The Summer Before
~Blink
1
"Yano, you really are crazy." I called to him.
"Yeah, Yeah." Matt called from the other side of the door as I changed. I slipped on my Blink182 t-shirt and some white shorts. My parents knew Tom DeLonge.
"Blink. Hurry up. We're gonna be late." Matt said opening my door. {My parents named me after the band.} "Oh. You're ready." He whispered.
"Yep." I said throwing my stomach-length hair into a ponytail. When I wear it down, it comes to my belly-button. I walked over to my shoes.
"Vans or Toms." I asked Matt, turning around and holding them up. He smiled crookedly, pointing to my toms.
"Toms." He said. He walked up behind me, grabbing my hand. "Don't wanna be late for Scary Story night at the beach."
"Dude. We have, like, two hours until sunset." I scoffed, shaking my head, sending my fire-truck red hair flying. Matt grabbed my cheeks to make me stop shaking my head.
"Let's go." He said, hands lingering longer than needed. He grabbed my hand and we ran out of the house.
"Bye Mom! Bye Dad!" I called, closing the door behind me.
I jumped onto my bike and Matt jumped onto his. Sure, we can drive. We dont though.
"So, Ready?" Matt asked, running his fingers through his brown-black hair. I admired how he only wore a thin Hurley sweatshirt, his jeans, and his vans. I shook my head.
"Race you!" I shouted, racing down the street. I heard him behind me as I made it to the beach, jumping off my bike and dropping it into the sand. I threw off my toms, tossing them next to my bike, before I felt arms wrap around me.
"Let me go!" I giggled. Matt chuckled and I squirmed my way free, running towards our group's secret area. I scurried into the cave, and collapsed under the skylight. My already {somewhat} cropped shirt came up above my belly-button.
"I cant believe no one else is here yet!" Matt said, flopping down opposite of me. I felt the top of our heads touching. "Guess we light the torches?"
There are torches surrounding the outside of the skylight, where the starlight doesn't shine through. I sighed.
"Guess so." But I still lay there, the cool sand tickling my back. Matt's face popped above mine.
"Hi." He smirked. The tips of his hair tickling my face, due to his closeness. I felt my cheeks burn and I turned onto my stomach and stood up. I walked around the torches, lighting each one. On the last one, I felt his hands on my waist.
"Darren!!" I smiled, turning around. I hugged my friend as the rest of the gang walked in.
****
We all sat down, in our pairs. I've been paired up with Matt. I snuggled into his chest, wishing I had checked the weather. Matt felt my shivers and took off his sweatshirt, throwing it on me.
"It's all I got." He said, shrugging. I laughed.
"Litterally." I said, poking his bare chest. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into his lap, leaning back in our sand-chair. We dig little holes for the seat and build up sand in mounds for the back and arm rests.
"This story is true, and is happening in Europe. American soldiers are attempting to keep it from spreading here." Our story-teller for the night, Will, said.
"They call themselves Buttons. Witnesses say they have buttons for eyes. Witnesses who escape without their Stitches. If found by a Button, they change Irises, what they call normies, into Buttons, by giving them their Stitches. Its a gross process where--" Matt pulled his hands over my ears, kissing the top of my head.
My heart welled with fear. Matt took his hands off my ears.
"Basically, they sew buttons onto your eyes when you sleep, which drain themselves into your pupils, making them grow larger until they cover your whole iris.
"When you completely change into a Button, you become a part of their cult. They're taking over the world. Killing the Unworthy. The Irises who fight back. Lets just hope, we're okay. They plan to leave few Irises. For slaves." Will finished.
****
We went to Matt's house after we all finished sharing what happened in the past week.
"Are sure you're okay? I can--"
"Matt, Please don't leave me tonight." I whispered, throwing my shirt and shorts in the floor. I pulled on my cropped sweatshirt and nike shorts. I've changed in front of Matt before, and this time was no different. I crawled into his large water bed and curled up into a ball. I felt his warm, bare chest pressed against the small exposed area of skin on my back.
I fell asleep like that for the rest of the summer.
Because thats when my parents disappeared. We ran off to our cabin Matt and I built in a sperate beach cave, that was near impossible to get into.
