blanket that is sleep envelops me.