Friday had come sooner than expected - and I had arrived a little early to pick Ed up from his house. He jumped in my car dressed in a t-shirt, a simple necklace and jeans. He wore those Jordan sneakers. He smelled good too - although a little strong.
He leaned over to hug me and say hello. We drove to the party talking about nonsense stuff. My anxiety was bigger than normal. I knew in the back of my mind I was gonna have to tell him tonight.
"You planning on drinking tonight?" I asked.
"Oh - I'm getting hammered!" He responded enthusiastically.
"That so?" I mocked. "Guess I'm your designated driver then?" I snarled at him.
"Do you mind? I was gonna tell you - I can totally call an Uber - " he started.
"No - don't do that - I'll abstain tonight - you have fun okay tiger?" The words just rolled of my tongue. I looked over and he slumped a little on the seat like he was worried about asking me. His shoulders relaxed. His smile crooked upward - uncontrollably. He was blushing. A deep crimson red on his cheeks. It was cute.
"Okay-" he mumbled back.
Eduardo has terrible communication skills, and he's not one to ask for things. That's why I don't mind moving heaven and earth for this boy. He's not arrogant, but he's not naive either. He just doesn't know how to ask me for stuff. I'm not sure what he thinks - but he could ask me to climb Mount Everest and I would - no questions asked.
-
When we arrived, the party was full under way! Eduardo and I had a weird dynamic when going to party's. Most of the time we would mingle with other people, but from time to time we would check up on each other. Sometimes if there was a group activity we would find ways to sit with each other or from across each other.
If there was a group talk - he would find ways to sit next to me.
This wasn't really a birthday celebration more like a pretend birthday. Maxine had the whole basement and backyard to herself. This weekend, she invited everyone, and everyone from our grade showed up.
Because of course they did.
Suddenly the beer-pong table showed up and there was a bottle of tequila.
"I challenge you!" Maxine, she was around 175 cm and wore alternative clothing. This time she was wearing an overall and a punk rock t-shirt. Her shoes, her brother's sneakers and she had a silly party hat with a happy birthday on it. We all knew it wasn't really her birthday.
Her hair was straight, but she styled it like a 70's rock diva. A.K.A - it had a lot of volume to it.
She pointed at me and pressed the bottle of tequila to my chest.
"Not today Max, I'm the DD tonight-" I mumbled. She groaned.
"You're so boring Eiden-" I could smell the alcohol in her breath.
Eduardo was standing next to me. A drink in his hand.
Her eyes widen when they met Eduardo.
"How about you?!" She slurred her words. Clearly she had been drinking and pre-gamming before the party. She turned to me. Eduardo looked over to me, like asking for permission.
"Have fun -" I nodded.
"This shall be very interesting!" She smiled and cackled. God she was drunk.
Eduardo was already setting his side of the table. He had a half drunken beer he set to the side.
"Both of you!" Maxine bickered.
"Oh - you're drinking my drinks too?" I mocked Ed.
"Sure!" Ed was a happy camper.
"Ah!" She seemed taken aback. She was playing the dramatics. "How dare you! It's my birthday and you're not drinking, on MY BIRTHDAY?! How dare you Eiden." She really played the dramatics.
"Birthday rules dude!" Jake said off to the side. I took calculus with him. I narrowed my eyes and glared at him. Like it wasn't any of his business.
The cups were set - Maxine took the first shot. She landed a clean shot on the middle cup.
Ed chugged it down.
"Look at your boyfriend, such a good sport!" Maxine said as she laid it on.
Eduardo just kinda seemed to brush her off.
"Ugh fine," I groaned pushing my head back. Everyone clapped.
"And we're not boyfriends!" I groaned as I set up the cups.
"Okay, sorry-" Maxine let her arms up in defeat and made an awkward face as she handed the little balls to Jake.
Jake took a shot and also landed it clean. Maxine celebrated with uproar.
Ed took a shot and landed it nicely too. We also did a little celebration dance. I took a shot and missed.
"Oh the b-ball ace, can't play beer pong! Who would have guessed!" Maxine teased me.
I groaned. Now I really wanted to show off for Ed - I started taking this game seriously.
After a couple of rounds - Ed had drunk more than he should probably have. I was still sober - unfortunately. We were down to one on one cup. And it was my turn. I took my sweet time with it and threw the little ball into the air. It landed on the cup with a little spin - Maxine tried to blow it out but she reacted too slow.
We won the game - Ed cheered and hugged me tight.
He smelled nice.
It almost felt like it was true. Like I really was his boyfriend.
Whenever it came up like Maxine just did - he would never deny it. And it seemed nor did anyone else.
Was it just that obvious and I was the only one out of the loop?
Ed seemed just fine, except maybe a little more hyped and happy like.
I guess alcohol broke his usual cool and stoic personality.
Ed had to drink one last shot of the golden tequila. He squirmed as it went down.
"GG Bro!" He put up his fist and bumped me. But it was a trap because he grabbed me by the shoulder and started ransacking my skull. His grip was strong. I appreciated the physical touch though, so I just laughed it off.
Then he kinda just stopped, then lingered for a moment, his arm still around my shoulder. He seemed to realize there were other people around us and let me go. The moment lingered more than it should have.
I thought he was making another joke but he was genuine about the physical contact now. He might even have gotten a bit too comfortable.
His shoulders slumped, and it seemed like he let out a sigh.
It seemed a little unlike him.
"You okay?" I asked looking concerned.
"Just drunk," he hiked like a cartoon character.
"Need water," and he separated from me only to realize I was holding his arm with my other hand. I let go.
I felt gazes around us.
Maxine was the only one that gave a big thumbs up. With a giant smile.
Did everyone else also just noticed that too?
I got beet red. The rest of the party seemed to go into its normal swing of things.
-
After a while I managed to join another group of people. I was sitting on the couch, suddenly Ed just comes up to me and sits on my lap!
Sam and Max dropped their jaws.
He put his arms around me.
I held unto his waist, how could I not. He was wobbly. I told myself it was to balance him on my knee. But it's not I didn't enjoy my hand on his tiny waist.
It was weird because he was a lot taller than me.
"What are we talking about?" He looked like a flirt, and had a beer on his hand. He also reeked of alcohol and cologne.
Maxine burst out laughing.
"Are you drunk?!" Maxine scoffed.
"Yeah, just a little bit."he laughed and hiccuped. Then burp.
They just kinda laughed at him. He didn't seem to mind.
He looked at me.
"Aw, I love you." He said and cuddled his head to mine.
What the frick was going on?!
Maxine couldn't stop snickering.
"Hey, Ed, another round!?" Jake said from across the room.
"Hell yeah!" Ed stood up and went over there. The moment was gone just as fast as it had started.
I looked genuinely disappointed.
Maxine and Sam really wanted Ed I together. And well, I just had our suspicions. Because he did things like that. My problem was, all I could think was that he was doing it as a joke. A memory flashed before me.
-
On this day I had actually confronted him - asked him why he did stuff like that. He never really did with anyone else.
"Oh come on, it's normal for guy friends to do stuff like that- it's just a joke." my eyes stunned, shocked by his words. I was turning blue.
The hallway we were standing in the middle of, kept running, but for me time stood still.
It's really not.
I didn't press him further. Our friendship was more valuable to me at that time - but my feelings were stacking up. And I could feel like at any moment, they would just burst, and I wouldn't be able to control them.
-
"Happy birthday to you!" We sang happy birthday to Maxine as she posed and made a clown of herself. There was a cake and everything. She danced and fooled around until we stopped, she blew out the candles of course. Then sliced cake for everyone.
It was her 2nd birthday after all.
Ed grabbed my hand amongst the crowd.
I froze. Our fingers interlocking.
He finally looked at me and just threw his eyebrows up.
I grabbed it back.
For a moment I was in bliss.
This is everything I ever wanted.
He put his beer down on the table.
"Can't we just go home I'm getting bored," Ed whispered in my ear.
"My place?" I mouthed. Without saying a word.
He nodded.
I grabbed his hand and twirled through the crowd, the house seemed fixated on Max still. She was so good at keeping's people attention.
We slipped through the front door. No one stopped or us, or even seemed to notice us, and we got to my car, parked on the street outside.
Never letting go of his hand.