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I sit with Sam on the bench seat of the band van as it rumbles over the Marine Parkway Bridge. We’re lucky that Jayden got Kyle to drive us in the band van so we didn’t have to spend hours on the damn bus. Genesis and Tarima are pressed in tight against Sam, all three girls talking fast about some movie they want to go see. Darem and Ocam are sitting in the back just wobbling around loose with the cooler, getting thrown around a little while they laugh together. They’re always sharing some private joke. Absolutely ridiculous roommates and they’ve only gotten worse since they got together.
“We’re setting up at the gay end, right?” Kyle asks as he goes through the roundabout towards the big parking lot.
“Can we not?” I ask. Behind me I can hear Darem scoff.
“Caleb doesn’t want to be surrounded by the gays. There’s already too many of us in the van!” Ocam laughs when Darem says it.
“Last time, we were 20 feet from a pair of guys who were fucking on the beach. I just want to sit a little away from where that’s gonna happen.”
“It is a reasonable request.” Jayden says to Kyle. Kyle side-eyes him for a moment, and I can tell that Kyle wants to make a comment about missing out on seeing some randos hooking up, but he doesn’t, because Jayden is the best and Kyle loves him.
“Ok, we’ll set up wherever there’s enough space in that direction, but we won’t go to the end of the beach.” Kyle agrees. “But maybe we can have a wander around.” The last bit is quiet, clearly directed at only Jayden. I don’t need to know what they might be looking for. I’m just going to pretend it’s drugs and not worry about it.
When we offload the van, I grab the cooler, and Darem grabs the umbrella and the bags. We head through the little side section of boardwalk near the Ocean Club. Kyle and Jayden don’t even look around, they just walk straight to the beach itself, clearly having found a big enough spot to accommodate us all.
We set up and spread out. Jayden insists on putting sunscreen on Kyle, since apparently he has a tendency to forget to do it. Tarima and Genesis settle in under the umbrella. Ocam and Darem hurriedly get on sunscreen and then run out into the water together. I dig around in the cooler and grab the sandwiches I made for Sam and myself.
I hand her a sandwich, and she gives me that smile where I know I’m grinning like an idiot in response. We eat, and I realize I have no idea where Jayden and Kyle went. I guess they’re doing whatever they’re going to do. Darem and Ocam are shouting and jumping around in the water like idiots. Tarima and Genesis are laying next to each other, quietly talking, both in giant sunglasses and not even looking at each other.
When we finish eating, Sam grabs my hand and we head to the water. She’s done her hair in box braids specifically so she can get it wet without worrying, but she’s got a swim cap on anyway. She swims out a bit, but I stay where I can keep my feet on the sand, mostly just watching her. She’s a way more confident swimmer than I am.
Jayden said I should talk to Kyle about swim lessons, but it feels stupid. He’s probably right. I’m probably just being stubborn. Which would be normal on both sides.
Sam floats over to me, big grin on her face.
“I wish I could feel this way all the time.” She says it in a dreamy way, her eyes only half open as she floats into me so that her head bumps in my stomach.
“How do you feel?” I look down at her, cocking my head to the side slightly so she’s not completely upside down.
“Light. Fast. I feel like it’s easier to think like this.”
“Maybe we should move into an apartment with a bathtub so you can have a float when you’re having trouble with classwork.” She raises an eyebrow.
“Do you want to move in together?” I feel my face get hot.
“Yeah. I’ve been thinking about it lately…”
“Your place has a bathtub.”
“You wanna live with Ocam and Darem?”
“Ocam’s my bud, and Darem’s not as bad as you seem to think.”
“Darem is the worst.” She raises both eyebrows at me. “He’s a preening, self-important dickbag.”
“He also cleans your whole apartment except your bedroom. And he always gets you a bacon egg and cheese when you have a hangover.”
“So you just want to have a live-in maid slash delivery service.” She laughs.
“Mostly I just want to wake up next to you more often.” I squat down in the water, pulling her in close so that her head is on my shoulder and I can put my arms around her.
“What’s Gen gonna say about this idea?”
“Genesis doesn’t need me to pay rent. She may decide she needs to move though. If all of her friends are in Astoria and her girlfriend’s in Lefferts, Manhattan starts looking a lot less desirable.”
“Jayden’s still on 110th.”
“How long before Jayden moves into the band house?”
“You think he and Kyle are that serious?”
“They’re hooked on each other.”
“You think they’ll let Jay move into the band house?”
“If they don’t, Kyle will find them a place nearby. Maybe closer to Bed-Stuy so his work commute is easier.”
“It’s only been a few months.”
“Six months.”
“That’s too soon.”
“I’m not saying they’re doing it right now, but Jayden’s lease is up in March, so you know… we’ll see.”
“You’ve got it all gamed out then.” I turn my head and kiss her cheek. She turns her head so we can actually kiss.
“People tend to be predictable.”
“To you, maybe.”
“You expect everyone to be careful, to only take risks when they’re pretty certain they can do it. Which is true and not. Most people are pretty bad at assessing their own skill levels, so they’re willing to take more risks, but also some people will just throw themselves at something risky without thinking about it.”
“Jayden’s not like that.”
“He’s less risk-averse when a pretty boy is involved.” I laugh at that.
“That’s pretty true.”
“So should we talk to the others about me moving in today or do you want to brood about it for a bit?” I laugh again.
“I think I need to brood. You sure you don’t want to look for a place on our own?”
“Student loans are bad enough as they are. Way cheaper to split rent four ways.”
“I don’t have much closet space. Or room for a second desk.”
“Ocam lives in Darem’s room anyway. I bet he’d be down for me to help him turn his room into a shared space to do work.”
“What if they break up? They’ve been playing boyfriends for all of two months.”
“If they break up, then that apartment will have bigger problems than where everyone’s going to sit on their laptop.”
“What if I moved in with you and Gen?”
“You make an irritated face every time I remind you to take your shoes off at the door.”
“It’s dumb.”
“It’s Genesis’s rule. One of many. I don’t think you’d enjoy living with Genesis.”
“Why are you so good at it then?”
“I love rules and guidelines. You get mad whenever anyone tells you what to do.”
“No, I don’t.” Even as I say it, I know I’m being defensive and she’s right. “Maybe I do.”
“Maybe.” She doesn’t fully laugh, but I can hear it bubbling in her voice.
“Four people and one bathroom…”
“That’s true. I’m sure we can make it work though.”
“I don’t know. It might be worth the money to have a place just the two of us.”
“Brood on it. We can look at options later and see what we can afford. Compare what else is out there to your place.”
“Sure. You want to stay out here a while longer or should we head in and check on the landlocked lesbians?”
“You go. I’m going to float a bit longer.”
“If you’re staying put, why would I go anywhere?” I kiss her neck and wrap my arms around her a little tighter. She laughs.
We stay in the water a while longer, just together feeling the waves crest.