Jerk Buds

The summer sun burned in the sky, its heat radiating from the asphalt to cook me from both directions. It seriously felt like if I stood still for more than a moment, my shoes would melt into the road and trap me in place.

"Goddamn hot." I mumbled, half delirious from heat stroke.

A breeze swept through the vast fields that surrounded the road, giving me that final push I needed to make it to my destination. The driveway was long, but at least it wasn't that damn heat blasting asphalt.

I walked by the faded 'Mackay Farm' sign, smacking my hand onto it like I always did. There wasn't any point to it, but some part of my caveman brain demanded I smack the damn thing. It just felt satisfying.

I jumped up the three wooden steps, not wanting to be the one that stepped on the rickety old things and have them collapse on me. Finally I was in the shade, but I couldn't stop just yet.

I took two more steps forward and then let myself fall, crashing into the door as my way of knocking.

"JOOOOSHHH" I shouted out, my body limp against the door.

It took a moment for him to get the door for me, longer than it normally took him. I guess the heat was slowing everyone down. When he did open it I rolled off the open door and fell on top of him, knocking the scrawny teenager to the ground.

"Jesus River you're like an hour late, I didn't think you were still coming." He laughed in that way only he did, nothing held back.

Most guys would have yelled at me for knocking them to the ground, but not Josh. Farm life had made him way more relaxed than all the other guys at school, he didn't care about all the pointless petty bullshit everyone else got caught up in.

He was just happy I was here. He didn't yell at me to get off him, even though I was a bit heavier than he was, and he didn't care that my sweat would have been dripping down into him. We always had chill hangouts, which was exactly what I needed at the end of a long ass week. Just walking through that door lifted a weight off my shoulder.

"Corse I came. The bus just broke down mid ride, so I had to walk a bit further than my usual." I could feel his phone in his pants, the bulge pressing into my skin. It was annoying, but not annoying enough to get me to move. "You know I wouldn't skip out on time with my best bud."

"Well if you're done using me as a pillow, we can get up and actually do something."

I groaned over dramatically and pulled myself up, giving Josh my hand. His hands were soft, which fit with his overall build but was at a complete disconnect with his farm upbringing. I had assumed most kids living on a farm put more work into that farm, but not Josh. He had a light tan sure, but his attitude, hair, overall vibe, none of it mixed with where he lived.

The other guys at school thought he was a weird kid and just didn't pay him any attention. It was that disconnect that piqued my curiosity about him, and led us to becoming friends. I knew now that he'd only been living here for a few years, his mother marrying into the farm life. They seemed to cut him some slack with all the chores and work, which was great for us because it meant we got the house all to ourselves while they were out working for the day!

"Come on man let's go put a movie on." Josh took the lead heading down to the entertainment room. A converted cellar, the room had a big leather couch with a projected screen and surround sound.

"God yes." I said as we descended the stairs. "Exams have me so stressed out man, I just need to relax."

Josh walked over to a bookcase filled with old DVDs, the internet out here wasn't great so having the physical media was necessary. I dropped down onto the couch, sinking into it as I settled in for a chill day of relaxation.

"You want something with action? Or maybe one of Tracy's trash romances that'll have at least one sex scene!"

"Whatever you want man, I'm just ready to unwind."

"Alright, I've got something good. Let me grab some snacks while it starts."

Josh set up the room, getting the projector going, dimming the lights and starting the movie. Then he raced back up the stairs to the kitchen.

I stretched my muscles and let out a long sigh, finally cooling off. This was what made walking through the gurgling sun all worth it. A chance to hang out with my bud and just chill, no dramas or expectations. Just like we did every weekend.

This time however, there was something that caught my eye. Off on the other side of the couch was a laptop, cracked open just a little. I couldn't see the screen but in the dimmer light I could see that it was turned on. The light projected from its screen dimming and increasing in intensity as whatever was currently playing on it changed from scene to scene.

I part of me knew that I should pry. That I should just close it shut and wait for Josh to get back. We spend our day watching movies, talking about the babe's on screen and how cool the fights were.

Instead my curiosity got the better of me. Checking to make sure Josh wasn't at the top of the stairs, I opened the laptop and from there everything changed.