In Your Room Read Online Free

he said preemptively. “Of course I’m not bailing.”
    He looked around at his now half-disheveled room. The rest of the packing could wait. “See you guys in ten.”
    “You’re not staying for dinner?” Sally appeared in the hall holding a spatula, wearing the orange apron Charlie had given her a few birthdays ago.
    “Can’t. Dan and Teddy are already waiting,” he said, opening the door to the garage.
    “I know this is your last night with your friends, but try not to make it too late, okay? We want to get an early start.”
    “I won’t.” He wanted to leave before he got roped back in. It wasn’t all the talk of clothes and girl stuff that he minded, living in an all-female house, but the power his moms, and even his sisters, often had over him. He was a sucker for a nice gesture and felt, as the only male figure in the house, the tug of obligation. When he was away from home he could just be himself.
    • • •
    Even at seven P.M. , the sun was still high up in the sky, giving the impression it was never going to set. This was what he loved most about Boulder nights in the summer—the feeling of endless possibility. He released his hands out to the side like wings and closed his eyes, taking in the clean, crisp mountain air, and the summer sounds of sprinklers, mockingbirds, and mosquitoes.
    Charlie heard the low hum of Central Park from over a block away. From that distance, the white lights embracing the trees around the garden sparkled like diamonds, even in the light of day. Charlie stopped pedaling so he could coast the rest of the way, enjoying the view for as long as possible.
    As he reached the bike rack, the low hum turned into overlapping conversations. The party was in full effect. Several bars were set up on the perimeter, with tables scattered across the grassy middle. Slide 99, a local band comprised mainly of Fairview High alumni, performed on a stage at the back.
    “Duuuuude!” a loud voice called.
    Charlie turned around and saw Teddy and Dan surrounded by a group of girls on the grass.
    “Come on over, bro!” Teddy yelled again. He had his arms draped around two of the girls, whom Charlie recognized from school. Freshmen, if he remembered correctly.
    “What took you so long? We’ve been here for almost an hour,” Teddy said when Charlie reached them.
    “Hey, guys,” Charlie said. “Sorry I’m late.”
    “Well, you’re here now. Let the games begin,” Dan said, greeting Charlie with a half-hug and a backslap.
    Charlie, Dan, and Teddy had all met in ski school when they were five. They had been the three best in their age group and always found themselves down the slope first with time to spare while they waited for everyone else. The coach eventually hired an assistant for the stragglers so he could focus on the threesome, with the hopes of finding Olympic potential among them. They all ended up wasting away their talent, according to the coach—Charlie fell in love with mountain biking, Dan fell in love with soccer, and, by the age of ten, Teddy fell in love with girls.
    “Dude, promise when you’re in L.A., you’ll go to a strip club and get a lap dance for me.”
    Charlie rolled his eyes, but Teddy pressed further. “Promise, dude,” he said, holding his clenched fist out. “It’s all I ask.”
    Unable to resist Teddy’s charm, Charlie broke into a smile and punched it in.
    “That’s my boy. And keep track of the real-or-fake quotient. It’ll keep you busy for hours in that city.”
    “What’s real or fake?” one of the girls piped up.
    “Here, let me show you,” Teddy said, running at her, zombie style, with his arms extended, reaching for her chest.
    “You’re unbelievable,” Charlie said, shaking his head and laughing while the girl playfully swatted Teddy away.
    Another girl, a cute brunette, sidled up to Charlie. “I know you,” she said, fake-punching his arm. “You’re Charlie Richards.”
    “Oh, here it comes,” Dan said.
    “That I am,”