Tangled Youth
Chapter 28
"Honey, what day did you say you were leaving again?" Sabrina asked one morning, fastening the buckle on her briefcase almost violently. It was late August, about four days before Boone was set to leave for New York, and he was currently sitting at the kitchen table, reading the NYU course catalog for about the thousandth time, eating corn flakes. Shannon was at an all day ballet performance workshop.
"Um, Tuesday afternoon."
"Oh no," she said distractedly, taking a sip of her freshly squeezed orange juice. "I'm going to be in the wine country until Tuesday morning! Is that okay?" But considering that she was getting ready to leave to get on a plane to Northern California now, he didn't have much of a choice. Still, it didn't exactly please him that his mom wouldn't be at home the night before he went to college.
"What about Adam?"
"Oh, right," Sabrina almost knocked over Boone's corn flake box. "He's coming, too. It's so nice up there, and there's this precious Inn we always stay at, and…" Just then, her cell phone started ringing, and she answered. "Hello? Jane? Could you hold on a moment?" She put her hand over the receiver of the flip phone. "Boone, honey, I need to go, but I'll see you in a few days, alright? I can't believe you're going to college!" She gave Boone a quick, half-hearted hug. "Behave, alright?"
"Yes, mother," he replied, lacing his tone with sarcasm.
She smiled falsely, and picked up her phone again. "Yes, Jane? Sorry, I had a bit of a distraction… the plans for the Johnson's? Yes, they've raised their budget…" And with that, she slammed the door behind her and was gone.
It had been Shannon's idea to go out for dinner, just the two of them, the night before he was to leave for NYU. They went to a small Mexican restaurant that Sabrina would dub 'uncivilized', but as long as it was a place where Shannon would be allowed to dine in flip flops and tank top with a bikini underneath, they were happy with it.
In the restaurant, they talked about meaningless nonsense – really ignoring the underlying issue of his impending departure. It was all "How was your day" and "Guess who's dating who" and "Isn't your mother a bitch?" Boone wasn't really interested in the vapid content of what she was saying, but he listened intently to her voice, because he wanted to hear as much of it as possible before he left. He watched her facial expressions as she spoke, the way her lips moved and her eyes rolled, trying to memorize every bit of porcelain skin on her face. Even though she would visit, and he would have pictures, he was deathly afraid of forgetting how her face looked.
"So, Boone," she kicked him under the table as he read over the bill, verifying its accuracy. "Guess what I stole from Daddy's closet for the beach?" Shannon and Boone had agreed on taking a trip to the nearby beach after dinner. Both the restaurant and the beach were walking distance, so they hadn't even bothered using the car.
Boone looked up, smiling dubiously. "Something with alcoholic content?" She bit her lip, looking around suspiciously before adjusting the fabric of the tote bag she was carrying to expose the top of a full bottle of tequila. "Shannon!" He whispered sharply. "Put it back, someone will see!" Shannon slid it back into the back, grinning flirtatiously and giving his foot another nudge under the table.
"This mean I'm paying for dinner?" He wondered. But Shannon just pouted expectantly, and Boone pulled out some wrinkled bills from his pants pocket, and carefully counted them out, adding a fifteen percent tip, and sorted them compulsively, laying them on the table. Shannon pulled on his arm impatiently, whining at him to hurry up like she was a toddler at a museum. "Hold on, Shannon," he faked annoyance, secretly enjoying her attention.
After making sure the bills were perfectly stacked on the table, he followed her out of the building, eyes on the hem of her tiny denim skirt. They walked to the beach in companionable silence, next to each other, and their hands accidentally brushed against each other as the sun set behind them. When they arrived at the beach, it was completely dark, and they sat down on the warm, grainy sand. Shannon handed Boone the bottle of tequila, motioning for him to open it. He untwisted it with difficulty, and took a tiny sip from it, the drink stinging his throat. Shannon took a long sip unflinchingly. "God, I can't believe this is your last night as a California boy," she took another sip, and passed it back to Boone. Boone gulped down some quickly. She rolled her eyes, taking the bottle from him and swallowing it with such ferocity it dribbled down her chin. Boone blamed it on the miniscule amount of alcohol he had consumed when he scooted close to her to wipe it off with the back of his thumb. She turned her head away from him, but still let him finish, shoving the bottle back towards him.
As they drank, they watched the white capped waves crashing relentlessly against the beach. As time went on, the few people remaining on the beach dissipated, and before long, Shannon and Boone were the only people in site. As the alcohol seeped through his blood, he found it more and more difficult to concentrate on Shannon's words and not on her increasingly luscious looking lips. But thoughts of this being his last time spent with Shannon while actually living in California wove their way deeper into Boone as well, and her mannerisms and gestures became even more precious to him.
"You know I hate you for leaving me," she slurred pleasantly, shakily handing the bottle back to him.
"I couldn't hate you if I tried," he replied blearily, his throat numb to the burn of the tequila in his throat.
"I know," she whispered, her eyes wide and understanding. After another sip, which she slobbered all over her tank top, she started laughing suddenly. "Remember the time when Sabrina and Daddy were gone, and I tried on all her clothes, and she never found out?"
"That was non-sequis… non-sequizz… non-sequitor," he struggled.
"Cuz I'm wasted," she said triumphantly. "You're wasted too."
"Yeah, I guess so." He grinned roguishly, the alcohol in his brain mixing to make him dizzy, giggly, hyper, and extremely horny all at once. Apparently, it has somewhat of a similar effect on Shannon, because before he knew it, she had hopped up, kicking off her sandals, and ran into the ocean surf, pulling off her tank top as she did so.
"Boone," she whined, unnecessarily loudly. "Let's go swimming!"
"I don't have a swimsuit," he stood up shakily, almost tripping.
Flames of mischief twinkled in her brown eyes. "Let's go skinny dipping!" She exclaimed.
"Shan, I don't – " he started, but when he realized she was serious, untying the ties of her bikini that she had been wearing underneath her shirt, he stopped short. "Shannon, stop," he managed, crushing together the n's of her name so it sounded like he was saying, "Shnnn".
"You know you wanna get naked!" She giggled loudly, her swimsuit top still half on (or half-off, depending on how you look at life), approaching him and reaching for the drawstring of his shorts. Her swimsuit was so loose around her chest, he could see the fleshy sides of her breasts.
"I can do it myself," he flinched away, because he knew if he let her take off his shorts for him, he wouldn't be able to control himself from throwing her into the sand and fucking her right there. Shannon shrugged, pulling the rest of the top over her head, shimmying out of her skirt, until she was just standing there in her tiny orange bikini bottoms, her arms crossed over her chest. Boone tried not to let his eyes linger, but it was no use.
"Look who's graduated to boxer briefs from boxers!" She slurred. "Now take them off."
"You first," he whined.
"You first," she imitated him. "Oh, fuck you, Boone!"
"I'd like to!" He slurred boldly, not able to control anything coming out of his mouth. Shannon raised her eyebrows, bending over to reach for the bottle, whose contents had been significantly reduced since their arrival at the shore. She took another sip, staring at Boone's bare chest openly. Then she practically threw the bottle at Boone, and he gulped deeply into it, his eyes squeezed shut as he stepped out of his underwear in near fright.
"And I thought you were going to chicken out on me," she struggled to compose an intelligible sentence, and pulled off her bikini bottoms as she jumped into the waves. "Shit, it's all cold!" She screeched. Boone followed her into the surf, disregarding her warning, and splashed the freezing water at her. She laughed spitefully, and did the same to him, but with twice as much vehemence. He paddled closer to her, treading water furiously. "Boone, you can still touch the ground with your feet," she pointed out. Boone blushed, and touched his feet to the sandy, pebbly bottom of the beach.
"You're really dumb, you know that?" She said good-naturedly, standing to her full height as well, so that Boone could see her breasts above the water. "And it's really obvious you're checking me out."
"Cuz you're naked!" He responded furiously.
"So are you," She laughed, her wet hair fanning out over her bare shoulders. "We're so hot, aren't we?"
"Yeah, you're like the sexiest person ever," he said, with so much conviction it made her laugh.
"Thanks," she swam closer to him, and purred in his ear that he wasn't bad looking himself. Then, she pulled away suddenly. "You know what sucks?" she whined, not giving him a chance to respond. "That we're brother and sister! I mean, otherwise I'd totally screw you." She swam even nearer to him.
"Yeah, me too!" He exclaimed. "What a coincilden… coincidilence… coincidence!"
"Yeah," she said awkwardly, looking away. She sighed, and then they were both silent except for the sound of the crashing waves against the sand and her quiet breaths.
"Um," he looked back at her, remembering she was naked and soaking wet. She frowned at him, and he coughed, looking away as well. She cautiously looked up at him, taking his chin in her hand so that he was facing her. Before she could move, she found his lips on hers, kissing her hard and full and unrestrained, and she was kissing him back. Then, their senses caught hold of them, and they both pulled back simultaneously. "Sorry," he bit his lip.
"Let's get out," she said quietly, and he wasn't sure if she was annoyed or not.
"I'm really sorry!" He slurred. Shannon stepped out of the water, taking a towel out of her tote bag and wrapping it around herself.
"Lie down," she said, locating the bottle of tequila and taking a sip.
"What?" He cocked his head in confusion.
"Lie dowwwwn!" She practically screamed drunkenly. He followed her orders, lying down in the sand on his back. Bottle in hand, she lay down next to him, spreading out the towel so it covered both of them. She handed the bottle to Boone, and he drank appreciatively, especially after the awkwardness they had just experienced. Shannon put her head against his chest, her warm breasts pressing into his torso, and grabbed the tequila from him, nursing it to her lips as if she were a baby drinking from a bottle.
"Shannon, you think maybe you've had enough?" She shook her head fervently, gulping down even more, and then forced it against Boone's lips. He swallowed reluctantly, pushing her away.
"I'm still mad at you," she whispered, her words barely understandable under a thick slur. "You don't hafta leave me, but you are." He noticed tears formulating in her eyes.
"Shannn – Shannon, it's not about leaving you. It's about having a good college esper – experience." He spoke slowly so that he wouldn't mispronounce anything.
"Why can't ya have a good college esper-ance here?" She didn't even try not to slur her words.
"I've lived in California all my life, and I've always wanted to see the East Coast, and I know it'll be hard for you, but it'll be hard for me, too! What am I gonna do without you, Shan? You're my best friend!" He hugged her to his chest, trying to comfort her.
"So are you," she mumbled. "But I guess college is still more important to you."
"No!" He said loudly. "Shannon!" She looked away, but he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, forcing her to make eye contact. "Shannon, please don't think that." I love you, he almost said. "It's just for four years, and… I really care about you, so much, and… I was bound to move out at some point! I'm eighteen now, I'm an adult." He went around in circles, not making any sense.
"This is our last night together." She said stoically. "This is our last night living together. Ever."
"I know, so let's not fight, please?" He begged, whining a little thanks to the alcohol.
"Okay," she said quietly, and put her head back on his chest. "I'm gonna miss you so much, though."
"I know, me too." He felt tears prickling at his eyes. "Shit, you're making me cry!"
"I'm sorry," she murmured, and wiped a tear from his face. Then she giggled a little, and kissed his tears away. "God, now you're making me cry again!" She pulled back. "I need more alcohol."
"No, ya don't." He grabbed it from her, and she reached for it.
"Yes, I do!" She screeched. "Give it, Boone!" But she was smiling through her tears, so he pulled it even further from her, putting it on the opposite side of his body. She stretched herself across him, trying to get to it. "Boone! You asshole!"
"You've had your share, Princess." He sing-songed.
"If I'm Princess, does that make you Prince Charming?" She snickered.
"I dunno," he tried to hold back a laugh. "Does it?" He raised his eyebrows, suddenly realizing that she was laying across him, one of her arms draped over his neck. His judgment level lowered because of the alcohol, he wrapped his arms around her lower waist, tucking her hair behind her ear as he did so. Surprisingly, she was still smiling.
"Yeah, I think it does," she whispered, and kissed a dried up tear off his cheek, then on his neck, then playfully kissing him on the lips.
"Shit," he muttered, deepening the kiss, giving into whatever. He leaned against her, blaming it on the tequila, and sucked on her bottom lip. Her lips were dry from the cold air, but inside, they were sweet and soft. She pressed her tongue against his, moaning into his mouth.
"I'm gonna miss you so much," she mumbled in between kisses.
"Yeah," he kissed her fervidly, "So much…" He ghosted his hand over her breasts, which had reacted to the cold night air. She shivered, grabbing his hand.
"Boone, you don't have to leave… you could just stay and go to UCLA or USC like you were thinking about," she pulled back, her eyes wide and afraid.
"I've already made my decision," he answered apologetically. "But Shannon, I'm not kidding, I'll call you every single day. I absolutely will."
"But it's not the same. I don't get to look at you, or touch you, or…" she trailed off, kissing his neck softly. "I just don't know what I'm gonna do without you." She rested on his shoulder. "Let's go home," she breathed in his ear.
"Okay," he agreed, putting his arm around her shoulders and giving her a quick squeeze. Then he stood up, and started putting his clothes back on. She did the same, but didn't bother putting a shirt on over her bikini top. He decided it wouldn't be especially comfortable to put a shirt on, because he was still damp and sticky from the salt water and sand. They walked home shakily, grabbing onto each other for support. By the time they reached the house, they had realized how exhausted they were, and silently took showers. About ten minutes later, Boone was sitting in his bed, clad in only underwear, when she joined him, clean and fresh from her shower, wearing a bathrobe over nothing but a pair of turquoise panties. She took off the bathrobe, and turned around, her back facing him, looking through his now almost-empty dresser for a big t-shirt.
"Third drawer," he said, his voice sounding foreign and far away.
"Thanks," she selected a navy blue t-shirt that Boone hadn't worn since middle school. She looked sadly at the suitcases next to his bed. "I can't believe this is really happening," she climbed into bed, cuddled against him. She buried her head into the crook of his neck, breathing his scent in deeply. He wrapped his bed sheets around them, and turned out the light next to his bed. He hugged her closer upon feeling her silent sobs against him, but didn't try to make any excuses.
"I'm so sorry, Shan," he said.
"It's all going to change between us now. It'll be different," she cried.
He rubbed her back slowly. "Just keep crying, it's good to get it out," he coaxed her. Tears continued to stream down her face, her upset breaths resonating against his chest. Eventually, her breathing began to equalize, quietly lulling Shannon into sleep. "I love you so much," he whispered once he was certain she was asleep. "I'll never stop loving you, Shannon." He looked at the ceiling, unsure of how his future was going to play out. "Never." And he kept repeating this to himself, like it was the only thing keeping him sane.
Okay, I was going to put the part about him actually leaving in this chapter, but I didn't want to rush things, so I guess I'll save that for the next chapter. I hope you guys liked it, because I've been looking forward to writing it for a very long time. In the name of drunk naked Boone, please review!
