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Parties aren’t really Oliver’s thing. He had been to a few with Cooper before, but after the initial rush he felt after the first three, he got bored. Oliver is a smart guy. The stay at home and chill guy. He would much rather be watching a movie with Cooper than sneaking out to stupid parties.
Partially because Cooper is getting super drunk.
Oliver stands in the corner with a can of Sprite in hand. He watches his best friend dance in the middle of the room. As usual there’s a bunch of people surrounding him. He’s laughing and practically glowing under the party lights. He looks like he’s having a good time.
Oliver wishes he could leave. With Cooper, obviously. He would rather be anywhere but here. Hell, he would rather be lectured by his mother right now than have to stick around any longer.
Oliver takes one last sip of his Sprite before tossing the can in the nearest trash can. He musters up every ounce of confidence he has in his body as he walks into the crowd of dancing teenagers. Oliver is squished between sweaty bodies as he makes his way over to Cooper.
Cooper stops dancing when they’re face to face and grins. Oliver takes the cup out of Cooper’s hand.
“Let’s go,” Oliver yells over the music.
“Hey!” Cooper says, snatching his cup back. He tips his head back.
Oliver knows what's coming. “Cooper, don’t.”
Cooper downs the rest of whatever was in that cup.
He makes a pained expression as he swallows. Then he starts laughing.
Oliver sighs. He turns and walks out of the room, hoping that Cooper will get the message and follow him out. Oliver tries with everything not to look over his shoulder for Cooper.
Instead he focuses on the teens loitering around a window. There’s six of them, four girls and two guys. Two of the girls are wearing matching tiny tank tops and some really short shorts. They kind of remind Oliver of Taylor, his older sister. They’re not exactly the type Oliver would hang out with.
“Ollie!” Cooper's voice yells from behind him.
Oliver breaks his gaze on the group around the window. He rolls his eyes before turning around to look at his best friend. Cooper stops short in front of Oliver. He’s wearing ripped jeans that probably cost more than Katie’s minivan and holding that same cup.
“You gotta try whatever this is,” Cooper says, holding up his cup. Some of the liquid spills out over Cooper's fingers. He laughs again. He must have gotten a refill.
“Can I try?” a girl asks, walking up to them. Oliver has never seen this girl before in his life. He’s almost sure she doesn’t live in Westport.
“Sure,” Cooper says, “Can I try whatever you're drinking?”
Oliver rolls his eyes as he and the girl trade drinks. The music pounds louder in his ears than before as the two of them take large sips of one another’s drinks.
Oliver feels sick to his stomach. Oliver turns to leave the room, again. Hoping that Cooper will follow him out.
Oliver sits on the front porch of the house. He leans against a pillar. The sky is dark but the lights from the house are sending a dim glow over the front lawn. He stares out at the nice cars parked down the sides of the street, he dreams that one of them is his and he can simply drive away. But no, Cooper’s driver drove them to the party and Oliver didn’t have his number. Why on earth did Oliver rely on Cooper so much for everything? And why was Cooper still in that party? Why couldn’t Cooper stop being selfish for ten seconds and leave, or at least call his driver to take Oliver home?
They’d hung out so much lately and Oliver thought they had a good understanding of one another. They hung out so much Cooper broke up with his latest girlfriend “in order to hang out with Oliver more,” which is too much for a friend. Oliver is not stupid. He knows that the two of them are walking the thin line between friendship and something more. They’d slept over at one another’s houses more often than before. They stared at one another a bit too long, sat a little too close, and laughed a little too hard at one another’s shitty jokes.
But then again, if Cooper really cares about him, he would take Oliver home.
Just then, Cooper stumbles out of the door and practically falls into the pillar Oliver is leaning against. Oliver looks up at him.
Cooper quickly makes his leaning against the pillar more intentional. “Hey Amigo,” Cooper says with his stupid flirty grin.
“About time,” Oliver grumbles.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cooper giggles. Oliver is almost sure Cooper is somehow more drunk than before.
“Can we go now?” Oliver asks.
“Sure Amigo,” Cooper says.
Oliver stands up and begins walking down the steps. Cooper follows, but he kind of stumbles down the steps with his phone to his ear.
They walk to the edge of the front yard and wait by the curb.
Cooper stares into space, hopefully sobering up a little bit.
Oliver guides his attention back to the ground in front of him. Why the hell did he agree to go to this party? More importantly, why did he let Cooper get drunk? Oliver sighs again. He supposes he wishes something would change at one of these parties. Or he hopes that something will happen at one of these parties. Every night like this always ends just like this one will. Cooper’s driver will drop Oliver off at his house and they won’t talk about the party ever again.
A familiar white car pulls up in front of them. Oliver walks up to the car and opens the door, he gestures into the car for Cooper to enter. Cooper grins again and slides into the backseat. Oliver follows.
Oliver clicks his seatbelt into place as the car begins moving. He looks up at Cooper who’s staring at him. Oliver attempts a “what’s wrong” face, but he presumably fails.
Cooper leans forward and kisses Oliver. Oliver’s brain short circuits, but his eyes flutter closed and he kisses Cooper back. Oliver cannot quite decipher the taste on Cooper’s lips, but its sweet and alcoholic. As the kiss goes on Oliver’s thoughts become more defined and he realizes the situation. Cooper is drunk.
Oliver breaks away from the kiss.
Cooper stares at Oliver for a moment, then he starts chuckling. “What's wrong Oliie?”
Oliver turns away. There’s no way of reasoning with Cooper in a situation like this, even when he’s sober.
The car stops in front of the Otto house.
“I’m staying here tonight,” Cooper tells the driver.
Again, there’s no reasoning with Cooper right now.
The two boys slide out of the backseat and walk up to the door.
“Amigo…” Cooper says, but he’s already at the door fumbling with his house keys. How can Cooper still call him “amigo” after all that? He really must be messing with Oliver.
“Ollie…”
Cooper walks up to him and places a hand over the keys.
“Oliver,” Cooper tries again.
“What?” Oliver cries.
“I’m in love with you,” Cooper says, grabbing Oliver’s face. He kisses Oliver again, but it’s quick. Again Oliver doesn’t push him away, partially because he likes it and partially because he doesn’t have the heart to do it.
As Cooper leans back. Oliver watches him with careful eyes.
Every bone in his body wants to tell Cooper that he’s liked him since the first time he saw Cooper smile. He wants to tell him that he’s been in love with Cooper since he first stood up for him. He wants to kiss Cooper again. He wants to hug Cooper. But there’s no way any of this is real, it's the alcohol.
Oliver sighs.
“I wish you were sober.”