I'm Still Standing

“ i’m a-okay, everything is great. ” she assured him, offering him two thumbs ups as if to prove that she was absolutely perfect and no harm had been done. except to her dress of course. “ i don’t know.. ” she began, looking between him and her dress and off in distance as if an imaginary uber was waiting for her. “ i think that might be a bit extra. i’m sure it’ll go off with some soap or something. or i’ll just steal a t-shirt from one of the boys. ” she shrugged, perfectly normal, she was sure they wouldn’t even miss it.

“Don’t say that,” Griffin groaned, bumping his shoulder as they stood with their hands intertwined. He looked over at Skyler, making a face. “I don’t know, you just never know who you’re gonna end up working with later on down the road.” After all, hadn’t he read somewhere that Marc Jacobs had called Cara Delevigne a dwarf and then ended up casting her in a series of his shows later? He figured that it worked the same in the film world, and he wanted to make a good impression on the hottest new things at the party. Skyler’s grip made him sigh, leaning in to steal a gentle kiss. “Same goes for you, behave yourself.”

Skyler wrinkled his nose, “Stop trying to please people. You only gotta please me,” he joked, rocking forward to meet the other in a kiss. “Listen, I always behave myself. Most of the time.” He smiled a little more at Griff, tugging the boy forward and towards the first bit of alcohol he could find, “I say we get absolutely wasted and find a room.”

cori was having a great time, surprisingly, well for her at least. she’d spent majority of the evening getting drunk and dancing with strangers. maybe it was the whole la feeling of the place, prompting her to let more loose than she might’ve otherwise, feeling like, hey nobody knows me here, except a lot of people did, but that had faded far back in her mind. — maybe also the fact that she wasn’t wearing a chainmail of a dress anymore. as she was dancing away from the makeshift dancefloor, she collided with someone else, managing to spill the remainder of her drink over herself. “ aw man.. ” she whined looking down at herself as her hands ran over the fabric of her dress, “ it’s my favorite. ” she sighed before looking up to put a face on the wall she’d collided with, a smile spreading on her lips at the sight of the familiar face, “ i should probably attempt to get it off. wanna help or just keep me company ? ” she wondered, even if it was old she’d rather not see it ruined.

@skyxmehta

Griffin looked around, tucking his shirt in a little neater before they got out of the car. Skyler had joined him, in fact, he’d insisted that they both go— the afterparty had been said to be boasting a guest list unlike he’d ever seen, (outside of award shows, of course). It was an excellent chance for networking, even though his own nervousness had him reaching for his companion’s hand, gripping it tightly for a moment before allowing his fingers a chance to breathe. “You better tell me if I say anything stupid,” he warned, glancing at familiar dark eyes. “How do I look?”

Skyler rose an eyebrow, looking down at their hands mischievously before he laughed, “You always say something stupid. Kidding. Anyway, why are you so worried about impressing these people? I feel like they’re all out here to drink, smoke, and get laid.” He tugged Griffin to a stop, grabbing onto the other’s jacket, “You look good, now relax and have fun, yeah?”

           “if it’s who i’m thinking about - one - he’s a six at best, and you’re a ten on a bad day. do better. and two i’m like, ninety-four percent sure he’s a sugar daddy.” her orbs are hidden behind a pair of tinted sunglasses and even then - her eyes are shut, soaking in the sun and letting it kiss her skin. “he tried talking to me the other night and i asked what you should never ask a sugar daddy,” her tone starts to fill with amusement, lips twitching into a smile that she can’t stop even if she tried to - the ghost of a laugh dancing on the girl’s lips, “- i asked if he had a son. if he doesn’t pass by today, he’s probably getting some work done to look younger.” there’s a lift of a slender shoulder as she finally looks over at him, “my bad.” though it’s clear she doesn’t mean the words. “if he does end up running by, i’ll stick my foot out and you can patch him up. nothing screams ‘thank you, i’ll meet you in the doherty’s powder room for a quick bj’ more than an act of kindness.”

“That position was never yours, babe.” Kels laid a hand on her heart theatrically, “Maid of honour’s Dakota, that’s just girl code.” The blonde sipped at her tea, “We might be able to squeeze you into the brides maids, if you’re feeling really put out though.” She canted her head, looking at Skyler through light lashes. “Last month I got burned going outside to water my plants on the roof. It’s really not fair.” Kels grinned widely, “That includes me, but I don’t even mind. I feel like I’m thriving. What’s it like being out there and working, do you feel like a real grown up now?”

Skyler made a face, “Sounds like sexism. I don’t make the rules.” He leaned his head back, closing his eyes, “I look great in drag, so don’t kid yourself. Plus, I’m skinny enough for dresses. You’ll just have to stuff my bra.” He gave a lopsided smile, opening one eye to look at her, “I suppose. I mean, taking pictures of people and things all day doesn’t feel like a real job.”

“I’ve got baby cousins, remember?” He smiled, twisting a little and groaning at the pinch. Griffin’s thumbs ran over the backs of Skyler’s palm, and with his hand still in his grip, he pulled back tugging them towards the waterline. It was bound to be cold, and his toes curled as they sunk into the darker, wetter sand. “I’m pretty sure you’ll make fun of me if I drop us both,” Griff said, “You’re gonna have to use those legs of yours.”

Skyler wrinkled his nose, remembering the kids after a moment. He shook his head, blowing some of his hair out of his face before he laughed, “I would make fun of you, but you’re nice and strong, babe. Why, think you can’t do it?” He paused after a second, humming, “Do you have an extra suit I could borrow?”

“The other day we had some very intense eye contact,” Kels laughed, stretching out long legs on the chair as she freed her iced tea from her bag, “You’re right, I have nothing to be jealous about.” She tucked a lock of light hair behind her ear, adjusting sunglasses down on her nose. “I almost forgot that you’re like, halfway to thirty.” The blonde grinned, unable to resist her teasing. “Don’t forget the sunscreen Mehta, you’re almost out of the prime of your life.”

“Intense eye contact? Damn, you’re practically married, Kels. I thought I was going to be your maid of honor? I feel a little betrayed,” he smiled at his friend, turning to look back towards the ocean as she spoke. He hummed a little, “You know, I have the best tan around here. All I do is get about fifty shades of gay when I’m out in the sun. I haven’t burned in years. Also, fuck you – I am still considered early to mid twenties. It’s not my fault everyone else around here is a spoiled college kid.”

Griffin didn’t say anything, twining his fingers through Skyler’s as he hummed the tune to Baby Shark. His grin could have been seen with or without the brightness of the night’s moon and he looked back over at the water and the lights from the Hampton’s that winked in it. “I’m an artist,” he teased, “I’m always feeling romantic.” Skyler’s words fell warm against his neck and Griff breathed out a laugh. “That almost sounds better than a swim.”

“Not the song. Who introduced you to that, anyway?” Skyler lightly pinched Griffin’s side, though he turned to rest his head on the other’s shoulder. Sometimes it was easy to forget that other people existed, considering he gave most of his time and attention to the boy he’d met back in LA. Was he naive? Maybe, but he was still having a good time and that’s all that mattered to him. “You can carry me into the water – I don’t mind.”

“And I love that journey for you, honest,” Kels said, toting her rolled up beach towel against her side, “But I’ve been sitting here every day for that exact reason, so I’m feeling a little jealous.” She grinned toothily, spreading out her things in the seat beside Skyler. “I think he has kids though.” Her head tilted, “Or maybe he’s a very dedicated uncle. It’s not really a deal breaker for me, what about you?”

Skyler huffed out a laugh, glancing at Kels after a moment, “Oh yeah? Don’t be jealous. I only window shop – but, between you and me, who cares if he has kids. I’m at that age where I can fuck the twenty something year old son or the fourty somethin’ year old dad and still be okay with it.”

“Is that right?” Griffin teased, “If it’s really really expensive it smells like patchouli and roses– not skunk.” He tipped his head up, glad for the brightness of the moon. The whole beach was visible, and in the cool glow of the evening the water seemed to beckon. “I like it out here, you can see the stars.” He reached forward, itching his fingers towards Skyler’s hand. He felt boyish, so he continued to tease. “Not skinny dipping, but I heard that there’s a great white shark up on the east coast this summer. I want to go say hello.” 

“That shark you? Or is that what you named your dick?” Skyler easily went forward with Griffin, pushing some of his hair out of his face. “The stars are nice. It’s a little romantic even for you. What kinda game you playing, Velazco?” He joked, wrinkling his nose before he leaned into the other. “If you want to get me wet, you have to carry my ass home.”

The market closest to her boss’ eight bedroom colonial monstrosity was a small, family run affair. Jac always liked coming to this particular one, with it’s cramped aisles and limited selection, it reminded her of how things were back home— smaller, but personal. The bell that chimed at the push of the front door would cause the father who ran the cash register to look up, smile at her like they were old friends, and greet her by her name. The kids who stocked the shelves would sneak glances at her shyly. The lighting overhead was fluorescent, and flickered every few minutes. The business relied on the summer birds, and she knew they only tried so hard because in a few short weeks the streets would empty out and the houses that faced the ocean would become quiet once more. The locals would drive out to the bigger box stores in search of better bargains and this place would close up again and wait for summer to come.

Waving goodbye to the owner, she left with a plastic bag in hand, containing all the fixings to make a mean mojito. She’d bought a bottle of rum earlier and had a half cracked idea of making her own cocktails, a venture she’d likely give up on if her first try came out terrible. As Jac fumbled with the keys to the company car she was being lent for the summer, she shoved a stubborn lock of dark hair that had fallen forward back behind her ear, losing grip of the bag. The half dozen limes she’d bought (overkill probably, but one can never be too careful) rolled across the lot, a few stopping right before another car just shifting into park. As the owner stepped out, Jac motioned at the ground as she stooped to toss her belongings back into the bag. “You gotta watch your step, some idiot made a giant mess.”

“Is that idiot you?” Skyler bent down to pick up one of the limes, looking it over before he hummed, “Do I get this one for helping you out or what? I’m nice, but not that nice.” He had watched the unfortunate event happen, and needless to say, it was the best thing he’d seen all day. It was difficult to find amusement when surrounded by people who lived such perfect lives. “So what are these for? Don’t tell me you’re trying to make margaritas. These are gross. I prefer strawberry.”

“You don’t like the smell of mango juuls, but you like weed?” Griff shook his head, spinning to walk backwards– this time facing Skyler as he stepped. “I think you’ve got that twisted.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, grinning wider at the words. “Yeah? A joint, you and a full moon. Sounds like a pretty good summer night.” His head tipped in the direction of the water, and his brow lifted in suggestion, “Think it’s still cold?”

“I mean...sometimes, if it’s the expensive weed, you can’t even smell it,” he pointed out, grinning a little more before he leaned back so he didn’t fall. He’d been using Griffin to hold himself up, and with the other’s absence, he held on to the railing instead. “Why? You into skinny dipping now?”

Griffin grinned, looking over at Skyler before shaking out his hair. The dark curls were his trademark, even tonight a few had escaped his hasty attempt to pull them back, framing his face. “Just might go feral and head into the woods or something. Feels like that kind of night.” He lifted a brow, letting out a sigh as his cigarette was tossed into the sand. “Didn’t you hear?” Griff reached down, grabbing it to tuck into his pocket and throw away later, he hated littering– “All the rich kids vape now. We’re old, babe.”

Skyler smiled a little more, looking out over the beach instead of at Griff. He leaned his head back, letting the ocean breeze pull his hair out of his face, “Vape? Ew. Isn’t that worse for you? I can’t even stand the smell. A little mary jane hasn’t hurt nobody, babe. I say you stick to that – and me.”

Summer was coming to a close; as the days grew shorter and the nights lost more and more of their warmth– the feeling of loss seemed to cling to Griffin’s shoulders and he clutched his denim jacket closer to them. It always felt as though as soon as he had shed enough of his skin to be comfortable in a season, it decided to slip through his fingers. A cigarette dwindled wedged in his hand, forgotten while he walked on the beach. His shoes bumped against his side as he walked, tucked away in the canvas tote bag that was slung onto his shoulder. He enjoyed the quiet, but not enough so that the sound of steps coming down the dune towards the beach didn’t make him lift his head, offering a smile. “I think it’s a full moon,” Griff said, taking a lazy tug from the cigarette. “Are you superstitious?” 

Skyler had his shoulders hunched against the cold breeze, his body bumping lightly against Griffin’s side. “A full moon? What – you gonna turn into a werewolf? That explains the shaggy hair,” he smiled slightly, reaching up to pluck the cigarette and flick it away. “Do rich people always smoke? Take a chill pill – I have a few.”