Home for the Summer (BOYXBOY)

21 | Topanga Beach

Outside, there was a very long car horn blare that Nicolas and I were trying to ignore as we laced our shoes. Mom, who was usually very calm, raced around us like a hummingbird.

"You packed toothbrushes, right?"

A yes from both of us.

"How about socks?"

Yes again.

"And you'll call me when you get there?"

"Yes," I said, tugging the straps of my backpack on. "Now, I think Izzy might explode if we don't leave right this moment."

The honking continued outside our door as my mom huffed out a breath. "Okay, hugs first," she said and extended her arms toward us. Nico and I both hugged her at the same time, leaving my cheek sort of squished against his.

"It's only 4 days, mom."

"I know, I know," she said, releasing us from her arms but keeping a hand on our shoulders. "Just stay safe." Her eyes shifted to Nico where she attempted to whisper, "Please take care of my boy."

"Mom!"

"You know how he gets with his anxious frets and whatnot," she sighed as if I wasn't right there.

"Don't worry," Nicolas chuckled. "I'll make sure he's alright."

"Excuse me, I can manage myself!"

My mom gave me a quick grin before letting go of our shoulders. "Have fun, boys."

We left my house to find Izzy parked in our driveway, Rowan in the passenger seat. "Jesus Christ!" she yelled out her window. "We've literally been sitting here for an hour!"

"It's been 10 minutes," Rowan smiled as we opened the trunk.

"Yeah, we heard you," Nicolas said.

"Rude."

We placed our backpacks down and shot each other a grin as we entered the car. I was more than happy to be on this trip. Nicolas and I both picked up as many shifts as we could within the last week and were remarkably able to cover the gas it took to get there, two hotel rooms, and some extra for food and shopping. This was going to be the best trip ever.

"LA: here we come," Izzy exclaimed as she began down the road.

"Well, after picking up Benji and Lilli," Rowan added.

"Benji and Lilli: here we come!"

***

Benji gets motion sickness, so he insisted on sitting in the middle row of seats. This left Lilli to move in beside him and Nicolas and I to squeeze into the very back of Izzy's car. If you have ever tried to fit two 17-year-old boys in a 45-inch space, you know the extreme challenge it proposed. I was practically on his lap by the time we took off which meant both of us were constantly fidgeting and apologizing to the other.

"All right?" Benji turned around, gripping the back of his seat and smiling widely at me.

"Fine," I said to which he hummed and faced forward again.

"Do we have an itinerary?" Lilli asked. She decided sort of last minute that she wanted to come along, which was a bit of a relief. I really thought she might hate me after everything, but Lilli seemed sort of eager to just be my friend.

"Er... I figured we could just go around to different locations, right? Check out all the touristy stuff."

Lilli lit up immediately. "Can we visit the Huntington Library?"