Neil Mikk-Dahl

 

In fact, they'd all passed around a bottle of 'borrowed' alcohol that Lucas had taken from home just before Neil's freshman year of high school started. Neil, Lucas, Masaru and Izumi. Out camping in Lucas' back yard because none of their parents had time to take them on a real camping trip that year. 

 

Every time he drank, Neil realized he was basically just being a dumb kid, but he did it anyway. At least Masaru's girlfriend, Madeline, could be trusted to get everyone home safely. Since she was the only one standing up to the peer pressure. Or maybe standing up specifically to the Masaru pressure. Someone had to be sober to keep him in line. Or at least that was her reasoning every time she was the designated driver.

 

Neil's phone made a noise, signifying a text. He scooped it up, wincing as he peered at the screen. But the name 'Westley' flashed back at him and he immediately knew he wouldn't be putting it back down, no matter how much his head was pounding. 'Westley' in his phone contacts was his best friend and longtime crush, Izumi. Masaru's twin brother. Identical, except for the eyes. Masaru's were blue. Izumi's were green.

 

Neil really liked green. Or he had since freshman year anyway. Before then he'd been strongly in favor of purple and pink. And while he still loved those colors the most, it was easy for him to guess the reason green shot up the list as far as it did.

 

He peered at the screen, reading the text.

 

 

Neil smiled faintly at his phone screen. Izumi's father. Neil's 'uncle'. Or at least that's what Neil had always called the man when he was growing up. He hadn't known until later that there was actually a relation. But not one that made the man his uncle. Rather, he was Neil's father's cousin through marriage. Either way, he'd always looked out for Neil, who's father had been mostly absent from his life, outside of sending checks every month. Neil continued to view him as an uncle rather than a second cousin. Or was it first cousin once removed? He could never remember.

 

Neil knew his uncle well. In particular, his sense of humor. And the way he would quietly deadpan troll his children, especially Izumi. Neil knew because his own sense of humor was similar.

 

He quickly replied to Izumi's text.

 

 

 

Izumi was an adorable drunk. Such an adorable drunk. It wasn't the first time Izumi had spent the night squished up against Neil in his bed after a night of drinking several times before. Neil's mom typically didn't ask questions. She probably knew exactly what was going on, but she never called him on it. She trusted him to make good decisions. Sometimes he felt really terrible--like he might be letting her down. He tried not to dwell on that for too long. That brought complicated feelings. Feelings of being torn between making her proud and being himself.

 

"Here. Let me send it to you then."  Neil switched over to his photos, selecting the one he needed and sending it to Izumi. "You got drunk and passed out in my bed."

"I look so freaking pasty next to you, man. Jeez...."  Neil waited, knowing that wouldn't be the only thing he got. Just like clockwork, another text came in. "Wait. That's not important! Why the hell did you send this to my dad?!"

 

Neil waited patiently for the annoyed response, closing his eyes for a moment so the glare of the screen would stop making his head pound. Even a headache couldn't keep him from this though. This was how their friendship worked. He wouldn't trade these moments for anything. Even sleep and a headache cure.

 

 

Neil peered at the screen, amused.