My Mistakes: A BxB Story

Cheer and Great Welcome Makes a Merry Feast

Chapter Ten: Cheer and Great Welcome Makes a Merry Feast

"Thank you Dane," the twins' mom said. "I appreciate the help."

He smiled at this tiny woman, as he peeled and chopped a pile of hard boiled eggs, prepping the potato salad they were having with the rest of the party food.

When Deandra opened the door at the Johnson's house, Daisy and Dwight behind her, he had a hard time believing the twins weren't adopted. They were both a few inches over six feet, but the woman who welcomed them inside was maybe only a few inches over five feet. And she was also soft spoken and self effacing, which again was surprising since the twins were so practical and blunt, not in your face, but not shy by any means.

Even though he'd known Daisy and Dwight for three years, he'd never been to their house. In their friend group, there was a semi transparent line between the jocks and the queers. Dane, Jamie, Harrison, Alyisha and Jude on one side. Joey, Noah, Dwight, Kimmie, Daisy, Lynne and Jaden on the other. The bridge of course was created between them with Joey and Harrison's rock solid relationship, but also Jamie and Noah's will they/ won't they friendship.

Since that initial school lunch so long ago when the two groups first met, those lines blurred often. Dane and Alyisha were seniors and the rest were juniors. They often tutored different people in their group at random times, both strong students. They all hung out frequently in the woods, or at random restaurants, or Jude's house, since theirs was the biggest and emptiest. Sometimes at Joey's house. And of course, they ate together every day at lunch. They got along. They were friends.

Generally, though, the jocks practiced and worked out together. The twin's dad, Dennis, was their basketball coach, so he'd often meet up with them at an elementary school nearby, drilling them outside of regular practice. Out of all seven of them, Kimmie was the only one who didn't play basketball, but she'd happily sit and watch at times, when she wasn't at her own dance classes. Or they hung out here, at the Johnson's house, watching sports or doing homework.

The queer kids usually based out of Dane's house if it was just them, or more often at the library. Lisa, their sponsor, still met with them, hosting informational sessions around activism and health, or more fun activities like screen nights where they watched LGBTQ+ themed movies or series. Or they just messed around, eating free chips and sodas or burgers on the library's dime.

Dane did tutor Daisy for a while, but at his own house or the school library. He'd never met her family or been to their house. It was nice, a four bedroom one story place, with a big living room and backyard with an area set up for outdoor cooking. Of course there was also a small court. Besides being the high school basketball coach, Dwight was an administrator with the Veterans Department for the county. He'd been a soldier in Afghanistan, as had Deandra who served as a nurse. Dane had a hard time picturing this small, somewhat shy woman in a war, but that was what Daisy told him. They grew up together in the SF Bay Area, enlisting out of high school.  When they were honorably discharged after eight years of service, they decided to settle in Shasta, enjoying the rural small town appeal of the mountain region.

Everyone was getting organized in the backyard.  Dennis and Dwight grilling burgers, hot dogs and some bbq chicken. Two picnic tables were set up with paper plates, napkins, chips, cut up veggies and soda. The party was in honor of the twins' birthday. Normally they celebrated with just their family, but since this was their eighteenth, their parents allowed them to invite their friends over for a backyard barbeque.

And it was a big party, much to Deandra's obvious surprise as the doorbell kept ringing and ringing. Because their friend group now extended beyond their initial cluster to include the Yreka kids. Jeff was Dwight's teammate, Riley was the basketball team's newly appointed water boy, thanks to Noah's recommendations. And with Riley came, Ted, and with Ted came Taylor. Kimmie had begged her boyfriend Dwight to include Jasper and Matt. And because they weren't dicks, they also asked Luke, since he was the only one left not invited.