"I see you didn't think this through," Jonah jabbed playfully as he stood beside the school swimming pool, dripping wet.
TJ was searching the room for towels, because he hadn't brought any. He'd somehow managed to let the necessity of towels to dry off with afterward slip his mind.
"Aha," proclaimed TJ as he pulled two large towels from a random closet.
He threw one toward Jonah, who caught it.
"Good job, Watson," Jonah said.
"Watson? I could at least be Holmes."
"No, Sherlock Holmes would've found the towels quicker than that."
"Shut up, before I return the favor and push you into the pool."
"Fine, Watson. Jeez."
TJ walked over to the grinning Jonah, who was drying himself off, and tussled Jonah's damp hair, which made Jonah chuckle.
"Let's go, Holmes," TJ guided.
They walked down the dark hallway toward the exit, TJ placing a friendly arm around Jonah's neck as they walked. After they saw a beam of light coming from a flashlight in a perpendicular hallway, TJ used his quick instincts to pull Jonah into a supply closet with him before the flashlight's carrier turned the corner.
"Holy crap," whispered Jonah, laughing quietly.
"Why are you laughing? We could get expelled, or worse."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know," replied Jonah, barely able to verbalize between his ungovernable laughter.
"Then why are you laughing?"
"I've just never done anything like this and it's freaking exciting."
"Well, table your 'excitement' until we're out of this jam, crazy."
Jonah composed himself, although still smirking.
"So, what's the plan?" Jonah asked.
TJ scarcely cracked the door and peeked through the narrow slit. With no sign of the light, he opened the door a bit more, to look down the hallway in the other direction.
"Let's just make a run for the exit, before that person makes their way back to this hallway. You ready?" TJ directed.
"Yep."
"Bolt," TJ instructed.
They both jogged as quietly as they could to the exit, then gently opened one door of the pair, closing it even more softly once they were outside.
"That was sort of amazing, dude," commented Jonah as they walked down the dark street.
"Spoken like someone who never gets in trouble. I have a tendency to do stupid stuff like that, so I have a little more experience with the consequences that can follow."
"Well, thanks for giving me a taste of your world," Jonah said, smiling.
"Any time, little guy. I'm talking a lot of crap about how much trouble we could've gotten in, but I'd do it with you again in a heartbeat, man."
TJ smiled back at him.
"Hey, it's not that late. Wanna come over my house for a little while?" asked Jonah.
"Sure."
TJ tried not to sound too enthusiastic.
"Cool," responded Jonah.
After they reached Jonah's house, he began to search his backpack for his house keys. He found them after only a couple seconds, them unlocked the door. He made his way to his bedroom with TJ following. Once, they got to his room, Jonah closed the door and TJ took a seat on the bed.
"So, what do you wanna do?" Jonah asked.
TJ looked down, so that Jonah could not see him blushing. He'd never been in the bedroom of a crush, before.
"Have any good video games?" asked TJ.
"Of course, man."
Jonah began to search though his video game collection, handing TJ the games he came across that he thought may interest TJ.
"Aw, dude, you have this already? It just came out, like, yesterday," TJ said as he admired the video game in his hand.
"Yeah, I made sure I got it the day it came out, because I was so excited for it to get in stores."
"Well, pop it in. Let's play. I'm definitely gonna get it, soon, now, so we can play online together."
Halfway through their gameplay, Jonah was getting destroyed by TJ's gaming skills.
"Jeez, how are you so good, dude?"
"It's a gift," TJ replied smugly, his eyes never losing their laser focus on the television screen.
"Alright, I think I've had my butt whipped enough, for one night," declared Jonah, chuckling as he put down the controller.
"I'll go easy on you, next time, but I had a first impression to make, because this is the first time we've played video games together."
"Yeah, yeah. Shut your mouth," said Jonah.
"Make me."
Jonah placed his hand over TJ's mouth. TJ grabbed Jonah's wrist and pushed his arm until Jonah's hand was no longer covering his mouth to say "hey, get your grubby little paws off me."
"Make me," Jonah said in a mocking manner.
TJ picked Jonah up and flipped him onto his bed, Jonah's back pressed against the bed, TJ holding him down by his wrists. Jonah lied there, breathing heavily and laughing. Him and TJ were just looking at each other, for a moment.
"I'm feeling pretty curious, right now, so do it," said Jonah.
"Do what?"
"Whatever you're thinking about, right now."
"You have no idea what I'm thinking about."
"I can only imagine, but I want you to do it."
"Where is this coming from?"
"I think the crazy stuff we did earlier has me feeling pretty adventurous."
Jonah broke free from TJ's grip to leave the bed and walk over to his bedroom door, which he then locked. He walked back over to TJ, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking nervous. Jonah stood in front of the sitting TJ.
"Show me how much you like me," Jonah lobbied.