JC is squeezed into the corner of the booth next to Joey, who is playing with the candle, dripping wax onto the table and rolling it into a ball, swearing when he forgets to let it cool a little. Chris sprawls across from them, jamming a spoon into the crevice that splits the table and bending it back and forth. Justin is asleep, his head resting beside a pile of dirty plates and crumpled napkins. It's hours past his bedtime and Chris snuck him two beer earlier. The waitress comes by and says he can't sleep there, and Chris throws an arm around his shoulders and pulls him in, tucking Justin's head against his chest, so it's slightly less obvious he's asleep. The waitress comes by again and says, "Take that child home to his bed," but she's smiling and she brings them more Cokes even though they drank their free refills hours ago. Lance is telling a story about a girl he took to Homecoming once. It was way too long and boring the first three times he told it to them, but even though no one is listening, no one wants him to stop talking. When he stops, the night will be over.

Chris bends the spoon a little too far and the handle pops off. Joey reaches over and takes it from him, holds it into the candle's small flame and twists it deftly. JC watches Joey's hands shape the scrap of metal. Lance finishes his story. Joey lifts JC's hand off the table and slips a silver circle onto JC's ring finger. JC holds his hand up to the light and spreads his fingers wide. Through the window past his hand he can see the first faint glow of dawn in the sky. "Oh, beautiful," JC breathes as the sky is streaked with rose and gold.

"Beautiful," Joey echoes. JC turns and smiles at him. Joey isn't looking at the sky.

Chris sighs and stands up and half drags, half lifts Justin to his feet. "It's time to take this child home to his bed," he says, and Justin blinks hard and rubs his head and mutters, "Not a child." Chris laughs and steers him toward the door. Lance yawns and gets up.

"Oh, no," JC says. His hand is still raised to the window, a futile protest against the swiftly brightening sky. "Not yet."

Chris laughs again as Justin stumbles sleepily into the door. Lance says, "We'll do it again tomorrow, C." He follows Chris and Justin out.

Joey folds his hand over JC's and pulls it down to the table. "We'll do it again tomorrow, C," he says. "And again the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that."

JC looks down. He can see silver glinting between his hand and Joey's. He looks up into Joey's smile. "We will," he says. "We will."

~ fin

email jae