Mandy was pissed off. Aiden knew she wouldn’t be happy, but the pursed lips and severe frown that were directed at him when he was brought into the kitchen was worse than he’d been expecting. This had happened a few times when he’d started working last summer. She’d discuss mistakes, tell you how to improve, and you improved until there were no more one-on-one talks needed.
“Do you have anything to say?” Mandy began.
“Everyone had a good time.” Aiden held onto his elbows.
“I can see that. I can see that everyone is hungover, including you.”
“They were hungover a few days ago.” He pointed out quietly.
“I don’t mind it here, where the only danger is an open fire, but out there? Safety comes first, and you should not have been drinking.” She snapped. “You didn’t have permission to go out either, and I won’t have you breaking rules to impress your classmates. You’re here to work, not hang out with your friends.”
Aiden’s heartbeat drummed loudly in his ears. “Yes boss.”
“Go pack your things. Tom will drive you to the hospital.”
“Should I-”
“Bring everything with you.” Mandy turned around and started cutting raw chicken into small cubes.
Aiden left quietly, and on his way out of the cabin got a grimace of sympathy from Linda.
Aside from Lucas, the cabin was lifeless. Kal and Connor were hungover, while Evie was passed out on the couch. Aiden was joined by Lucas in his room as he packed.
“It doesn’t look too bad.” Lucas held his elbow and scrutinized his wrist. “Ice-pack worthy, definitely. But she’s making you go to the hospital?”
“Employee safety and all.” Aiden pulled away. Honestly, he agreed with Lucas. It didn’t hurt anymore either. “Do you have any plans for the rest of the summer?”
“Get used to the new additions in my family” Lucas shrugged, “Football. Mom mentioned something about getting me working at one of the hotels she manages for.”
“Connor’s dad is a chef, isn’t he?” Aiden asked, “maybe you could work with him?”
“That could be interesting.” Lucas agreed, “What about you?”
Aiden placed his violin next to the box of music books and joined Lucas on the bed. “I’ll hang out with Roma. Go over the interview songs. Babysit.” He shrugged. “I don’t have anything else planned.”
“You’ll be around for a few weeks then?” Lucas sounded pleased. “Want to come over for dinner? I’ll cook for your dad and Lily too.”
“Sure.” Aiden agreed lightly. Since his talk with Mandy a lump had formed in his chest, and seemed to be growing thicker as the time for their departure ticked closer and closer. It was the same sickening sensation he’d felt with Lucas in the tent; as if wanting to kiss and touch the other boy was wrong.
Objectively, he knew it was okay. It was the twenty first century. People were gay. People were accepted. In fact, according to tv shows and movies, people who didn’t accept that people were gay were the ones everyone hated. But for some reason, no amount of thinking made the fear in his chest abate.
“Are you okay?” Lucas held his hand.
“Fine.” Aiden looked at Lucas. Lucas didn’t seem bothered by anything like that. But, as Lucas had said himself, he’d dated girls even though he knew he was gay. If Lucas, popular, smart – occasional jerk-, Lucas felt the need to hide it, then what hope did Aiden have? “I’m just thinking.”
“About?”
“Nothing important.” He glanced towards the door. He heard Ben’s voice in the other room. He stood up, pulling his grip from Lucas’s, and opened his bedroom door before Ben reached them. “We heading out now?”
“I’ll help with the bags.” Lucas picked up the books and his clothes, Aiden was glad he left the violin for him to carry.
The jeep was parked a short two minute walk from the cabins. Ben gave them the keys and said he’d be with them momentarily
The faded red stood out against the trees. They put his stuff into the back.
“We’ll be getting home later tonight.” Lucas said, “I’ll let you know what day you can come over for dinner.”
“Okay. Have a fun hike down.” Aiden climbed into the passenger seat but felt like he was being too cold. “I had fun.” He added, “I’m glad you decided to come camping here.”
Lucas leaned against the car with a shy smile. “I’m glad I did too. Let me know how the hospital visit goes.”
“Okay.” Aiden agreed, knowing that he wouldn’t. He flicked his eyes down the still empty path, and leaned out of the jeep, pressing a quick, small kiss to Lucas’s lips.
He pulled back and Lucas was grinning. “See you later Aiden.”
“Bye Lucas.”
*
“Fuck this.” Aiden squeezed his eyes shut. His arm was awkwardly strapped to his stomach with a hard casing around it. It had been on for thirty minutes and already it was itching.
Ben climbed back into the jeep and handed Aiden a takeaway cup, before taking a long gulp from his own. The gas station was the last one until they reached Aiden’s in the middle of nowhere village.
“The doctor gave out to me, you know.” Ben said as they drove along the empty roads, surrounded by bogs, mountains and the occasional pine-tree forest. “Said that leaving it untreated for so long could have caused serious damage.”
“It didn’t even hurt.” He took a sip of his coffee, enjoying the bitter taste on his tongue. “I don’t understand how a small punch like that was enough to break bone.”
“Bad angle.” Ben shrugged. “I’ll let Mandy know. Insurance will cover the cost, and if not, well, the one who broke it will be paying. You don’t need to worry about money.”
Aiden was more concerned with how long the cast would be on. It would be impossible to play violin with this thing on, and even if it was off in time for auditions there’s no way he’d be up to scratch after taking the summer off. “It was four weeks with the cast, right?”
Ben sent him a wry look. “Eight, and maybe six. It will be August before that’s off.”
The audition was the beginning of September. Eight weeks would give him two weeks to prepare. Six would be a month. That’s not too bad.
“Take it easy with that violin Aiden,” Ben said, “It’s not going anywhere.”
Aiden stayed silent. After driving through abandoned country side until they were far from any civilisation, his house came into view. A bungalow that looked like a cottage from the outside. The lawn surrounding his house was overgrown and there were miniature tractors, dolls and tools littering the driveway as they pulled in. Yellow light beamed out of the windows, standing out starkly against the dark sky.
“I’m going to keep going” Ben put the jeep into park but left the engine running, “I’ll see you later in the summer.”
“Mandy fired me.”
“She’ll get over it.” Ben shrugged, “Once she reaches the end of her rope with Gabby, you’ll be getting a call. Take care.”
“Thanks Ben.”
His dad had the door open and pulled him in for a hug before Aiden even got out a ‘hello’. After awkwardly putting down his bags Aiden returned it.
“Welcome home.” His dad squeezed him hard enough to make his ribs hurt. He pulled away and looked Aiden over. “Did you get taller?”
“I’ve been gone two weeks.” He chuckled.
“You look older.”
Aiden examined his dad’s laugh lines, and the silver strands mixing with blonde near his temples. He was used to it, but after a gap of two weeks he did look older. “Is Lily up?”
“She tried her best to stay up, but she’s out. You can sleep in my room, I’ll take your bed. She’s been asking for you.”
Aiden lay next to her as quietly as possible. Lily let out a heavy breath but didn’t stir. He couldn’t find a comfortable position with his arm in a cast, and didn’t get much sleep.
*
The car that pulled up was silver with a black hood.
“Who’s that?” Lily dropped her toy car. “Daddy?”
“Daddy’s at work.” Aiden watched as Lucas got out of the car and waved through the window. He trotted over to the side door, where Lily was already pulling the door open.
“Hi Lily.” Lucas greeted her.
Lily stared at him, and then ran to Aiden.
“Is that Lucas?” Aiden asked.
“It’s Lucas.” Lily nodded, “Look, it’s Lucas.”
Lucas smiled at her as she repeated his name half a dozen times, but the smile flickered as he looked at the sling Aiden’s arm was in. “It’s broken?”
“Fractured.” Aiden confirmed, “Do you want some tea? Or are you heading back out straight away?”
“Tea would be great.” Lucas closed the door.
Lucas leaned against the counter as Aiden got the cups out. “It’s been a while since I’ve been here.” He looked around the kitchen. “I think I remember the mountain better. Do you bring Lily up there?”
“We go up the mountain?” Lily perked up.
Aiden winced, and Lily charged over singing about wanting to go up the hill. “If you want I can bring her for a walk?” Lucas offered, his eyes flicking onto Aiden’s arm.
“My legs still work just fine.” He said. “Are you up for it?”
Aiden blamed Lucas for how they ended up at the top of the mountain. But he blamed him in a good way. Lily was delighted, and even if Aiden had hated his guts, seeing the way Lucas was so cheerful with Lily would have earned him a begrudging acceptance. But he didn’t hate Lucas. And it earned him more than just ‘acceptance’.
The only downside was having to carry Lily down the hill. It was awkward with only one arm, and his muscles ached by the time they were back at the house. Lily went straight down for a nap, and they got their drinks.
“I realised as soon as you left that I didn’t have your number.” Lucas explained, “so, uh,” he reached for a pad of paper on the kitchen table and scribbled out his own.
“You could have found me on Facebook.” Aiden said.
“I sent you a friend request already, you didn’t accept it.”
Aiden took a long sip of his coffee. “I’m not on it much.”
“It was about four years ago.” Lucas said.
Aiden immediately felt guilty. He did remember that. Not accepting it was a conscious decision. He hadn’t wanted Lucas to have a direct access to his lack of a social life. Back then he was still trying to save face for himself. “I’ll send you one.”
Lucas grinned.
Having him in his kitchen was weird. Spending time with him, felt new all over again. It wasn’t a camping trip. This was his house. Lucas was in his house. Aiden was torn between excitement and that familiar sensation of dread.
“She looks like you.” Lucas broke the silence.
“She’s so cute.” Aiden answered, complementing his younger sibling was hardwired into him after three years.
“Yes, you do have that in common. Want to watch a movie?”
“Lord of the rings?” It was the first thing that came to his mind, even though they’d watched it only a few days ago.
“Absolutely.” Lucas went ahead and set it up.
Aiden got the popcorn.
Unlike last time, they were able to talk during the movie. They tried to make each other laugh with their commentaries, something that Lucas was good at. At the halfway point Aiden swapped the disks and Lucas made him another coffee.
“I was thinking,” Lucas began, holding the coffee and the remote hostage, “That Saturday night might be the best time for dinner? Since your dad works during the week it’ll be easier to have it on the weekend.”
“You were serious about that?” Aiden asked.
Lucas’s expression fell a little. “You didn’t think I was?”
“No I knew you meant it.” He said quickly, “It’s just that was the woods, away from here, and I figured you’d probably change your mind when you got home.”
Lucas went from disappointed, to hurt. “You really don’t think much of me, do you?”
Aiden’s chest clenched. “That came out a lot worse out loud.”
“I don’t think there’s a good way that could have come out.” Lucas said tersely. He put down the coffee, and Aiden knew he was about to leave. He got the feeling he wouldn’t be coming back.
“Wait.” He held his wrist and took a breath to get his thoughts straightened out. “It’s a small town, and if anyone puts a foot out of place, everyone knows about it. It isn’t that I think badly of you, it’s just –”
Lucas wasn’t even looking at him. Aiden felt like he wasn’t listening to a word he said either.
“I’m going to head out.”
Aiden’s skin prickled at his words, and the impulse to stop him raced through him. He moved forward, and kissed an angry Lucas.
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