one more troubled soul » petekey

Fifteen

Mikey seemed offended at Ryan's comment. "Wouldn't get it? We're not old, Ryan. We're only four years... ugh!" He gave up halfway through, realizing that he wasn't being listened to. Ryan had turned his attention completely back to Brendon, who had launched into another comedic tangent. He was just as wide-eyed as Ryan, maybe even more so. His voice was shrill and excited. Ryan was eating it up. "If you two are gonna be so loud, why don't you go outside? It doesn't look like we're going anywhere soon." Mikey suggested, cutting Brendon off mid-sentence. Dallon cast a glance over and grinned in subtle agreement.

"Oh, dope!" Brandon exclaimed. "Dal?"

"Sounds good," Dallon said, his muffled approval sounding through the back window and into Pete's car. "Don't go far. Be careful, I guess."

Brendon punched the air enthusiastically, immediately hopping out of his car. He slammed the door so hard that the old car shook where it stood. Dallon's eyes widened in fear for a moment. When it steadied, he sighed in relief and let his head fall on the steering wheel with a visible clunk.

Brendon scurried to the window where Ryan waited patiently. Their noses nearly touched. Ryan turned to Pete with a pair of hopeful, honey eyes and cracked a smile. "Well, uh, please?" His voice pleaded genuinely. Pete looked at him sadly for a moment. He hadn't even thought about the loneliness that rattled in Ryan's body. They had torn him, even willingly, from his home and had brought him miles and miles away in less than twenty-four hours, and most of that time, Pete had spent it making eyes at Mikey. He felt a pang of guilt. If Pete remembered anything from his fifteenth year of existence, it's that it was Hell.

Even still, he had been home, with both parents, and at least enough friends who genuinely liked him or were sufficient enough actors. Ryan had managed to lose all of that in the course of a day. Pete finally let out a sigh and nodded. "Yeah, just keep the car in sight."

Ryan clearly hadn't expected any affirmation, and so he was caught off guard but still raring to go. He sputtered out a sloppy "thanks!" and fumbled with the door handle, practically slipping out. When his feet hit the pavement, he was nose-to-nose with Brendon. His new friend smiled at him fondly. Ryan's breath hitched and he leaned back against the car for a quick moment. "Where to?" He asked. nervously adjusting the scarf that hung loosely around his neck.

"Wherever," Brendon replied coolly. "I like this." He gave the scarf a gentle tug and then turned purposefully on his heel, bounding from the car. Ryan stumbled forward and took a sharp breath, pink and sweaty as he tottered after him.

"Ah, wait up!"

Mikey eyed the two of them in the side mirror. Their hands found each other in less than a minute. He hummed to himself. Pete laughed and looked at him knowingly, and then across the way at Dallon, who had lifted his head back up and now was staring out the front window, his chin resting on the steering wheek. He looked worn out, the skin under his eyes begging for mercy. A few red knicks on his jaw and chin hinted at a freshly shaven face. He had a sense of warm ruggedness to him, evenly spread about his long limbs and torso. All that angst had gotten stretched like taffy, into a man.

"Wanna take their lead and grab some fresh air?" Pete asked Mikey, who was still invested in the mirror like it was a juicy book. "I know it would do me some good."

Mikey nodded and without waiting, pushed open his door. Pete followed suit, nearly toppling over in ecstasy. He had somehow forgotten how good it felt to stand on a fully realized pair of legs. They had gone nearly numb from all the driving. They burned now, but like a comforting campfire and less like a minimart arson. "Fuck," he moaned, "that feels good."

"Calm down over there, handsome," Mikey laughed, sauntering his way over. "A good stretch doing you in more than I can?" He looked down at Pete with playful eyes, scooping up his hand and resting it gently on his chest. Pete let himself get lost in his heartbeat, every pulse whispering sweet words directly into his soul.