Back home • boyxboy

Store

I woke up, the sun bright in my eyes. I wanted to look over and see and shiny-faced Jorge. But all I saw when I turned my head was my pillow, with a bright spot from the sun on it.

My second day home. It feels weird. I miss summer camp, and all of my friends there. I miss jorge.

Because this morning I woke up with my cold sheets wrapped around my body, but at summer camp I'd wake up with warm arms engulfing me.

This is going to sound weird but, I miss the way he smells.
It's like vanilla? Plus like a pine scent. I don't know, but I really like it.

I got a ding! On my phone, so I unlocked it and checked the notification.

Jorge:
Are you up? Can we FaceTime?

I replied, and clicked the FaceTime button.

He answered immediately.

"Hey." He said, smiling with my hoodie wrapped around him.

It was one of my favorite ones, but he liked it so much, and every time I wore it he would run his hands all over it. He said it's soft. So I let him have it.

"Hey. I miss you." I said, stroking the screen where his hair was. I sighed, as I didn't get to feel the soft tuffs , but instead got the cold screen.

He was quiet for a moment, and then my mom yelled for me.

"Benji!!" My mom yelled.

I looked at the screen.
"Sorry baby. We'll have to talk later. I love you." I said.

There was shifting and moving, but he finally uttered "I love you too."

I clicked the end button, and walked through the sea of unpacked clothes on my floor, heading downstairs to my mom.

"Yeah?" I asked, rounding the corner of the kitchen.

"Hey lovely. Could you run to the store for me and get what's on this list." She said, handing me a pink sticky note.

Water
Yogurt cups
Whatever cereal you'd like

"Sure." I said.

"Here," she said, handing me $20 ,"and please be careful." She said.

I don't have my license, but the store is a block away and if I drive carefully enough it will get the job done without any trouble.

I nodded, and took the keys to the car and headed out to it.
-

I parked and hopped out of the car, glancing at the list one more time.

I walked into the store and immediately headed to the drinks isle.

I walked all the way through the long isle which is fucking ridiculous because water should be the first damn drink in there, but I reached it and plopped the large package of water bottles in the cart.

I glanced down at the list again.

I made my way to the dairy section, immediately spotting the yogurt my mom favors, and selecting a good amount and placing it in the cart.

I didn't have to glance down for the next part. I got to pick my own cereal, which is mainly the reason I agreed to do this for her, since whenever I ask for cereal she just gets me nasty, plain grape nut flakes. Ew.

I shuddered, wheeling the cart towards the cereal isles.

Until I heard my name being called. I froze in my tracks. The only possible person that could fucking be is-

"Benji." The voice called out again. I turned around, startled, and anxious, staring into the eyes of my once known best friend.

I stood silent. He walked more towards me. I noticed my two other friends were behind him. Ex. Ex friends. I reminded myself, although they don't know that yet.

"I said your name benji, why did you ignore us. I know you heard me." Max said, his eyebrows furrowed.

But I was more worried about the two people behind him.

Issac, staring at my colored nails. Ben, squinting at my face, trying to figure out if I had blush on with what little he knew about makeup.

"Benji." Max said again, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I snapped my head towards him, blinking out of my state.

"Yeah?" I said, he rolled his eyes , punching me in the shoulder. Like we always did. Like friends do.

"Where did you disappear to? Thought we were going to take a trip to Florida, the four of us?" He asked. I chewed my lower lip.

"My mom sent me away." I said.

He nodded. Issac and Ben remained silent behind him. Which was unusual, as they were the chatter of the group. Constant bickering.

"Summer camp." I said. Max nodded again, looking at my appearance, as if he was trying to take me in.

It was quiet for a few moments. It was short, but the anxiousness of the situation made it linger.

"Thought we were going to hang out with girls, go to parties, and get drunk. High maybe." He said.

"Don't wanna do that anymore." I said, quieter than I had wanted it to come out.

I was the leader of this group. It happened unintentionally, but as the most fucked up one, you usually take it into your own hands to plan the 'fun'.

He glanced down at my hands, which were gripping the sticky note my mom had given me.

"Shopping for your mommy, huh benji?" He asked, his head at a slight tilt. This is when issac and Ben decided to break their silence by laughing.

I shrugged.
"Guess so." I said.

I tried to ignore the break in my heart, of my own friends picking on me. It hurt, it did. Nothing I ever say or think to try and convince myself of them not liking me anymore will ever make it not hurt.

"Yeah?" Max asked, pointing down to my colored nails.

"You turning into her too?" He said, stifling a laugh.

I stayed silent, absent mindlessly hiding my nails under the sleeve of my hoodie.

"Guess summer camp turned you into a f*g, huh?" He spoke, the words burning off his tongue and stinging my face. My eyes hurt, it felt like I was going to cry, except I know my body. I know I can hold it. Not for long , but for a bit.

"Always was one." I said.

Ben chewed on his lip, but Isaac's eyes stayed cold.

"Guess you were." Max spat, and turned on his heel, as they continued on to wherever they were going.

And just like that, tears spilled over the brim of my eyes and flowed down my face. I didn't make any noise, just numbly dried them with the sleeve of my hoodie.

I didn't want the cereal anymore. Didn't care.

I walked to the self- checkout and got out of the store as quickly as I could.

Looks like my unspoken plan to myself to avoid Max, Issac, and Ben until the first day of school didn't work out.

But tomorrow is the first day of school. The first day of my senior year.

And I needed jorge now more than ever.