The last disco

Dee is a counselor this year at our country camp, where we go every year. I ended up in the second detachment again, even though I was already sixteen. The weeks at camp fly by. Dee and I sometimes cross paths, but not so that we want to make our brotherly songs public. They won't believe us. The last night crept up unnoticed. I like it for its originality: a farewell big bonfire with a guitar, a hundred crying faces, a disco until two nights, and then the last candle... I was chosen to play guitar at the fire as a hereditary guitarist. My palms were sweaty from this responsibility (and also from the fact that my father would later see the video of my game). I looked around the circle of faces, visible in the darkness thanks to the fire that was reflected in their pupils, looking for a familiar face. Here he is. I didn't recognize him the first time. Dee sat on a log next to his squad, all so unapproachable and cold. And dressed up. I didn't recognize him mainly because of the crown of his head, but there was also the fact that Dee's hair was down. They fell on his shoulders in heavy waves. But the makeup is still the same. But this hairstyle definitely suited him. I played. And never faked it. I caught brother’s envious glance, smiled sweetly at him and went to my place within his squad.

***

Everyone came to the disco. It was held outdoors on the site for morning training sessions, so there was enough space for everyone. They promised as many as four delays, but I am one of those people who have never had an affair with anyone in the camp in my life. What for? We will go home, for the first two weeks we will write tearful messages to each other about how we should meet, and then we will forget each other. And I don’t want to dance at all for a one-time slow dance with a pretty girl. That's why I came to discos just to yell with my friends to songs of rock bands, to go wild and piss off others. Dee never came to discos. Of course, why fool your smart little head with some strange entertainment, you can lock yourself in the counselor’s room (or in the room when he also went to camp as a child) and read a chemistry textbook. Or whatever he reads there. Curlton and I, who was in the same squad as me this year, of course came to the last disco. It's the coolest of all: outdoors, backlit, and the sound from the speakers was pouring out with might and main. When about five songs had passed and the younger squads had been sent to bed, the first slow dance began. Someone left the site and sat on the benches along it, like Curlton and me, someone invited someone to dance. Benches stood along the entire perimeter of the square. I fanned myself with picked burdock, sweat rolled from my forehead like hail. Curlton was also breathing heavily. The multi-colored lights around blind my eyes, but still I notice on the bench opposite ours... Dee, sitting on the phone and not paying any attention to what is happening. His hair was still down. I decided to approach my brother and find out what he was doing here. — Curlton, wait here, I’ll go see Dee. — Which... That counselor?— asked Curlton, squinting and looking at the blond. — Did you like him, or what? But he won't talk to you. He’s all about being unapproachable,— said the friend, imitating Dee’s stony face. — No, I didn’t like him!... W-we know each other. — Yeah, I understood everything, dude, don’t worry! No one will know about your friend,— Curlton waggled his eyebrows and took the burdock from me,— that’s it, go. Invite him to a slow dance. I rolled my eyes and walked towards my brother. I didn’t want to walk through kissing couples, so I walked along the perimeter along the platform and stopped at Dee’s bench, leaning on him. — Hey, princess! Lift up your eyes! Dee reluctantly looked up from his messaging with someone and said too calmly: — Go away, Heavy. You're in the way. — Oh, am I blocking the view of the slow dance? Sorry, please,— I plopped down next to him. The brother winced as if from a lemon, but remained silent. I glanced at Curlton: with a satisfied face, he showed me his thumb and smiled even wider. The suck shipper. He brought everyone together in his imaginative head. To fill the silence between me and the blonde, I blurted out: — and Curlton told me to invite you to a slow dance. — You not old enough, little one, — my brother chuckled, typing a message at the same time. I looked at his phone. It was Lif. I was a little offended, I don’t know why. Because my brother talks to both me and his girlfriend, or because of refusal. — And what? Let’s show them how to slow dance,— I pointed to the dancing couples, — You taught me two years ago. We did well then.

***

I remembered how much I liked the girl the year before. I was fourteen, hormones and all. I was very afraid to ask her to dance, to get into trouble, I was afraid of subsequent ridicule on her part and much more connected with strange creatures called girls. Therefore, one day after lights out, I got out of the room and quietly walked to the second floor of the building, where the first detachment was located. I didn't know which room Dee lived in, so I looked into each one. The elders looked in surprise as some fourteen-year-old boy from the second detachment poked his head into their rooms (yes, yes, I’ve been in the second for the third year in a row) and looked for someone. Soon I found him. Dee looked at me blankly, I called him, and we went out into the hall where the candles usually take place. That's when he taught me how to slow dance.

***

— Remember, you were still in the role of a girl, even though you were taller than me, — I giggled into my fist. Dee rolled his eyes. — And why should I do this now? — Because Curlton is waiting! — What if I absolutely don’t give a damn about your Curlton? — Damn it, because of you we didn’t have time!— I exclaimed when the music died down after the blond’s words. — Okay, it was really necessary,— I stood up, waving my hand in frustration, and went to my friend, without turning around brother. With a dissatisfied face, I trudged back to my bench, took the grinning Curlton by the arm and went to the site. A friend tried to shout over the screaming music: — Why sour? He refused and refused, you will still forget him in a month! Well Heavy, don't sulk! — That’s just the point, I won’t forget! We live... Mmm... In neighboring houses! — I shouted back. — Asshole, he doesn’t even want to dance! — I added offendedly, still loudly. — Well, since you live nearby, that means you know each other? — asked Curlton, jumping to the beat of the music. — Yeah, know! He... Doesn't... Love me! — I said with every breath. — That means you, as a boy in love, need to win the heart of the princess! You must invite him so that he falls head over heels in love with you! The music gradually began to fade away, but I still answered loudly: — I didn’t fall in love with anyone!! Just... I looked at Dee. He no longer stared at the phone, but looked straight at Curly and me with a thoughtful expression on his face. — Look how he looks at you! — Fuck off, Curlton, — I didn’t want to rage anymore, so I went back to the bench. This idiot shipper is following me. — Weak to invite? — Back off. — Well, Heavy, come on! Let's argue! — Well, come on, if he refuses me, you lose,— I said, grinning. Curlton scratched his chin and said: — Okay, if I lose, then... I'll give you one video game of my collection. If you lose, you give me that cool merch T-shirt! — O-okay,— I said hesitantly. I begged my parents for money for this Manowar merch for a very long time, so I didn’t want to part with it at all. But I'm sure Dee will refuse. Therefore, I sealed our agreement with a handshake. And why did I agree to this? I was ashamed to go and, like a whiny girl, ask Dee to dance. But it was too late, I again found myself at my brother’s bench. — D-dee, let's dance at the next one? Please?.. — Well. I was dumbfounded. — Wh... What?.. — You won’t fall behind, will you? I say: well. — But it was not at all necessary to agree... — Oh my God, you’re a shy idiot. The second slow dance has begun. Dee stood up abruptly, putting the phone in the back pocket of his jeans, tossing his hair back and dragging me onto the landing, without even once looking in my direction. I heard the girls from the neighboring benches begin to heatedly discuss us. My cheeks were flushed with a deep blush. My brother dragged me through the newly formed couples into the very middle of the square to dance... Slowball. With my younger brother. Nightmare. And Curlton looks at this. And the whole camp. Goodbye my poor T-shirt. — Why in the very center? — I asked, almost crying with shame, lowering my eyes. — You yourself said that we have to teach them,— Dee said calmly, throwing my hands on his shoulders. — Now you’re a girl,— he hissed contentedly in my ear. I blushed even more, although I couldn’t. He ran his finger down my back, sending a flock of goosebumps throughout my body. I instinctively leaned forward, resting my chest against his chest. I already wanted to awkwardly pull away, but Dee didn’t allow it. He put one arm around my waist and still held the other on my upper back. I vividly remembered our lessons and my legs moved on their own in smooth waltzing movements following Dee. — Do you like it, little devil? — My brother asked, looking contentedly into my eyes. The music gradually picked up the pace, and so did our movements. We spun in the middle of all the couples in a real waltz, mixing into a single whole. Hundreds of faces looked at us in silent surprise. — Are you aware that you persuaded the most inaccessible counselor of this camp to dance? — Dee continued. He seemed comfortable with the looks directed at us. — D-don’t boast,— my throat was dry from his scorching breath, which burned my forehead. I looked into his eyes, he looked into mine. — Long hair suits you... We said it at the same time and smiled. The dance was coming to an end. Dee spun me around and threw me away, at the last moment before my apparent fall, grabbing me by the waist and bending over. There was complete silence. Dee let me go, indifferently going into the building. Apparently, the disco was over for him. I was left alone in the center of the crowd, looking into my soul. Rare applause rang out, and soon the whole crowd was clapping for us, our dance and courage, because we are both guys, a counselor and a child, but no one suspected that we were two brothers. Curlton was the most happy. Goodbye my poor T-shirt.