Looking For Space // Josh Kiszka

XVI

I apparently can't remove myself from the cliches of bonfires and truth or dare. I also really love that picture of Josh.

---

The sun was already setting, light being lost rapidly, when I left work, wrapping my scarf around my neck and preparing myself for the miserable cold. November was the most depressing month--a strange in between time, not quite fall, not quite winter, but grey, dismal and frigid nonetheless--so when I glanced up in the parking lot and saw Josh there, it felt like a sudden ray of sunlight had shot down on the earth.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, unable to contain my smile as I went up to him.

"I have exciting news," he told me, taking my hands. "My film won third place in the festival."

It took a second before his news registered with me, then I felt my own face light up and I squeezed his hands. "Josh, that's incredible! Congratulations, oh my god!"

His cheeks flushed. "Thank you, darling. I'm really excited!" he wrapped his arms around me. "I couldn't wait to tell you."

"This is so amazing, you worked so hard on it, I--"

Josh pulled back, grabbing my face, and kissed me. "This is really amazing."

"When is it?" I asked, fiddling with the buttons on his jacket. "When are you going to Detroit?"

"In like a month? I was so excited I didn't pay attention to the exact date," he said with a laugh. "And we're going, darling."

"You don't wanna take your mom or Jake or--"

"I get one plus-one, and I want to take you."

"Josh, you should take--"

Josh kissed me again. "Darling, I'm taking you because I want to, and that's the end of it."

"Okay, Starshine, if that's what you want," I replied, putting my hands on his shoulders. "I'm so proud of you. We have to celebrate tonight."

"Bonfire," Josh proposed. "Let's do a bonfire."

"With the boys?"

He nodded. "All of us. The whole family."

--

"You're scaring me, Jesus," I said to Jake, slapping him on the arm, as he tipped the bottle of Jack Daniels back, drinking it like it was water. "Take a break."

He merely coughed quietly into his sleeve and grinned at me. "You do it."

I raised my eyebrows at him, Josh's howling laughter cutting through behind me. "Will you think less of me if I throw up?"

"No, no, come on, do it."

Sober me would never do such a thing but having already been sufficiently drunk, I did it, tipping my head back and putting my lips to the bottle. I only lasted a couple of seconds though, with the alcohol assaulting my tongue and burning my throat, making it seize for a moment. I tore the bottle away from my mouth and coughed, wiping my mouth on the sleeve of my jacket.

"Horrible," I managed to say to Jake, handing it back to him. "Just awful."

He laughed and laid his arm across my shoulders. "You did it, though."

"Darling, don't let Jake be a bad influence for you," Josh said, slurring the word "influence," pointing at me.

"Too late," I called back, the fire blazing between us. "We're gonna go be pirates together."