Girls!

I glared bloody murder at Pete, who nudged me toward the girls standing just outside of our camp.  When I didn’t move, he pushed me hard enough that I either had to stand up or fall on my ass, so I stood up.  I heard giggling behind me, and reluctantly turned to face them.

Putting on a strained smile, I said, “Hi.”

“Hi,” responded the oldest girl without a bit of hesitation.  “I’m Allison, this is Kerry, and this is Kirsten,” she said, pointing at the girls in order of height.  Allison was about my height, nearer Pete's age than my own, and had an athletic build under her one piece swimsuit.  Kerry was just a touch shorter and a touch heavier than Allison, and looked to be fifteen or sixteen.  Kirsten seemed to be a bit younger than Kerry, and was lucky if she stood five feet.  They were all good looking and had nice bodies, especially Allison. 

Allison was obviously the boldest of the girls, because Kerry and Kirsten just hung in the background.  Kerry met my gaze, though she blushed a bit.  Kirsten was all giggly, and set my teeth on edge.  It wasn’t until Allison looked at me strangely did I realize I hadn’t said anything.

“Oh. Uh, I’m Brian, and that lazy bas- er, guy over there is Pete.”

“Nice to meet you.”  She looked back at the other two girls, clearly annoyed at their reluctance to speak.  For some reason, her impatience irritated me.

“You too.”  It was obvious to me that they were more interested in my body than they were in me.  “Excuse me for a sec.”  I returned to the tent, picked up my T-shirt, and said loudly to Pete, “Get your lazy ass out of bed!”  pleading with my eyes that he come support me.  He nodded a second later, and I returned to the girls, putting on my shirt as I approached.  Allison and Kirsten were visibly disappointed, while Kerry smiled slightly.  I grinned to myself, thinking, It serves you right!  I heard Pete chuckle behind me.

Allison asked, “Are you guys from around here?”

“No.  We’re from Portland,” Pete answered as he clapped me on the shoulder.

“Oh.  On vacation?”

“Yeah.  We’re going down to LA.”

“Alone?”

“Yep,” I answered.  “I have family on the way there.”  Pete motioned them to a nearby picnic table, and we all sat down, Pete and I facing them.  I was directly across from Allison, and Pete was across from Kirsten, with Kerry at the far end of the table.

“Where are you from?” Pete asked.  He squeezed my leg under the table.

“Well,” said Allison, “I’m from here, Kerry is my cousin from Salem, and Kirsten is another cousin from Grants Pass.  We get together every summer for about a month.”

“Sounds like fun,” Pete said.

“Sometimes,” said Allison with a cryptic grin.  I felt her foot brush against mine, and reflexively pulled mine back.  “How long are you going to be here, Pete?”

“A few days.  We haven’t decided yet.”

“That’s nice.”  Allison brushed her foot against my leg again.  I pretended not to notice, but squeezed Pete's leg so hard he grunted.

In a near panic, I stood up.  “Well, I’m going to go rinse off in the river.  I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Pete looked at me strangely, then said, “I’ll join you, Brian.”

Allison promptly said, “We’ll come along too,” and rose to join us.  The other girls followed suit.

Pete said, “You girls go ahead.  We’ll be down in a minute.”

Obviously disappointed once again, they headed off to the river bar, casting furtive glances back, making sure we were getting ready to follow them.

 I hurried back to the tent and dropped off my shirt.  As soon as I was sure they were out of sight, I ducked inside and changed into my trunks.  Pete came in right after me.

“What’s wrong, Bri?”

“Allison!  She wants me!”

Pete grinned.  “I want you too.”

“And you can have me, but she can’t.  She was playing footsie with me at the table!”

“Oh, that’s what upset you.”

“Yes, that’s what upset me!”  I was fuming.  How could he treat this so lightly?

“Brian, slow down, baby.  What’s really bothering you?”

“She is!”

“No, there’s something deeper here, or you’d just tell her to buzz off.  Take a deep breath, and think about it for a minute.”  I did as he asked, but I was no closer to an answer.  “Is it because she’s a girl?”

“Yes.  No.  I don’t know.”

“Have you ever had a girl hit on you before?”

“Well... no.”

“She makes you nervous?”

“Yes!”

“Why?”

“I don’t know... maybe because she’s so forward.”

“Do you like her?”  I stared at him, and he continued, “I mean, if you weren’t with me and you had the chance, would you sleep with her?”

“No.  She’s a bully.”

He blinked. “How do you know that?”

“The way she talks about her cousins and the looks she gave them.  Didn’t you notice?  And I wouldn’t sleep with anyone who’s that easy.  She practically asked me to sleep with her!”

“I don’t think she went that far, but I take your meaning.”

“What do I do?”

He smiled and gave me a hug.  “Tell her you’re already seeing someone, and if she still keeps after you, tell her off!  You’re in charge here, not her.”

Pete pulled up his trunks, and then just watched me as I pondered his words.  A grin crossed my face as I realized I didn’t have to be nervous.  But, just to tweak him, I said, “Allison is definitely not my type, but I would like to get to know Kerry a bit better.”

Pete grinned.  “Sure.  Go ahead and get to know her.  But not too well.”

“I know where I come home to, Pete and that won’t change.  I never want anyone but you.”

His expression turned serious and he took my hand.  “I love you, Brian.  I hope you know that.  Being here with you, on this trip, in this place, it means more to me than you could know.”

“I love you, too, baby.”  We shared a deep, passionate kiss, and then climbed out of the tent just as we heard Allison’s exasperated voice call us from the river bar.  Pete chuckled, and with an evil grin, dropped his t-shirt in the tent, leaving him bare-chested, showing off his hard body to good advantage.  I stifled a laugh and dropped my t-shirt as well, but I went one step further.  I loosened the drawstring on my shorts and let them hang low on my hips, exposing a bit more flesh than I would normally. 

 “You’re so bad, Brian.”

“Maybe.  What say we go buy a pair of Speedos for tomorrow?”  Pete laughed aloud and nodded emphatically. 

After making it to the river bar, Allison’s expression clearly said, “It’s about time!”  I just grinned at her for a moment, and watched her gaze travel from my eyes to my crotch and back.  Now I knew how women feel when guys look at their tits.  I just smiled like an imbecile.  Her answering smile was almost predatory as she licked her lips.  Kerry blushed and looked away as I caught her eyes.  Kirsten was still giggling.

“So, we just gonna stand here, or are we gonna swim?” I asked, and dove into the frigid morning waters of the Chetco River.  It was so cold that I gasped as I came to the surface, and was immediately aware of a dull ache in my groin as my balls rose to my throat.  Not to be outdone, Allison was right on my heels.

Pete entered the water more gingerly, followed by Kirsten.  Kerry, truly the only intelligent one in our group, sat on the bank enjoying the warmth of the sun.  Again, Allison was obviously annoyed at Kerry for maintaining her distance.  This convinced me that I should pay more attention to Kerry than Allison, which would irritate Allison to no end, or at least I hoped.

I walked out toward the center of the river and started swimming upstream.  I was making no progress, but I wasn’t drifting downstream either.  It was a great workout after my run.

After ten minutes of watching me go nowhere, Allison came out to join me.  As soon as she came even with me, I let the current carry me downstream about ten yards and swam to shore.  Cursing under her breath, Allison made her way to shore some thirty yards downstream.  Pete was talking to Kirsten in the shallows a bit upstream from me, and I could see him trying hard to keep a straight face when he saw Allison scrabbling her way over the rocks to rejoin me.

I sat next to Kerry, still dripping water.  She looked at me and blushed.

“Hi,” she said.

I smiled and said, “Hi!   How’re you doing?”

“I’m fine.  It’s just too early for me to swim.  Too cold.  I’ll wait until this afternoon when the water warms up.”  Her voice was quiet, but I didn’t have to strain to hear her.  Her face was soft and round..  A nice tan was accentuated by her bikini, which somehow seemed more modest than the one-piece Allison was wearing.  There was something about her eyes that I found appealing, too. She smiled, and her face lit up.  A dimple appeared on her left cheek.  She looked amazing to me.  I had to consciously break eye contact with her. 

“Um, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to stare,” I said.

“Neither did I.”  I hadn’t even noticed.  “You have a great body.”

It was my turn to blush.  “Thank you.  I’ve worked hard to get it.”

“Well, it shows.”  She smiled again.

“You have a nice body too.” 

She frowned.  “Not really.  Not like Allison.”

“I like the way you look.”

A shy smile returned to her face.  “Thank you.”  The smile melted away, though, as Allison made it to where we were sitting, a cross expression on her face.

I looked over to Pete, who was laughing at something Kirsten said.  He caught my eye and gave the hint of a wink, so I knew he was okay with things.

“Kerry, run up to camp and tell Daddy where we are,” Allison ordered.

“I told him before we left.”

“You told him we were going for a walk.  Go tell him we’re at the river.”  It was very difficult for me to keep a neutral expression as Allison badgered Kerry.

A moment later, Kerry stood and said, “Okay.”

“I’ll go with you, Kerry.  Hold on, I need to tell Pete what's up.”

I stood and walked toward Pete.  He looked up with interest after seeing Allison seething.

“I’m going to walk Kerry to her camp so she can tell her uncle they’re at the river. 

He searched my eyes for a moment, then smiled.  “Sure.  I’ll stay here and keep these girls company.”

“Cool.  See ya in a bit.”  I started walking toward our camp, and Kerry fell in beside me.  I chanced a glance back to see Allison staring after us, searching for a reason to follow, but finding none.

When we were out of earshot, I asked, “Does she always treat you that way?”

“What way?”

“Like her personal servant?  Seems like she orders you around all the time.”

“Well, she is  the oldest.”

“So?  She should know how to be polite then.”  Kerry surprised me with a giggle.  “What’s so funny?”

“You!”

“Huh?”

“She would have a fit if she knew you were talking about her that way.”

“Maybe someone needs to teach her a lesson, then.”

“How old are you?”

“Fifteen.  I’ll be sixteen in September.  You?”

“Sixteen, seventeen next May.”

“You don’t mind talking to a kid?”  I said it with a grin, but she still frowned.

“You’re not a kid.  I mean, you’re not like ten or twelve.  I don’t believe that you have to be a certain age to be a friend, anyway.  If you’re a nice person, then you can be my friend.  Allison doesn’t think that way, though. She’ll be a senior this year.  Anyone who’s not a senior isn’t worth noticing.”  She giggled.  “Unless she wants to sleep with you, that is.”

“Maybe I should tell her I’m a Junior then.”  She laughed.  It was a clear, beautiful sound.  “You should do that more.”

“Do what?”

“Laugh.  It’s a wonderful sound.”

“Are you sure you’re just fifteen?”

“Nope.  My birth certificate says I was born in eighty-three, so that makes me fifteen.  Why?”

“You just sound so much older.”

I sighed.  “Well, my life hasn’t been easy.”

“I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to...”

 “You didn’t," I said through a half smile.  "They’re always with me.  But things are much better now.”  We made it to the campground loop and started walking around toward their camp. 

“How long have you known Pete?”

“We met in fifth grade?  Sixth?  I get confused.  It seems like forever.”

“Have you always been best friends?”

“It took about a year or so when we first met, but yeah.  Ever since then.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

“I’m dating someone, yes.  You have a boyfriend?”

“No.  My last one dumped me because I wouldn’t have sex with him.”

I grunted.  “Sounds like he wasn’t a very good friend, then.”

“He was okay.  He was just thinking with the wrong head.”  I laughed.

“I know guys like that.  I’m not one of them, though.  And neither is Pete.  I couldn’t hang out with people like that.  Usually all they do is brag about how much sex they get, when the truth is they’re still virgins.”

She smiled.  “That’s what I thought.”  Another laugh escaped her lips.  “It’s like fishing.  Guys think this,” she held two fingers about an inch apart, “is six inches!”  I laughed, too.  Kerry was fun to talk to.

“How long have you been together?” Kerry asked.

“What?” I said, confused at the sudden change of subject.

“You and your girlfriend.”

“OH!  About eight months.”

“You must miss her, being away from home,” she said quietly.

“No.  Actually, I was encouraged to go.”

“Everything’s okay?”

“Sure.  We just need some time.  It’s something we agreed on before the summer started.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Yeah, I think so.”

We reached a camp with a fifth wheel trailer.  A man was starting a camp stove as we walked in, and I heard a woman singing in the trailer.

“Hello, Kerry.  Where are the girls?”

“Down at the river.  This is Brian.  Brian, my Uncle Devon.”

We shook hands firmly.  “Nice to meet you, sir.”

“Likewise, Brian.”

“I just came back because Allison wanted you to know we were at the river.”

“Oh, okay.  We’re fixing breakfast here.  It’ll be ready in about thirty minutes.  Would you run down and get the girls?”

“Yes, Uncle.”

“Brian, you’re invited, of course,” Devon offered.

“Thank you, sir, but my friend is at the river as well.”

“Bring him along.”

“Thank you again.”  He waved us away.

Kerry and I started back up the road.  I heard her uncle bellow, “Mike!  Get your pansy ass out of bed and go get me some wood!”  A shiver ran through my body.

“Are you cold, Brian?”

“No, not really.  Who’s Mike?” I asked.

“Oh, he’s Allison’s brother," Kerry replied. "He’s your age.”

“Doesn’t your uncle like him?”

“Sure.  Why do you ask?”

“Well, he called him a pansy ass,” I said with some heat.

“Oh, well, Uncle’s always saying something like that," Kerry said. "What’s wrong?”  I’d been frowning and hadn’t even known it.

“One of Pete's brothers is gay.  He doesn’t like being around people that hate gay people.  Neither do I, to tell the truth.”

“I don’t have a problem with gay people.  There’s this boy at my school who came out last year.  He’s a good friend of mine.”

“I’m glad to hear you don’t have a problem with them.  You never know who’s gay and who’s not.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

We walked back to our camp, where I grabbed my t-shirt.  I put it around my neck and we continued down to the river bar.  There was a slight hill leading down to the bar just below our camp.  I went down first, and as a courtesy, offered Kerry my hand.  She took it, with a murmured thank you.  Her hand was so soft in mine, a completely different feel than when Pete and I held hands.  It seemed tiny and fragile, almost like it would break off in my grasp.  She looked deeply into my eyes, and I looked into hers.  She had the most brilliant green eyes I’ve ever seen.  I almost got lost in them.

I realized what was happening.  I think Kerry did too, but by mutual consent, we left our attraction to each other unspoken.  At the moment, it wasn’t hurting anyone, but I would have to talk to Pete soon.  I didn’t want to hide anything from him.  Clearing my throat, I led her the rest of the way in a companionable silence, lost in my thoughts.

I saw Pete still laughing with Kirsten.  Allison was sitting near them, still looking like she’d eaten something sour.  Her expression changed from irritation to a saccharine smile the instant she saw me.

“Uncle wants us to go back to camp for breakfast, Allison.  Brian and Pete are invited.”

“Oh.  Okay.  Come on, Kirsten.”  Allison stood next to me while she waited for Kirsten and Pete to climb out of the river.  Once they joined us, we started across the bar toward our camp.  Pete and Kirsten were going on about nothing in particular.  Allison kept pushing Kerry away from me in what she must have thought was a covert manner, but I noticed it immediately, and it pissed me off.  As we came to the hill, I made a point of assisting Kerry up the hill and then following her, making Allison cope on her own.  Kerry’s smile nearly melted my heart.

“You girls go ahead.  I want to change clothes.  We’ll meet you there.”  Reluctantly, Allison left, frustrated as all hell, with Kerry and Kirsten behind her.

“What’s up, Bri?  We could have gone as we are.”

Looking down at my shuffling feet, I said, “I’m in trouble.”

“What do you mean, baby?”

“It’s Kerry.”

“You’re falling for her,” Pete stated.  I looked up sharply and took in his knowing gaze, then dropped my head again, tears forming in my eyes.  “Do you really think I could miss it?”

“I never meant for... It just came out of nowhere.”

“Brian, look at me.”  It was difficult, but I did as he asked.  Seeing the near panic in my eyes, he said, “Let’s sit down.”  I sat heavily on the picnic table bench, and he sat across from me.  “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” I asked incredulously.

“Yes, I am.  I shouldn’t have put you in this situation.”

I shook my head briefly. “This isn’t the situation I was thinking of.”

“I know, but nonetheless-”

“I’m scared, Pete!”

“Why, Bri?”

“Because I’m afraid I’ve screwed up big time.”

“Did you kiss her?”

“No.”

“Did you sleep with her?”

“No!”

“Then you didn’t screw up.  Brian, there have been times where I was tempted, but I didn’t do anything, just like you haven’t.”

“But I told you you’re all I want!”

“And I believe you!”

“And then I go an fall all over her…”

“So you’re attracted to her.  Is it sexual?”

“No, not really.”

“But you wouldn’t mind getting into her pants?”  I couldn’t believe he was grinning at me.  Tears were rolling down my cheeks.  “Brian, baby, you’re a human being.  You’re a horny teenage boy.  Things like this may happen from time to time.  I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to get into her pants.  What is it that makes her so attractive to you?”

“She’s a lot like me.”

“And that’s all?”

“No,” I answered ashamedly.

“What else?”

“Do I have to say it?”  He nodded.  “I like her body.  I like her face.  I like her personality.”  He smiled.  “I’m scared, because maybe I made a mistake.”

“By being with me?  By thinking you’re gay, and you might not be?”  I just stared at him, begging  him to stop with my eyes.  “Listen to me.  I’m not worried.  You’ll do what’s right for you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You’ll handle the situation in a way that is right for you.”

“What does that mean, though?”  It was a cry for help.  “I don’t know what to do.”

“Shhhh. It’s okay, Bri.  How do you want to deal with this?  Do you want to tell her how you feel?”

I don’t know!”  I was quiet for a moment, just sitting there with my head down, resting in my arms.  “Maybe I need to tell her.  About us, I mean.”

“Why?”  I looked up, expecting to see panic, or at least disapproval, but I saw neither; just gentle and unending love.

“Because it will kill the tension.  If she knows without a doubt that I’m taken, then we can just be friends instead of... other things getting in the way.”

Pete climbed over the table, sat next to me, and caught my eyes.  “See?  I didn’t need to tell you anything.  You found a way to handle it on your own.”

“But I’m going to out you- us.”

“No, you’re just going to tell her how it is.”  He took my hands in his.  “I trust you, Brian.  You have to believe that.  If you think it’s best to tell Kerry we’re a couple, then do it.”  He giggled.  “And if you tell Allison, let me know beforehand so I can watch, okay?”

After washing my face at the restroom and getting some decent clothes on, Pete and I walked to their camp spot.  When we arrived, they were already eating.  I apologized for being late, blaming it on cleaning up taking longer than I expected, and introduced Pete to Devon, who in turn introduced Beth, his wife.  Mike was sitting off to the side, wolfing down his meal, and barely acknowledged our presence.

Allison had saved a seat for me, and I could see no polite way to refuse.  Pete sat between Kirsten and Kerry.  After we dished up our food, not much was said until after we had finished eating.  When the dishes were cleared, Devon started some conversation, if you could call it that.

“Where are you boys from?”

“Portland.  We’re on our way to LA,” Pete answered

“Where are your parents?”

Pete responded, “My family is in Portland.  Brian's family is in the process of moving.  We’re going south to help them pack everything.”

“They’re moving to Portland too?”

“Yes.”

Devon frowned.  “Where have you been living then, Brian, if you’re family is in LA.”

“Oh, my dad is in Portland working his new job.  My mom and my sister are waiting for us,” I said.

“And you guys are traveling alone?  You’re folks must trust you.”

Pete replied, “We’ve given them no reason not to.”  Devon snorted.

“What year are you in school?” Beth asked.

I watched Allison closely as I answered.  “We’ll be Juniors this year.”  She didn’t bat an eye.

“You look a bit young to be a Junior, Brian.”

“Not much I can do about that, I guess.”

“How old are you?”  I glanced at Pete and saw him just sitting back, enjoying the conversation.

“I’m fifteen.  I’ll be sixteen in September.”  Allison swung her head to me, disbelief written on her face.

Pete fought off a smile.  “I just turned seventeen.”

“What do you do?” Devon asked.

“You mean sports?” Pete asked. Devon nodded, and Pete answered, “I used to play football, basketball, and baseball, but I’m concentrating on my grades this year.”

“I play football, wrestle and run track,” I said.

“What kind of grades do you get?”

The third degree was getting old. “Good enough to get me into school,” I replied.  Pete nodded in agreement.

“What’s that mean?  Three-point?”

“Something like that.”  Devon’s eyes narrowed.  It seemed he expected obedience from everyone, not just his family.

He muttered, “Can’t be that good if you won’t tell us.”  What a petty asshole!

“Fine. It’s none of your business, but I’ll tell you anyway, so you’ll stop interrogating me.”  Surprise crossed Devon’s face, followed quickly by anger.  “My grades have been a four point for over three years.  Next year I’m taking all advanced classes, and my senior year I’ll be taking honors classes.  Does that satisfy you?”

“You’re a rude little prick, aren’t you?”

“Devon, he’s our guest,” said his wife quietly.

I stood and backed away from the table. “I follow the example of my host.”  I turned to Beth and said, “Thank you for an excellent breakfast.”  To everyone else, I said, “It was nice to meet you.  It’s a shame we have to leave like this.  Goodbye.  C’mon, Pete.  Something’s made me sick to my stomach.”  As we walked away, I fully expected to hear Devon yell at us, but we didn’t hear anything but muttering behind us.

Pete was curiously quiet as we walked.  My anger had faded rather quickly, replaced by a queasy sensation.  When we got back to camp, I crawled into the tent and laid down.  Pete laid next to me, propping his head on his hand, beaming.

“I’m so proud of you, Bri.  You handled him perfectly!”

“Maybe.  It just sucks that I had to handle anything at all.”

“Yeah.  I thought you were going to lose it big time.”  He leaned over and kissed me on the lips.  “You did good.”

“I love you, Pete.  I just wish this kind of shit didn’t keep happening to me.”

“I know, baby.  You did well, though.  You want to take a nap?”

“Maybe.  My head’s hurting.  If I lay down, it might go away.  Do we have any Tylenol?”

Pete bit his lower lip. “Um, I don’t think so.  I knew I forgot something.  Why don’t you lay here while I drive back to that little store down the road and get some.  Okay?”

“Okay.  Pick up some Tums or something too, ‘k?”

“Sure, baby. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Thanks.”

“Get some rest, lover.”

Pete drove away and I let myself drift.  I hated having to confront people like that.  It was kind of fun, and it gave me an adrenaline rush and all, but I always got a headache afterward.  I mean, why didn’t this kind of thing happen to Pete instead of me.

I must have dozed off, but I awoke to my name being called.  Allison.  Great.  Fucking wonderful. 

“Brian?  Are you in there?”  I peeked out and saw she was alone.  Wonderful.  I considered not answering, but she came to the tent and was going to unzip it.

“Go away, Allison.”

“Is Pete here?”

“No.  He ran into town.”  I knew it was a mistake as soon as I said it.

“Can I come in?  I’d like to talk to you. 

“No.  I’m not really feeling well.  Maybe another time.”

Without hesitation, she unzipped the tent flap, sat beside me, and started taking off her clothes!  “Hurry up.  We don’t have much time.”

I sat up and shuffled back a few inches.  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She removed her shirt and bra.

“That’s a stupid question.”  She grabbed my crotch, but I ripped her hands away, holding them firmly.

“Get out.”

“Come on! Let me go.  You’re wasting time!” 

“You’re making a huge mistake.”

“If you’re worried about protection, I have condoms.  Now get out of those clothes.”  I still held her hands as she struggled to undo my shorts.

“Get out, Allison!  Now!”

“You don’t want to?  You don’t like me?  You don’t want to fuck me?  What are you?  A faggot?”  Adrenaline poured into my bloodstream and blood turned my face white hot.

“What I am is totally turned off, you bitch!”  She managed to get her hands out of my grip, and stared at me as if horrified.  “First of all, there has to be some love in it for me to want to sleep with someone, and there definitely isn’t any here.  Secondly, you think you’re God’s gift to men, which you might be, given how you threw yourself at me.  You act like a slut! Thirdly, you treat other people like shit, expecting them to bow down to your every whim, just like your father does!  Well, not this skinny little white boy. You think you’re so special?  Given the choice between you and Kerry, I’d chose Kerry every single time.  She’s polite, friendly, intelligent, and appeals to me far more than a wannabe whore who has nothing more on her mind than her twat.  Put your clothes on or don’t, I don’t care.  Just get the fuck out of my tent!”

She couldn’t believe what she just heard!  Her face contorted into a mask of rage.  She raised her fist to hit me, so I pushed her backwards out of the tent and tossed her clothes out after her.  Realizing I wasn’t in a good position defensively, I jumped out of the tent after her.  She scrambled up and stared at me.  I glanced down at her breasts for a moment, then said, “You have a nice body.  It’s too bad you don’t have the personality to go with it.”

She screeched so loud I thought I was going to lose an eardrum.  “Fuck you, you bastard!”

“No thanks.  I like to keep to my own species.”

She turned on a dime and stalked off toward the road, screaming obscenities the whole way.  She either didn’t remember or didn’t care that she was naked from the waist up. 

I sat on the bench at the table, resting my head in my hands, shaking with an adrenaline overload.

From behind me came, “Brian?”

“Hi, Kerry.”  I didn’t raise my head.

“You turned her down.”

“You heard?”

“Everything.”  An most uncomfortable silence settled in.  She came over to the bench and sat next to me, and rested her soft, warm hand on my thigh.  “Is what you told her true?”

“What part.”

“That you would choose me over her?”

“Of course.”  She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed.  I could feel her body pressing against me.  She released me, but put her hand back on my thigh.  “What was that for?”  I turned my head so I could see her.

“For being honest. And for doing something I always wanted to do.”

“What’s that?”

“Stand up to her.  She’s never had anyone turn her down before.”

“She’s done this before?”

“Every summer for the last three, four or five times.”

“Jesus.”  Disbelief colored my tone.

“Yeah.”

“What about you, Kerry?”

“What about me?  I’ve always been the younger cousin in the background, not worth even a glance, usually because I’m not willing to put out like she is.”  She half giggled, like it was funny and pathetic at the same time.

“You’re a beautiful girl, Kerry.  You don’t have to stand in her shadow.”

She shrugged.  “I know, but most of the boys she chooses aren’t people I would want to know.  Except you.  You’re kind, and gentle.  You have a sense of humor.  Yes, I know you were trying to put her off the whole time.  It was funny to watch.  You’re smart, and you have a body that I wish my boyfriend could have.”  She grasped my arm around the bicep with her other hand and squeezed.  “I think you’ve been through a lot in your life, and I wish I could get to know you better.  As a friend.”

I looked at her beautiful face, and saw hope in her eyes.  “You know I’m involved.”  She nodded.  “I’d like to have you as a friend, too, Kerry, but that’s all it could ever be.”  She looked puzzled, and I sighed.  “Let’s go for a walk on the bar.  Too many ears here.”

She stood with me.  My head was throbbing, but I just narrowed my eyes and ignored it as best I could.  The bright sunlight didn’t help. I assisted her down the hill, still marveling at the feel of her hand in mine.  We picked our way to the center of the river bar, and sat on the rocks in the hot sun.

“Kerry, I like you a lot.  I feel you have a right to know why all we could ever have is a close friendship.”  She peered at me, searching my face for a clue.  “I told you I was seeing someone, and I am.  We have a good life together, and we plan on staying together through high school and beyond.  We were separated for three years right after we figured out we loved each other, and we found each other again eight months ago.”

“Wow.  Whoever she is, she’s very lucky.”

“No, it’s me who’s lucky.  I did a lot of things that should have left me alone and in the cold.  But... he stuck with me through it all.”

She blinked a couple of times.  “He? 

“Pete.  He’s my boyfriend.”

“You’re gay?” she asked.

“Yes, we’re gay.”  I was expecting the worst reaction from her- why, I don’t know.  Maybe because that’s what I’ve always expected.

“Oh, wow!  I mean, wow!  I wish I could tell Allison!  She’d have a cow!”  Kerry giggled.  It was music to my ears.  My fears faded away.

“Why?”

“She’s anti-gay.  She’s anti-everything , really.”

“We’d prefer it if you wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t.  Why did you tell me?”

“Because I had to.  Your friendship means that much to me.  Kerry, I’ve never felt this way toward a girl before.  It reminds me of when Pete and I first came out to each other.  I think... No, I know... I could fall for you.”

“I thought you said you were gay.”  She was totally non-hostile.  Her understanding brought tears to my eyes.

“I am, but you’re different.  I’m attracted to you in a way I’ve never felt.  It hurts so much, too.  I feel like I’m being disloyal to Pete.”

“Brian, I could never... not knowing that Pete is your boyfriend.”

“I couldn’t either, but, God help me, I want to.”  The Malibu’s horn sounded in the distance.  “Pete's back.  I need to go.”

We stood, the silence awkward.  I put my arm around her shoulders as we started for camp.  “We can be friends, but that’s all.  If more were to happen, I couldn’t live with myself.”

“Neither could I, Brian.  Don’t worry.  I won’t try to seduce you.”  She said it with a grin, but somehow it left a dull ache in my gut.

We reached the hill, temporarily screened from view by brush and trees. “I’ve never really wished that things could be different for me, not since Pete and I got back together, but now, just for a moment, I wish they could.”  She stared into my eyes once more as tears fell down my cheeks, and pulled my head down.  She placed a tender, loving kiss on my forehead, and then walked away, leaving me there in the brush, to weep in private. 

A moment later, Pete came down the hill to me.  He followed my eyes to the retreating form of Kerry, and hugged me from behind.  I turned in his arms and cried hard.

I cried because I was scared.  The effect Kerry’s had on me was terrifying.  I never, ever thought that I would be tempted like I had been that day.  Pete was truly all I wanted. 

I cried because I had, in my mind, betrayed Pete.  The very thoughts I had of me and Kerry together betrayed his trust.

I cried, because a person who could be a true friend had walked away without a backward glance, maybe for good.

And, I cursed all the mixed up, fucked up emotions careening through my brain, half wishing I had never met Kerry, and half desperate to see her again.

Caught by surprise, Pete could only hold me until I regained control.  He whispered in my ear, telling me everything was okay, and things would be fine.  A few moments later, I managed to compose myself enough to go back to camp.

We sat on the bench facing each other, and I took his hands in mine.  The days events poured out of me, then I opened up my heart and told him everything I had been thinking and feeling.  I kept my eyes closed as I spoke, afraid of what I might see in his face.  When I at last finished my confession, Pete leaned in and kissed me on the forehead, exactly where Kerry had.  A shiver ran through my body

“Do you love me, Brian?”

“Yes!  More than anything!”

“Then nothing’s changed, except for a part of your heart that was closed has been opened again.  I love you.  Nothing has changed, Brian.”  He raised my eyes to his.  “Thank you for telling me how you feel.  All I ask is that you’re honest with me.  Okay?”

“I don’t want to leave you, Pete.”

“And I don’t want you to leave.”  He kissed me gently on the lips.  “I love you.  Nothing has, or will, change that.”

“I love you, too.”  I hugged him, resting my head on his shoulder.  He embraced me, stroking the back of my neck.  I felt so safe and secure in his arms.  Nothing could hurt me while he held me.  Nothing, that is, except my own deep seated fears.

Here it was, not even noon yet, and the day had been full of nothing but upheaval.  My head was still pounding, and my nose was still running with snot from my crying.  Pete released me and went to the tent, pulling out a small paper bag.  He brought it to me.  Inside was the Tylenol and Tums I’d asked for.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Bri.”  Gratefully, I opened the bottle, removed the foil and the cotton, and poured out four pills.  Pete handed me some bottled water, and the pills went down without difficulty.

“I don’t understand.”.

“What don’t you understand?” asked Pete, puzzled

“Why are you so good to me?”

“Do we really need to go there again, Brian?  Everything I’ve said before still goes.”  There was a hint of exasperation in his voice.

“No,” I said softly.  “I just don’t know why you aren’t pissed off at me.”

“Why?  Because you have feelings?”

“No, because I had those feelings.  About her.”

“Remember what I said a little bit ago? That part of your heart that was closed has been opened?”  I nodded miserably.  “Let me put it this way.  How long have you been trying to get in touch with your feelings?”

“Since the first time I saw Will.”

“Six months or so?”  I nodded again.  “I think you’ve definitely gotten in touch with something, here.  I’m sorry it had to be so painful for you, baby.  I’m not angry at you.  I’m not angry with Kerry either.  Actually, I feel like I owe her for getting you to open up that much more.”

I looked deeply into his eyes, delving into his heart and soul.  How did I get so lucky, to be with a boy who was mature beyond his years, who could look beyond the shallow surface appearance of my ordeal?  Anyone else would not have understood but I would never have told anyone else but Pete, either.

“I don’t deserve to have you,”  I forestalled Pete's objections with a finger to his lips, “but I’m very happy I do.”  I kissed him and heard a gasp.

Behind me stood Allison, Kerry, and Devon.  Kerry was smiling shyly, but Devon and his daughter had their jaws hanging wide open.  My heart dropped.  Another confrontation.  

Devon recovered quickly.  “You tried to rape my daughter, you little fag!”  Neither Pete nor I moved or said a thing.  Devon advanced on me, which spurred me into action.  I pushed Pete off the bench, forcing him to move away from Devon.  I moved the other way, giving myself room to maneuver if need be.  Gathering my courage, I stood ramrod straight and faced off with the man.  He towered over me in height and dwarfed me in weight.

“No sir, I did not try to rape your daughter.  She tried to force me to have sex with her, in my tent, after I told her repeatedly to go away.  I would never sleep with her, even if you gave permission, for several reasons.”  I saw Pete move behind me out of the corner of my eye.  “Would you care to hear them?”  Without waiting for  a response, I continued.

“Your daughter is a highhanded spoiled brat who believes that everyone was put here to serve her, and that we should all just get on our knees in her presence.  She believes she’s irresistible.  When she came in my tent, she had her shirt off before I could really ask her to get out.  Then she tried to take off my shorts.  I told her to leave, but she refused.”

“You’re a fucking liar!” Allison screamed.

“Shut up, girl, before I make you!” Devon yelled back.

As if nothing had been said, I went on.  “The other reason I won’t sleep with her is I already have a person I’m in love with, and I have no desire to cheat.  Even if it’s with a nice, beautiful woman, which your daughter isn’t.”

“Are you a fag, boy?”

I smiled and pulled Pete even with me, throwing my arm around his waist.  I responded, “Are you a bigot? Oh, wait.  You already answered that, didn’t you, mister homophobe.”  Devon took a step toward me.  “Does the truth hurt?  Can’t you handle the fact that I’m perfectly happy with Pete, and am not attracted to your daughter in the slightest?  And just so you know, it’s not because I’m gay.  I’m very attracted to Kerry.  But like I said.  I won’t cheat, even with a beautiful girl like her.”

Pete put his arm around my shoulders and squeezed slightly.

“You’re gonna burn in hell!”

“Oh, boy.  Here we go.  Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.  Sin is sin.  Are you without sin?  Are you claiming to be perfect?”

He spluttered for a moment, then repeated, “You still tried to rape my daughter.”

“I couldn’t even get it up for her.  Now, why don’t you go back to your camp, and we’ll stay in ours.  We won’t bother anyone, and you do the same.”

“I’m going to call the cops!”

“Go ahead.  I have a witness who will bear out what I say.”

“You lie.”

I narrowed my eyes, and smiled demonically.  “Try me.”  Devon just stared at me, his face a brilliant shade of crimson.  I couldn’t resist one more jibe through.  “I can understand your anger.  It’s not every day you learn your daughter is a whore in training.”

Allison screamed something unintelligible and charged me, but she never reached me.  Devon shoved her to the ground.

“Get your asses back to camp,” he hissed.  Kerry smiled warmly in our direction before walking away.  “You better watch it, queer boy.  Stay away from my family.”

I smiled again with malice. “Likewise, hatemonger.”  Devon spat on the ground in front of my feet, then stalked off, dragging Allison behind him by her arm.  I stood there watching them until they turned the corner.  When they did, I turned and collapsed into Pete's arms, shaking like a leaf in a strong breeze.

Pete stroked my hair softly, kissing me on the top of my head.  “My hero,” he whispered.  I looked up at him and saw he was only half joking.  “Brian, how do you do that?  You’ve got balls of steel, you know that?”

I laughed weakly.  “I don’t know.  I just... do.  God, I hope that Tylenol kicks in quick.”  Suddenly, I turned and vomited into the fire pit.  I sank to my knees and heaved three more times.  Pete massaged my neck and shoulders the whole time.

When I had finished, he said, “Come on and lay down, baby.  I’ll make you feel better.”  He led me to the tent, and let me down on the air mattress.  Pete took off my shirt and rolled me onto my stomach.  I spent the next half-hour drifting off to sleep as Pete relaxed my stress-cramped muscles.  When he was finished, he lay beside me, letting me drift in and out of awareness, just holding my hand.  When I was ready, I squeezed his hand and said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Bri. Wish I could have gone farther, but there’s not enough privacy.”

“Mmm.  You did just fine.” I rolled onto my side and propped my head in my hand.  “I love you, Pete.  More than anything.”

He smiled up at me.  “I know.  I love you too.”

“Brian?  Pete?”  God, wasn’t I going to get any peace?  “Are you guys in there?  I’ll go if you want to be alone.”  Kerry’s voice.

Surprisingly, Pete called, “We’ll be out in a second.”  I sighed.  “C’mon Bri.  I want to thank her.”

“Okay.”  I crawled out of the tent and was going to put my t-shirt on, but my lover stopped me.

“I like looking at you, Bri.  Leave the shirt off?”  Not really in the mood, I agreed anyway and tossed it back into the tent.

Kerry sat at the picnic table, appearing relaxed as she ran her fingers over the carvings in the table.  She looked up as we approached, and I felt her eyes explore my body.  Pete grinned knowingly, and as he sat at the table across from her, said, “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”

“Yes.  Very beautiful.  You’re a lucky guy to have him.”

“I know.  I’m just happy he decided to stay with me.”  Pete squeezed my hand.  My face was flushed.  I didn’t know to respond to their comments.  To say I was uncomfortable was an understatement.  Seeing I was going to remain silent, Pete continued, “I want to thank you, Kerry.”

“For what?”

“For being Brian's friend.  He doesn’t have many.”

“I know.  I can tell.  We’re so much alike, it’s scary.”

“That’s what Brian told me.  He’s right, you know.  You are beautiful.”  She blushed and dropped he gaze to her lap.  “It’s true.  I can see why he is attracted to you.  I am too, but not like Brian.”  Kerry started fidgeting nervously, unsure where Pete was going.

“Brian doesn’t open up easily, Kerry.  He’s had a tough time.”  Pete stroked my hair affectionately and smiled.  “Sometimes, though, he does open up.  Not very often, but sometimes, when he feels safe.

“He told you about us, because he trusted you and felt it safe to tell you, Kerry.  That’s a compliment.  He doesn’t trust easily.  He told me what happened between you, because he trusts me.  I’m happy because you helped him to open his heart that much more.  That is why I’m thanking you.”

“Shouldn’t you be with your uncle?” I asked.

“No.  He’s being such an asshole.  He said I couldn’t leave camp, so I did.” She giggled.  “I’ll call Mom and Dad when I get to a phone, and they’ll come get me.  I don’t like my uncle much anymore.  Or Allison.”

“What about Kirsten?”

“She’s okay, but she’s still all giggly.  It gets on my nerves.”

Pete snapped his fingers.  “We have a cell phone.  Do you want to call your parents now?”

“They’re at work right now, but if I could use it later?”

Pete smiled.  “Sure.  No problem.  Just ask.”

“What’s your uncle going to do if he finds you with us?”

“Nothing.  I told him off for being the ignorant bigoted bastard he is.  He slapped me,” I could see the handprint now that she mentioned it, “so I ran off.”

My blood began to boil.  That fucker had hit her!  Feeling me become agitated, Pete patted my leg in an attempt to calm me down.

“Brian, getting angry isn’t going to do any good.  Kerry, is it safe for you to go back there?”

“I don’t know.  My aunt didn’t say anything when he hit me.”

I looked at Pete, my anger still burning white hot. “Call the police.  They’ll protect you until your parents get here.”

“Can you try and reach your parents at work?”

“I could try, but I don’t have the number with me.  It’s back in camp.”

“Well, that’s what four-one-one is for.”  Pete got the phone out of the car.  I still sat there, fuming. 

Kerry reached across the table and lay her hand on my arm.  “It’s okay, Brian.  He didn’t hurt me.”

“I don’t care!  He hit you, and that’s wrong!”

“Please, let it go, okay?  It’s not worth getting upset over.  Really!  It’s not like this is the first time.”

“He’s hit you before?” Pete asked, handing the phone to her.

“Yes.”

“A slap?”

“Usually.”

“How often?” I asked

“Not many times.  Two or three times each summer.  It’s not a big deal.”

Incredulously, I asked, “And your parents sent you back down here?”

“They don’t know.  I never told them.”  I took in a sharp breath.

“Why not?”  asked Pete?

She shrugged. “It wasn’t worth making trouble over.”

“Well, this time, you aren’t making the trouble.  I am.”  I was livid once more.  Why would she not tell her parents?  “Are your parents the same way?”

“Oh, no!  I love my parents, and they love me.  They’ve never hit me like Uncle does.”

“Call your folks, Kerry.”  She studied my face, taking in my throbbing temples, narrowed eyes, and hard set jaw

“Okay,” she whispered.

While she was on the phone, Pete and I quietly discussed our options.  We could call the police and get her stuff, just saying that he was keeping it from her, while she wanted to go home, or we could tell the cops what really happened, or we could go with her to get her stuff and find her a place to stay for the night until her parents got there.  None of them were very good.  And I didn’t want another confrontation with her uncle.

“I don’t really want to face Devon again.”

“I know, baby,” Pete said

Kerry ended her call and said, “My parents will be here tonight.  They’re going to leave in an hour.  I’ll call them again around eight.  They should be in town by then.”

Pete nodded and asked, “Is there anything over there that you absolutely need to have?”

“Not until tonight.  I have some money if anything comes up.”

“Brian, I don’t think we should stay here tonight.”

I sighed and muttered, “Fucking homophobes.”

Pete added, “There’s another campground we can try, down by the beach.”

“Or,” said Kerry, “you can go further upriver and rough it.”

I thought about it for a second, and said, “Let’s go and see if we can get a spot by the ocean.  I’d like to run on the beach anyway.  We can still come up here tomorrow.”

Pete smiled. “Okay, baby.  We’ll do that, then.  Care to come with, Kerry?”

“Sure, but it’s going to be colder down there.”

“I know I have some sweats that would fit, if you don’t mind wearing them.”

“That’d be fine, Brian.  Thank you.”

“Okay then, it’s settled,” Pete said, “Let’s get packed.”

Between the three of us, we were ready to go within a half-hour.  Kerry got in the back of the car, and Pete and I climbed in.  As we pulled away, we heard Devon following us, yelling for Kerry.

She sighed, “Just keep going.  Ignore him.”

Pete said, “We better go to the police station and explain what’s happening before he accuses up of kidnapping.”

“Yeah, I guess we should.  Maybe you should call them now and tell them you’re coming in?”  She half-laughed.  “I don’t feel like having a gun pointed at me today.”  I did as she suggested.  They didn’t sound  too concerned. 

The drive to town was beautiful.  On our left ran the Chetco River, with an occasional house on the bank.  To the right were some hills dotted with houses and mobile homes.  It may not sound beautiful, but it gave me a sense of peace.

When we arrived at the station in the middle of town, we got out of the car and went inside, where we were met by a patrolman.  Kerry recounted the whole story, except the fact Pete and I were boyfriends, and told the officer what arrangements she had made to meet her parents.

In the middle of taking his report, the officer was called away.  He returned a few moments later, and continued asking us questions.  The whole thing took about an hour, then the guy told us to wait in his office.

A half hour later, he returned and said we could go after Pete gave him our cell phone number.  On the way out, I caught a peek of Devon sitting on a chair in another office.  I shook my head and followed Pete and Kerry out to the car.

Pete asked, “So?  Where to now?” as he started the Malibu.

“I’m hungry,” Kerry said.  “How about pizza?”

I shrugged, saying, “Sounds good to me.”

“Okay, pizza it is.”  Pete put the car in gear, and at Kerry’s direction, turned south on the main drag. 

I couldn’t get over how small this town looked.  The only things that looked modern were the Fred Meyer’s, the Pizza Hut, and the McDonalds.  Everything else was like something from the sixties.

We passed the turnoff to the north bank of the river and crossed a bridge into another small town called Harbor.  There was an old shopping center on the opposite side of the road from Wild River Pizza, which stood on a small hill off the left.  Behind that was another shopping center, but I couldn’t see what was in it.

The pizza place was nearly empty when we walked in.  As if she knew what she was doing, she ordered a medium pepperoni pizza and an order of chips.  Pete and I paid our portion, then walked around to the other side of the place, where we ordered our drinks from a bar.  We found a table on the wall nearest the street, where the sun was just creeping in to the building.

Kerry sat across from us and took a long suck at her straw, draining half of her coke. “That’s better,” she said.  “So, how did you guys find each other?”  Pete and I told our story.  By this time, we almost had it down to a routine, who would tell what and when.  I lost count long ago how many times I’ve told people about my childhood.  Like I was an adult now, I mused.

About half way through, our number was called, and Pete rose to get our order.  Kerry smiled at me, and said,  “You guys deserve to be together after all you’ve been through.”

“Maybe.  All I’m really sure of is Pete loves me for some reason, and I love him.  But there’s more to tell you, and it’s not all pretty.”  Pete returned with our pizza, and a basket of some kind of deep fried potato.  Kerry dipped one in the ranch dip that came with them, and smiled, obviously relishing it.  I took one and dipped it, and was pleasantly surprised by the taste. 

Conversation was interrupted by our food for the next fifteen minutes, but when we were finished, I bought a pitcher of Coke, and we continued telling Kerry all our deep dark secrets.  She had to dab tears from her eyes several times as the story went along.  I didn’t realize I was getting emotional until Pete handed me a napkin to wipe my own eyes.  I smiled at him and briefly rested my head on his shoulder.

We sat in a reflective silence for a few minutes.  I was pondering how far I had come from that boy who had starved himself to within days of death, a kid who had disowned his family and shunned attention from almost everyone, to a person who was loved, felt loved, and had hope for the future.  And that change was due to the guy sitting next to me.  Without him, I’d be nowhere.  Maybe even dead.  A shudder ran through my body as that thought crossed my mind.

“Cold, baby?”

“No, just thinking.”  Pete peered at me expectantly, waiting for me to explain, but Kerry saved me.

“Hey, you guys said you want to go to the beach?”

“Yeah!” I answered quickly.  “I’d love a run right about now.”

“I suppose we could go.  It’s kind of windy; it’ll be cold.”  Pete was still concerned, but I pretended not to notice.  I was sure I’d hear about it that night.

“It probably will be,” Kerry said, “and I forgot my jacket when I left my uncle.”

“You can wear mine,” I volunteered.  “I want to wear sweats anyway.”

“You gonna run with me, Pete?”  I looked up at him through my bangs, and smiled seductively, biting my tongue.

 I watched Pete start to blush, an embarrassed grin appearing.  “Time to go!” he said loudly. Kerry cracked up.

“You guys are just too much!”

Pete's expression was priceless.  He’d been caught, and his blush brightened.  Pete leaned across the table, a glint to his eyes, and said to Kerry, “I can’t help it if he’s sexy.  I’m just horny, I guess.”

She laughed again.  “Well, of course you are.  How could you not be with this Greek god on your arm?”  Then it was my turn to blush.

We left the pizza parlor and drove back over the bridge and through town.  We passed Harris Beach State Park and continued on to Lone Ranch State Park, a long stretch of beach that was nearly deserted, or so it seemed.  We pulled off Highway 101 onto the steep driveway leading down to the parking lot.  The lot was small, but it was full, which surprised me given the scarcity of people we’d seen from above.

Pete created his own parking spot, and we climbed out of the car.  Kerry had grabbed my coat from the back seat and wrapped it around her against the frigid wind.  Pete and I opened the trunk, rummaging around for our sweats.  I was surprised at just how cold the wind was.  It was supposed to be summer, but here it was fifty degrees, if that.

Handing Kerry a spare set of my sweats, we ran to the bathroom and changed into our sweats.  Pete and I paused just long enough for a deep kiss.  We returned to the car and deposited our clothes, then locked it up and walked down the hill to the sand.  After climbing through the piles of driftwood, the beach opened up. 

There was almost a mile of uninterrupted sand.  Gulls flew overhead, fighting the wind to make their way out to sea.  I stopped and stood still, closing my eyes.  The salt air was fresh and clean.  The call of gulls was nearly drowned out by the crashing of the waves.  I inhaled deeply several times, letting the breath out slowly, just enjoying the sensation.  When I opened my eyes, Pete was watching me with a smile, while Kerry looked at me strangely.  I just smiled back and walked on, toward the open stretch of sand. 

“Are you going to wait here, Kerry?”  I asked.

“Oh, you mean, while you’re running?  I’ll find someplace in the driftwood.  You boys run along and play nice now!”  Her grin was devilish.  How did such a shy girl become so extroverted?  I guess it was because she felt comfortable around us, and perhaps, she knew we could just be friends, so the pressure was off.  I shrugged to myself.

“We’ll be back soon.”

“Take your time.  I’m in no hurry to be anywhere.”  She smiled again, a knowing look in her eyes.

As Pete and I took off toward the opposite end of the beach at a slow trot, I commented, “She’s scary.”

He laughed.  “Why, because she knows what boys are like?”

“Well, yeah, kinda.  She was practically telling us to... you know, have sex.”

“And that’s such a bad thing?”

“I suppose not.  Could be worse.  So, are we going to walk all day, or are we going to run?”  I stepped up my pace and surged ahead, forcing Pete to catch up or be left in my wake. 

We ran by a group of ten or eleven guys playing football about a third of the way down.  I watched them as I passed, feeling Pete's eyes on me as I did.  I think the oldest was at least eighteen, and the youngest thirteen.  There were a couple of cute guys my age. 

“Come on,” Pete said, slightly out of breath, “let’s get this over with.”

“You getting out of shape, babe?”

“Yeah,” he panted.  “I need to do more running.”  He kept up pretty well until we reached the end of the sand, where we turned around and took a slower pace back to the football game.  When we got there, we saw Kerry sitting off to the side, watching them.

“Feel like playing?”  Pete asked.

“Sure, if they want us to.”

“Cool.  I haven’t played football in a long time.  Hey guys, got room for a couple more?”

“Sure!” the oldest of them said.  “We’re even, so one of you on one team, the other on the other.”

“Cool.  Rules?”

“Supposed to be touch, but it’s more of a rough touch.  In the grasp.”

I grinned.  “I can do that.”

Pete grinned too.  “I’ll be on your team…”

“Oh, Bobby.”  He extended his hand and we each shook it.

I went over to my team, and Pete settled in across from me.  The next thing I knew, the ball had been snapped.  Pete took off like a shot, with me just an instant behind him.  He cut into the middle of the field.  I barely got my fingertips on the ball just enough to deflect it from Pete's waiting hands, and then tumbled to the ground, eating a mouthful of sand.

Pete stood next to me, and offered me a hand up.  “You okay?”

I grinned insanely and spit out some sand, then said, “Never better!  Next time, I’ll catch that pass.” 

Pete laughed and helped me to my feet.  “Only if you beat me to it.”

 He threw his arm around me as we walked back and set up for another play.  The ball was snapped again, and Pete jumped off the line, trying to leave me behind.  Instead of cutting inside on me like he had last time, he ran a post and kept going straight.  I focused on his shoulders, waiting for him to turn for the ball.

When he did, I looked too, and saw it was going to be close.  He kept running to meet the ball with me hot on his heels.  We looked back again, and I saw the ball would fall into Pete's hands perfectly.  Pushing myself, I caught up to Pete and jumped.  The ball hit me square in the chest.  I closed my arms around it, but I had no hope of regaining my feet.  Clutching the ball tightly by instinct, I let my feet go, ready to fall to the sand. I felt Pete wrap me in his arms, and he went down with me. After we had stopped rolling, Pete groaned.  I struggled free of him.

“Omigod.  Are you okay?  Are you hurt?”

Pete chuckled to himself.  “I’m fine, Bri, but we need to talk about your weight.  You’re extremely heavy when you land on top of me.”  The other boys caught up to us, each asking if we were okay, and some complementing us on our play.  “I think I’ll get up, now.”  Bobby and I helped him rise.

“I told you guys this was supposed to be touch football!  You trying to kill yourselves?”  Bobby was smirking, so I knew he wasn’t angry.

“Nah,” I said,  “I gave that up a long time ago.”

Bobby passed me an appraising look, then shrugged.  “Whatever.  You guys still okay to play?”

“Sure,” Pete said.  I nodded.

“Cool.  Your ball, Brian.”

We played football for another hour or so before fatigue caught up with us.  Kerry sat there the whole time, watching us boys make fools of ourselves and laughing up a storm. 

It was a good time.  I’d forgotten how fun football could be.  Pete had too, evidently.  We walked back to the car and stripped off our sweatshirts to get rid of the worst of the sand before climbing in.

“We need a room tonight, Bri.”

“Can we get one?”

“Probably.”

“There are quite a few hotels in town and down at the port,” Kerry said as she admired us openly.  “I don’t know how expensive they are, or if they’ll let you get a room.  Some places require you to be eighteen or even twenty-one before they’ll rent to you.”

“That sucks,” I said.  “I could really use a shower.”

“Me too.  What time is it, baby?”

“About five.”

“Well, let’s see if we can get a room at the Best Western on the north end of town.”

“Sounds good to me, babe.”  Kerry giggled as I shut the door.  “What?”

“It’s just so strange to hear two guys calling each other ‘babe’ and ‘baby’.”

I grinned back at her.  “I’m so glad you’re amused.”  She laughed again, and Pete smiled at me, making my heart melt.

We made it to the motel Pete had mentioned.  He had to show his identification to prove he was emancipated, but they gave us the room.  Once in the room, Kerry settled in on one of the double beds and watched the tube while Pete and I took a shower together.  She grinned at me as I shut the door. 

We didn’t take too long, but then, we didn’t need that long, either.  By the time we got out of the shower, dressed, and were ready for dinner,  it was nearly a quarter