𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 • 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤

forty-four

"I'm still recovering from the party at Ara's house and it has been three days, how am I supposed to survive New Year's tomorrow?" Sam groaned as he was lying upside down on the couch in the tree house.

I chuckled and tossed a chip at his head. "Don't be a baby, Sam."

He picked the chip up from where it landed on his chest and popped it into his mouth. "How are you guys still alive?"

"Because we handle our booze better, Samuel," Colby snickered, also digging into the bag of chips to grab a few for himself.

I smiled at the memories as they flooded back into my head. "I had fun. Thanks for coming with me, guys."

"Katrina would've murdered me, had I said no to a good houseparty," Sam chuckled. "And we did have a good time. So thank you, really."

"Yeah," Colby agreed as he threw an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer. "Thank you."

I shook my head. "My pleasure."

"We should go back to that abandoned schoolyard where the bonfire was, before I leave," Colby spoke up. "I liked that place and I didn't get to spend much time there."

Before I leave. The words hit me like a brick.

"That was a good night," I chuckled, remembering the events. "I would've never thought it was going to end with the two of us on top of that tiny roof in the park."

He also chuckled. "I'm surprised you even remember, considering how drunk you were."

"Yeah, that was not my best night, mentally," I snorted. "But after I left with you it got better."

Sam let out a snicker. "I cannot for the life of me imagine how you convinced him to do that. Considering he wasn't exactly fond of you at that time, and all. Unless he liked you better than he showed."

Colby shrugged. "I was past the point of realizing she wasn't responsible for what her brother did."

"But you still refused to hug me," I snickered.

"Now how did you remember that?" Colby laughed.

"Oh, the embarrassment is still fresh in my memory. You quite literally shoved me into your car to get me off of you," I smiled.

"Harsh," Sam laughed. "But there's comfort in knowing he even let you into his car."

I nodded in agreement. "I guess that's true. You know what's even crazier?"

"What?" Sam asked.

"We drove over to someone Colby knew to buy pot and then smoked it together, on top of that very roof," I snorted.

"What the heck," the blonde laughed. "Yo Colby, you really liked her more than you told yourself."

Colby let out a chuckle. "Maybe."

I smiled and leaned in closer, snuggling into his side. In that very moment I wished we could just live in this very moment forever, in this serenity, with Colby still next to me. I didn't know how I was going to say goodbye to him.

"So, bonfire schoolyard, when? More importantly, where?" Sam asked as he turned to sit up straight, throwing his feet up onto the coffee table.

"We could go there after New Year's. On the third, maybe, that's the day before I leave," Colby proposed as he looked down at me. "What do you think?"

I nodded and looked back at him. "Sounds good."

He smiled, but it faltered quickly. "What's wrong?"