I enter the guys and I favorite bar and find them sitting at our usual table. It's a guy's weekend and although I wanted to spend it with Midget, Troy needs me. We do the same thing every year. On this same month and same day.
I walk over to the table and take a seat next to Daniel. "What's up, man?" I ask.
"Nothing much. The regular." He says.
I sigh, "How bad has he gotten?"
"Two beers and three shots of 252." Daniel says.
I shake my head. "Is he drunk?"
"No, but close. It hasn't really sunken in yet, but he's getting there. We tried to tell him to slow down, but he just told us to shut up and lighten up." He sighs.
I turn my head to see Ryan and Troy walking over to the table with a tray full of shot glasses. Ryan gives me a look that says "I tried to stop him.". Ryan sits down and so does Troy.
"Jordan, you finally made it, brother. I thought you were going to skip out on us." He smiles a drunk smile.
I try to give him a smile of my own, but it's hard when you don't exactly agree with his actions.
"You know I wouldn't miss this day for the world." I say.
He smiles and grabs a shot, passing one out to everybody. "Let's take one. For my brother." He says.
I hesitantly take the shot and down it. It's a 252. I begin to cough and my eyes start to water. So does Daniel and Ryan. Troy laughs at us and shakes his head.
"Pussies. Jackson can drown these drinks with ease." He smiles, thinking about his brother.
"Well, we're not Jackson. You know these drinks are too strong for us. Hell, they're even too strong for you. You only drink them because Jackson used to drink them." Daniel says, still coughing.
A 252 is the worst drink you can try. It's disgusting and strong. Troy makes us drink one every year and we end up almost throwing up each time. One time Daniel actually threw up.
"Shut up, Daniel. I'm sure there is some cranberry juice up front. Go get some and let the real men drink." He says.
"Troy, he's right. These drinks are disgusting and too strong. You only drink them on this day. I know you dread drinking this crap." Ryan says, trying to reason with him.
"Why can't I have fun tonight? I'm in need of my three best friends and all they're doing is telling me not to drink." Troy shakes his head and downs another shot.
I cringe for him because I know that had to be the worst thing ever to him, but he doesn't make a face.
"Why can't we be here for you in another way. You do the same thing every year. Get drunk and pass out. What do you accomplish by doing that?" Daniel asks.
Troy slams his fist on the table, making us all jump. "You know why I do this every year!" He shouts.
"Troy calm down." I say.
"No! My brother and I we used to come here every year for his birthday. This was his favorite place to go. We'd drink, play pool, flirt with some girls. This became my favorite place until three years ago. He was just flirting with some girl and her boyfriend got mad. He punched Jackson and Jackson was drunk, so it didn't take much to piss him off. He slammed his beer on the dude's head and started pounding his fist into his face. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't ease up on the dude. The girl kept screaming for Jackson to stop, but he wouldn't. When he finally did stop, the guy didn't move a muscle. I thought he was passed out, but when the cops came, they said he was dead. My brother went to court and that same girl he was flirting with testified against him. That bitch. He got eight years in prison. Was going to be ten, but his lawyer got it cut down to eight. He was my brother. My best friend. I looked up to him. And my parents aren't any better. They stopped taking his calls. I found out the other day when I went to go see him. He feels like shit guys. He said I was all he had left. I'm so fucking mad at my parents. They're treating him like he isn't even their son." His eyes fill up with angry tears.
I don't know what to say. We've always known how close Jackson and Troy were. When Jackson went off to prison, Troy was devastated and it took us a while to get him to act like his old self. On Jackson's birthday and every now and then he just breaks. This year seems to be even worse for him.
"It was self defense. He didn't mean to kill him. Jackson is very heavy handed and he lifted weights. He was drunk and didn't know how hard he was hitting the dude." A tear escapes and he wipes it away.
Anger and sadness are written all over his face. "Troy, you can't keep doing this to yourself. Your brother would be wanting you to live your life. Not destroy it. I know we don't compare to Jackson, but I want you to know that we're your brothers too." Ryan says.
Troy nods his head, "I know," He drinks another 252, "But this is my way of coping."
We all frown at him. We know not to push him too much or he'll turn on us. I would really hate to have to fight with Troy. We'd both end up with a black eye and a busted lip.
"I'm going to get a beer. Don't drink all the shots while I'm gone." He laughs, getting up.
When he leaves, Daniel turns to Ryan and me. "Okay, he's drunk and having mood swings. That's not good. We need to get him out of here." Daniel says.
"We can try, but he's not leaving until he passes out drunk." I say.
"We've got to do something. It's only a matter of time before..." Ryan is cut off by the sound of Troy screaming at somebody.
"He gets into a fight." He finishes.
I stand up along with them and rush over to the bar. Troy has some guy pinned against the counter and has his beer in his hand, ready to smash it against the guy's head.
"Troy stop! This isn't you!" I yell, coming up beside him.
"Shut up! He wanted to fight, so I'm going to give him one!" He says, looking at the dude.
"If you do that, you're going to end up just like your brother. He was in this same situation. Do you think he would want you to make the same mistake he made?" I ask.
Troy continues to hold the beer bottle up and stare at the dude angrily. I know my words are somewhat affecting him because if they weren't, he'd have already hit the guy. I decide to keep going.
"If you hit this guy, then you're going to have to fight him. In that case, I'm fighting with you. We're brothers and we don't leave one person hanging. No matter what. So if you fight, then I'm fighting." I say.
"So am I." Daniel says.
"Me too." Ryan says.
Troy finally takes his eyes off of the guy and looks at us. I see the debate going on inside of him. He lowers his arm and lets go of the guy. The guy runs away from Troy and leaves the place. I turn back to see Troy breaking down. We all rush over to him and wrap our arms around him. He needs his brothers right now.
"I'm sorry." He chokes out.
"Man, shut up and just let it all out. We're here for you bro." Daniel says.
"I just want to go home." He says.
I nod my head. "I'll take you home. You're too drunk to drive." I say.
"I can drive his car home if you want me to? I rode here with Ryan." Daniel says.
"Yeah. Just follow me to his house." I say.
I pay for the tab and the bartender warns us next time he's going to call the cops on us. He wouldn't really do it because he's allowing us to drink underage. The guy who owns the bar is a pretty close friend of Troy's so we can come drink here whenever we want.
I help Troy into my car and I drive to his house. He's quiet the whole time, except for the occasional sniff and a word or two about him being stupid. I feel for him. We both lost people that were close to us, but I've learned to deal with it. Somewhat anyway. At least eventually he'll get to see Jackson again. I'll never see my parents again.
I pull on the side of the curb so that Daniel can pull the car into the driveway. Troy sits there for a minute, looking out the window before he speaks.
"Thanks, Jordan. You said some stuff tonight that kind of opened my eyes. This whole time I've been mad over not having my brother anymore when I've got three brothers already. You guys might not be my blood brother, but that doesn't matter. You guys have always been there for me and I've been too stupid and blind to see what's in front of me. Thank you, man, for not letting me do something stupid that I would regret today." He says.
I reach over to him and give him a hug. A brotherly hug. "I've always got your back bro." I say.
"I know. Same here." He says.
We pull away and I punch him in the shoulder. "Ouch, what was that for?" He says.
"For being stupid tonight. I thought I was going to have to give up my football career for you tonight. Don't ever scare me like that again." I say.
He smiles a little. "I'm sure they have football in prison."
I laugh, "Whatever. Get inside and sleep your drunkness off."
"Will do. I'll call you in the morning. Well, in the afternoon because my hangover is going to be a killer tomorrow." He says.
"I agree. Good night, bro. I love you. No homo." I quickly add. It's always awkward saying I love you to a friend that's a boy.
He laughs, "Good night, bro. And I love you, too. I'm not saying no homo because you're my brother. I can say that to you and not feel gay."
"Well, wouldn't a person who is gay not feel gay when saying gay things?" I ask.
"What? Shut up! My brain can't function right now to keep up with what you just said so I'm going to leave now." He says.
I laugh at him as he gets out the car. I watch him as he hugs Daniel and says a few things to him. Daniel gets in the car with me and I head towards his house to drop him off.
"Troy sounds like he's going to change. I mean, start moving on. I think he finally realized tonight that he can't do anything about his brother being in prison, but wait." Daniel says.
"Yeah. He knows we're here for him and that we'll always be here for him. I think he'll do better." I say, looking at Daniel.
"We're all kind of messed up, aren't we?" He asks.
I shake my head, "We can't pick and choose what happens to us. Maybe God knew that we would need each other. Maybe that's why we got in that fight in the pool." I laugh at the memory.
He laughs, "Yeah, I wouldn't have wanted any other friends beside you guys."
I pull up to the side of his house and he gets out. I roll down the window and he sticks his head through.
"Alyssa and I are going to the mall tomorrow. Just to hang out and see a movie. She said she would ask Abby to come and I told her I would ask you." He says.
"Um, yeah. What time are we meeting up?" I ask.
"Movie starts at seven, so six thirty?" He asks.
"Yeah. Sounds good to me."
"Oh, yeah, Abby and Alyssa are riding together. You can come pick me up tomorrow." He smirks.
I roll my eyes, "I'm going to start taking up gas money." I joke.
"Whatever. See you tomorrow, bro." We fist pound and go our separate ways.
When I get home, I shrug off my jacket and hang it up. All the lights are off in my house which tells me my mom and dad are asleep. I go into the kitchen and grab a Gatorade before heading upstairs to my room. I decide to call Midget and see what she's up to.
"Hello." She answers on the third ring.
"Hey, Midget. What are you up to?" I ask. I open the Gatorade and take a sip of it. I know it will annoy Midget, but I do it anyway. She hates when people slurp or sip on things.
"Please, stop! You know I hate when people sip or slurp on things. And I'm reading." She says.
She doesn't tell me what she's reading which tells me what she's reading. I decide not to bring up that stupid book because I don't want to argue with her.
"Interesting. I was told we were going on a double date tomorrow." I mention.
"Yeah. I would have told you today, but I was busy hanging out with Jake and Alyssa all day. If you don't want to go, it's fine. Alyssa asked me to go because she was feeling nervous about being alone with Daniel. She wants me there, but not there." She explains.
I laugh, "I get it. I'm fine with it."
"So, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" She asks.
I haven't thought much about Thanksgiving. It's in two more weeks. Every year mom and dad usually put together this huge meal for the guys, their parents, and some of my family members so that we can all spend it together. I wonder if we would have room for Midget and her family?
"I'm glad you mentioned it. I was thinking maybe you, your mom and dad, and Jake could come over for Thanksgiving. It'll be the first time I've ever brought a girlfriend over for a holiday and I also want you to meet the rest of my family." I say, feeling a little nervous.
"I'll ask my dad and mom what they think about it. I'm sure they'll agree." She says, causing me to sigh in relief.
"Okay, Midget. Well, I'm about to hit the sack. Good night, I love you. Dream about me." I smile.
She laughs, "Good night, I love you. Always do."
I smile at the fact that she dreams about me. She consumes my every thought during the day and I consume her dreams at night. We both hang up the phone after me trying to find out what color panties she's wearing and a few more "I love you's".
*****
Daniel and I walk into the mall together. I text Midget letting her know we're here and she replies back with an okay. Instead of meeting up at the food court like we normally would, we decide to meet up outside of the movie theaters.
Abby and Alyssa both come walking up to Daniel and me looking astonishing. Abby is wearing this black flowing top with these dark blue jeans that fit her just right and black sandals. On anyone else it would be just a simple look, but on her it's anything but simple. I must look equally as good because she looks me up and down and then blushes. I knew my Midget wasn't as innocent as she wanted everyone to think.
I walk over to her and wrap my arms around her waist. "You look beautiful." I whisper in her ear.
"Thank you. You look really good, also." She smiles.
"I know." I smirk. She smacks my arm playfully and I lean down to kiss her. She grabs a fistful of my shirt and brings me closer to her. I bite her lip and she lets my tongue enter. Kissing her is different from any other girl I've kissed. Kissing her makes me dizzy and want more. It makes my heart beat increase speed and makes me want to rip her clothes off. I want to be gentle with her, but at the same time I want to move fast and I want more.
She pulls away first, trying to catch her breath. "What was that?" She asks.
"What?" I ask confused.
"You've never kissed me like that before." She says.
I wish I could tell. I wish I knew the answer myself, but I don't. The way I just kissed her was something even I can't explain. I've never kissed anyone like that before.
"If you love birds are done, we'd like to go inside to watch the movie." Daniel smirks.
Abby blushes and I give him the middle finger. I take her hand in mine and we go inside of the movie theater. I say hey to Alyssa because I don't want it to seem like I don't like her which I kind of don't, but she's Abby's best friend and I need to try to get on her good side. She responds with a simple hey and I can tell she's doing the same because of Daniel. We all pay for tickets and stop by the counter to get some food.
"Why don't you and Alyssa go pick out some seats for us while Daniel and I order the food?" I suggest to Abby and Alyssa.
"You just want to pay for everything." She says.
I smirk, "Please just go pick out the seats?" I beg.
She rolls her eyes, "Fine, but next time I'm paying for the food. Popcorn and a Sprite will do." She says.
I nod my head. Her and Alyssa leaves Daniel and me to order the food. Daniel scoots over to where I am after they leave.
"So, you and Abby are getting pretty serious." He says.
One of the employees comes up to me and asks what I want.
"Medium popcorn, large Sprite, a slice of pepperoni pizza, and a large Coke. Also throw in a box of Sour Patch Kids." I say.
I turn to Daniel, "Yeah. I really like her. She's different and what I need."
"You're total is seventeen dollars and fifty eight cents." The employee says.
I pull out a twenty and hand it to him. He hands me my change back and I wait for my food.
"Are you still doing the bet?" He whispers.
I nod my head. "I was going to get out of it, but Troy said he would make sure she wouldn't find out. I can keep her and win the bet at the same time. I refuse to do you guy's laundry all summer long."
"Okay, well, you better make sure she doesn't find out. I think you should give it up, but whatever." He says.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"I'm sure Alyssa and I are going to start dating pretty soon. I like her a lot. If Abby finds out about that stupid bet and Alyssa finds out I knew about it, she's going to dump me and be pissed at me. Then I'm going to be pissed at you." He says.
I roll my eyes, "You're being dramatic. We're the only people who know about the bet. She's not going to find out."
"I'm just saying. I think you should get out of it while you can. If you love her, you wouldn't be doing something like this. Even if she's not going to find out." He says, grabbing his food that just arrived.
"It's complicated." I say, grabbing my food.
He's about to say something else, but sees the girls walking over to us. We both put a smile on our face and look at each other one last time to make sure we agree that we aren't telling either one of them anything.
"What's taking you guys so long?" Alyssa asks.
"Large order and there are only two people working tonight." Daniel says.
"Okay. Well, let's go. The movie is about to start." She says.
Abby grabs the drinks from me while I carry the food. We find a spot in the middle and I'm sitting in between Abby and Daniel. Abby on my left and Daniel on my right. We're watching The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials. I think it was stupid for Abby and Alyssa to pick this movie when Daniel and I haven't even seen the first one. I don't plan on watching it anyway if you know what I mean.
Some guy named Dylan O'brien shows up on the screen and the girls start to cheer. Have they seen me? I'm way hotter. I roll my eyes at Abby when she's one of those girls clapping and cheering for him. About thirty minutes into the movie, I decide to mess with Abby. She's really into it, so I know what I'm about to do will take her by surprise.
I place my hand on her thigh and she jumps a little. I keep my head facing towards the screen and try to hold in my laughter. I can feel her staring at me. I decide to add more fuel to the fire. I start to go higher on her thigh and I hear her take in a sharp breath.
"Jordan what are you doing?" She whispers.
"How far will you let me go, Midget? Will you stop me at the top of your thigh or are you going to let me finger you right here in the movie theater?" I ask seductively.
She's staring at me like she's having an internal battle with herself. My hand is still moving up her thigh when she stops it. I'm kind of disappointed. I thought she was really going to let me.
"Not here. Maybe in the bathroom?" She asks nervously.
I'm shocked by what she just said and I don't try to hide it. I smile a little and nod my head.
"You go first so it won't look suspicious." I whisper to her.
She nods her head and gets up, leaving. After about three minutes I get up and tell Daniel that I'm going to the bathroom. I don't know which one she went in, but I decide to test my luck by going into the girls bathroom. She's standing there and when she hears me come in, she turns around.
"I was starting to think you wouldn't come." She says lowly. She's nervous.
I walk over to her and wrap my arms around her waist. "We don't have to do this. I just want to make you feel good." I tell her.
She smiles a little, "I know. I want to. It's not like we're actually having sex. You're just... You know." I can tell she's uncomfortable.
I laugh a little, "How about we kiss for a little while?"
She nods her head. I go over to the bathroom door and lock it. I hope no one has to use the bathroom in the next fifteen to twenty minutes. I walk back over to her and attach my lips to hers. I start off slow, but my pace quickens. I run my hand down her arm and I can feel the goosebumps forming on her skin. I pull my mouth away from hers and start to kiss on her neck. She starts to moan, sending me into overdrive. I'm already on hard. I put my hands on her thighs and lift her up. She wraps her legs around me and I walk over to the counter and place her down.
I start to unbutton her pants. I look up at her, silently asking her for permission. She nods her head and I slide down her pants along with her panties. She's soaking wet which turns me on even more.
"You're so wet. Good to know what type of affect I have on you." I say.
I come back up and start to kiss her again. She's panting and trying to get closer to me. I know she needs some type of relief. My fingers slide over her clit and she gasps while kissing me. I start to rub slow at first and pick up my pace. She starts to moan loud.
"Shh, baby. Don't want people to hear you. I'm going to put my finger inside of you, okay?" I say.
She nods her head while moaning. I insert a finger inside of her and she grips my back. She's tight. I start to kiss her and pump my finger in and out of her fast. She moans my name repeatedly and I feel her legs and arms tighten around me. She starts to shake.
"Come for me, baby." I whisper in her ear.
With one last moan of my name, I take my finger out of her and let her come down from her first orgasm. She looks so beautiful right now. Her cheeks are flushed, but it looks good on her. I help her down off the counter and she pulls her panties and pants up.
"How was it?" I ask her.
She smiles, "It was amazing."
I smirk, "I figured you would say that."
She laughs and pushes me. We both walk out at the same time, not caring who sees us. When we return to our seats at the same time, both Alyssa and Daniel give us questioning looks, but we ignore them.
When the movie ends, we all get up and exit out of the movie theater. "Do you guys want to grab something to eat?" I ask.
Everyone nods their heads and we continue walking towards the food court. Alyssa and Abby are walking together, probably talking about where her and I went during the movie. I assume I'm right because Abby is blushing and Alyssa is squealing like a school girl.
"So where did you and Abby go?" Daniel asks.
I laugh a little, "I gave her her first orgasm."
"You're lying." He says.
I hold my hands up. "Fine, don't believe me. What do you think they're back there talking about?" I point behind me.
He looks, then shakes his head laughing. "You sly dog." He smirks.
I shrug and smile as if to say "What can I say?".
We all get to the food court and sit down. Alyssa and Abby decide that they want to pay for the pizza, which we argue about, but let them pay for it anyway. As we eat our food someone is approaching our table. I do a double take when I see the man. I stiffen because I know who it is. Abby notices and scoots closer to me.
"Jordan, what's wrong?" She whispers, but I ignore her.
The man is at our table now and Daniel or Alyssa has yet to turn around.
"Daniel." The man says.
Daniel turns around, "Yeah..." He cuts himself off.
Daniel stiffens and begins to shake. "Dad."
______________________________________
So, you found out a lot of stuff in this chapter. Next chapter will be just as interesting. Also for those of you who like Matt, I plan to bring him in the chapter very soon. Just gotta pick the right time.
Don't forget to vote and comment what you think.