Gin, Kisses, And Cigarettes
Jack held the rickety gray door open and let David walk in before entering himself, the old house on Cedar. Not many of the adults knew it was abandoned. Pluming and electricity still worked and for the few teens who weren't afraid to venture into it, made it theirs. Jack sat down on the couch someone had dragged in a few weeks ago. At first he'd thought a homeless guy had made homage there, but when he didn't find anyone there he figured it was probably just another group of teens. David sat down on the wooden crate in front of the couch and gave Jack a look. Jack knew David didn't want to come into this place, but in the end David always went along with Jack. Whether it was because he trusted Jack or just wanted to make sure his best friend didn't do anything stupid, was something he'd leave up for the Gods to decide.
Reaching under the couch, Jack pulled out a tall rather beautifully decorated bottle of Gin. It was another thing that had come along with the couch. You didn't question its presence, you just had to make sure to replace it if you happened to polish it off. He once finished off a pack of cigarettes he'd found in the room downstairs and found a giant note scrawled on the wall in black spray paint the next day. Pretty much telling him to buy a new box or else he'd find the empty one shoved up some place he'd find rather unpleasant. Only, not as nice or simply put. Opening the bottle he took a drink from it and handed it to David who stared at it and read the label before finally taking a small drink from it. For a second , Jack thought the other boy was going to spit it out, but finally David managed to swallow it and then tried desperately not to cough.
"Easy Davey, save that for the whiskey," said Jack laughing.
"Holy crap, I can feel it burning down my throat," he wiped the small sheen of sweat off his nose.
"You get use to it, it gets to be a pretty good feeling after a while," he took the bottle back and took another drink.
"So this is what you do? Just drink and smoke alone in this big empty house?"
"As foreign a concept as it seems, Davey, yeah. It's this or spend it alone in my uncles house. I like this place better."
"Why? It smells, it's dirty, it's covered in graffiti, there's a pile of liquor bottles in the corner and cigarette ash and ends everywhere."
"You ever heard the phrase, there's order in chaos?"
"And you find comfort in chaos?" he got up and walked around the room.
"I uh...don't know. I just like the fact that I don't have to worry if my uncle will come home to find me drinking and smoking. You know how much trouble I'd get into?"
"Knowing your uncle, you wouldn't see daylight again," David started shoving things around to try and neaten the place up.
"You're lucky, David. You have, like, the picture perfect family," Jack reached into his pocket and shoved a pack of cigarettes under the couch, but not before he pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.
"Yeah, I suppose so, but the problem with a "picture perfect" family is that you can't do anything that deviates from that image," he walked over to the window and opened it.
"I guess that's true."
"So..." David leaned against the window and stared at Jack.
"What?" Jack turned his head to look at David.
"Do you, do you think it would be wrong?" when Jack just stared at him blankly he continued, "To, to deviate from that image that is."
"Uh... I don't know what to tell you, Davey. Whether or not you want to live up to those images is really your choice, not something really written in stone."
David turned and stared out the window, "Sometimes, I wonder..."
"'bout what?" Jack got up and walked over to the window and blew out smoke.
David looked at him over his shoulder and slowly smiled at Jack.
"What?" Jack gave him a strangled look.
"What it would be like, to do something...not expected of me. Something I've- never mind...it's a bad idea."
"Now I'm curious, Davey," Jack gave him a curious smile.
"It was a bad idea, I mean, you're you and I'm me."
Jack studied David's face for a second then put his cigarette out, "I'm not sure what you're getting at, but I can tell somethings milling in your head."
"Jack, you ever wonder why it is we do what is expected of us?" David turned his attention back out the window.
"That's easy Davey, we don't want to let others down or lose their respect," he looked out the window also.
"I mean, the people, we choose to fall in love with, is it wrong if it's not always what others expected?" he stared at his folded hands on the sill.
"You lost me again," Jack walked back over to the couch.
David turned to look at him, "A guy and a girl. Is it always the right choice, even if it doesn't feel right? I mean, it's expected of us, right?"
Jack was taking another drink from the bottle then stared at it quietly for moment before speaking, "No, Davey, sometimes it's not always right, but in...in the end, you know..."
"In the end what?" he slowly made his way to the back of the couch.
Jack looked up and saw David's questioning gaze, "...It's not something I can answer...David."
David continued to look down at him, face stuck in that gaze, "..."
The hour ticked away as the sun slowly started to set as both boys sat in companionable silence. Jack continued to take random drinks from the bottle passing it to David every once in a while, and David would get up here and there trying to pick up more. Finally Jack put the bottle away and grabbed David by the wrist as he was attempting to push a pile of spray cans across the room, and pulled him onto the couch. The house had finally got to him. David just stared at Jack like he was the weird one.
"If you're nesting, this is not the place to do it."
"Ha-ha, funny Jack, I just, want something to do. I can't sit around drinking the way you do."
Jack looked at his watch, "Gotta head home soon."
"Wow, this was really the highlight of my day!"
"Sarcasm, Davey, is not becoming."
As they walked down the stairs Jack kept glancing at David. When they got to the front door Jack grabbed David and turned him around. In the dark they stared at each other. Neither said a word, the only sound was their breathing. Jack slowly traced his hands down to David's, you could hear Jack swallow hard in the dark just as he inched closer. When it happened David wasn't sure if he should make some sort of sound or not. It was different and soft. It was like waking up after a perfect nights rest and not wanting to get out of the warm bed. It was, right.
The loud sound of someone tripping over cats and the sudden flash of lights alerted the two of them that someone was close. Jack stood there for a second then grabbed David quickly and dragged him through the back door through the kitchen just around the corner of the living room through the hall. Just as they made it out, the front door opened.