Page 3 of Lights Out

Bane passes out the drinks then I lift my shot glass. “I propose a toast.” The guys turn their attention to me. A thousand thoughts flood my mind at once, but I settle on trying to keep it light for now. “To the best friends a guy ever had.”

Kit

Several shots in and I’m feeling good. Almost like I can’t feel the crushing weight of adulthood on my shoulders. Almost. It’s been there for months leading up to this moment when I have to say goodbye to my friends and the life I’ve enjoyed for the past four years.

I should be excited to start my new life. I’m ditching long winters for sunny beaches and the opportunity of a lifetime to work in my uncle’s video game design company. I get to actually use my degree with a decent paying job.

Indy nudges my arm, his pretty blue green eyes cloudy from the alcohol we’re putting down. Even bordering on being trashed, he’s still the best looking guy in the room and that’s saying something with Lowen present.

That’s how I chose my seat in English Lit that first day. I walked in, spotted him and took the chair next to him. I was hoping for a dirty hookup with the sexy guy who always seemed to be ready for anything. His dark hair, olive skin, and light eyes are a deadly combination, but when he started working out and adding tattoos — whew. Dude is hot. Unfortunately, we have tons of chemistry as friends and absolutely nada when it comes to romance. Our almost kiss proved that.

“Why the face, Kit?” he teases, repeating my earlier words.

“Goodbyes suck, man. I don’t want to do it.”

He shrugs. “Then don’t.”

“What?”

“Don’t say goodbye. We’ll do the yearly thing and we’ll stay friends.”

Reaching across the sticky table, I grab his hand and squeeze it. “Do you mean it?”

He focuses his gaze on me and nods. “Yeah, I do. You guys mean a lot to me too.”

The sincerity in his tone lifts my mood a little. “This group of guys…” I shake my head, glancing around the table at everyone talking and laughing. “I never thought I could have friendships like this, you know? The kind that matter.”

“Yeah, I know. We’re lucky we found each other.”

I chuckle as memories flow back. “Remember Professor Crane getting so mad at us for the dick jokes?”

Indy laughs too. “It was his decision to ask a bunch of horny nineteen year olds to dive into Moby Dick.”

“Did someone say dick?” Lowen asks, scooting his chair between us. “Where?”

“Moby Dick,” I say, emphasizing the first word.

“Oh god, that subject again. If I never have to talk about sperm oil again I’ll be grateful.”

“That section was amazing,” Indy says. “I mean how much more homoerotic does it get than a bunch of brawny sailors on a boat?”

“What are we talking about?” Jerryn asks, draping his arm over my shoulder.

“Moby Dick and sperm oil.”

Jerryn snorts, almost sloshing his beer on me before steadying himself. “Did anyone else know that book was so gay? I thought it was gonna be like Jaws or some shit.”

Bane joins the convo. “If I didn’t know I was into dick before I certainly did after that book. The class decisions were rough.”

“If you’re a horny kid,” Ridley says.

“Says the horniest kid of them all,” Indy teases.

Ridley grins, winking. “The jokes wrote themselves.”

“No lies told,” Indy says. “I loved how seriously Howard Dells took his homework. That speech he gave was fucking priceless.”

I laugh at the memory. “He talked about Ahab like he was running for president against him.”

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