Sildenafil Citrate
…on the brink of autumn
Josh Nichols was excited he was going to be a high school senior! Next year at this
time he would be a freshman in college. He didn't know where he wanted to take his
post-high school studies. But he was fairly certain that he wanted to stay close to San
Diego. Mindy was talking about Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. He hoped that distance
wouldn't be a problem. Josh was on the sofa in his bedroom watching his DVD of
Beloved and eating a bowl of salt-free, plain popcorn and drinking a can of diet Mocha
Cola. Mindy was supposed to be here with him tonight. But because she got a B plus
on her last English composition and not her usual A plus the strict and anal retentive
Crenshaw's forbid her to go out until she redid her paper to her usual standards of
academic excellence.
At least he had Oprah.
But Josh hated being alone. He almost thought of calling up the Premiere to ask Helen
if he could come into work tonight even if it was his night off.
For a while now it was getting back to how it used to be. Josh was home alone at night
like a "good little boy" and Drake who still had cancer was out of the house and with a
girl.
But at least that girl was Emme. She was good for her brother. He might have helped
her tear down that massive protective wall of hers, but she made him see that dating
one person could be a wonderful and rewarding experience.
Josh hoped that both her and Drake would be cancer free by the time their respective
second-look surgeries came around. Josh's cell phone rang ruining his "I want to be on
the screen" with Oprah fantasy.
Maybe, it was Drake and he got sick and needed him to pick him up so Josh muted
the TV and hoped that he wasn't being selfish.
"Hi, what'cha doin'?"
"Hi, Mindy. Did you finish your paper?"
"No. My parents went to bed early so I thought I'd come downstairs and call you before I
finished my homework."
"I'm glad you did. I was just sitting here watching Oprah."
Mindy laughed there weren't many seventeen year old boys out there that admired and
had a small crush on Oprah Winfrey.
"You're cute, Josh. I wanted to ask you do you have any of those boxes of tiny stars left, I
want to make a custom border for my essay."
"I think I gave the last box to Drake."
What on Earth did Drake Parker need with a box of little stars?
"Why?"
"Because he wanted to put them on his guitar. I think there are still some left." Josh went
to Drake's dresser and opened the bottom drawer.
"Well, I wouldn't want to take all of his stars."
That was Mindy's way of saying she was concerned about Drake's welfare. She was
quite impressed that he was keeping a girlfriend for longer than a month.
Mindy would never say anything, as she never wanted Josh to be angry with her. But
maybe that cancer had to happen so that Drake Parker would grow up.
"I'll put some in a baggie for you---what?" Josh dropped the box of stars and put the box
of guitar picks back to where it was before he moved it.
Then he closed the dresser drawer.
"What, what?"
"Um, Mindy. I need to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"
"Josh, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm fine. Love you."
"Love you too, Bye."
Why was he dismissing her all of a sudden?
Holy shit. How long was that other box there in the bottom of his drawer? If it was pre-
cancer why would Drake even need it other than to just experiment to see what would
happen? If this was a new thing why didn't he come to him? Josh knew and was trying
to understand one of Drake's basic needs which was that he have his privacy and that
not everything was going to be an open book.
Wait—was that the reason why he and Dad seemed extra chummy
lately? Josh's heart was in his throat when he heard footsteps outside the door. He ran
back to the couch and turned the mute off.
"Hey." Drake said
Josh decided to turn the TV and DVD player off.
"What's up, Drake?"
Damn it.
That was a serious bad choice of words that Josh felt his cheeks flush into a slight rosy
color.
"Nothing."
"You're home early." Josh looked at his watch.
"Emme has an appointment tomorrow."
Drake took off his jean jacket and threw it on the floor.
"Oh."
"I'm too tired to get undressed." Drake slightly moaned as he took off his sneakers.
"Drake…"
"What?" He climbed up to his bed and went into his soft covers.
"Um, nevermind. Goodnight, brother."
"Night, Josh."
Josh took this as an obvious sign to leave Drake alone. It was probably difficult enough
that he had to confide in Dad to get what was in his dresser drawer in the first place.
And it was wonderful seeing Drake finally accept Walter as his true father.
It was none of his business after all and for once Josh Nichols was going to drop from
pursuing the matter.