Knock Me Down - [COMPLETE]

10 - Penny Wishes

Translations:
Mi juventud temporal - My temporary youth

Dima waltz in happily, "Mateo. Hey. Wake up. You've slept for hours. We got a campfire going. You want to come?"

I was in the midst of getting up anyway. I agree rubbing my eyes. The door's open and there's a fire in the pit Benicio's managing. Dima's holding a bag of marshmallows. She smiles holding them up on her way out, "You too Jasper, please. I don't want you to miss out on the night"

I see his eyes open up slowly adjusting to the light. The golden rays of a sun soon putting itself to bed, peak through and make his hazel eyes look stunning.

"Quit staring"

I quickly took my attention to the door, "Uh, Benicio made a fire outside. They're roasting marshmallows. Do you...uh, want to come?"

He exhales, getting up to stretch his sculpted figure. He cracks his neck once he's on his feet and hums a yes. My brother when he's ecstatic is the first one to get up like he has been this week. I was like that but with my nerves. Which is why sometimes I'd make sure to be up before Jasper. To avoid any more awkward boners if any were to show up.

The fire's nice in contrast to the cool evening. Dima has her arm looped with Benicio cuddled up against him on the other side of the fire. In their little romantic moments it felt like they were taking a honeymoon than a group trip. In a nice way. Benicio still has his ankle wrapped where he cut himself on the first day in the lake on a sharp rock. He was the kind of guy to leave a bandaid on for days. And I don't mean a few, like getting past weeks.

Jasper and I sat on the lengthy log in front of the fire. The tops were cut and smoothened for seating. It was strange to think at one point this was a big tree some where in these woods. Like, the tree would've never thought that it would be here. It probably thought it was going to stay planted in one spot for who knows how many years. Benicio stands on the log and screams into the nothingness with his arms jutted out, "It's such a beautiful night!"

"Dude, shut up. You'll attract serial killers with axes and masks" I throw my marshmallow at him but when it bounces off his forehead he catches it.

He screams some more, "I love Dima! I love my brother Mateo! And I love Jasper! Oh, but as a friend!"

"Can't have the tree spirits get the wrong idea. Or the serial killers with axes and masks" He explains. We just stare in confusion. Dima giggles. I don't think any one of us really mind him. The moment gave me a painful wave of nostalgia. Like I'm missing this already. Getting to hang out with my brother.

"I don't think the tree spirits give a fuck about your sexuality, Benicio" Jasper said.

"God forbid psychopaths think you're gay. The serial killers would kill you guys first anyway" I tell him setting the bag of marshmallows down.

"What? Why?" Dima has one of her cheeks filled with a marshmallow.

"You guys are the couple in the woods that go off to have sex either in the car or inside, get interrupted and then die"

"And you're the pussy in every group that's paranoid from the start, is too scared to do anything fun but dies anyway" Benicio in his loud ass voice says, flicking me off, "Jasper would survive probably"

He smirks, "Nah. I would die. Trying to protect you all"

Dima and Benicio gush at the same time. My brother grins, "Aww, what a sweet asshole. We hold him back"

"Maybe we're not the surviving group in the movies. We're like the people that died first. Then some other college kids or high school kids break into the private property, discover the house and boom the actual movie starts"