change ⇒ joe mazzello

t o g e t h e r

" these days are better, once we've found one another "
- Mac Demarco, one another

I wake up in the middle of the night to something being thrown at my window.
I wince, annoyed that I've been woken up at such an unreasonable time and also because it's feels like there's been a snow storm inside my room. Reluctantly, I get out of my bed and go over to my window. I sigh at the babyish print on the curtains. I've begged my mum so many times to change them, but she says I'll just have to deal with it. How can I deal with eighties-style 'My Little Pony' fabric? I pull them back and jump in fright. There, standing below my window is Joe Mazzello, acting like this is totally normal behaviour for sixteen year olds. I thought this shit only happened in the movies. "Probably too good to be true." I think and close the curtains again.
Then, a rock goes flying through the glass in the window and lands on my desk. I stare at it, wide eyed.
"Dad's gonna kill me." I mutter.
I go and exam the hole in the window. Surprisingly, Joe's still there, looking up at me and mouthing sorry. I shake me head although I can't help a smile from creeping onto my lips. He yells something up at me. I can only make out two words: "Sneak out."
That's something that I never would even dream of doing. Last year, a dude called Seth in my algebra class tried to get me to sneak out to one of his skater parties. I really liked one of his friends at the time so I agreed. My parents caught me before I even made it out the door. I got in so much shit, but Seth did too. My dad called his parents and he got busted too. Fucking disaster if you ask me. But since my parents are out and the always tell me 'to live a little', I cautiously climb out the window into the velvet night, without even processing where this could go.

"Joe." I say. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
He shrugs and grins. "Picking you up for a midnight play date."
I roll my eyes but I'm grinning too. This is so Joe Mazzello. "My parents are gonna kill me."
"Well, you don't have to come..."
I shake my head. "Hey, screw it, you know? We gotta make up for all that lost time somehow."
Joe agrees and we walk out onto the dead streets. Everything is more beautiful at night. Like my room for example: you can't see the clothes that litter the floor or the mess of posters on my wall. Footsteps trail along behind us with a crunch that is soon lost into the warm night air.
"So, how's your night been?" Joe asks.
"Kind of shit." I shrug. "My parents went out and I had to do all the housework and thought I was going to die of boredom. I played some Pink Floyd a little too loudly and the neighbors were gonna call the cops if I didn't turn it down so I went to sleep and then you threw a rock through my window... and now I'm here!"
He shrugs too. "Eh... Kind of same here. I went to Seth's skater party and once he whipped out the vodka, I was outta there. Also, it was a pebble."
I shake my head. "Still not a fan of alcohol?"
"Nah, never was and never will be." He sighs. "My mom won't let me go near the stuff and how do you know about alcohol, huh? What're you, like, fourteen or something?"
"Fifteen." I correct him.
"Still, younger than me."
I playfully punch him on the shoulder. "Just shows that you need to live a little, get out there."
Joe scoffs. "Says you. I saw you eating your lunch in the library yesterday."
"I was studying. Unlike some people I know." I give Joe the side eye and he laughs. "Well, even if I seem nerdy to you, I know how to have fun."
"Oh yeah?" He asks. "Prove it. Come to Gwilym's party tomorrow."
I shake my head. "Can't stick the guy."
"Ok, fine. While you're 'living it up' or whatever in your dingy old room, I'll be taking shots with the whole football team."
I roll my eyes. "Do you want me to come?"
"That obvious, was it?" He says. "Yeah, I sorta need a date..."
"Hm..." I kick a bit of gravel out of my way and do a little skip. "Is Joe asking me out?"
He turns red and shakes his head vigorously. "No, no, no way. Just as friends, right?"
"Just as friends. Definitely."
It's not like I can tell him that I've been crushing on him ever since the start of this year. I can't say I haven't heard the rumours that he's crushing on Elizabeth Grant from my science class and by the way he looks at her, I can tell they're true.

We're about to come past the school when Joe stops, looking up at the gate and then turns and grins at me.
"Are you implying that we should break into the school? Because I don't wanna get expelled for breaking and entering." I say all in a rush, my heart pounding.
He just rolls his eyes. "Ever heard the phrase 'live a little', goody two shoes?" He quips. "You gotta get out there, Indie. Quit living life inside the lines."
I scoff. "You know you sound exactly like my dad, Mazzello?"
"Whatever. C'mon, we sneak in round the back." He grabs my hand and it feels like a shock of electricity jolting through my veins.

Getting into the school was easy enough, after that, we just walked around the silent grounds.
It's weird being in a place you go to every day and at night it suddenly feels different, even better than during the day.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot the tennis court and two tennis racquets propped up against the chain fence.
"Late night tennis?" I suggest, but Joe is already running towards the courts like a five year old.
Neither of us actually know how to play tennis. When we were younger we just thought it was a sport for snobby, rich people or celebrities or politicians or whatever. Despite that, we just fling the ball willy nilly and hope that the other person can hit it back, all the while we're in hysterical laughter.
It really can be exhausting.
After a while, I get tired and decide to just lay down and watch the stars.
Joe joins me too.
"I've missed you..." He says.
Those words are like a break through, what I've been hoping he'd say for the last two years and can't hide my smile any more.
"I know I've already said this shit before but it was stupid of me just to leave you like that." He whispers. "I'm sorry."
I shrug, which is hard since I'm laying down on blue turf which is harder than concrete. "I know you are but... neither of us chose for this to happen. I mean, we're teenagers, you can't expect us to stay friends with the same people for eternity."
I couldn't see him but I knew he was smiling. "You will always be my best friend," Joe says. "Forever. Like, some people's relationships change like the wind and they're always hoping from group to group, but Indie, we are forever."
Those words echo around inside my head. I close my eyes and picture them.
'We are forever.'