Hey Phil fans. Well, finally, here's another chapter to School's Out For Summer. Sorry it's taken a while for me to get around to writting. But I was uninspired until I read a couple new chapters from you guys yesterday. I think Chapter 3 will focus more on Keely. This one was supposed to, but it turned outmore Philly. Anyway, enjoy, everyone, and have a great weekend!
Chapter 2
"Liquid Courage"
When Phil kissed her, Keely froze. She couldn't believe it had happened and wondered if it was an accident. Could Phil have slipped? His lips landing just below her ear? It had been so soft. So gentle. Did he want her to even feel it? She barely had, but it had made enormous impact, to say the least. Keely's skin broke out into millions of goosebumps. She felt her face flush and a lump grow in her throat. She was suddenly unable to sing along with Via. Via noticed this.
"Keel? Hello? You're my back-up," Via said, looking over at Keely.
"Oh, sorry, Via, I, uh, I—my throat kind of hurts," Keel said.
"Oh come on, Keely," Via said. "Your throat was perfect ten seconds ago," Via said, casting a suspicious expression Keely's way.
"Well, then find another station. I'm sick of oldies," Keely said. "They're too, you know, old."
Keely looked at Phil. He was staring out the window. He didn't have any kind of expression. He just had a regular face. Not happy. Not sad. Had she imagined it? Had she wanted something to happen so badly that it did in her mind? No. It was real.
Phil's hands were still around her waist. They were so much stronger and browner than hers. How does he get so tan? Keely thought. Just then, Phil turned to face her, but Keely looked away. She didn't want to seem too eager. Keely pretended to examine her fingernails for the rest of the ride to the lake. Every time Owen hit a bump, though,Phil's grip tightened or he moved his hands in some sort of way. Keely was ultra aware of any move his hands made. Ten minutes ago she had been 100 relaxed in Phil's lap. Now she was so tense she was sure he noticed. That's the trouble with falling for my best friend, she thought. All that normal stuff is out the window. Am I gonna feel like puking every time I see him now?
When they finally got to the lake, Keely slid off of Phil's lap. "Via, let's go change," Keely said, grabbing her bag and Via's hand.
When the girls disappeared into the changing rooms, Owen climbed into the back of the pickup truck, opened the cooler, andpulled outa bottle of champagne.
"What's that?" Phil asked.
"What are you, ten years old? Phil, sometimes it's like you're from another planet," Owen said, shaking his head.
"You could say that," Phil said, grinning. "But, really, what is it?"
"It's something I like to call Liquid Courage, Diffo," Owen said, grinning and jumping out of the truck. "Also known as Bubbly. Also known as How To Get Your Hot Best Friend Named Keely To Hook Up With You. Consider it a graduation present from your old pal O-Dawg." He handed the green bottle to Phil, who took it and started reading the label.
"Wow. France. Where'd you get it?" Phil said.
"Remember how my sister got married in April?" Phil nodded. "Well, they had loads of champagne left over. It's been in the garage. I lifted a whole case of it and hid it under my bed."
"Well, thanks, Owen. I've never had it before," Phil said.
Phil hadn't been much of a drinker in high school. He had decided to hold off til college. He left all the partying to Owen. It wasn't that he was scared to break rules. That wasn't it at all. But Phil always felt guilty when he did something his parents wouldn't like.
"All you need to is have a few chugs of that and your inhibitions will melt away. You, my friend, will be able to do all the things you wanted to do with Keely but were afraid to try. Liquid courage," Owen said, nodding toward the bottle in Phil's hand. "There's more where that came from."
"You think Keely would be mad?" Phil asked. He was more concerned over what Keely thought of him than his parents. His parents were stuck with him. But Keely…. If he got her angry, she might dump him altogether.
"She'll love it, Philly Cheese Steak. You can trust me on that. Girls go ape for that stuff," he said just as Keely and Via walked back out to the truck in bathing suits.
Keely looked adorable. Beneath her white tank top, Phil saw she was wearing her red polka-dotted bikini. It was his favorite, although he'd never told her that. But whenever she wore it, he couldn't stop staring. She also had on an old pair of Phil's ratty blue H. G. Wells gym shorts. Keely scampered over to Phil.
"Hey," she said, wrinkling her nose, and smiling a bit shyly, he thought.
"Hey," Phil said. He smiled and then slid an index finger under the waistband of the shorts. "I believe those shorts belong to me," he said, and then he pulled back the elastic and let it snap back on her bare skin.
"Ouch, hey, cut it out, mister!" Keely squealed and play-slapped his arm.
Being flirty's not so hard, Phil thought. As long as I don't think too much about it. Just relax.
"What's that?" Keely asked, pointing to the champagne.
"Owen gave it to me," Phil said. He lifted the bottle up and the sun shone through the glass.
"What for?" Keely asked.
"To celebrate!" Phil said. "Or maybe it's like a bon voyage gift. You know, since we're leaving for our trip," Phil said. Like he'd tell her the real reason...yeah right.
"I've never had champagne," Keely said.
"Me neither," Phil said. "But, there's a first time for everything..." He was nervous about asking her. "So, you want to crack it open?"
Phil was surprised at her response. "Yes!" she blurted and then covered her mouth with her hand. "You don't think we'll get in trouble, do you?"
"Well, we're not driving..." Phil said. "And, after all, we did just graduate from high school... I mean, it's only fair."
"You're right. We totally deserve it," Keely said, squeezing his arm. She was excited about this, Phil could tell. Owen was right. Her eyes were sparkly. He adored this mischievous side of her. Keely enjoyed a little bit of danger. Risky behavior. For Phil, this was a new experience entirely. He always stayed within the boundary lines.
Phil unwound the wire from the cork and handed it to Keely. Then he aimed the bottle toward the lake and pushed at the cork with his thumbs until it shot out, landing in the water with a plunk. Foam flowed down the neck of the bottle.
Keely giggled. Phil held the bottle out to her. "Ladies first," he said.
Keely took a quick, tiny sip, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "It's pretty good," she said, handing the bottle back.
Phil brought the bottle to his mouth. He couldn't help the little charge he got, putting his lips where hers had been seconds before. He licked the bottle with his tongue, realized how strange that might look if Keely spotted it, and then shut his eyes, taking a long pull of the stuff. It was sweeter than he expected, and warm in his throat. His eyes watered. He knew there hadn't been time enough for the alcohol to get into his bloodstream, but already Phil was feeling lightheaded and happy and… brave.
He passed the bottle back to Keely. This time to took a longer swallow. Her cheeks were rosy. "Phil, shouldn't we catch up with Owen and Via?"
While Phil and Keely were downing the champagne, the second-cutest couple of H. G. Wells had wandered to the beach. Owen was rummaging around in the picnic basket, a cookie already is his mouth. Via was unfolding a large, bright colored blanket.
"He's already into the food and we just got here," Phil said. He took another big gulp of the champagne, and passed it to Keely who did the same. She hiccupped and giggled. Phil took the bottle from her. It was gone. He felt cozy inside his skin. He looked out across the lake. The landscape seemed fuzzy around the edges. He laughed.
"Whatcha laughing at, Philly Willy bo Billy?" Keely said. She put her arms around Phil's waist and rested her chin on his shoulder. Keely liked the way the champagne made her feel.
"I'm laughing because, you know, this day really couldn't be much more perfect, could it?" he said. "You like that fizzy stuff?" Phil looked down into Keely's smiling, sleepy eyes.
"Mm hmm." she said. "It makes me feel all glowy inside. You know?"
"Yep," Phil said. I feel glowy inside every time I look at your face or say your name or just think about you, he thought. Phil reached around to Keely's hands and took one in his own. "Let's join those two before they get suspish… shuspip…" Phil couldn't quite get the word out. Am I drunk? He thought. Me?
Keely laughed and hiccupped again. "I think we're a little tipsy wipsy, Philly Willy," she said.
"Sus. Pish. Us," he sounded out, like a little kid who's just learning to read. "Come on."
"Wait," Keely said. She looked up at the cooler in the truck.
"Wow, Keels, you're a lush!" Phil said.
"I'm not either," she said, pouting, then she hiccupped again. "Just thurshty."
"Thurshty, huh?" Phil said, laughing. He climbed into the truck and retrieved another bottle. There were two more in the cooler. "Alright, girlie, lets go swimming." He said, hopping down from the tailgate.
"Okey dokey," Keely said, and slipped her arm back around his waist as they went to Join Via and Owen in the water.