Chapter 11: midnight talks

As the credits rolled on Dawn of the Dead, Jake and Alex sat in comfortable silence, the last of their Mountain Dew bottles sitting empty on the table. The only sounds in the room were the faint hum of the fridge and the ticking of the wall clock.

Alex stretched and yawned. “Man, that was intense.”

Jake chuckled. “Told you I’d get some revenge for Final Destination.”

Alex nudged him with his elbow. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll get you back next time.”

For a moment, they just sat there, neither moving to turn off the TV. It was late, but with no parents around, they didn’t feel the need to rush to bed.

“So…” Alex started, glancing at Jake. “Guess this was kind of a weird sleepover, huh?”

Jake shrugged. “Eh, not really. I mean, we had fun, ate a ton of food, and scared the crap out of each other—literally.” He smirked at Alex, who groaned.

“Dude, too soon.”

Jake laughed. “Sorry, sorry. But seriously, it’s been cool. I’m glad we talked about… you know, stuff.”

Alex nodded. “Yeah. I never really talked about it with anyone besides my mom. It’s kinda nice not having to pretend.”

Jake leaned back against the couch. “Same. I was always worried someone would find out, but… it’s not a big deal when you’re not the only one, you know?”

Alex smiled. “Yeah. It’s cool having a best friend who gets it.”

They sat there for a bit longer before Alex yawned again. “Alright, I think I’m actually ready for bed now.”

Jake nodded. “Yeah, me too.”

They got up, turned off the TV, and headed upstairs. Jake grabbed one of his Goodnites from the closet while Alex checked his bag to make sure he had everything for the night.

His stomach dropped. No way…

“Uh… Jake?” Alex said hesitantly.

Jake looked up. “What’s up?”

Alex scratched the back of his neck. “I think I messed up… I’m out.”

Jake raised an eyebrow. “Out?”

Alex sighed. “Yeah… I’m out of diapers. And we still have, like, days left.”

Jake thought for a moment. “Well… I have my Goodnites, but I don’t know if they’ll fit you.”

Alex frowned, considering his options. “Yeah, mine are, like, actual diapers, so I don’t know if a pull-up will work for me.”

Jake nodded, understanding the situation. “We’ll figure something out, dude. Maybe we can run to the store tomorrow or something.”

Alex sighed but smiled. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

Jake grinned. “No problem. Now, get some sleep before you pass out on the floor.”

Alex chuckled and got comfortable on the spare mattress. “Night, dude.”

“Night, man,” Jake replied, closing his eyes.

Even with the small problem, he still felt more at ease than ever. Whatever happened, they’d figure it out—together.