Demi had his dufflebag all packed up and ready to go. The last of the songs being recorded onto the C60 that was blank just the night before. He'd never admit it, but he stayed up rather late trying to find the perfect mix of songs to both impress Zeke while also throwing in some hints in there. He'd debated on throwing in ‘Bottoms Up' but decided against it. If Zeke didn't know the song it would just seem like a weird add in. Dozens of crumbled up papers littered the plush floor around a small metallic trash can. Failed attempts at previous lists of songs he'd considered but decided he didn't like. His pager sat atop his chest as he lay in his water bed. Debating on if he should take a nap or not while he awaited the page.
Ezekiel hung up the phone after leaving a message on Demi’s pager that the twins would be on their way soon.
”Nancy, if you aren’t down here in five minutes, I’m leaving without you!” he yelled down the hallway before looking at his mom.
”Stop fussing, ma. It’ll be fine,” he said and kissed her cheek.
“I know, baby. Just let me fuss,” she said and double checked his bag. “Hun, you took out the condoms.”
”MOM! It’s summer camp for juvenile delinquents. Who am I going to be screwing? Besides, we are looking after kids. I don’t need a record for being a pervert.”Nancy was finishing up in her room, throwing the last of her belongings into a duffle bag. She could have packed earlier, but there was nothing like the last minute adrenaline rush, as she scrambled to remember everything she’d need for camp. She liked camp, but this - court ordered community service? It made her want to ralph. She slung her bag over her shoulder, checked her outfit in the mirror for one final look - shorts and a shirt that was almost certainly her brother’s and not hers - before she rushed down the stairs.
”As if you’d ever leave me behind,” Nancy scoffed, before punching her brother lightly on the shoulder. She’d caught the comment about condoms, and she had an idea or two about who her brother might be interested in using them with, but she didn’t say anything.
”C’mon, we gotta motor,” she then teased, grabbing an Eggo off the plate - their mom really was a gem - and sticking it in her mouth, as she headed out the door.
“Be safe and make sure you listen to what they want you to do!” Their mom said as the twins made their way for the door. Zeke kissed his mom’s cheek, letting her babble on.
“And I know those roads twist and turn, but do the speed limit, Ezekiel. You don’t need a ticket on top of this. Think about college.”
”Yes, mom. Love you too. Bye!” Zeke shut the door and barrelled down the steps after his sister.
”Honestly, I wish you could drive so you could take the heat off me sometimes. Are you sure those seizures are real?” he teased, tossing the duffle into the back. He jumped into the driver's seat and fired up his jeep. A few days before, he removed the doors, but he had a canopy tucked away to cover the car in case it rained.
”I can’t legally drive - but if you want, I will,” she baited, smirking as she hopped up into the passenger seat. And then suddenly, her body tensed up, as her hands gripped onto the seat and her eyes gained a faraway look to them, as she convulsed uncontrollably.
”Ha ha ha, so funny. You heard what–” Zeke cut himself off when he looked over to see Nancy going through a seizure. Shit shit shit.
”Come on, Nanc. Come on girl, don’t do this to me now.” Zeke reached over and cradled her, making sure she wasn’t going to hit her head or choke.
”Don’t do what?” she asked innocently, suddenly relaxing as if nothing had ever happened.
Zeke’s arms slackened around his sister, his eyes widening.
”Oh you little…” He released Nancy, shaking his head and pulled away from the apartment.
Zeke talked a little while they drove, but as they reached the nicer parts of town, Zeke started to fidget.
”I can’t believe this punk needed us to come pick him up. Look at these places, Nanc! You could fit our entire building into one of these houses.” Zeke was trying to be angry about it, but honestly, he was impressed.
They pulled up outside Demetri’s place and Zeke shut the car off, staring up at the house in awe.
”Damn.”Nancy nodded, frowning. They’d never be able to live in a place like this. And this guy couldn’t drive? He could probably pay for someone to chauffeur him around - he probably had staff and butlers.
”You’re charging him for gas money, right? He probably doesn’t know how much gas costs. Could mark it up a bit.”Demi could hear a car slowing down and parking just outside his window. He looked down from the second floor, spying Zeke's blonde hair from within the Jeep. Without wasting anytime, he snagged the mixtape he'd made, his dufflebag, and a small leather crossbow bag that held his SX-70 Polaroid. Sounds of footsteps shook throughout the house as Demi ran down the steps, boots barely tied up.
”Rides here! Bye!” He called out before rounding the corner into the kitchen and seeing a note posted on the fridge.
Oh…they'd already left. Well who needs them anyways. Demi thought as he slammed the fridge door open and pulled out a couple bottles of Ribena, stowing away some liquor as well into his duffle.
He made his way over towards the door, pausing his before it, Camera ready to take a picture of Zeke right as he knocked on the door.
”He’s buying us film for the music video, and I told him he’s buying us snacks for the road. I got us covered,” he assured his sister before hopping out of the Jeep and walked up the steps.
Zeke tugged on his white t-shirt, fidgeting as he looked around and suddenly felt severely out of place. He definitely didn’t belong in a neighbourhood like this. And his rusted, run-down car didn’t belong either. Zeke sighed as he reached the front door.
”Whatever,” he grumbled and knocked with a little more force than needed on the front door.
The second he'd heard the knock, Demi swung open the door. A big grin plastered on his face showing off his dimples as full force. The camera was already held up high as Demi yelled
”Say Cheese!” before snapping the photo quickly. The tell tale sound of the film passing through the mechanisms and ejecting out the front before Demi stashed it away into a bag. He stood there in a white crop top shirt, barely dancing his lower sternum, torn black jeans, his Docs, a sleeveless grey flannel, and of course his hankies on full display.
”Sweet ride Kel.” He said as he passed by him patting him on the shoulder before closing the door behind him.
”Uh, ya…thanks.” Zeke said, as he tried to regain his bearings. He blinked several times before turning around to follow Demetri down the steps.
Zeke barely remembered if he had smiled for the photo. It was probably some weird combination of anger and surprise on his face.
”What’s with the camera? You do know we aren’t going for fun right?” ”Doesn't mean we can't have fun while we're doing it.” Demetri replied a little too chipper.
Zeke frowned.
”Uh, sure… You can toss your bags in the back. You remember my sister, Nancy,” Zeke said with a nod at his sister once they were close.
”Hey Nance! Ready to listen to some good tunes?” Demi flashed a mixtape, clear casing save for the black tape wound within it and Demi's handwriting that simply said
Camp Trail-Mix He gently placed his bags into the back of the Jeep, stepping onto the side skirt with one foot as he pulled himself up and stepped atop the tire before front rolling in and laying across the whole back seat.
Nancy raised an eyebrow, reading the helpfully non-descriptive label. She knew the sort of music Demi was into - even if he preferred to go ask her brother for questions, she’d helped him to find a thing or two around the store before. She’d brought her walkman with a few tapes already loaded - some of them exclusively consisting of her favorite band, the Runaways. But if Demi had gone through the effort to craft something… she couldn’t help but be intrigued.
”Did you put my girl on there?” she asked, referring to her idol, Joan Jett.
Ezekiel paused outside the Jeep, watching Demetri climb into his car. He squinted his eyes and shook his head before climbing into the driver's seat. He fired up the car.
”If he doesn't want to be kicked out at the servo he better have,” Zeke said, answering Nancy's question.
”You remember you're buying the snacks right?” Zeke asked Demi as he pulled away from the curb. He glanced at the rearview mirror to make sure Demi heard him.
”Mom took her Joan's with her so I couldn't mix them in. Was able to snag some Blondie though, a little Misfits, some Journey. The good stuff you know?” By now Demi had placed his shades on his eyes, his right hand tucked behind his head as he fully began to relax in the back seat.
”I'd offer for us to go upstairs and mix some Joan on another cassette if you had any but I doubt The Pigs will be happy if we show up late because of some music. Mixing takes time to craft.” He held the cassette out for Zeke to grab, yanking it back if Nancy even dared to try and snag it.
Zeke glanced away as he shifted gears. He noted Demi didn't say anything about the snacks, but Zeke would make sure Demi paid for them.
He grabbed the cassette from Demi, glancing at it once before he slipped it into the player.
The Misfits came across his speakers first and Zeke smirked. Of course.
”Guess you’re getting kicked out then,” she said with a sigh. She didn’t care about them being late for the cops. She more just didn’t feel comfortable hanging out in a neighborhood like this - otherwise, she would have insisted that they go and edit the mixtape. But she had brought a pair of headphones with her for a reason - and given the way Demi never seemed to shut up around her brother, she was probably going to want to use them anyway.
Demi stuck his tongue out at Nancy as she mentioned kicking him out.
”And here I came already bearing gifts.” He pulled out one of the bottles of Ribena he had snagged from his house. Pulling the bottles tab and drinking in a bit of the syrupy sweet currant beverage.
”Fancy a bottle?”Zeke glanced in the rearview to see what Demetri had.
”What is it?” he asked curiously. Zeke focused back on the road, turning into a service station to fill the Jeep and get snacks for the road. It wasn't a long trip, but road snacks were always a must.
”Do you want Timmies Nancy?” Zeke asked. He pulled open the ashtray and dug around for some change if she wanted a donut or coffee.
”Ribena. Have a sip.” Demi said, not really giving Zeke a chance to answer as he sat up in his seat and handed him the bottle he was drinking from.
”Oye, Kel. I'm meant to be buying the snacks, what're you rummaging around for? Take the tasty Black Currant drink and you two tell me what you want. I'll fetch it from inside capice?” She tilted her head, looking at the bottle Demi had offered. She’d never tried Ribena before. It was darkly colored, and supposedly tasted like black currant.
”I’ll bite,” she decided, shrugging slightly as she held out a hand to try the drink. Nancy’d try most things once, after all. And as much as she did love Timmies, she wasn’t craving coffee or doughnuts at the moment.
”Nah, maybe some licorice though?” she asked, before checking her pockets to see if she had any cash on her to offer to Zeke.
”Oh, good. You didn’t forget,” Zeke said and handed Nancy the bottle for her to have a sip first. He hopped out of the Jeep to fill it up.
”Uh, I’ll get some all-dressed chips, a coke, and a maple donut, please and thank you!” he said to Demi.
”Licorice for Nance and the whole station for Zeke. Got it.” Demi replied as he hopped out the back of the Jeep, making sure his boots never touched the leather seat and only contacted the metallic rim of the inside. He made his way into the servo. The bell dingged above his head as it rattled on from his entry. He kept his hands in his pockets as he paced the aisles, until he found what everyone had wanted. He snagged each of their items one by one, grabbing a pack of bubblegum for himself as he searched for a pack of TimTams only to be met with a box of Wunderbars. He stared at the box blankly before finally snagging a couple bars along with a meat stick.
Making his way to the counter, Demi placed the assorted items on it and looked at the teller as he pulled out some crumpled up bills. He handed the man 25 in total. More than enough to pay for both the gas and goodies.
”Fifteen to the pump with the CJ parked by it. Rest is for this.” Ezekiel tapped his fingers along the outside of his Jeep to some invisible tune while he waited for the pump to start. He glanced around the parking lot, out to the road, and back to the servo where Demi had disappeared. He did this a couple of times before speaking.
”Do you think I should go in and help him? He’s probably gonna drop something…Do you think I should go?” he asked his twin again.
Nancy was silent for a moment, giving her twin brother a knowing stare. He was so incredibly oblivious sometimes.
”Duh.”Zeke was still staring at the storefront when his sister gave him a subtle affirmative.
”Right. Keep an eye on the fuel,” he said and patted his sister’s shoulder without looking at her.
Zeke jogged inside the gas station and glanced around until he found Demetri. He grabbed another coke from the fridge for Nancy and reached around Demetri to set in on the counter.
”Figured you could use an extra pair of hands.”Demi eyed the newly placed bottle of coke.
”That so? Guess I'll add this Coke as well. Should still have enough to cover it all.” He'd had half a mind to make some sort of retort or joke about Zeke being handsy. But in front of this guy? Fat chance. He wouldn't mind getting into a little scrap over it but he wasn't about to pull Zeke into one as well.
”Most of it's yours anyways.” Demi said as he shoved his meat stick into his back right pocket and grabbed his bars and Nancy's licorice.
”Need a hand?”Ezekiel laughed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
”Ya, ma says I have a pit for a stomach.” He grabbed the chips and two cokes before shaking his head.
”I’m good,” he said and stuffed the donut into his mouth.
Demi rolled his eyes at Zeke as he opened the door for him to get out. The bell ringing once more before he firmly shut it behind himself.
”If you wanted to be a bit handsy you should've came in earlier. The aisles would've hidden it better than the tellers counter.”Zeke nodded his head in thanks as he walked ahead of Demetri, pausing to wait for him before they started walking across the parking lot. And then Zeke started choking. He juggled the bottles in his hand, pulling the donut free from his mouth so he could breathe.
”What? No. What? I was trying to be nice, not…that.” Demi walked up close behind Zeke as he attempted to regain what little composure he had. Whispering in his ear
”And who's to say that wouldn't have been nice?” before making his way past him and towards Nancy.
”He-hey! Guess who's got licorice ropes?”Ezekiel’s face went completely red, and he remained frozen in the middle of the parking lot while Demetri walked away. Was he…did he just…? A horn honked and Zeke jumped. He waved apologetically before hustling out of the way and back to the Jeep.
”And a coke so you don’t drink mine like usual,” Zeke mumbled to Nancy. He dumped his stuff onto the driver’s seat before finishing up with the pump, his mind swirling with what Demetri said.
”Aw, my heroes,” Nancy quipped, accepting the licorice - and then rolling her eyes slightly as Zeke offered her a coke.
”I am the older twin, it’s my right to have some of your coke if I feel like it,” she argued. However, she was really more interested in what made her brother so red. Part of her was regretting she hadn’t gone into the store with them. She glanced up in the rearview mirror, curious to see if Demi would have a matching tint.
Unlike Nancy's twin, Demetri hadn't the slightest tinge of red on his cheeks. He was as cool as a cucumber could be as he repeated his trick from before to get into the car. Making sure that as he lay down he was facing towards Zeke at the pump, lowering his sunglasses slightly to see the blonde boy over them before pushing them back up.
”If Nancy gets her own Coke I want a sip of yours then. Didn't bring any pop sadly and hadn't considered how nice one sounded until now. You don't mind sharing right Kel?” He asked as he blew a large pink bubble before it popped and he continued to chew.
Zeke had his head turner, watching the numbers climb until the pump shut off. It was easier to concentrate on that than the rather attractive boy staring at him. Zeke put the pump back and replaced the gas cap.
”Why? You have your own drink already,” Zeke said, gesturing to the purple-black glass bottle.
”It isn't a Cola. I want fizz.” Or at the very least something else that rhymes with it Demi thought to himself.
Zeke rolled his eyes.
”Ya, alright,” he said and got back into the Jeep.
He honestly didn't mind sharing. He did it with Nancy all the time, and he really didn't mind sharing with Demetri. It was more the principle of the matter.
Zeke fired up the Jeep, the tape picking up from where it left off. He grabbed the map that marked the trailhead they had to get off at, double checking the roads he needed before he pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the highway.
A comforting calm settled over Zeke while he drove. Despite the reason for this specific trip, he loved being on the road. He loved driving with his sister, and there was something exciting about having a boy stretched out on his backseat. Even if he was a punk. Just then, ‘Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’’ by
Journey started playing.
”Oh my god, Nanc! Mom loves this song!” He turned up the volume and drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. It was a new song, but their mother had quickly become obsessed with it. Zeke started belting the lyrics without a care in the world. Hitting every voice crack, screech, and monotone note he could. Zeke was a stellar guitarist, and picked up most new instruments quickly, but when it came to singing…there wasn't a hope in the world for him.
Nancy shook her head, giggling as her brother sang to his heart’s content. There was a reason she was the vocalist for their band. She was still working towards being able to shatter glass with her voice, but her brother’s voice already sounded pretty pained.
”Are you sure it’s just Mom who loves this song?” she teased, before cracking open her coke, and taking a swig. And then she joined in on the song, not caring so much about the subject matter as she did the melody, the tones, the beat.
The second Demi heard the snare of the song, he began to sit up quickly. Zeke seemed excited to hear it pop up on the tape, good. He watched as he turned up the music, singing along in a way that only someone in love could love, and Demi would be a fool to think he wasn’t already a bit smitten over the tone deaf blonde. He placed one hand onto the left shoulder of Zeke's seat as he leaned forward past the twins and flicked the dial so that the music was now
blaring. Demetri had been a choir kid growing up, so singing was in his forte. Though nowadays most of his voice was reserved for long showers or private shows in his bedroom with no one home.
”🎶When I'm alone, all by myself
You're out, with someone else🎶”
Demetri sang into an invisible microphone within his right hand. His left still clinging to Zeke's seat. His eyes looking at Zeke's through the rearview mirror. As he sang the next lines he dropped the mic, reaching now for Zeke's chest. Tracing a heart with his finger as he sang “Lovin' “ before sliding his hand slowly across his chest to the other pec for “ touchin’ “ and finally giving it a good squeeze as he sang “ Squeezin’ “ His eyes still locked on Zeke the whole time.
Demetri let go of Zeke's shirt as he pushed himself back into his own seat, foot placed the metal rim as he leaned back to sing more dramatically.
”🎶 You're tearin me apart!
Every, Every day!
You're tearing me apart
Oh, what can i say?🎶”
The vibe in the car was rocking, Zeke tapping along to the beat, trying to compliment Nancy's singing voice. He knew he wasn't good, but that was part of the fun in singing without a care in the world. And then he heard a new voice join in and glanced at Demetri, properly shocked. The punk could sing!
Zeke grinned, looking back at the road while he jammed along with his friends. And then Demi placed a hand on his chest. Zeke glanced down then back at the rearview. Demetri was already staring at him. Zeke swallowed, suddenly forgetting the lyrics of the song. Demetri’s hand moved across his chest, and he'd be lying if he hadn't hoped his hand was about to go lower.
What. The. Hell.
Zeke batted Demi's hand away when he squeezed his chest. Zeke swallowed and shifted in his seat, glancing at Nancy with a worried expression on his face. The last thing he needed was to make his twin uncomfortable with the very obvious come-on Demi just presented with.
Nancy’s voice died, as she tried to blink away the shock. Sure, she’d suspected there was something going on between the two of them, but she was still shocked to see it confirmed. Her stomach twisted with discomfort.
”Can you not while I’m in the car?” she snapped, a little more bite coming through in her voice than she’d meant.
”Seriously?”Demi leaned forward once more, pausing the tape so only the wind fought against the sounds of their voices.
”Sorry Nance. Was just messing around. It was meant to annoy Zeke not you but I can chill on it if it bothers you.” He offered her a genuinely apologetic look.
Her irritation flickered.
”Don’t annoy my brother either.” Or tease him. Life was hard enough as it was. She slouched in her seat, pulling her sunglasses out of her bag and putting them on. It was all she could do to keep her temper under control, to avoid spiraling and screaming that
of course it bothered her, he was getting handsy with her brother when she was in the front seat! She didn’t mind it when music got into that sort of subject matter, but otherwise that stuff made her skin crawl. If they wanted to do that, she’d rather get out and hitchhike the rest of the way.
Zeke's hand tightened on the steering wheel. Nancy had clear boundaries that Zeke was usually well versed in, and he had a lot of respect and love for his sister. He couldn't tell, though, if she was more jealous or annoyed her boundaries had been crossed. Probably both.
Demi apologized and Zeke relaxed a fraction. He geared the Jeep down as the neared some traffic until it was safe to pass them. He reached over and squeezed Nancy's knee once, quickly, before he rested his hand back in the gearshift. He looked at Demi in the rearview, a warning in his eyes to just let it go and back off, before he hit play on the cassette once more.
Demi put his hands up so that only Zeke could see him through the mirror. A sort “fine I'll back off” as he slumped back into a laying position in the back seat. Fuckin Buzzkill man. If it was just the pair of them, alone, Demi would've tried to do a lot more than simply touch his chest. He felt bad sure, but he also was a little annoyed. Pulling out the meat stick from his pocket he tore the wrapping off and ripped off a piece with his teeth. Chewing in silence as the music resumed once more.
Hearing the song resume, Nancy’s stomach churned once more. She
really didn’t want to hear the rest of this. So she grabbed her Walkman and her headphones, put them on, and retreated into the safety of the Runaways. She turned her volume up as loud as it could go - eardrums be damned.
Zeke watched his sister close herself off and he sighed heavily. He rubbed the back of his neck, fidgeting as he just tried to concentrate on driving. Until the next song started to play. Zeke stared at the radio before turning the music down to a more manageable volume.
”Really?” Nancy had her headphones in, so Zeke wasn't talking to her.
”As if I'd know she'd react this way man. Besides…” Demi trailed off deciding not to finish his sentence. He
really needed a pint. He unzipped his bag, moving some of the clothing around that was acting as a cushion as he pulled out a bottle of beer. It wasn't ice cold anymore but he didn't care at this point. Popping off the top before downing a large gulp.
Zeke rolled his eyes.
”Have you not heard of boundaries? She's my sister. Of course there would be an issue. Honestly…” He looked back at the rearview and snapped his head back.
”Seriously!? Demetri, we're on our way to serve community service for breaking the law and you think now is a good time to drink?””Better than in front of the cops wouldn’t ya say? Besides, its only one drink and I'm not even driving. Sooo.” Boundaries. That was rich. None of the kids at school seemed to care about those when they found out he was queer. Hard to put a boundary between someone's fist and your face. Something was clearly upsetting Demi now as he curled up a bit more in the back seat, ignoring Zeke's worry about the bottle as he decided to chug the whole thing.
”Unbelievable. They're going to lose it if you have alcohol on your breath. Great. And now you've chugged it. If you throw up in my car, I swear to the rock gods I will murder you.””My gods, I've got half a mind to make out with you just to keep you from talking. I got gum and Ribena with a hickory stick. They won't smell a single bottle on me. Got it? Just keep your cool Kel.”Zeke felt flush from Demetri's words, even if they were…fighting? Zeke had no idea.
”Oh, and get us killed before we even get there? My sister's ghost would haunt your ghost until the end of time,” Zeke deflected. He opened his bottle of coke, taking his hand off the steering wheel briefly and took a sip.
Meanwhile, Nancy had bitten off both ends of a piece of licorice and inserted it like a straw into her bottle of coke. She sipped it dry.
Demetri didn't bother to respond. Simply showing his annoyance by pushing past Zeke through the center again and skipping over ‘Dirty White Boy’ and pushing them straight into Queen before finally settling back down into his seat.
”I have been told I'm killer at making out but…” He gave a noncommittal shrug as if to say “looks like you'll never know.”
”Ya, well…I don't particularly want to kill my sister. Or is. So maybe we should wait,” Zeke said, glancing in the rearview mirror.
Demi quirked an eyebrow. Did he just hear him right?
”Sorry, wind was a bit loud there. What was that?” He asked, sitting up slightly in his seat.
Zeke looked away from the rearview.
”Oh, come on! You heard me…” Zeke looked back at the mirror. Well, maybe he didn't.
”I said we should wait to…makeout. Like not while I'm driving. Or with my sister around preferably.”Demi fully sat up in his seat now. A mischievous look on his face with a tinge of pink across his cheeks.
”The second we get our Cabin, cuz let's be real they wont do Co-Ed, You, Me, Bed, make out.”Zeke laughed.
”Jesus, Demi. How long have you been waiting to say that to me?” Demi spied the headphones Nancy was still wearing. The music loud enough to be a muffled noise he himself could hear.
”I've been waiting to say a lot more to ya than that. I could think of a few other things that mouth would be good for.”Ezekiel felt flush again, his face heating up. He glanced at his sister before shaking his head at Demi.
”Okay, okay. I get it. Stop talking before you catch Nancy in-between songs.”
Morose
Blizz
BlueSky44
Kirah
TheMaster99
Fetzen
Achronum
ImagineTheStars
Forsythe
