'I love you' was the last thing I said to my parents before I left this morning. I gave them a quick hug and ran out the door and got in the car with my best friends Nadia and Henry.
“Got everything?” Jeremy, Henry's older brother, asks, putting my sticker-covered suitcase in the trunk of the car. "Yup! Oh wait! One thing!” I exclaim and reach into the main pocket of my satchel to retrieve a small bag of Squashies." This is for you." I give him the payment for offering to drive us to the festival.
“Aw great! Thanks mate!” Jeremy beams and puts one in his mouth.
“Beck!" Nadia giggles from inside the car. “Hurry! Remus keeps licking me!"
“I'm on my way!" I reply and rush to the side of the car where Remus, the large, fluff-covered, Alaskan Malamute named after Henry's favourite Harry Potter character is sitting in the middle of the car with two of his paws on each of Nadia’s shoulders, voraciously licking her, tail wagging rapidly.
“Remus! Down boy!" I laugh and he turns to me and licks my face before jumping out the car to greet my parents. Nadia moves up a seat and I slide in next to her. I look around, someone's missing.
“Where's Henry?” I ask.
“I think he went inside to take a call." she replies pointing out the window of the car at the house. There is the slim silhouette of Henry’s body in the living room window.
“Who from?" She gives me a look and I immediately realise my mistake. Jeremy has just sat himself down in the driver's seat and is trying to strap Remus into the passengers.
“Oh." I mouth the words ‘I'm sorry’ to Nadia and begin buckling into the centre seat.
For anyone who doesn't know what we're (not) talking about and why we can't say it in front of Jeremy, is that Henry is in a polyamorous relationship and hasn't told anyone in his family. It's already difficult to come out to a relatively religious family as transgender and gay, nevermind having to now explain that he's also in a romantic relationship with multiple people who all love each other equally at the same time without it being considered adultery.Jeremy thinks they’re just really good friends. Henry’s partner, Randy, and his boyfriend Winston, live a couple of hours away which means the three of them have only met a few times before. Calling had become common and when they meet, the love language of physicality swarms in like the warmth of hot chocolate on a cold day. Luckily for me and Nadia, they're more than happy for us to join the conversations and occasionally steal Henry back from the world of romancing tiny pictures on his phone screen.
“I'm back! Sorry Randy was asking if I was bringing a proper suitcase or a duffel bag." Henry sags, retreating from the house into the car.
“Wait, have they still not finished packing?” Nadia asks.
“Nope. They're not leaving till Winston's mum wakes up from her night shift.” He shuts the door.
“Are they going to be able to meet up before the rides shut down?” I chime in. Letting Henry reach under me to fasten his seatbelt.
Another thing you should know is that today's the day me, Nadia, Henry, Randy and Winston are all heading to FreedomFest! It's only the most extravagant, exciting and death-defying festival of the decade! We've all been begging our parents for months! They finally agreed to let us go when Nadia's parents offered to pay for us all to go instead of multiple parents paying for multiple students. It's going to be 3 days of fun filled rides and activities all divided up by 4 action packed meetings!
“Yeah, they said that if she was still sleeping at 4 they'd call Randy's sister and ask if she's available to give them a lift.” Henry says.
“I thought she was back from university.” I say.
“She is.”
“Then why is Winston's mum giving them a lift?”
“Randy's sister lives with her boyfriend."
“And? She’s too busy with her boyfriend to be able to give them a lift?"
“She’s just had a baby! You dingbat! That's why!" Nadia practically yells. Thank goodness Jeremy has his headphones in, he would turn the car around if he realised we were arguing. “She can’t be taxiing people around 24/7 when she's got a whole other human being to take care of!”
“Oh. Good point.” I admit, blushing.
“Sometimes I wonder whether you actually have a brain.”
I roll my eyes. Henry chuckles.
“Hey! It's not funny! Why are you laughing!” I poke him in the ribs.
“It's because it's true!” He pokes me back and we all burst out laughing.
“Alrighty little dudes! We're going to make a quick pit stop so me and Remus can go to the loo and then we’ll get kicking!” Jeremy announces, opening the door. Nadia clears her throat. “Oh sorry Dia! Can't forget the angel sitting behind me!" He winks.
“That will be quite enough Jeremy Aiden Thomas." She kicks the back of his seat.
“Feisty. But how did you know my middle name?" He looks towards Henry who's shaking with his hand attempting to cover up the massive grin he's got plastered across his face. He kicks the car into drive.214Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7fw6qZuN3
