It was the middle of July. The thick summer heat was dampened by the cool blue of the moon lit sky. Gray Alexander stumbled through the dancing bodies of teens scattered across the sandy beach, everything around him smelling of a mixture of beer, campfire, and weed. The boy ran his fingers through his hair, a thin layer of sweat already present on his tanned skin, most likely the effect of the combination of drugs coursing through his veins. His choice of clothing seemed to be too much for his body to handle in the heat, despite the thin nature of his shorts and half unbuttoned, nearly hanging off, shirt.
In a desperate attempt to find better footing, the brunet made his way away from the swarming teens and towards the grassy field farther from the beach. The grass there tickled Gray's ankles, something he would rather enjoy sober, but in this moment only set his teeth on edge. He found a spot where the grass was short and bearable, the loud music and chatter becoming more bearable as well. Gray looked up toward the moon as he laid on his backside, hoping somehow the solitude of it all would ground him in some way or another.
Gray's ears were ringing and there was nothing the moon could do to stop it. His head spun circles every time he blinked like he was stuck in a rouge wave.
Gray had come to the party per request of his little sister Lucy and her gang of friends. Gray was quick to say no, until his sister batted her pretty little eyelashes in pout to her brother, and who could say no to that? Not Gray Alexander.
The harder Gray squinted at the moon, the harder it was to make out. When he nearly caught a grasp on it, his vision was sent spinning again, but for a different reason. A boy, Gray had seem him earlier at the party, stuck his long locks in the brunet's face. Gray thought the boy was close enough that his hair would tickle his eyelashes, but the sensation never came. Maybe it was the boy's mind playing tricks on him. Before he had time to move, a red plastic cup was being shoved in his face in replacement of the boy's.
"Drink this." Was all he said. The boy's voice was deep and sounded like honey. Gray only blinked slowly in response, shoving himself up on his elbows, his world spinning but trying his best not to show it.
"You aren't tryna poison me, are you?" His throat felt raw as he spoke and his voice came out deeper than intended. How long had he been away from everyone to get this scratchy?
The boy scoffed in response, only pushing the cup closer to Gray's lips
"It's just water. Drink."
Gray shrugged his shoulders as best he could, lifting one arm to take the cup from the boy's hand. The cup spun as he reached for it. The blond must have noticed because he inched the cup in Gray's direction.
The water felt foreign as it went down his throat. It was cool, contradicting his intense body heat and the high temperature of the summer night. His body's first instinct was to spit the liquid back up, but he forced it down all the same. When he took the last sip from the cup, Gray finally looked up to catch a glimpse of the man in front of him. He had blond locks, lightened significantly by the heat of the sun that still shined in the moonlight if Gray looked close enough. He was dressed similarly to Gray in shorts and a button up, but his remained completely buttoned still. If Gray was capable enough in that moment, he would rip the buttons clean off the crisp fabric. The boy's face was soft but dark, unhappy expression etched on his face.
"Why so glum?" Gray mumbled out
The blond boy seemed stunned by Gray's voice, like he hadn't expected a conversation to spark from him, "You." Was all he spoke
That made Gray giggle, "You're cute when your face is like that," the brunet brought his hand up to the boy's face, his calloused fingers reaching to stroke along his jawline, "all upset." he settled on.
The blond leaned in to the boy's affectionate touch before he caught himself, lightly shoving Gray's fingers away from his face, "You're high."
Was it that easy to notice?
Gray's mind was racing as much as his heart was now, and he didn't think it was fully to blame on the drugs, "And you're beautiful." The words came tumbling out before his sober half could stop himself. He always had a soft spot for blonds, especially ones who's hair glistened in the moonlight.
Rafe Cameron's heart skipped a beat at that one.
There they were, Gray's hand on the blond's cheek once more, when their eyes finally met. The boy's crystal blue eyes reminded Gray of the ocean at dawn. Against his own better judgement, he found himself wanting to get lost in them as he slowly leaned in to the blond. The boys' faces were so close that Gray could smell the alcohol on the blond's breath and see the way his eyelashes laid half hooded over his crystal eyes.
Gray would have never guessed his night would consist of two lines, mixed drinks, the ocean, and lips inches away from being crashing into those of an attractive blond.
He was blond, right? Of course he was. How could he forget? Gray only ever went for blonds, especially when they were this pretty.
That's when it happened—the gunshot. The boys flinched away from eachother, Rafe because he realized what he was doing and Gray because Lucy. Where the fuck is Lucy?
Gray was overly aware of how the grass prickled into his body as he forced himself to his feet. His high was screaming no while his brain was screaming Lucy, Lucy, Lucy.
By the time Gray was up the blond boy was already gone, probably towards the commotion on the beach. He steadied himself against the tree before hastily making his was towards the salty air of the beach. Panic started to set in the closer he got to the beach, part of him hoping this was all just part of a bad trip.
Lucy met Gray before Gray met Lucy. The force of her death gripping hug nearly made the boy lose his balance. He could feel her heartbeat through her sundress and all he could thing to do was hug her back. Lucy.
"Ray it's JJ and John B. One of the kooks tried to drown JB and JJ had a gun pointed at his head and I thought someone was gonna die, Ray." The words came tumbling out of the young girl's mouth before she could stop and think
"It's okay. I'm here now, Lu." The girl only squeezed her brother tighter.
Ray held her close as he looked out at the scene in front of him. He wished his hug would be enough to sooth away all of Lucy's worries and take her away from this, but it was her John B unconscious in the water and her JJ holding a gun. His thoughts were long gone of the blond boy from before and now only focusing on the blond boy in the distance who once had a gun in his hands, and the bloodied boy who laid unconscious in Pope Heyward's arms.
The Alexander siblings made their way to the rest of the group. Lucy immediately ran to Pope and John B in the water, the end of her sundress getting soaked as she did so. Ray's eyes immediately shot towards the blond boy standing on the beach, frozen in fear, a gun sitting pretty in the sand a few meters away from him.
JJ Maybank always found a way to spoil his fun. "J" he shot out
The boy didn't move. In response, Ray sighed and made his way over to the blond. His tan, strong arms wrapped around JJ's body from the back, his head finding it's place on his shoulder. JJ didn't move.
"That bad you had to bring out a gun?" Was all Gray said
"He was gonna kill JB, Ray."
Gray sighed in JJ's shoulder, flipping the boy around to bring him into a tight hug. JJ didn't hug back at first until his body began to shake and tears started to flow from his crystal eyes.
"You aren't your daddy, J. You don't need a gun." The boy mumbled into the blond's hair. He knew JJ heard him loud and clear. This only made him cry and shake more.
Ray looked out to the beach in front of him. John B was now standing with the help of Pope and Lucy, one arm each sprung around their shoulders as they made their way out of the salty sea. Lucy had John B's blood on her dress that he knew she'd throw a fit about later in the comfort of their home. It didn't seem to matter now, all that mattered was John B was alright.
There wasn't a thought of Rafe Cameron in Gray Alexander's mind.
"Let's go home."