JULY 2007

It was Jem's birthday in one week and Alex had started to rack his brain, thinking of what to get him.

He considered buying a scarf or sweater or something but crossed that idea out almost immediately. Alex wasn't really a sentimental gift-giving person but a piece of clothing seemed boring and impersonal even to him. He knew Jem would accept anything graciously -even if it was a pebble Alex had picked up on the way- because he was Jem, but Alex had made up his mind. He was going to give Jem his best birthday ever.

He just didn't how.

In the end, he got so desperate that he asked his mom for ideas.

His mother was sitting at the kitchen table, writing cheques to the electricity company. She subconsciously bites the end of her pen and gazes into nothing with her eyes glazed over, in deep thought. Alex waits patiently. Finally his mom looks at him with bright eyes. "You could bake him a cake!"
"Mom, seriously."

"I am serious."

"No... just give me another idea."

His mom gives him a patronizing look. "It's a perfectly good idea."

Alex frowns at her. "No."

She rolls her eyes and returns to her work. "I don't know, Alex. Buy him a nice sweater."

"That's so boring."

She keeps writing and answers without looking up, "Okay, then. Why don't you get him a new pair of headphones or something?"

Alex raises his eyebrows. "I could do that."

"Yep."

*

Then next day at The Bowl, Alex casually tries to ask Jem about the headphones.

"Jem. How old are your earphones?" Alex says.

Jem is on his board while Alex is huddled inside The Bowl, with Jem's Ipod. Jem is performing the most mind-blowing tricks with his board and Alex is watching him, just watching him in awe. He's a miracle to watch and Alex doesn't enjoy skateboarding half as much as watching Jem skateboard.

Jem performs some version of a kickflip and both he and his board land gracefully on the ground with a satisfying thud. He slides his board into The Bowl (which hits Alex squarely in the hip) and jumps in after it.

He wipes his hands on his jeans and looks at Alex. "Two- three years. Why?"

"Nothing. Just asking."

Jem isn't stupid and Alex is a horrible actor so he tries to change the subject. "Ronan might be coming over for a day or two."

Jem sits next to him and their arms familiarly press against each other. "Nice. When?"

"Next month."

Jem grins. "That's pretty cool. I want to meet him."

"He wants to meet you too."

Jem takes removes one earbud from Alex's ear and puts it into his own. "The other half of the skateboard vandalising vigilante duo. Hand me the Ipod."

It's a little difficult for Alex to hand over the Ipod with how his right arm is so firmly pressed against Jem's but he doesn't even move an inch away. He hands Jem the Ipod and laughs. "Hardly vigilantes. It's a skateboard."

Jem clicks on a random playlist and puts it on shuffle. Bohemian Rhapsody begins to play and he immediately makes a face and shuffles again. Alex laughs.

Jem is finally satisfied with the song and he leans back. He winks at Alex before closing his eyes. "That's about as hard-core as you can get."

Alex tells himself to think of a witty comeback but he is too busy watching the sunlight bounce off Jem's eyelashes and watching the different shapes the shadows make on his face. Alex opens his mouth to say something but closes it because there is nothing to say. He too leans back against the cold concrete which doesn't somehow feel as cold as it did before. He sneaks one last look at Jem, lying in the sunlight like still water. His eyelids are the color of honey.
Alex closes his eyes.

*

A six year old girl spills her extra-large Coca Cola all over the floor so Alex spends a good amount of time trying to clean up the sticky mess even though his shift is over in five minutes.

The girl's father sends the rest of his family ahead and stands with Alex, obviously guilty. He clutches his popcorn nervously and apologizes constantly even though Alex tells him that it's okay.

The man finally leaves after giving Alex a generous tip of twenty dollars which almost made the experience worth it.

Alex cycles homes as fast as his legs can peddle. He showers quickly and packs an overnight bag. He is looking for pyjamas acceptable to be worn at someone's house when he gets a call from Jem.

"Where the hell are you?" Jem demands.

Alex puts the phone between his ear and shoulder and continues to dig through his closet. "Someone spilled Coke and I was cleaning it up. I'll be there in, like, ten minutes."

"Idiot," Jem chides, which is his standard response to most things Alex says. He probably calls Alex 'idiot' more than he calls him 'Alex.' "Okay. Buy popcorn on the way, if you can. I don't have any."

Alex rushes into the bathroom, struggling to balance the phone. He picks up his toothbrush and shoves it into his bag. "Yep, I'll buy it."

"Okay, good. Come quick."

"I'll be there faster than you can say my name."

"I can recite Harry Potter to you and you still won't be here before that."

Alex grins. He zips his bag shut. "Is that a challenge, Jeremy?"

"You bet your ass it is, Alexander."

"Maybe next time. I'm leaving now, I'll see you later." Alex rushes out of his room.

"Okay," Jem says. "Bye."

Alex pockets his phone (surprisingly it fits into his tiny pocket) and shouts, "Mom! I'm leaving!"

"Why are you yelling?" His mother says. She is sitting at the kitchen table, poring over a financial magazine. She walks him to the front door and pats him between his shoulder blades. Without as much as a hint of a smile she says, "Be good."

"Yep."
"Call me when you get there."

"Mom." Alex turns to give her an exasperated look.

She glares back at him with the same intensity. "Or don't go at all."

"Jesus, fine."

"Since when did you start saying 'Jesus'?" She calls out but Alex rushes down out of the door, without answering. He is aware of his mom's gaze on him as he unlocks his bicycle. She is still watching him as he pedals away.

*

It was Jem's idea to have a Star Wars marathon.

He was scandalized to learn that Alex had ever watched the movies so he rented the first four DVDs and told Alex to haul his butt over at seven o'clock sharp. Alex missed the mark by forty minutes and as annoyed as Jem had tried to sound on the phone, he still seemed pretty excited.

Alex 'forgets' to call his mother so she rings him up, as he knew she would.

They made their first batch of buttered popcorn (Alex suggested putting honey on it. Jem said "No way.") and made a fort of pillows and cushions at the foot of the sofa.

As soon as The Phantom's Menace began, so did Jem's running commentary. "Okay, read the text carefully."

Alex stuffs a fistful of popcorn into his mouth and speaks through it. "I will if you shut up."

"Okay, okay, shutting up."

Jem keeps himself from saying another word for the next five minutes before he says, "So like, most people like to watch the fourth, fifth and sixth first but I personally prefer it this way."

"Oh. Wait, why?"

"1,2 and 3 are like prequels."

"Ah."

The popcorn is over in ten minutes flat and Jem leaves to make another batch. Alex snuggles into the pillows even though it's sort of warm.

Jem returns a while later and they sit like they always do- pressed against each other with their shoulders always touching. Jem places the bowl of popcorn in Alex's lap and says, "Isn't it awesome?"

"Jem, it's literally not even fifteen minutes in."

"Still."

*

Somewhere during Episode III, Alex's eyes start to feel droopy.

He wasn't bored. In fact the movie was the only thing keeping him awake apart from the pleasant tingling he felt all over his body when he was touching Jem.

Jem is still telling him random trivia- something about how George Lucas was so sure his film was going to flop that went on holiday when it released- when Alex nestles his head onto Jem's shoulder and lets out a sigh.

"-in Hawaii if"- Jem's voice's cracks for a fraction of a second before he continues, his voice sounding an octave higher than before, "-you can believe it."

"It didn't flop though, did it?" Alex murmurs.

"It seems not." Jem answers. Alex can feel his chest vibrate when he speaks.

"I'm really sleepy." Alex admits.

"Then go to sleep." Jem says softly.

Neither of them says anything for a while until the rhythmic movement of Jem's chest with each breath lulls Alex to sleep.

*

Alex has a horrible nightmare.

He usually has horrible nightmares every night but this time he wakes up so suddenly that he bites his tongue. Alex shuts his eyes tightly, trying to control the pain. He tastes blood; sharp and metallic but very faint. He swallows hard and opens his eyes.

Sunlight is streaming into the room through two large windows, whose blinds have been drawn all the way up. Alex's head is lying in Jem's lap and a faint pool of spit has gathered on Jem's pyjamas. Alex sits up suddenly.

Jem is leaning into the pillows, his own mouth half open too. Someone- probably one of Jem's parents- has thrown a blanket over them.

Alex tries to wipe the drool from Jem's pyjamas but it has already soaked through. He shuffles away awkwardly and turns to the other side. He snuggles his head onto a pillow and tries to think about what he dreamed of. He fails. In frustration, Alex chews on the inside on his cheek until he tastes more blood.

*

A few days later, something catches Alex's eye.

He is on his way to meet Jem at work. It's a warm, youthful evening; the sort that makes you want to make plans with your friends and steal road signs and sure enough, Alex spots carloads of teenagers- some blasting loud music, some quietly kissing in back seats, some friends walking around the neighbourhood on their way to the movies or something. A red Civic zips past Alex, blaring old Madonna songs.

Alex reaches the record store and is about to enter when he spots a bright yellow flyer on the door. He steps forward to read it but the door swings open and almost hits him squarely in the forehead. Alex yelps and steps back.

The girl that is leaving the store looks at him in surprise. She is holding a large black bag that looks quite heavy. She lets out a nervous laugh and steps towards Alex. 'Shit! I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

Alex shakes his head.

"Still, sorry." The girl calls out as she walks past him.

Alex stares after her for a second before returning his attention to the flyer. It said ROCK BAND LINKIN PARK TO PERFORM AT MAYFORD CENTRAL STADIUM ON JULY 25TH 2007 TICKETS AVAILBLE HERE

Alex's mind goes into overdrive. July 25th... Jem's birthday. The store is selling tickets. Why didn't Jem tell me about this? Alex takes a slip second decision. He opens the door ever so slightly and creeps inside trying not to be seen. He searches for Jem and finds him helping a customer. His back is facing Alex. It's crowded, thankfully so hopefully Jem won't see him.

Alex quickly approaches the counter. The cashier is a bored girl with chewing gum in her mouth. Alex hates gum. It makes him think of cows.

Alex says, "Hi, excuse me. Are you guys selling the tickets for the concert- the Linkin Park concert?"

The girl is billing something for a customer so she takes her sweet time to reply. She bides the customer a lazy 'Have a nice day.' And finally turns to Alex. "Yeah, yeah we are."

"How much for two?"

"One's for 90 dollars so... 190.No wait, 180."

"Motherf- 90 dollars?"

"Yep." She bills Never Mind the Bollocks for an excited girl that has just handed it to her.

Alex almost laughs. He wasn't broke but he didn't exactly have a lot of money at his disposal. He was going to get his month's salary in two days, though. If he didn't tell his mother that he can spent 180 dollars on Linkin Park tickets, he might live another week. Yet he asks, "You don't give a discount or anything?"

"Nope."
Alex glances in Jem's direction. He's still busy. He's laughing at something his customer said. Alex sighs and bites his lip. He realises why Jem didn't tell Alex about the concert. He wasn't going to waste 90 precious dollars on a ticket and he knew Alex could. The only other way was that Alex bought him a ticket too but Jem was too proud for that. He would never let that happen as much as he loves Linkin Park and as much as he would kill for a chance to see them.

Alex sees the opportunity as clearly as he sees the sun. It's Jem's birthday. Alex is allowed to buy him a ticket. Suddenly very sure of his decision, he turns to the cashier and runs his tongue over his lower lip. "Can I have two tickets, please?"

*

Alex is paid three hundred dollars for a month. He's already spent more than half of it.

*

"You're not going to dinner with your parents or anything are you?" Alex asks, trying not to sound obvious.

Jem looks at him suspiciously. In the darkness of the movie hall, he looks serious and handsome like a statue of a Greek god. His brown hair still looks brown as though nothing in the world is dark enough to take away the colour. "No. Why?"

"Jem," Alex says gravely, "I'm taking you to a strip club."

Jem nods. "Ah, my second home."

"Yes. I know."

*

Alex calls Jem as soon as the minute hand touches twelve.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" He yells.

There is a sort pause and then Jem laughs. "Thanks, Alexander."

"You're sixteen, wow. That's so old."
"It's not old! But I am now, furthermore, older than you."
"I'm not legal yet, Jeremy. Keep it in your pants."

"With you," Jem says, his voice catching, "It's always going to stay in my pants."

*

Alex did not buy Jem headphones. He thought of it but when he learned of the price, he laughed, thanked the employees and left. The absence of a gift from Alex till six o'clock went unnoticed because Jem's parents bought him a car.

According to Jem, it was a second hand Camaro Jem's father got from someone at work but Jem looked at it like he had been handed the world. He already knew how to drive because he'd been driving Mrs Finnegan around for a while a few months ago.
"How were you driving her? I mean, how can you drive her without a license?" Alex had demanded.

Jem looked embarrassed. "I sort of had a fake license made. And nobody really checks licenses around here but just in case. At least I can get a real one now."

Jem showed up at Alex's place in his new car like Alex had instructed him to. Alex watched him approach through the kitchen window before he went out to greet him.

Jem's Camaro was a ghastly orange in colour. It was almost neon. Jem was sitting in the driver's seat with his hands on the wheel. He waves at Alex.

Alex leaves a note for his mom before he leaves the house and walks to the car. He opens to door to the shotgun seat and grins at Jem. "Sweet ride, Jeremy."

"I think I'm in love." He says. "I think I might be attracted to cars, Alex."

Alex laughs. The car smells of overly used air freshener but it's not as unpleasant a small as it should have been. Jem turns to him. He is dressed in a white T shirt with a leather jacket on top of it. (A gift, as he had said, from his uncle.) His hair is uncombed and crumbled like brown feathers on top of his head. He doesn't smile but his crinkle as he looks at Alex. "So. Why am I dressed like this?"

Alex can hardly contain his excitement. He grins. "Close your eyes."
'Seriously?"

"Jem."

Jem closes his eyes. Alex reaches into the pocket of his jacket and retrieves the tickets. He takes Jem's hands in his own. He rubs his thumb on Jem's palm and finally places the tickets into his hands. He keeps Jem's right hand on top of the left, palms lightly pressed together.

"Open them." Alex says.

Jem does. He looks a little confused for a second but then he opens his hands and stares at the tickets.

A volley of expressions passes over his face, all seemingly extreme with the volume turned up. His mouth drops open and he looks at Alex. "You did not." Jem is trying to level his voice.

Alex grins.

Jem lets out a strangled laugh. He meets Alex's eyes and Alex can almost see the joy, the excitement. Jem throws his arms around Alex's neck, his weight pushing him back backward. Jem's arms are still around Alex's neck when he laughs into Alex's ear. "I don't believe it."

Alex strokes Jem's back with one slightly trembling hand. He lets out a laugh too.

Jem pulls back suddenly and grins. He is still holding the tickets as though they are diamonds. "Holy shit, Alex. I don't even know how to thank you."

Alex has always found the exchange of gift extremely awkward. What do you say when someone says 'thank you'? So he says, "Drive!"

Jem laughs. "Hell yeah." He places the tickets in Alex's lap and starts the engine.

"Drive!" Alex laughs.

Jem drives. They cruise down the road at an unsteady speed; maybe mirroring Jem's unsteady heart. Alex sneaks a look at Jem.

For once, his friend doesn't look tired. He is still smiling faintly and his face is like the sun.