Fragile Threads [boyxboy]

Fragile Threads

At least it was Friday night, and he had the whole weekend to be anti-social. He also had the whole weekend with nowhere important to be. Some of his friends were going to a late night movie, but he hadn’t been interested.

He ate dinner with his mother before going up to his room and setting up in front of his desk top. He cruised his normal sights, replying to a few of the messages from some guy’s that seemed to have a thing for him. Ethan wasn’t really interested, though. He wanted some emotional part of a relationship, but he needed something physical to go with it.

The night seemed to wear on slowly, and Ethan’s mother went to bed. Ethan twirled in his desk chair, feeling useless and sluggish. He wanted to sleep, but he wasn’t tired. He could stay on the computer, but he wasn’t doing anything attention grabbing.

He needed out. He crept out of his room and downstairs to the front door. He slipped out and inhaled the crisp night air. A walk would probably do him some good, even if it was eleven at night. It was a Friday, who cared?

Ethan dug his hands into the pockets of his straight leg jeans and hunched his shoulders. Maybe it was a little chilly, but that was because it was fall. He kept to walking along the sidewalk and street lights, admiring how different the neighborhood looked late at night.

He couldn’t see the details of everything, and the shadows were kind of creepy… but nothing exciting ever happened there. Ethan just sucked in another deep breath and tried to shake the lethargic feeling. He walked straight for a few blocks, debating hanging out at a small park for a little while. He hadn’t been on a swing in forever.

A car flew by him though, much faster than the twenty mile an hour speed limit. Ethan jumped and watched it angrily as it turned up another street and parked in front of a house. It was one of many cars that crowded the street, he realized. With the loud music, lights, and people at the house… it was a party.

Ethan admired it for a while, wondering about all those crazy party movies he’d seen. Rumor had it they weren’t actually that crazy, but he’d never been to a party to figure it out. Maybe this was it?

Ethan approached carefully, as he obviously hadn’t been invited. He recognized a few faces here and there from school, so that eased his nerves. He wasn’t a complete stranger then. He bumped shoulders on his way in. There was a cloud in the air, and some horrible smell he didn’t like but couldn’t figure out what it was.

There was a beer keg set up in the corner, but no one seemed to be guzzling it. A few people seemed over the top drunk, but not everyone. Some were just pretending they could dance, others were sitting around talking. Ethan felt a little bit disappointed.

But wait… there was Brent. Ethan felt himself go into overdrive, but he had to tell himself to calm down. No, nothing was happening. Brent was busy talking with some girl and his friends. Ethan wasn’t even supposed to be there, if anyone even noticed.

Ethan sighed and turned away. He eyed the keg of beer, which he’d never actually ever tried. He poured himself a small amount, sipped at it, and immediately cringed. He didn’t like the taste, at all. He tossed the cup and began to debate going home.

He looked around him one last time, feeling awkward. How sad was it, that even as a high school senior, he had never experienced anything that was supposed to be socially normal? He only went out with friends maybe once a month, if that.

It was a bit depressing, he decided. Maybe he should stay, but then what? He didn’t know anyone, and he probably looked like an idiot. He decided to explore for a few minutes, and then yes, he would go home. Ethan made the trek upstairs, where that bad smell was even worse.