Brian and Carey

by Colin Sherman

  “No, of course not.” Carey gently lifted Brian’s chin, forcing him to look up. “I would never think that. I don’t want you to do anything you’re not ready for. And, I guess we’re not really . . . prepared anyway.”

  “Prepared?”

  “Aunt Dina told me I should talk to my doctor.”

  Eyes widening, Brian questioned, “You talked to your aunt about us . . . you know . . . doing . . . that?” He looked down again.

  “Not really. She saw me looking at a condom display in a store.”

  “Why?”

  Carey blushed. “It was after we spent the night in my room. I sort of looked some stuff up on the internet. Almost all of the sites recommended condoms. And other stuff.”

  “Did you buy some?”

  “I didn’t have the nerve,” Carey admitted. “So, I guess I’m not really ready either,” he chuckled.

  “So, you’re not mad?”

  “How can I be mad at you, with those puppy dog eyes?” Carey stood and walked to a cabinet. “You want some pretzels? We can watch a movie or something.”

  “Okay.”

  “We should probably stay up here and watch in the living room. Just in case I can’t help myself,” Carey smirked.

  They relaxed on the couch, limbs tangled up together all afternoon. Carey definitely wanted more, but he could wait for Brian. When they finally took that big step, he wanted it to be perfect.

  Chapter 21

  The school year passed, relatively uneventfully, and before the seniors knew it, graduation was upon them. The last few days of their high school careers were spent mostly signing yearbooks and saying tearful goodbyes.

  “Can you believe we graduate tomorrow?” Todd asked his lunch table excitedly.

  “No way,” Josh said. “This year flew. Hey, did all you guys sign my yearbook?”

  “I didn’t get a chance yesterday,” Brian said. “It took me all day to write in Carey’s,” he giggled.

  Josh slid the book across the table to him. Brian took out a sharpie and flipped to his usual signing page, one hundred forty-eight. A new category had been added to the ‘bests’ section. Above a caption reading Best Bromance was a photo of Brian and Carey holding hands and smiling. It had become Brian’s favorite place to sign someone’s yearbook.

  “If I had my way, Carey would have won best eyes, and best hair,” Brian said, handing back the book.

  Carey rolled his eyes. “Hardly. I’m just glad you got most theatrical.”

  “I like Best Bromance better.”

  “So, what are you guys doing this summer?” Carey asked, changing the subject.

  “I’m going to work as much as I can, so I have money to spend at college,” said Josh.

  “Me too,” Brian added.

  “Yeah, good luck with that,” Todd snickered. “Everything is so expensive in New York.”

  Brian shrugged. “I’d better get used to it if I’m going to live there after NYU.”

  “I don’t think I’m going to stay in Pittsburgh after I graduate,” Todd said. “I guess I could live anywhere and be an accountant. What about you Carey?”

  “I always figured I’d come back to live around here.”

  “Not me,” said Josh. “I’m going to move somewhere warmer. My uncle lives in Texas. We visited a few times and I really like Austin.”

  “Wow, we’re all going to end up in different places,” Carey said, feeling a bit melancholy.

  “Aren’t you going to school in New York too?” Todd asked.

  “Upstate, not New York City,” Carey replied. “It may as well be in another state.”

  “We’ll see each other,” Brian smiled. Carey could almost believe it, the way Brian looked so sincere. But he knew too many people that went their separate ways after graduation, or college. It was never going to be the same as it was in high school.

  The skies were threatening the night of graduation. But the weather held off just long enough. For the first time since beginning high school, Carey didn’t play “Pomp and Circumstance” at the ceremony. All the senior band members were walking with their class.

  As luck would have it, Carey’s walking partner was Danielle Richter. Josh didn’t even know his partner. In a class of over six hundred students, no one knew everyone.

  Carey looked for his family in the bleachers but couldn’t spot them. He waved at the crowd anyway, knowing his parents, sister, grandparents, and Aunt Dina and Uncle Rob were in there somewhere.

  Sitting in folding chairs on the football field, the graduating seniors listened to their salutatorian, then valedictorian, who thankfully, kept their speeches short. The guest speaker, a Gulf War veteran blinded during service, brought the crowd to tears with his story of perseverance and faith.

  When at last the principal declared them official graduates, the class tossed their white mortarboards into the air and cheered. They quickly dispersed to find friends and loved ones. The bleachers cleared just as quickly, as parents went in search of their children.

  “Carey! Carey!”

  He could hear Brian’s voice but couldn’t see him. They called each other’s names until meeting up to hug.

  “We’re free!” Brian shouted. “We’re finally adults!”

  “Almost,” Carey reminded him. His birthday was still a week and a half away.

  Having a prearranged meeting place after the ceremony, The Reid and Strickland families easily found Carey and Brian. After what seemed like a thousand pictures with various family members and an occasional classmate, the families went their separate ways to celebrate the event.

  Dina and Rob had come up to see their nephew graduate, then stayed for the cookout on Saturday. All four of Carey’s grandparents, and most of his aunts and uncles attended. Though he was disappointed that his uncle John wasn’t there, he was thankful his cousin Chris wasn’t running around screaming as he usually did.

  “I thought you boys were going to come down to visit again this year,” Dina said to Carey as they ate burgers from the grill.

  “I know. I wanted to, but some of our friends were going to the shore for senior week, so we decided to go there instead. It’s going to be the last big get together before we all go off to college.”

  “You don’t have to explain. I understand. I would have rather spent a week with my friends than my aunt and uncle when I was seventeen.”

  “Brian and I had a great time last summer. But we couldn’t do both because neither of us wanted to take too much time off work, though. We’re trying to save up as much as we can before school,” he told her.

  “Jen will be disappointed,” Dina said. “But I think she ended up taking a summer course to get a head start.”

  “Did she get into the school she wanted?”

  “Yes, it’s called Coastal Carolina University. She’s very excited.”

  “Maybe next summer we’ll come down. I have a feeling we’re going to need a vacation after that first year,” Carey laughed.

  “Oh, you’re going to love college,” Dina said. “It can be tough, but it’s your first real taste of independence. Just make sure not to party too much.”

  “Music Ed will keep me pretty busy. The music classes aren’t worth as many credits, so I’ll have to take more of them to keep my full-time status.”

  “I didn’t know that. And is Brian going where he wanted to go?”

  “Yeah, he’s going to NYU. He actually got accepted to a few schools, but that’s where he really wanted to go.” Carey smiled. “I can’t wait to see him on Broadway.”

  Dina only smiled in response.

  “Oh, I know it’s a long shot. He does too. I just know he’s going to make it. He’s special.”

  Grandma Doreen approached the pair. “Where is your young man, Carey?”

  “Brian’s family is having a party too. I was at his house earlier. He’s coming here later.”

  “I sure did enjoy his dancing. I’m glad you remembered to invite me to his recital,” she sai
d.

  “He was glad you came, Grandma.”

  Doreen sat down at the folding table with her plate of food. “Has your father lightened up about you having a boyfriend yet?”

  Carey laughed. “Yeah, Grandma. He’s okay about it.”

  “Only took him a freakin’ year,” she muttered. “So, your mom says you’re going to Ocean City for senior week. Is that New Jersey or Maryland?”

  “Maryland,” he answered.

  “Because, you know, Ocean City, New Jersey is a dry town.”

  “We’re not old enough to drink, Grandma.”

  “I know that,” she said. “But young people don’t always follow the rules. Neither do old people, for that matter,” she laughed. “You just be careful. You don’t want to ruin your life before it begins.”

  “I will,” Carey promised, understanding her insinuation.

  ◆◆◆

  A week later, Carey, Brian, Robin, Josh, Amy and Todd were on their way down to Ocean City. Three other friends were planning to meet them.

  Once again, Jeannie Reid gave up her minivan for the week, so Carey could drive with his friends. The four-bedroom house they rented easily fit the nine friends, though sleeping arrangements were not exactly as all of them would have liked.

  Amy and Robin shared a room, since they were the only girls in the house. Matt, a boy who joined the group late was relegated to the couch in the front room. He didn’t seem to mind, telling the others he could sleep through anything.

  Brian and Carey were the only dating couple to share a room. Carey’s parents didn’t ask in particular what the room situation would be, and Carey wasn’t about to volunteer that information. He supposed his parents thought because so many of them were going together, there wouldn’t be much private time for the boys. But, unlike winter break, Carey came prepared. Just in case.

  Dave, Tim, and Matt arrived a few hours after the three couples. Matt dropped his things in the living room, while Dave and Tim took the last available bedroom.

  “We should go to the beach,” Amy said.

  “It’s a little late. I’m getting hungry,” said Todd.

  “Me too,” Josh chimed in.

  “Hey, why don’t we walk to the beach to take a quick look, then get some pizza or something on the boardwalk,” suggested Brian.

  Carey agreed. “That sounds good.”

  Everyone else just nodded. Overall, they were a laid-back group. Carey figured they’d all get along fairly well. The best part was that they could each do their own thing if they wanted. Amy and Robin had already made plans to spend the next day at the beach with the girls from the house next door, while some of the guys decided to go golfing.

  “Hey, Amy, do you think any of the girls next door want to go with us tonight?” Dave asked. Mary Lockhart and a group of her friends had rented the house next door.

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “I’m going to go over and ask.”

  “In your dreams,” Tim laughed. “You’ve been trying to get one of those girls for two years.”

  “Yeah, but now I have a car.”

  “You call that a car?” Matt snickered.

  “Better than yours.”

  “I don’t have a car.”

  “Exactly,” Dave smirked. “At least I can take one of them out without a ride from my mom or borrowing a minivan.”

  “Hey,” Carey frowned.

  “No offense,” said Dave. “I thought you were getting a car. What happened?”

  Nodding, Carey replied. “Yeah, it’s my uncle’s old car. His kids aren’t old enough to drive yet, so my dad is buying it from him. But I won’t get it until the beginning of August.”

  “And then you can drive to see me on weekends,” Brian batted his eyelashes.

  “Ithaca is pretty far from the New York City. Not to mention gas money and trying to find parking,” Carey pointed out.

  “Oh, I thought you were going to be able to visit a lot.”

  “I don’t know. I guess it depends on if I can get a part time job to pay for gas. My parents are going to give me money just to get home. But I can pick you up on my way home.”

  “I figured I’d take a train. But that would be good.” Brian sighed. “We’re really not going to see that much of each other while we’re in school, are we?”

  “Probably not. Mainly holidays and summers. So we’d better make the most of it,” Carey smiled.

  “None of us are,” Amy said. She looked at Todd.

  “Hey, we should all do something like this every year,” Robin suggested. “Like a mini reunion.”

  “Yeah,” agreed Josh. “That would be fun. We can rent this house again. Except not when high school grads are here. That would be annoying.”

  Todd laughed. “Like us?”

  “Well, yeah. Do you think these people around here aren’t going to find us annoying?”

  Though they all agreed to get together the following summer, Carey secretly doubted it would happen. Maybe some of them would keep in touch. He knew he would stay close to Brian and Robin, and probably Josh. But circumstances brought the rest of them into Carey’s life, and he didn’t socialize with any of them outside of school, or school functions.

  That night, after eating pizza and strolling the boardwalk, the nine friends ended up back at the house, with an extra. Dave had managed to talk one of the girls to join them. Brianna was one of the shyer girls, easily overlooked, and a ginger, like Dave.

  “Hey, anyone want a beer?” Todd asked. “I brought a whole case.”

  “Me too,” said Matt. “But not a case. Just two six packs.”

  “How did you get beer?” asked Brian.

  “My older brother bought it for me,” replied Todd.

  “I know a guy at the beer distributor. He let me slide.” Matt went to the refrigerator and took out the two six packs. “Let’s drink these tonight and put some of the others in the fridge for the rest of the week.”

  He tossed a can to Josh, then one to Carey.

  “No, thanks,” Carey said, passing the can to Todd.

  “Come on,” Matt said, tossing Carey another.

  “I really don’t want one.”

  “Why not? We’ll only drink inside the house.”

  Carey glanced around while everyone waited for his answer. He blushed a little.

  “I . . . I kind of promised my grandma I wouldn’t.”

  A few of them laughed.

  “I think it’s sweet,” Brianna said, in a quiet voice.

  “Me too,” Robin agreed.

  That night, only Matt, Josh, Tim, Amy and Todd ended up drinking. Dave was trying his best to impress Brianna and didn’t want to get drunk and do something stupid. Brian never liked the taste of beer, and neither did Robin. Tim tried to start a game of strip poker, but all three girls balked. None of the boys wanted to play without them.

  Brian and Carey went to bed relatively early, so they could get up for the sunrise, like they did down in North Carolina. There was one bathroom for the downstairs bedrooms, and one for the upstairs bedrooms, so Brian and Carey shared a bathroom with the girls upstairs. Carey waited what seemed like forever for Brian to get ready for bed.

  Brian came into the room in clean shorts and a t-shirt and put his dirty clothes in a pile on a chair and hung his towel on the back of the door. It looked to Carey like he was procrastinating getting into bed, taking out his earrings slowly, and picking out clothes for the next day.

  Carey yawned loudly. “You almost ready? I’m tired.”

  “Yeah. Just about.” Brian looked around, but there wasn’t anything left for him to do besides get in bed.

  He walked to the bed and pulled the sheet back. It was too warm for the blanket, and Carey had pushed it all the way down to the bottom. Brian slipped in and covered himself with the sheet. He lay on his back stiffly, looking up at the ceiling.

  Carey turned the bedside lamp off, throwing the room into darkness. But their eyes quickly adjusted.
>
  Turning on his side to face Brian, Carey asked, “Are you okay?”

  “Uh huh.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then why are you so far over you’re ready to fall off the bed?” Carey snickered. “I’m not going to bite.”

  “I know.”

  Carey moved a little closer and reached out for Brian. “We don’t have to do anything at all. I only want to hold you.”

  “I’m sorry,” Brian said, scooting a little closer and turning on his side to let Carey spoon him.

  “Don’t be. This is nice. Besides, we’re both pretty tired and we want to get up early.” He kissed the back of Brian’s neck. “Good night.”

  Brian turned his head to give Carey a kiss. “Good night.” He sighed and closed his eyes.

  Carey remained awake for a while after Brian fell asleep. He had to remind himself that his boyfriend just wasn’t ready for sex, though they’d enjoyed a good bit of hands on fun over the past year. But they were never going to have the kind of opportunity they had during senior week. He felt like if it didn’t happen then, it was never going to happen.

  Chapter 22

  Two days later, Carey officially became an adult. Amy and Robin bought a mix and frosting from the local grocery store to make Carey a birthday cake. He didn’t want them to make a big deal about it, though. He was the last of his friends to turn eighteen.

  After a day at the beach, the group decided to splurge and go out to eat rather than order something cheap, like pizza, yet again. They settled on Conner’s Beach Cafe, where there was plenty of variety in food and price.

  They took turns showering, with the girls going first. In the time it took them to fix their hair and put on make-up, almost all of the boys had showered and dressed. Even Brian was quick to get ready, as he decided not to wear any make up himself. He did wear a nice pale blue button-down shirt and tan dress shorts with sandals.

  “Oh, we’re dressing up?” Tim asked when he saw Brian and the girls.

  “You look fine,” Robin said.

  “But you guys are all dressed up. Is this a nice restaurant?”