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“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I can keep being your first mate, I don’t mind.”
I thought about it, then shook my head. “I think we should both be captains.” I drew two stick figures and added a pirate hat to both of them.
“Is that even possible?” Lucas asked. “I thought there could only be one captain.”
I told him it didn’t matter since it was our world, so we could make the rules. If we were both captains, we’d both have the same amount of important-ness and special-ness.
Lucas’s eyes were big, his smile wide. “Okay!” he said.
We spent hours filling out the rest of the map. There was the ocean, filled with dangerous sea creatures, and several islands, and our kingdom, where we sat on two thrones, wearing tall crowns as we held hands.
“Why are we holding hands?” I asked.
“Because we’re best friends!” Lucas said. He even wrote it on the map, in uneven handwriting with big spaces between the letters: Charlie + Lucas. Bestest friends forever.
That night, when it was time for him to go home, I rolled up the map and used one of Jemima’s hair ties to keep it sealed. “Here,” I said, handing it to Lucas while our mothers watched, laughing softly. “Protect this with your life.”
“Aye,” Lucas said, wearing a serious expression. He took the map and held it like it was precious cargo.
CHAPTER FIVE
Now
I dash around the living room, checking that everything is in its place. Lucas and I are already tidy people, but I want to make sure everything is extra clean for Cleo. She’s the type of girl to check tram seats for weird stains and her food at restaurants for stray hairs. Her clothes are always ironed, and her white shoes are always clean. After a week of officially being her boyfriend, I’ve learned she’s got high standards, and I’m making sure I meet them.
I check my bedroom, confirming there isn’t any dust left on the furniture or windowpane. Are all my clothes hung up in the closet? Yes. Have I made my bed? Yes. I inspect my bedside table. On the top, there’s a lamp, a box of tissues and the book I’m currently reading. The first drawer has some cords, cough lollies, hand sanitiser and a bunch of random papers. The second drawer —
“Shit,” I say, scooping up all of the… ahem… adult paraphernalia into my arms. Where can I hide this stuff?
In the end, I settle for the very back of my underwear drawer. The last thing I want is for Cleo to find my collection and think I’m a total pervert.
Afterwards, I survey my room. It looks good, and tidy, and normal. I wonder what’ll happen when Cleo comes over. We might make out on my bed. We might…
We might have sex. I mean, probably not today. But eventually. That’s what couples do.
Wait… I don’t have any condoms.
That’s okay, I’ll buy some the next chance I get.
But Cleo’s coming over today. Soon. What if we’re on my bed and she tells me she wants to and I’m not prepared?
I have to be prepared. Just in case.
My phone buzzes.
Cleo: Will be there in 5! xx
There’s not enough time to run to the closest supermarket. What do I do?
Then I remember who my roommate is. I snatch up my phone and call Lucas’s number. It rings and rings. Pick up, pick up, pick up.
He doesn’t answer.
Okay, I’ll go into Lucas’s room and grab one from his bedside drawer. He won’t mind. He comes into my room all the time to bother me. Sometimes I’ll be watching a YouTube video on my laptop, and he’ll flop onto my bed and start poking my side, the soft part under my ribs, because he’s an asshole like that.
An asshole who likely has countless condoms. He won’t notice if one’s missing. But even if he does, I’ll pay him back. I’ll pay him back with a whole box.
