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I remember waking up Sunday to my music still playing on my phone. The song was Bad Idea! By Girl in Red, from my love song playlist I made when I was in 7th grade having my first crush on a girl. She was the one who helped me pick out my name. Jonah was her boyfriend's name and she thought it suited me.
My friend Kaylah had messaged me four or five times while I was asleep, talking about how excited she was to hang out with everyone that afternoon. We called and talked about what outfit to wear (she wore a Porter Robinson shirt with khakis and I wore a crop top that went up to my chest with low-rise jeans.) and what games we should play. She had been talking about this hangout ever since we planned it, primarily because she’d never been to anyone else’s house before.
After we hung up I made myself breakfast and went down to the basement to make sure the game corner wasn’t messed up by any of my siblings and that I had at least a few chairs for everyone to sit on. Only two of the four people I invited were able to come. Cassie had colorguard practice so she couldn’t come, Emery was unboxing things because they just moved, so it was only Kaylah and Hunter who were coming.
Then I got a message at 1:12 from Emery.
-Em❤️
Hey I just got done unboxing all my things. Is it okay if I come to the hangout?
Fuck yes.
-Ne
Yeah of course! We’re supposed to be at my house by 2. I’ll send you my address in just a sec.
-Em❤️
Can I just come over now?
FUCK YES??
-Me
Yeah sure, I’ll stand outside so you can see which house is mine.
They called me when they got on my street and I went outside looking at both ends of the road waiting to see them. As soon as Emery popped around the corner of the road to the left I ran towards them, in the rain, in my socks.
“Emmmm!! What’s up hoe.” I hugged them.
“Nothin’ much, what’s up with you?” They hugged me back, picking me off the ground barely.
“Nothing either. Other than cleaning. The whole house.”
We walked in, I introduced them to my mom and stepdad, and we went to my room.
We both laid down on my bed in that ‘paint me like one of your French girls’ position and said the exact same words at the exact same time: “You come here often?”, Em and I busted up laughing as I punched their shoulder.
I don’t remember what we did for the 20-30 minutes that it took for Hunter to get to my house. I’m pretty sure it involved my brother bullying him and a little bit of play flirting. (Kissing on the cheek and thigh grabbing included, which was one step behind the most we’d ever flirted. The most was a single kiss on the neck during a musical rehearsal backstage while I was in a hooker outfit for my scene.)
When Hunter got there we went down to my basement to play some games.
Apparently, we all simultaneously suck at fooz-ball and pool. To be fair, they were both on a considerably small game table because we’re broke but need entertainment.
Hunter sat on our foldable circle chair while I beat Emery’s ass in air hockey. I also smacked his ass, but that’s irrelevant.
Kaylah showed up and hugged me tightly for a long time, I’m not a big fan of physical touch so I scooped her arms off of me. We all played games together for a good while, I did Kaylah’s first (almost) full face of makeup, we failed to make friendship bracelets, shot my stepdad with a Nerf gun, and built a short lasting fire in my backyard. We mostly talked though.
At one point we danced to music and my legs gave out.
I was embarrassed about it but tried to play it off like I was fine.
Em discreetly helped me to a chair while the other two looked away to do something. I’ve known Em for the least amount of time of any of my friends but it’s like they understand what I need better than anyone else.
When Kaylah and Hunter noticed I had been sitting down for a long time they told me to come play a game, but my legs were hurting still. Emery was standing next to me, conveniently.
“Nuh-uh. Jonah is staying right here with me!!” They said as they sat on my lap, facing me and flipping off the other two with their tongue out their mouth. I covered my face and laughed.
“Yup. I’m trapped guys, sorry.” I shrugged with a smile as my arms wrapped around their waist.
Later, around 9pm, Hunter had to leave because his mom had a much more strict curfew than the rest of us. We had to call him by his dead name and pretend that it was Bible study. It sounded like a stupid excuse when we made it up, but Hunter said it would be the easiest one since all our families either are or were Christian, so it won’t be like we’re pulling random things from our ass if his mom asks us questions.
To me, calling your friend by their dead name doesn’t sound wrong or disrespectful when I say it, it kind of just feels like when you find out your friend had a dumb nickname in elementary and now you call them that to make fun of them.
We all said bye and went to my room to hang out for a while.
My mom walked in on us piled on top of each other like planks of wood because we were taking turns with being human weighted blankets. Then we all ate the chicken nuggets she made us.
Kaylah was the next one who left. I could have sworn she almost started crying. We both gave her far too many hugs and even more I love yous as she went out the front door.
It was ten forty-something, so about 20 minutes before Em had to go home.
“Basement or your room?” They asked.
“Wherever you want. You're the guest here.”
“I don’t care.”
“Okay, well our stuff is in the basement, so come on.”
When we went down the stairs my legs started feeling weak again and I sat down on the last step.
“You okay?” Em kneeled in front of me and put a hand on my knee.
“Yeah. Knees were about to give out,” A couple minutes passed before I stood, “I'm good now, sorry.” “Don’t be, you're perfectly fine.”
They had one hand on my back as we went to the corner of the basement with all the games. I sat on the circle chair and Emery dragged a stool over next to me. I laid my head on their lap as I checked my phone for notifications.
Emery kissed the top of my head, I turned to look up at them with a smile. I put my phone and the ground and grabbed their thighs while laughing. “You're gay. Loser.”
“Me? Never.” Emery giggled.
I pulled them to sit on my lap and kissed their cheek, and their nose, and their forehead.
Emery's hands went up to cover their face, “If I just pretend you don’t exist I can’t get flustered.”
“Really?” I put one of my hands up the side of their shirt, “I didn’t know That’s how it worked.”
They shivered, which could have been from how cold my hands always are, but knowing just how easy Emery has always been to make blush, I doubt it.
“Fuck you, Jonah.”
“Time and place?”
“Bitch.”
I giggled and took my hand off their waist. Emery looked at me with a face that looked indecisive but loving in a way That’s hard to describe. They kissed my cheek and my jaw, then got off my lap and on the ground and kissed my stomach. Over and over again.
The lower part of my stomach isn’t exactly ticklish, but sensitive, I flinched with every touch.
It was odd. I’d not exactly done anything like that before, so I wasn’t sure what I was thinking or feeling. But I knew I was enjoying it.
Emery looked up at my smiling, hands wrapped around the back of my calves, and their face hovering above my stomach still.
“Pretty.”
“Shut up,” I covered my blush and laughed.
An alarm went off on their phone. 10:55.
“Damn. I gotta go…”
“I’m going to get my mom to drive you. You're not walking home while It’s dark.” I put my hand on their cheek as they stood.
“You really don’t have to.”
“I really want to.”
I really want them.