Page 16 of Lights Out

Bane chuckles. “Same.”

Jimmy clears his throat. “I want to take a moment to thank you all for being here tonight. It means a lot to see everyone having fun and making memories that include my little bar. The last thirty years have been incredible, and I’ve seen so many changes come to this town. As I start the next phase of my life, and many of you do, I’d like to raise a toast to the memories.”

We all lift our glasses and a guy calls out, “To Jimmy!”

“To Jimmy!” we all yell back and slam down our shots.

Jimmy moves around the bar, stopping at tables and chatting with people. Our table is quiet now, and I’d bet we’re all thinking about tomorrow. Walking with our caps and gowns and getting that expensive piece of paper in our hands after four long years.

“I still feel like a kid,” I admit. “But after tomorrow, I’m expected to be an adult.”

“Not really,” Indy says. “Adulthood starts at thirty. We’re still allowed to be fuckups in our twenties.”

“Where’s that rule written?” Lowen asks.

“I read it in an article.”

“You read?” Kit teases.

Indy playfully punches Kit’s arm. “I’ve been following that queer podcast that Beth and Agnes started. They have some good content. Articles and shit.”

“They really pulled it off?” Bane asks.

“Yep. They’ve even got some sponsors now.”

“They took the media assignment seriously,” Kit says.

“Yeah,” Indy agrees. “Anyway, don’t put pressure on yourself. You’ll figure it out. We all will.”

I nod, stealing a peek at Bane. He’s bopping his head to the music playing and listening to Ridley tell one of his many off color jokes.

I sit back, soaking in these last minutes with my group of unlikely friends. If it hadn’t been for English Lit my chances of having met any of them were slim. I wouldn’t have met Bane either, but now I can’t imagine my life without him.

When he told me about the opportunity with his dad’s company there was no way I wasn’t going to follow him. Am I codependent? Maybe, but I don’t care. Bane makes me feel braver than I am. He’s brought me out of my shell, sort of, and without him, there’s no way I’d be moving across the country. I would’ve looked for local jobs in New Onyx. The one thing I wouldn’t have done is gone back home. If I never step in the state of New Hampshire again I’ll be just fine with that.

“Hey,” Bane says, rubbing my back. “You okay?”

Nodding, I study his big, brown eyes. So soulful and kind they have the power to make my stomach flutter. Maybe if I wasn’t such a sheltered traumatized guy I could find a guy just like Bane— brilliant, funny, gorgeous, thoughtful — but he’d have to be able to appreciate me the way my best friend does. I don’t know if that’s even possible.

“I’m great.”

“Good. Don’t worry about the future, Jer. It’ll work out and we’ll have each other.”

“Always?”

He lifts his hand and puts his pinky out for me. I wrap my pinky around his. “Always.”

“Last call,” Jimmy yells, his voice cracking on the final word.

“Shit,” Indy mutters. “This is happening.”

“It’s real now,” Kit says.

“The end of an era,” Lowen adds.

“This blows,” Ridley complains.

“It kind of does,” Bane says.

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