Sean strolled back inside with the same grin he’d had on as before and patted me on the back. “You good, man? You look like a cat’s got your tongue.” He snickered at his own joke, the marijuana already working on him. Drew looked at me and gave me a knowing smile.
A cat didn’t have my tongue, but Drew most certainly did.
Later that evening, after Sean and Brian left, Drew and I lounged on the sofa in the basement. We had just gotten done chugging some well-deserved water. We were both sweaty from practice. We didn’t say anything or touch each other for a long time. I think we both needed the silence to wrap our heads around everything.
“I’m going to drop out of college, Ash,” Drew said softly.
His face was turned toward mine, and I looked at him to let him know I was listening. “My parents won’t be happy. But I can’t work, go to school, and do the band. I don’t even want to go to school.”
I placed a hand on top of his thigh, right above his knee, and gave him a light squeeze. “I know.”
“I’m scared,” Drew admitted after a drawn-out silence.
I took his hand in mine. “Do you want me to be there? When you talk to them about it?”
He looked at me and ran his fingers along my jawline. “I think I need to do it myself. Rip the Band-Aid off or whatever.”
I scooted into him closer, and he moved his head so that it rested on my shoulder. I leaned my head on top of his and kissed his hair. “I think it’ll be okay, Drew,” I murmured. “Really. Your parents love you so much. Hell, I think they even lovemenow. They have big hearts. Kind hearts. They might not love the idea at first, but even if that’s the case, I think they’ll come around to it.”
Drew let out a shaky sigh and shrugged. “I hope so.”
“When are you going to do it?”
“Tomorrow.”
Right as I was about to do something—kiss him or hug him, or hell, I didn’t know—my phone buzzed with a text from Sean.
Sean: Wait. Do we even have a band name?!