Curving His Straight Line

Chapter 9: Rocky Road

The sail won’t be smooth, I thought to myself.

But a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, right?

If I could describe that summer of that specific year, I would describe it as the delicious flavor of ice cream, rocky road. The road was rocky, full of obstacles and barricades, that made me stumble and fall, but one thing is for sure, it was sweet.

I’ll take you back.

I was never able to repeat the things I said that night but I knew, that he heard just fine because he changed. He was sweeter than ever and I just… just learned to enjoy it and live in the moment. Like there was this one moment where we were seriously playing a game and we were on that final stage, which is very difficult like legit.

His character died and I was left alone to carry the game for us. I focused on the goal and was able to finish it.

That’s when he jumped onto me and gave me a kiss on the cheeks. I was frozen as I felt my face blushed and just stared at his dreamy eyes. He stared back and just smiled.

“You are so great.” He said to me happily.

It looked like I was calm but my insides were screaming. I was going to overthink it but just as I said, I just let things be.

Even starting from that night, he would always hug me at bedtime and both of us would fall asleep peacefully.  He never dived onto the topic of what he felt about me but I just thought to myself that action speaks louder than words.

But it was also because of this awkward sweetness that I stopped bathing with him, also because we were facing our puberty, and there are things that we do for pleasure that weren’t meant to be shared with anyone, sorry I’m just being honest.

Sometimes I would find tissues on the trashcan of our room, and I just know what he is doing when he is alone. You guys know what I meant.

We are really growing, and I don’t know what we are right now, but what’s important to me is that we are growing together.

There was this one day when Gary’s parents were out of town because of their work and Gary invited us for a sleepover.

We three arrived together at their residence, and Gary excitedly opened their door.

“Yey! Come in guys!” Gary welcomed us.

“You’re so excited huh?” Betty commented on his energy.

“Of course, this will be the best overnight of this summer!” Gary almost shouted.

“Too bad Celine isn’t here.” Betty sighed as I noticed the look on Pears’s eyes, it was gloomy. He misses her I guess, but I didn’t let it get to me because the past few days with him were the bests.

“Come on, don’t ruin the mood, Celine will go back by the end of the summer and we can do sleepover again with her.” Gary said while taking our bags. “Where’s yours, Betty?” He asked.

“Actually, about that, my parents didn’t let me stay the night, they want me home by nine. Don’t worry they will pick me up here, so you three enjoy the night.” Betty answered, I guess she won’t be sleeping with us.

“Why?!” Gary exclaimed.

“Well, because I’m the only girl here, since Celine is not here.” An explanation by Betty which made sense, so we agreed.

We were sitting in their sofas eating chips when Gary asked me if I could help him with something, so the two of us went inside his room.

“So?” He spoke.

“So what?”

“What happened? Between you and Pears?” I almost forgot we promised to update each other after telling our crush our real feelings, and we never got to be alone until now.

“Oh, that.” I made sure that his room was locked.

“Yeah that!”

“How about you? You haven’t told me either what happened with Betty.”

“I will! But you first.”

“Okay, so I already told Pears, when we were in bed, and he didn’t answer.”

“He didn’t?”

“Yes, but he hugged me before we slept that night.”

“What!?” Gary was shipping us for sure.

“Shh, keep your voice down!” I scolded him.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, what’s next?”

“I don’t, we never talked about it, but…”

“But what!?”

“He became sweeter.”

“Sweeter? As in how?”

“There are just things that he does that he didn’t before.”

“Oh, then let’s assume that’s good news then?”

“I don’t know, what do you think?”

“Honestly DJ, I think he likes you, he’s just not ready.” Hearing this word made me so happy.

I smiled at him before asking him about him and Betty.

“So, what about you two?”

“Okay, so I told her through a phone.”

“Through a phone?! Ew.”

“It was a phone call!”

“Still, face-to-face communication is better.”

“Well, I am not living with Betty, am I?”

“Fine, sorry.”

“Okay, so, I told her I like her, and she laughed and said okay.”

I wasn’t able to contain myself from giggling.

“She laughed?”

“Yes!”

“What did you say next?”

“I uh, laughed too.” Wow, very Gary.

“Gary!? You just confused each other, you should have made it clear!”

“That’s why I’m planning on doing it tonight, before she goes home.”

“Okay, that’s nice.”

“Yeah, let’s go back to them now.”

We head back to the living room carrying an ice cream Gary took out of their fridge.

“Who wants some ice cream!” Gary shouted.

“What’s the flavor?” Pears asked.

“Rocky road!”

It was a fun day for the four of us until the night came, we just ate pizza because no one will cook for our dinner. After that, I started signaling Gary to finally clear things with Betty he wasn’t making move, so I secretly eyed him to follow into their kitchen.

“Betty is about to go home and you’re still not making any move!” I scolded Gary.

“It’s harder to do it in person! What if it all went to mess?” He exclaimed.

“Gary, you either take the risk or lose the chance.”

He sighed.

“Wait I have an idea.” He proceeded to their refrigerator and took out some alcohol.

“Alcohol?!” I asked him

“Yeah, this is my father’s and from what I know, drinking this makes us braver. Have you ever tried one?”

“Of course not, we’re too young.” I told him.

“We are officially in high school next school year DJ!”

“Still, we should not-“

“Whatever.” He opened the bottle and took and a big gulp.

And it made him almost throw up.

“See?”

“No, no… it’s good, I can do it now.”

I face-palmed because of him.

“Oh wait, let me take another shot first.” And he did.

After that, we went back but Betty was already standing.

“Hey, I was about to look for you two, my parents are already here to fetch, I guess this is goodbye, enjoy you three.” I saw the frustration in Gary’s eyes because of what Betty said.

“Wait Betty, before you go, Gary has something to tell you.” I took the initiative to help Gary in this situation.

“Yes.” We all looked at Gary.

“Uhm… I just want to say… take care.” Oh my Gary.

“Oh, thank you. I’ll go now.” Then betty went out just like that.

Gary sat on the sofa, and stared at the television, did those two shots already make him drunk?

Pears looked so confused, well, I can’t help him with that.

“I came back to the kitchen to put the alcohol back into their fridge when Pears followed.

“Is that real?”

I almost dropped the bottle because I was shocked.

“Uh yeah.”

“That’s why you two have been sneaking out huh?”

“No, Pears it’s not like that…”

“Don’t mind it just let me taste it now.”

“No Pears.”

“Really? You’re not going to let me? After you and Gary have been taking shots behind my back? I can understand for Betty but why hide it from me too?”

I didn’t know how to counter him so I let him take the bottle from me as he took his first shot of liquor.

“Ugh so, this is what it tastes like. Can we drink it?” Pears asked.

“No.”

“Yes, I’ll just replace it before my parents come back.” Gary joined in.

“Nice!” Pears was excited.

The two took the bottle and shot glasses and came back to the living room.

“Your turn Dion.” Gary was handing me a shot.

“No, I’m not going to drink. You two enjoy.”

“Please? For me?” Pears looked at me, and damn how could I resist that look?

“Just one.”

Gary silently giggled.

I just ignored it and took it, it was… fine I guess. Why do other people like to drink it so much? It’s not that delicious like sodas and juices for example.

Those two went on to drinking and talked about a lot of stuff, Pears even mentioned sometimes he would catch his Aunt Gina drinking alone at night while talking on the phone with someone, probably her husband from abroad. It went on until they almost emptied the liquor bottle.

I was disturbed when Gary started talking about Betty to Pears, yeah, he actually confessed to Pears. I think he is really drunk right now.

I get even more uncomfortable when Gary said…

“You know, I need to tell you something too. About DJ, you see…” He stopped speaking when he rushed immediately to the bathroom to vomit.

“Oh my God.” I said.

“What was that, my DJ?” Pears talked to me, calling me his DJ? I think he’s drunk too.

“That was nothing, you might want to take a rest now. I’ll go check on Gary.”

He grabbed me and pulled me closer to him, making us lie on the sofa.

“Don’t… ever leave me… DJ….” Then he belched right onto my face and damn, it smelled alcohol.

“I won’t, okay? Now let me go…”

But he tightened his grip on me…

And…