โMorning,โ Johnny acknowledged when I unzipped the opening of my tent the following morning and was greeted by the delicious smell of a fry-up cooking. โYou look fresh.โ
He was right. Not only was I feeling fresh, but I was looking it, too. My hair, for some miraculous reason, had decided to comply with my wishes this morning without a hint of frizz โ not a usual occurrence for a girl with my texture. โThatโs because Iโm made of steel,โ I explained, joining him at the makeshift firepit, where he was cooking. โSeriously, I never get hangovers.โ
โBecause you never drink.โ
โI drink.โ
He arched a knowing brow.
โOkay,โ I conceded with a rueful smile, sitting down. โIโve drank three times before and Iโve never once had a headache.โ
โWell, you might want to pass your secret on to your best friend.โ Humor filled his tone as he gestured towards his tent. โBecause sheโs dying a small death in there.โ
I winced in sympathy. โPoor Shan.โ
โSheโll be okay.โ Chuckling softly, he used a fork to turn the meat on the disposable grill. โNothing a few sausages wonโt cure.โ
โAw. You score triesย andย make breakfast.โ I smiled. โYouโre such a keeper.โ
โDo I smell sausages?โ Clambering out of my tent, Gerard sniffed the air like a deranged Doberman. โLifesaver, Cap,โ he declared, bounding over to us in his underpants. โFucking lifesaver.โ
The moment my eyes landed on him, a ripple of heat ignited inside of my belly.
Johnny might be taller and ripped to within an inch of his life, and Hugh and Patrick might resemble Josh Hartnett and Ryan Phillippe with finely cut, washboard abs, but I swear Iโd never seen anything quite like Gerard Gibson.
He was built and broad, with gloriously sun-kissed skin and the most amazing pearly white smile. His eyes were like pools of gray marble you could fall into, and he was just so downrightย snuggly.
When we were little, our mothers used to refer to him as a little cherub because he was adorably chubby with blond hair and big ole gray eyes.
And sure, he was big and strong now, with muscles in all the right places, but there was still a slight softness to his physique that made him just that little bit more human.
Unlike the rest of the boys in our group, Gerard wasnโt afraid to break his diet or skip the gym if he felt inclined. He did what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it and made no qualms about it.
Cheat meals and skipped gym sessions aside, he had the best ass of all the boys. Hands down, there was no competition. Gerard Gibson could fill a pair of Calvin Klein boxer shorts better than any other boy at Tommen.
Johnny, Hugh, and Patrick were all backs in rugby, which meant they needed speed and agility. On the contrary, Gerard played the position of flanker in the forwards, where physical dominance was far more vital than speed. On the team, he was a glorified battering ram and had the stocky build to match the job.
Honestly, I knew I might be biased, but Johnny Kavanaghโs impressive eight-pack, or Patrick Feelyโs adorable smile, didnโt hold a flame to this boy.
Not in my eyes, at least.
Because this boy had always been my favorite boy.
My favorite friend, person, human, everything.
Even when we were little, and even though he despised it, he would humor me by playing Barbies with me. Sure, he would bring along hisย action figures and cause as much destruction as possible to my Barbie house, but he still played with me.
It never bothered him when his other friends laughed at him for playing with a girl, and heย neverย ignored me.
Not one single time in sixteen years.
Not even when it made him less cool with Hugh and the boys.
It didnโt matter to Gerard.
He always made me feel like I was his first priority.
His number one friend.
From Gerard Gibson, I had been given the friendship of a lifetime that consisted of humor, loyalty, comfort, and affection.
It was for those and many other countless reasons that I found myself relentlessly clinging to the hope that we would someday take the next step.
That our friendship would progress toย more.
Like last night, for example. Weโd spent half of the night up talking, and the entire time Iโd been mentally willing him to kiss me, and not because the bottle landed on me in a stupid game when we were kids. Because our first kiss might have been an innocent peck coerced by a spinning bottle, and I wanted more now.
I wanted him to want me, dammit.
The way I wanted himย โฆ
โGet back,โ Johnny warned, using an arm to guard the food from his boisterous buddy. โAnd put some pants on, will you?โ
โIโm only trying to smell it,โ Gerard argued, leaning over his shoulder.
โWell, donโt โ hey, back up. Iโm serious, Gibs. Donโt stand over an open flame like that. Youโre going to get your dick splattered with grease, you eejit.โ
โAw,โ I cooed, grinning at the pair of them. โLook at you being all chivalrous protecting your best friendโs willy.โ
โOh, heโs a true blue, alright,โ Gerard agreed, while he managed to swipe a rasher off the grill. โAlways the hero.โ
โThief,โ Johnny grumbled.
Snickering to himself, Gerard stuffed the crispy string of bacon into his mouth before joining me on a nearby log. โHowโs my little diesel generator?โ He slung one big arm over my shoulders and pulled me into his side. โNo need to ask if you slept well.โ
โMe?โ I laughed, digging his ribs. โGerard, you snore so loud itโs like a cement mixer going off in bed.โ
โNah, babe, thatโs yourself youโre hearing.โ
โYouโre both as bad as each other,โ Johnny chimed in. โOur tent is next to yours. I could hear ye all bleeding night. Like an old married couple. Communicating through snores in your sleep, the pair of ye.โ
โHey, donโt judge our love language,โ Gerard shot back with a wolfish grin. โAt least we donโt keep everyone up fucking each otherโs brains out.โ
โGerard!โ
โWith feelings,โ he deftly added, holding a finger up. โFuckingย withย feelings.โ
โNo,โ Johnny agreed, not missing a beat, as he turned the meat once more. โBecause youโre too busy cracking jokes like a pair of babies.โ
โAt least weโre not making babies, lad.โ
โSure, Gibs, whatever you say.โ Rolling his eyes, Johnny let Gerardโs teasing go clear over his head like he was immune to his banter. โCall the others, will you? Grubโs up.โ
Twenty minutes later, the entire gang were all sitting around the camp, stuffed as baby piglets, after devouring Johnny Kavanaghโs glorious offerings.
โHey, guys? If we were in the Dark Ages, do you think weโd still be friends?โ
โHuh?โ Patrick mused with a chuckle. โCare to evaluate on that, Baby Biggs?โ
โWhat I mean to say is if we were all cave people and none of todayโs modern technology existedโโ I paused to lick a tiny sprinkle of tomato ketchup off my knuckle before continuing โโand Ballylaggin was theย village we all came from, do you think our friendship group would form their own tribe?โ
โWhat did you smoke in that tent with him?โ my brother accused, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. โBecause this is weird, Claire, even for you.โ
โWhat?โ I laughed. โItโs a valid question.โ
โHow in the name of God is that a valid question?โ
โHell yeah weโd be a tribe,โ Gerard interrupted, tossing a piece of toast at my brother. โAnd while the rest of us were out hunting down dinner, youโd be the bitch digging holes for us to shit in.โ
โMore like to bury you in,โ Hugh shot back with a smirk.
โI think we would be,โ Shannon offered, still looking a little worse for wear from last nightโs antics. Lounging on her boyfriendโs lap with his hoodie swamping her small frame, she folded the sleeves up absentmindedly as she spoke. โAt least, I would hope to be in your tribe.โ
I smiled warmly back at her. โAlways, chickie.โ
โI would be a nomad,โ Lizzie chimed in, taking a bite of her toast. โBut Iโd pop in every once in a while to visit.โ
โOh my God, what are youย eating?โ Katie blurted out of nowhere, causing everyone to turn their attention to where she was looking. Which just so happened to be Lizzie. โWhat the hell is that on your toast?โ
โMarmite,โ Lizzie drawled slowly, taking another bite.
Katie gaped in horror. โThatโs so wrong!โ
โMaybe for you.โ
โWhy donโt you try something normal instead?โ
โAnd whatโs your definition ofย normal?โ
โI donโt know.โ Katie smiled. โJam, or marmalade, or chocolate spread?โ
Lizzieโs eyes narrowed and my butt cheeks began to sweat.
Uh-oh.
Code red,ย I tried to send a telepathic warning to my brotherโs girlfriend.ย Code red. Code red. Retreat now, dammit!
โAnd why would I want to do that?โ Lizzie asked in an icy tone. โWhen Iย likeย Marmite?โ
โUh โฆ I donโt know,โ Katie mumbled, withering under Lizzieโs forceful stare. โIt was just a suggestion. Sorry.โ
โIf I wanted suggestions from people, I would ask my actual friends,โ Lizzie bit out.
โStop,โ Hugh intervened, taking the brunt of Lizzieโs glare, and meeting it head on with one of his own. โShe didnโt mean any harm.โ
โJesus,โ Pierce chuckled, clearly trying to break the tension, โtalk about becoming what you eat.โ Reaching over, he ruffled his girlfriendโs hair. โDonโt worry, babe, I love eating Marmite.โ
โHa. Funny,โ Lizzie drawled, smacking his hand away. โTouch my hair again and lose your fingers.โ
โI was only joking, Liz, chill.โ
โAnd while youโre at it, go fuck yourself.โ
โJesus, you clearly canโt take a joke anymore.โ
โOh, I can take a lot of things, Pierce,โ Lizzie countered coolly. โIโm just choosing not to take anything from you. Not your jokes. Not your dick. Not your shit โฆ can you tell where this is leading?โ
Oh dear.
Three. Two. One โฆ
โNow, hold the fuck up!โ
โHey, donโt talk to her like that.โ
โDonโt defend me. I can speak for myself!โ
So much for peace.
What had been a relatively quiet night in camp quickly morphed into a battleground before my eyes.
Sighing wearily, I rested my chin on my hand and listened as everyone argued around me. Glancing around, I locked eyes on Shannon and smiled when she offered me a sympathetic wince.
We were in the same boat.
Shan didnโt want to be around this crazy drama, either.
Maybe we should make our own tribe and live in the woods.
โWhy do you always look so fucking happy,โ Lizzie accused then, turning her attention on Gerard. โItโs nauseating.โ
โNot half as nauseating as having to look at your sour puss,โ Gerard shot back, unwilling to back down or give her a pass. โDonโt get your knickers in a twist with me because youโre having a tiff with lover boy.โ
โHey,โ Katie interjected, valiantly stepping in to try to squash their beef before it blew up like it had done a million times before, โletโs be nice today, okay? Sticks and stones, guys.โ
โYeah, because sticks and stones will break my bones and words will make me starve myself to death.โ Lizzie narrowed her eyes. โIsnโt that how the saying goes?โ
โHuh? What are you talking about?โ I argued, brows creased in confusion. โItโs: words will never hurt me.โ
Without a word, Katie stood up and walked away from the circle, and then, with a devastated look on his face, Hugh stood up and hurried after her.
โAm I missing something?โ I asked, turning to Gerard.
โNo fucking clue, Claire-Bear,โ he replied with a shrug before retraining his attention on Lizzie. โJesus, you are mean as hell.โ
โNo, asshole,โ Lizzie snapped back, rising to her feet, โIโm just honest.โ
โSheโs not a bad person, guys,โ Shannon urged from the backseat of Gerardโs Ford Focus. The tents had been packed away, the litter had been collected, and a temporary friendship treaty had been signed before everyone left the beach this morning, all going their separate ways until we reunited next week at school. โHurt people hurt people,โ Shannon continued. โSheโs a hurt person. A hurt โ but very redeemable โ person.โ
โNobody said she was a bad person,โ I answered, fiddling with the car stereo. โBut she definitely pushes boundaries.โ
โI can agree with that,โ Shannon offered diplomatically. โBut pushing boundaries doesnโt make you bad.โ
โI hear what youโre saying, Shan,โ Johnny added. โBut for me, I findย it really hard to tolerate Lizzieโs behavior when Iโve seen how you carry yourself.โ Shifting around in the backseat, he draped a protective arm around her shoulder. โYouโve been hurt more than anyone Iโve ever known, and still, you spread kindness. You wouldnโt harm a fly โ and certainly not intentionally.โ
Shan blushed bright red and ducked her face. โThatโs not always true.โ
โYeah, it is,โ he countered, tipping her chin up so she looked at him. โBaby, Iโve watched you get stung by a bee andย notย retaliate.โ
โBecause we need to save the bees!โ Shannon urged.
โThere it is,โ he replied, and then caught my gaze in the rearview mirror. โMy point is real motion.โ
โCan we please stop talking about the viper?โ Gerard begged from the driverโs seat. โHonestly, lads, I love the three of you, but if ye donโt shut the fuck up about that girl, Iโm going to open the door of this car and throw myself out.โ
โThen pull the car over first,โ Johnny replied. โIn fact, do you want to just pull over now and let me drive?โ
โNope, Iโm perfectly capable of driving my own car, Jonathan.โ
โGibs, lad, youโve coasted over the middle line three times already,โ Johnny tried to coax. โI really think I should drive.โ
โAlright.โ Using one hand to steer the car, Gerard reached behind him with his free hand and held his thumb up in challenge. โFight me for it.โ
Johnny laughed. โByย thumbย wrestling you?โ
โAre you scared youโll lose?โ
โGet ready to be a backseat bitch, Gibs.โ Assuming position, Johnny linked hands with Gerard and smirked. โOne, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war.โ
โFive, six, seven, eight, I use this hand to masturbate.โ
โGerard,โ I yelped at the same time Shannon choked out, โGibsie!โ
โAnd thatโs the end of the thumb war,โ Johnny muttered, abruptly dropping Gerardโs hand. He wiped his hand off his shorts andย shuddered. โYou win.โ
โWhoโs the backseat bitch now?โ Gerard laughed, cranking up the volume of the stereo. The Offspringโs โOriginal Pranksterโ blasted from the speakers, causing Gerard to bop his head like a madman, while Johnny and Shan clung to their seats in terror. I wasnโt scared, though. I trusted this boy with my life. Gerard wouldnโt kill me. After all, heโd promised to marry me before we both died.
Thoroughly engrossed in his drum pattern, Gerard slapped his hands against the steering wheel of his Focus, while he sang at the top of his lungs about knocking down walls.
โLad, shut the fuck up,โ Johnny strangled out from the backseat when Gerard slowed at the traffic lights to serenade an elderly lady standing at the zebra crossing.
โYou little hooligan,โ the old lady shouted back at him, shaking her fist.
โOh my god,โ I laughed, twisting sideways in my seat just as the lights went green and Gerard floored it. โSheโs still waddling after us.โ
โMaybe she wants me,โ he shot back, winking at me.
I waggled my brows. โMaybe she needs to get in line.โ
โGibs, slow the bleeding car down!โ Johnny barked as he placed a protective hand over Shanโs middle. โIf you kill me, I swear to Christ, Iโll come back and kill you!โ
โHow can you come back to kill me if youโre already dead?โ
โWhere thereโs a will thereโs a relative,โ Johnny shot back, draping a protective arm over his girlfriend. โTrust me, Gibs, Iโd find a way.โ