Celadon Bay - Book One

Brothers in arms I

"I'm getting a first-hand feel of what things will be like around here if you have to go. Like, you'll always be around in a way. Everything in Celadon Bay has a memory tied to you now. And, yeah, I know that sounds cheesy as fuck, but it's a huge deal! From being late to school every single day to every scolding you don't give me for being a total douchebag to girls. And Aloha's basement will no longer be a thing; nobody will complain about my pizza, winter coffees in the cafeteria will be things I do on my own, and the list goes on and on! All of it is going to go away with you: the fun, the stupid stuff we do together, the cigarette we sneaked last Christmas, our first beer when you first moved in... poof! Gone. That's scary shit, John."

"If it comforts you any," I say, "I'm also terrified."

"I know you are, you dumb shit!" He bumps his shoulder with mine and pats my back. "I'm just asking you to share it with me, man. Like you used to. Lean on me like the fucking crybaby you are. Don't walk away from me until you really have no fucking choice. Who's your best friend?"

"You, obviously. No contest there."

"Then prove it, damn it. I don't mind your weepy shit. Cry, scream, lash out at me if you want. Just stay with me, all right?" He hangs his arm around me, pulling me tightly against him. "It's so stupid that I'm missing my best friend when he still fucking lives with me."

"My bad, man." I take a few steps back, and sit down on the dry sand. Martin does the same, and sprawls out next to me, resting his head on his crossed arms.

And now that Martin has calmed down, Candace's crying eyes pop back in my mind, which, of course, reminds me of my girlfriend. "What about Vee, though?"

"What about her?" Martin says, his eyes closed.

"Even if I have to move, she's still going to be around. So, you're technically not going to be alone."

Like I will be.

"You think Vee's gonna put up with my shit even for a single day once you're gone?" He snorts in amusement, but his face tells a different story. "She only tolerates me because you're her boyfriend."

"No way." I lean down on my elbows and face him. "Vee might not be a fan of your shenanigans when it comes to girls, but I know she absolutely considers you her friend."

"I don't know about that, to be honest."

"Besides, it's not as if you're going to let her distance too much. Go ahead and prove me wrong."

"Damn right I won't!" He lifts a fist above his head, but some sand spills on his face, prompting a much-needed laugh from both of us. "Same goes for you."

"What about me?"

"If you really have to go, you know you won't be gone much more than just physically."

"That sentence didn't make much sense, to be fair."

"Shut up, you fucking nerd!" He grabs a bunch of sand and chucks it at me. "I'm saying I won't let you distance from me either."

"I don't know, man. Wouldn't that make things even harder for us?"

"You can bet your skinny ass that I'll be calling you at least every single night."

I can see myself ditching my phone in a drawer forever if I move out, trying to push every last bit of Celadon Bay out of my memory. That's what I do best, after all; run away without ever looking back.

Martin's cellphone pings in his pocket. He fumbles for it and a moment later, we listen to Alex's voice message.

"Where the hell are you, little brother? Is Johnny with you? I had some... unusual plans since Mom's not around, but you guys are gone."

"We're currently sprawled on the sandy shores of our beloved city," Martin says. "Feel free to join in. Walk straight onto the beach from home and you'll spot us."

"Alex's "unusual plans" sound both fishy and interesting at the same time," I tell Martin as he taps on his screen to listen to his own voice message again.

"Man, I love my own voice." He starts to listen to his own message again, but it's cut off by another ping.

Once again, Alex's slightly distorted voice fills the air. "Don't move; I'll be there in five."

And sure enough, five minutes later, Alex walks down the wooden stairs connecting the beach to the seaside road. He takes his backpack off his shoulders, drops it between us, and takes a seat between our feet.

"So," I say. "What's the plan?"

Alex is busy unpacking something from his backpack so he takes his sweet time replying.

Finally, he looks up. "So, I get the feeling you guys are dealing with very adult issues right now." He produces not one, but two six-packs from his backpack. "So, hear me out. I guessed that, just this once, mind you, I'd introduce you to some very adult pleasures."

Martin's eyes grow wide with expectation, as Alex twists the caps off two bottles and offers them to us. I'm sort of hesitant, but to be fair, also pretty damn hyped.

"Does this mean...?" I begin.

"You got that right, Little John. Time to get wasted."

Martin and I share a knowing grin, then the three of us clink our bottles together before taking a long pull on our bottles.

Man. I fucking love my cousins. Regardless, after a couple rounds, my monkey-brain returns. Because this is the first time I am drinking beer with them, on a sandy beach on a moonlit night.

Will it also be my last?