Nifty

Jordan sat in the back seat of his folks' SUV and sulked as they drove away from the only home he'd ever known, but he refused to shed any more tears.  No, he'd done all the crying he intended to, and now his sadness was being replace by a new feeling, anger.

"Jordan, honey," his mom said, looking back to see her only son huddled in the corner looking like an injured animal, "it won't be as bad as you imagine. I promise. You'll make new friends and you'll have fun again."

"I don't want new friends, I want my old ones," Jordan spit out, "Maybe it's easy for you to leave everyone and everything you've ever known behind, but it's not so easy for me. I hate this...this whole thing."

"Jordy, buddy," his dad offered, "I understand how you feel, I really do. I had the same thing happen to me when I was ten. My dad picked up the whole family and moved half way across the country, but it's like your mom said, I made new friends, and I actually liked our new place better than the old one. I'm hoping that will happen with you too."

"It won't, I just know it won't. I'll be lonely and have no friends, and it's all your fault if I grow up to be a serial killer or something."

Mrs. Kelly almost laughed at her son's outrageous statement, but she managed to suppress it long enough to reply, "Well, son, if you do become a serial killer, assuming your father and I aren't two of your victims, we will come visit you in prison."

Mr. Kelly did laugh then, and Jordan almost cracked a smile too, but he was too mad to let a little humor ruin his shitty attitude, and he just pulled further into himself.

The miles passed by, and Jordan alternated between sleeping and sulking, but finally he could suppress the urge no longer, and he checked his phone to see if he had any messages. Five of them, he was happy to see, four from Lee, his best friend, and one from Sammy, his old next door neighbor.

The one from Sammy was short: Hey dude, miss ya already. Stay in touch k.

Jordan quickly typed back: Miss ya too. I'll text ya when we stop for the nite.

Sammy must've been waiting for his answer because his reply came right away: K dude, send pics...lol.

Jordan almost dreaded opening the messages from Lee. Would it just reopen the wounds that had begun to heal a little with each mile they put between them, or could they really keep up this long distance friendship?

Lee: :( hey bro, miss ya already. 

Then a half hour later:  Dude, you ok???

Then fifteen minutes later:  You must be busy or something, but text me when you can, k?

Then the last one, sounding desperate: Dude, are you mad at me? I didn't mean to take your dad's side...honest...please text me... :(

The last text just about broke Jordan's heart. He guessed he sort of loved Lee, though it was kind of complicated, and to think he caused Lee pain, caused him pain.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Jordan typed: Hey dude, whats up? No way am I mad. We're buds for life, right? Just been busy and sleeping most of the way. We're in...(Jordan paused to check the GPS on his phone) Missouri, wherever that is...lol.

Lee immediately texted back: St Louis, Missouri, home of the Cardinals dude.

Jordan: Oh yeah, that's where we are now. Too bad we won't get to see any of it.

They texted back and forth for almost an hour before Lee finally said he had to go because his mom was bugging him to clean his room. He made Jordan promise to text him later when they'd stopped for the night, coming across as almost desperate, and Jordan assured him he would.

Jordan wasn't sure if he felt better or worse after texting with Lee, but he did decide that maybe, just maybe, they could keep their friendship going, even if it was long distance. He tried to imagine his life without Lee, and the tears threatened to return, but his resolve to keep his anger and indignation alive pushed the tears away. His parents were the enemy, and he would do everything he could to make their lives miserable till they saw the error of their ways and moved them back home to Chicago.

That night they stayed at a Comfort Inn, sharing a room with two queen sized beds. Jordan claimed the bed by the window, then stuck his cordless ear buds in his ears and tuned his folks out completely. He remembered his promise to Sammy and Lee to text him when he arrived at the motel, but he decided it could wait till after they ate. 

There was a truck stop diner next door, as well as several fast food joints, but his folks chose the diner. Not willing to give them the pleasure of knowing he didn't agree with their choice, Jordan just followed along, saving his energy for another battle.

At least the place had burgers, and Jordan ordered a double bacon cheeseburger and an order of onion rings, and a large Coke to go with it. Ordinarily his folks might have tried to persuade him to order something healthier, but they too were treading lightly when it came to the battle that was raging between them and their son.

"Bathroom," Jordan said, using as few words as necessary as he scooted his chair out, and without waiting for a reply headed that way.

"Did we do the right thing?" Dan Kelly asked his wife, a sigh escaping his frowning face.

"You know we did. It was just getting too dangerous in Chicago. I know we lived in a better neighborhood, but violence there seemed to be getting worse and no one was really safe. I worry about our friends we're leaving behind, but if there is one thing I'm certain of...we had to get away from that place."

"I guess you're right, but it just hurts me so bad to see Jordan like this. He was always such a happy boy, and I know he misses Lee...a lot. I know we've talked about this before, but those two had a very special friendship."

"A crush more like it," Brenda Kelly said grinning, "I think Lee is the real reason Jordy is having so much trouble with this move."

"Yeah, Lee is a good kid. I have to admit...I'm gonna miss him too."

"We all will, but I talked to Sarah, and she said next summer Lee could come spend a few weeks with us. I mean, after all, what good is running a campground, if we can't have our friends visit us there?"

"I don't think we should tell Jordan just yet, we'll ease him into that. Right now we have the off season to get him acclimated to living in the wilds," he chuckled.

Jordan returned presently and slipped into his seat, sipping his coke and looking around. It wasn't much of a diner as far as diner's went, but at least it was decorated for Christmas, and they'd gone all out. Jordan loved Christmas, or at least he always had, but he wasn't so sure about this year. He'd been uprooted from his home in Chicago and was being dragged off to some small town in Oklahoma where his mom and dad had bought a campground, named Bennett Falls. Bennett Falls? He wondered what idiot had named it that. Who was Bennett, and were there really falls? He doubted it, but if he cared, which he didn't, he'd probably suggest his folks rename it. Something like Kelly's Cove, or Jordan's Landing. Yeah, Jordan's Landing had a nice ring to it. If he cared of course, which he didn't.

The walk back to the motel was a quiet one, Jordan still shut off with his music, and his parents having run out of things to say. Jordan took his shower first, taking his good slow time, then piled into bed and started watching a movie on TV. 

Though it wasn't the kind of movie they usually encouraged their 12 year old son to watch, to keep the peace, they didn't criticize his choice. The movie ended just after ten o'clock, and without being asked, Jordan turned off the TV, went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth and fell into bed. 

He'd texted both Sammy and Lee earlier, and even sent a few pics, but he felt the need to text Lee one more time before going to sleep. Covertly, beneath the covers, he texted Lee, wishing him a goodnight and promising to text him once they hit the road the next day.

Jordan was worried he might not be able to sleep in a strange bed, but the stress of the long ride in the SUV soon took it's toll, and soon he was out like a light. He slept well, all things considered, and actually woke before the alarm went off. 

He rose, peed, and got dressed, and by then his folks were stirring, his mom making coffee while his dad took his turn at the bathroom.

After a quick breakfast at the diner, they gassed up the SUV and were on the road once again. The trip through Missouri took most of the day, but by dark they had entered Oklahoma and soon found their motel for the night.

This motel was in a town called Miami, but not the Miami in Florida, Jordan noted. It was a small town compared to Chicago, but bigger than some of the towns they'd passed through. The motel was clean and comfortable, but there were no food places within walking distance so his dad drove them to a local restaurant where they had dinner. 

Jordan was tired and cranky, and not really hungry, but he managed to eat a few chicken nuggets and some fries. He was dreading tomorrow, the day they would arrive at their destination, but he knew there was nothing he could do to stop that from happening. He would just have to bide his time and work on his folks slowly, making their lives as miserable as his was, and eventually he was sure he could convince them to give up this folly and move back to Chicago.

That night when he texted Lee, he felt the tears welling up again in his eyes, and he could sense that Lee was feeling sad as well. They tried to keep things light, but it was hard to get past the fact that they might never see one another again. In fact, the very thought of that caused a pain in Jordan's stomach that refused to go away, even when he considered that this might be temporary, if he played his cards right.

Lee tried to be optimistic, if not for his own sake, but for Jordan's, but he too was overcome with dread and sadness at the loss of his best friend. For like Jordan, Lee had some very special feelings for his buddy, and he and Jordan were just beginning to figure things out when the move separated them.

They finally managed to end the conversation and Jordan promised to call Lee as soon as they arrived at the camp the next day. He figured he could find a nice quiet, private place there to speak, but he worried he might break down completely when he heard Lee's voice.

Sleep came at last, but it was a fitful sleep, and Jordan felt tired and listless the next morning. He was glad he wasn't the one doing the driving, for they would surely wind up in a ditch otherwise. He barely spoke two words to his folks as they loaded up the car and headed out, this time finding a doughnut place and having a sugary breakfast, which actually helped to perk Jordan up. He seldom got sweets for breakfast, especially donuts, and the chocolate milk was a real treat too.

He actually felt some better as he climbed back in the SUV, but his gloom soon returned as he realized that in just a few hours they would arrive at their destination, the middle of nowhere.

He texted Sammy, then Lee, sending a few pics he'd taken that morning, and Lee sent him a funny picture he'd found on Facebook. Jordan actually grinned when he saw the picture, but he couldn't let his folks see that, and he turned away before his mom could see him.

He dozed a while after that, and when he awoke he noticed they were on a rural road lined with trees. He sighed, this was it, the middle of nowhere was right up the road, he thought shaking his head in disbelief.

"It's that road on the right...I think," Mrs. Kelly said, pointing to a sign up ahead.

"I see it dear," Mr. Kelly said, "according to the GPS that's the way."

Jordan groaned, but neither of his parents acknowledged him. They were too busy worrying about finding the place, and thinking about what was ahead. For despite their worries over their only son's feelings, they were looking forward to their new life.

The turnoff was paved, but narrow, though they didn't meet a single car the whole way. The road soon became a bit bumpier, and eventually curved around to follow a medium sized lake that looked calm and serene at the moment.

"There's the lake," Dan Kelly said excitedly, "the campgrounds should be just ahead."

Despite his misgivings about the move and this place, Jordan couldn't help but be curious about things. He had to admit the lake was  pretty cool looking, and he could imagine boating there, or swimming, but without Lee he was convinced it would be no fun at all.

"There's the cabin and the office," Dan said excitement in his voice, "It looks even better than the pictures they sent."

That was another thing that had worried Jordan, his folks had bought the place without actually coming here to look things over. The real estate agent had sent videos and pictures, and taken them on a virtual tour, but this would be their first time seeing it up close and personal. Fortunately, it seemed the agent had been honest and the place actually looked pretty nice.

Dan pulled up in front of the office and the adults quickly climbed out. Jordan considered staying in the SUV, but what would that accomplish? he wondered, and he soon followed them inside.

The office was small, but orderly, with a check in counter, and behind it a smaller office with a desk and chair and all the usual stuff. A door led into a hallway with a bathroom and storage area and an entrance to the cabin which would be their living quarters.

"Neat," Dan said, "I can go to work and never have to go outside," he chuckled.

"I thought the whole idea was to be in the great outdoors and get some fresh air?" Jordan said in a snotty voice, then regretted his tone and his outburst.

"Good point sport, but we'll get lots of fresh air as we do our chores. There's wood to chop, and bathrooms to clean, and...need I go on?"

"No," Jordan moaned, "and I suppose I get to do all that...for free."

"No, not all, and I'll pay you a fair wage for the work you do. I don't expect you to work for free, nor will I put so much on you that it will interfere with school or your social life."

"What social life? I'm the only kid here," Jordan sulked.

"For now maybe...but you'll meet kids at school. In a week or so you'll start school, and I'm sure you'll make some new friends right away. Folks here are a lot friendlier than back in Chicago, you'll see."

"Whatever!" Jordan said shaking his head, "Can I go look around?"

"Sure, that's a good idea. They're are a few campers here despite it being winter, so don't be surprised if you see a few people here and there."

Jordan didn't bother to reply as he headed out the door, and he felt bad about being so mean to his folks, but it was hard to be cheerful when your whole world had fallen apart.

The campgrounds ran along the lake for about a quarter mile, with RV sites, and camp sites at one end, and a few cabins at the other. A block building with bathrooms and showers was located near the camp sites, and there were three shelters with cookers and picnic tables scattered about the campgrounds.

A path ran along the lake, and a bridge spanned a small inlet that at the moment was mostly dry. When the water was up, the inlet would fill up and help keep the lake from overflowing. There were several of these inlets scattered around the lake, though only this one had a bridge spanning it. 

Jordan had to admit, it was peaceful here, almost too peaceful. He was used to the noise of his buddies, and the city, and this place was too quiet for his taste. Maybe it would be different in season when the campers were here, but right now it was like a ghost town and way too quiet.

Jordan noticed a small camper near the bathrooms, but no one was in sight. Further down, a large expensive looking motor home occupied one of the bigger sites, and from the looks of it the people staying there had made themselves at home. There were chairs and a table outside, as well as a portable grill, and a plastic bookshelf with pots and pans and cooking items on it.

There were a couple more RV's further down, but Jordan decided not to venture any further, since he really didn't feel like dealing with the campers at this point. Instead he headed in the other direction toward the cabins.

There were eight cabins all together, four near the water, with a road between them, and four more on the other side below a small tree covered hill. A pickup truck sat before the closest cabin, but there were no other vehicles, so Jordan assumed the others were empty.

The cabins were small, but looked well kept, and Jordan noted the vent pipes on the roof which said there was inside plumbing. Good, he thought, at least the folks in the cabins won't be trashing the bathrooms out.

The leaves were mostly gone now, it was mid December, and they'd left snow behind in Chicago, but here the weather was still warm and dry. That was just one more thing Jordan hated about this place, the weather was whack. Everyone knew you needed snow to have a real Christmas. This place looked like it never had any snow, and today the temp was in the 50s. What kind of Christmas could you have if the weather was more like spring than winter?

"Hi, just get here?" a voice said from behind Jordan, causing his pulse to quicken as he spun around to confront the speaker. He'd been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't heard the person approach and he felt a little panicky.

"Oh, hi," he said relaxing when he saw the speaker was another boy, and from the looks of him, just about his age.

"I'm Seth," the boy said offering his fist to bump," you staying in one of the cabins?"

"Jordan," Jordan said bumping the offered fist, "worse, my folks bought this place," Jordan moaned.

"Oh cool, you're the new owners. My dad works here, he's the maintenance and grounds keeper. I mean, assuming your folks keep him on," he said frowning.

"I'm sure they will," Jordan said, "if he does a good job and all."

"He does, he works real hard," the kid said, "we both do...see? I help him."

Jordan looked the boy over, and now that he had time to study him, he decided he might be older than he'd first thought, but not by much. He was taller than Jordan, only by an inch or so, but he looked beefier, not fat mind you, but muscular, probably from working around the campgrounds. His brown hair was long, and his eyes the color of coffee, and he had a spattering of freckles across his nose that added to his good looks. He was handsome without being too cute, and looked more mature, another indication that he was older. He had a Huck Finn look about him, Jordan thought to himself, having seen that Disney movie recently, and the mischievous smile on his face spoke volumes about his character.

"Uh, how old are you?" Jordan managed to say at last.

"13, how 'bout you?"

"12, I'll be 13 in January."

"Just turned 13, so we'll be in the same grade, 7th. You gonna be going to Salina?"

"I...I guess, is that the closest school?"

"Yep, the bus comes by here everyday. You gonna be startin' tomorrow?"

"Nah, not till next week."

"Lucky," Seth said sounding envious.

"So, where um..do you live?" Jordan asked looking around.

"Right here," Seth said pointing at the cabin where the pickup was parked out front.

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense," Jordan laughed self consciously.

"Come on, I'll show ya around, okay?"

"Uh, sure," Jordan said surprising himself. He'd set out trying to avoid seeing any people, but this kid seemed okay, and anyway if he was gonna be stuck here, maybe he should get to know Seth and his dad.

The tour didn't take long, and ended with Seth inviting Jordan in for a cold drink. Seth's cabin was neat and tidy, and had a rustic look to it. There was an antlered deer head mounted over a huge stone fireplace and a bearskin rug on the floor in front of it. The fact that the bearskin rug was actually made in Mexico from man made fibers did nothing to take away from the look. 

A rifle rack held a shotgun and a 22 rifle, and there were a few pictures and old nostalgic items and signs decorating the wall. There was a round wooden table toward the back of the room and to the left a small kitchen. From an old looking refrigerator, Seth dug out two bottles of Coke, handed one to Jordan, then led him back out to the living area.

"Dad's room is down there," Seth said after taking a drink of his Coke, "and I sleep up there," Seth said pointing upwards to an area above the dining room.

"Wow, neat," Jordan said as he realized the space above them was actually a loft with a railing. The railing had been woven with tinsel, miniature lights, and red bows spaced about two feet apart finished off the decorations.

"How do you get up there?" Jordan asked as he stared upwards.

"Come on, I'll show ya."

At the far end of the small kitchen there was an opening, and to the right of it was a ladder placed at about a 25degree angle. Seth pointed at the ladder and then started up it, "Come on, I'll show you my man cave," he laughed, "My dad never comes up here. He says it's too hard to climb the ladder."

Jordan followed Seth up the ladder, and as he stood on the landing he surveyed his surroundings. The loft was bigger than it looked from below, and held a full sized bed, nightstand, a dresser and chest of drawers, a desk and chair, and a book shelf loaded with books, CD's and DVDs, as well as other items.

"Wow, this is pretty cool. I...I haven't even seen my room at the cabin. I hope it's this neat."

"It's bigger, I've seen it. The last family that lived here had a son named Abe, and I used to visit him. He was older than me, but we became pretty good friends. I mean after all, we were the only two kids for miles most of the time."

"Yeah," Jordan said, "don't remind me," he sighed, thinking of Lee.

"Aww, sorry. Did you have a lot of friends back there, where you came from?"

"Yeah, well...mostly there was this one boy...Lee..."

"Ah, a bestie huh?"

"Yeah, guess you could say that. I had a neighbor who was older, Sammy, and he was pretty cool too."

"Well, if you want...we could be friends. I mean, I know I'm just the hired help's son, but..."

"Hey, that doesn't matter," Jordan insisted, "It's not like we're rich or anything. It took everything my folks had to buy this place, and they're counting on it making a profit. We'll need all the help we can get, so...I'm glad you're here."

"That's a lot of stuff to share," Seth laughed, "I was just talking about us...being friends."

"Well, I don't have a problem with it if you don't, but you don't just suddenly meet someone and say, hey we're gonna be best friends, right? We need to get to know each other and see if we're...compatible, or whatever.

"That's true...I guess," Seth said, "but so far you seem okay," he said looking Jordan up and down and grinning

"Dude, you're scaring me. You look like you're trying to decide whether I'd make a tasty snack or something."

Seth laughed, "Sorry, you do look pretty tasty though. Come on, I'll show ya the rest of the place.

Jordan was still thinking about what Seth had said about him looking tasty, but he tried not to put too much meaning in it. He was just a goofy kid with a weird sense of humor, that was all. He didn't mean anything by what he'd said, and that look, it was just part of his goofiness.

At the back of  the cabin was a screened in porch which held an old washer and dryer and served as a place to store boots, coats and other articles of clothing and such. It had a musty smell to it, and Jordan was glad when Seth led him out into the back yard, which faced the lake.

There was a picnic table there, and a portable grill, and a small outbuilding that Seth said held his dad's tools and the equipment for maintaining the camp.

"And you live here all the time? How long have you lived here?"

"Since my mom died when I was 10. Dad took this job then, and the folks who owned the place then used to watch out for me when dad couldn't. They sold the place when I was 11, and the folks before you took it over then, and now it's you and your folks."

"Wow, that's a lot of turnover," Jordan said, "is it hard to make a living here or what?"

"Nah, well...not according to my dad. If he had the money, he'd have bought it long ago. He says to make a good living here, you have to love the place and love the work. He does, love it I mean, and that's why he stays here even though he could make a lot more money being an electrician or something. He has his license and everything, but when mom died he just wanted to get away, and here we are."

"Do you like living here?"

"Mostly yeah, but I like it better when I have a friend living here too," he said grinning.

"Okay, okay...I'll be your friend," Jordan laughed before punching Seth playfully in the arm. He hated to admit it, but he already liked this bold teenager.

"I knew you'd see it my way, so...how about you introduce me to your folks now? Moms love me, and dads tolerate me," he chuckled.

"Okay, but keep the friendship thing quiet for now. I kinda gave them a hard time about this move, and I want them to feel guilty a bit longer."

"Gotcha," Seth said smiling, "I'll pretend we're mortal enemies if you like."

"Nah, just keep it cool."

Unknown to Jordan, his parents were already aware of Seth and his father, Mack Abrams. They'd talked with the man by phone, and after being assured by the previous owner that Mack and his son were a vital part of the operation, they'd agreed to keep him on. In fact, Mack had been running the camp since the previous owner left a week ago.

"You must be Seth," Mrs. Kelly said, spoiling Jordan's surprise.

"You know about him?" Jordan said, feeling exasperated and a little angry. Had they known all along, and that was why they were convinced he'd make friends right away? He was tempted to not make friends with the boy, but he decided that was unfair to Seth, and anyway, he sort of liked the kid already.

"We knew the caretaker had a son, so I just assumed..."

"Oh," Jordan said, feeling some better.

"Hey boys," Mr. Kelly said coming in from the small storage room with a cardboard box of things he'd brought along in the SUV.

"Hi dad, this is Seth, but you probably already know that, right?" Jordan said, rolling his eyes, "I smell a set up."

"No, no set up. Looks like you two found each other on your own. You can't credit us with that," he chuckled, "but I hope now that you have met, you'll at least be able to get along."

"Yeah, he's okay," Jordan said giving Seth a look that said, go along with whatever I say.

"So far, so good," Seth said, "just showing the new owner's son around."

Mrs. Kelly laughed, "You make it sound like a chore."

"Oh, no ma'am, it was fun...I mean...it was no trouble."

"I see, well Jordan, since you left in such a hurry earlier, maybe you'd like to see your room. Fortunately it has a bed, and little else, but the moving van will be here Monday with the rest of our stuff."

"Fine, where is it?" Jordan shrugged.

"I'll show you," Seth volunteered, leading the way.

When the boys were gone, the couple looked at one another and smiled, "So far so good," Dan said, "Seth seems like a good kid, I hope he and Jordy can become as close as he and Lee were.

"That close?" his wife chuckled.

"Well, you  know what I mean?"

Jordan's room was at the back of the cabin and was larger than he'd expected. The only furniture was a twin sized bed beneath two windows that afforded a view of the trees behind the property, and a few boxes were stacked in the floor of a small closet. 

"Not bad," Jordan admitted, "but I need a rug," he said looking at the shiny hardwood floor, "and my own bed, but it'll be here Monday."

"Yeah, these wooden floors get cold," Seth agreed, "Come on, I'll show you where the bathroom is, I need to use it anyway," he chuckled.

"The bathroom was situated between the two bedrooms and was long and narrow. An old porcelain over steel tub occupied at the far end, with a small window set high in the wall, and beside it was an equally ancient toilet, but the vanity and sink beside it looked new. A linen closet filled the rest of the space, though empty at the moment. The tile on the floor was faded, but serviceable, and the walls looked freshly painted.

Jordan was surprised when Seth closed the door behind them, then boldly walked over to the toilet, unzipped and began peeing. Jordan tried to keep his eyes elsewhere, but he was at that age when curiosity won out over common sense.

If Seth was concerned about Jordan sneaking a peek, it wasn't obvious as he continued to rattle on about this and that. In fact, once or twice he actually turned a bit to say something to Jordan, exposing his penis as if trying to show it off.

Jordan tried to reply appropriately to each of Seth's comments, but he was so flustered by his apparent flaunting of his goods that he found it hard to concentrate.

"Next!" Seth said as he turned to zip up, giving Jordan a full frontal view of his penis now.

"Uh, I'm okay..." Jordan said, afraid that if he so much as touched his zipper he'd explode.

"Sure, okay..." Seth said easily, "Wanna see the rest of the house?"

"Uh, sure...I guess."

......................................................

Since they had no food in the house, the Kellys decided to drive into the nearest town for dinner.  Since Mack and Seth knew the area, they offered to show the Kelly family around and suggested a local restaurant. As repayment, Mr. Kelly treated Mack and Seth to dinner and they got to know each other better. 

Mack Abrams was tall, handsome, and clean-shaven, with muscles that put most men to shame, but he was a kind and gentle man. He had taken on the responsibility of raising his son alone with a happy heart, and he and Seth were very close. Unlike some teens, Seth was level-headed and even tempered, with not a single brooding gene in his body. He loved his dad, and respected him, and they made a good team. Losing their wife and mother could have made them bitter, but this father and son team had picked up the pieces of their broken hearts and forged on...together.

Mr. and Mrs. Kelly liked the father and son immediately, and they were looking forward to working with them both. If the campgrounds was to be the success they hoped it would be, it would take a lot of hard work, and Mac and Seth could prove to be a valuable asset in making that happen.  The previous owners had sworn by the two, and were reluctant to sell until the Kelly's agreed to keep them on as part of the deal. Thankfully, it had been a good deal for everyone involved.

While the adults talked business, the two boys checked out the arcade machines at the back of the restaurant where they ran into one of the local boys, who Seth knew from school.

"Hey, Tony," Seth said bumping fists with the slender Native American boy. 

Tony's dark hair and dark eyes gave him a brooding look at first, but his smile offset that effect, and Jordan warmed to the boy right away. The boy was slender, but not skinny, with a well developed body and muscular looking arms and legs.

"This is Jordan, his folks bought the campgrounds. Jordan, this is Tony, we go to Salina Middle School together."

"Hey," Jordan said as they bumped fists, "What's it like here?"

"Boring man," Tony laughed, "but we love sports here. Do you play baseball?"

"Nah, never have...I mean not on a team or anything."

"You should think about it, we have a lot of fun, and we get to go to other towns and play sometimes."

"I'll think about it, I don't know how busy I'll be once the campgrounds are full."

"It's busy, but you'll have time for baseball in the spring, and football is no problem since it's in the fall when the campgrounds are practically empty," Seth offered.

"I doubt I'm good enough," Jordan mumbled.

"Everyone can play, man," Tony said, "you don't have to try out or anything, just sign up. Come on, think about it. We need some new talent," he chuckled.

Jordan found Tony to be as open and friendly as Seth had been, and he wondered if everyone was this friendly in Oklahoma, or if it was just this part of the state. He liked how Tony looked, and he realized he'd never met a real live Native American until now. He was curious about the boy and his family and wondered if their lives were any different than white folks. Did they go to Pow Wows and stuff like that, or was that just if you lived on a reservation? He realized he had a lot to learn, and decided living here might be interesting after all.

It was about then that he realized that with all the confusion of meeting Seth and then going out to dinner, he'd forgotten to call Lee as he'd promised.

"Uh, excuse me a minute guys, I need to make a call. I'm gonna step outside for a minute, okay?"

"Sure, don't get lost," Seth joked, "We'll be right here."

Jordan didn't bother to tell his folks what he was up to, and fortunately they didn't notice him as he headed toward the door. Out front there were a couple of empty benches, and Jordan plopped down on one and pulled out his phone.

He unlocked his phone, went to his contacts, and quickly rang his friend. Apparently Lee was expecting his call and picked up right away.

"Hey, I thought you got kidnapped by Indians."

"Only one," Jordan kidded, "long story, I'll send you an email later and explain. A lot of stuff went on today."

"So, you got there okay, right?" Lee asked, but didn't wait for an answer before going on, "How is the place, as bad as you thought?"

"Nah, actually it's pretty cool. I...I wish you were here though," Jordan sighed.

"Yeah, me too," Lee said softly, "but we'll keep in touch, and...I'm not supposed to know this, but...I heard my mom talking to your mom, and...we're coming to stay for a couple weeks next summer."

"What? Really? You swear?" Jordan said, jumping up and practically dancing.

"Yeah, we're gonna stay in one of the cabins, but I can probably stay at your house most of the time."

"Oh cool. I can't wait, if we're still here," Jordan said, still hoping his folks would see the light and move back to Chicago.

"Yeah, right," Lee said, "So...met any locals yet, any girls?" he chuckled.

"No girls, but there's this kid named Seth that lives on the property..." Jordan explained how he and Seth had met and that the boy seemed okay, but he didn't make a big deal of it for fear of hurting Lee's feelings. After all, they'd been friends forever, and he certainly didn't want Lee to think that he'd replaced him so soon, not that he had. He still wanted to get back to Chicago and to Lee, but in the meantime...well, it was better to have a friend or two than to be alone.

"So, where are you now?"

"At this restaurant in this tiny little town called Salina. The food was good though, they say it's Amish cooking, whatever that is."

"Oh, wow...that's the folks that wear black and use horses and buggies to get around. Did you see any buggies?" Lee asked excitedly.

"No, not so far, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are a few of them in this dinky little town."

"Man, I wish I was there with ya. We'd have so much fun exploring the place. It would be like...epic, a real adventure."

And Jordan knew Lee was right, boring as it seemed to him, if Lee was there with him, somehow he'd make it exciting and fun. 

"Have you talked to Sammy today?"

"Yeah, he's pretty down. He misses you as much as I do. Hey, what's with you two?" Lee teased, "Was I being replaced by a new bestie?"

"No way, Sammy was cool though, and always around when you weren't. I miss him a lot, but not as much as I miss you...okay?"

"I'm kidding, I love Sammy too. He's a cool dude. In fact, now that you're in the sticks, he and I are gonna start hanging out more."

Jordan didn't know how he felt about that. Were his best friend and his second best friend going to get together and forget about him?"

"Yeah, that's cool...just don't forget me, okay?" Jordan said sadly.

"Hey, bro, no way. I will never forget you. Even if you never move back, I will still be your best friend, and when I can I'll come see you every chance I get."

"Okay, me too...maybe I can come visit you in the off season."

"Sure, see...we'll make it work."

"Well, I should get back inside, I left Seth and this other kid named Tony playing video games and my folks will be wondering where I got off to."

"Okay, but text me later, okay?"

"You know I will, but if I forget, you can text me you know?"

"Okay, I'll text you at ten then, how's that?"

"Perfect, I should be in bed by then."

"K, later dude...miss ya, love ya...smooch," Lee said, making a kissing sound in the phone then cracking up laughing.

"You're nuts, but I love you anyway," Jordan laughed.

"You love my nuts did you say?" Lee said continuing to laugh.

"Goodbye goofball, text me later...byeee."

"Byeee...go be with your new boyfriends," Lee laughed, then he hung up.

Jordan shook his head as he turned off his phone and pocketed it. Back inside, he rejoined Seth, but Tony was nowhere in sight. 

"Tony had to go, but we'll see him around. His dad comes out to the campgrounds to fish most every weekend and Tony usually comes with him."

"Cool, he seems like a nice dude. I...I never knew a real Indian before."

"It's Native American, but most of the folks around here call em Indians, so that's cool. Tony's Cherokee, and his great-great grandfather was a tribal chief or something. His family is big in all the ceremony and stuff, and Tony and his brothers dance at the Pow Wows."

"Oh, cool...uh, can anyone go to those...uh, Pow Wows?"

"I think so, why? You wanna watch Tony dance?"

"No, I mean...yeah, but not just that. I'm just interested in that stuff, that's all."

"Well, we can ask Tony next time we see him."

The adults chose that moment to approach the two and remind them that it was time to hit the road, and the two new friends followed them to the parking lot. Mack had driven him and Seth over in his pickup, but the boys persuaded the adults to let Seth ride home in the Kelly's SUV, and they easily agreed.

"I'm going to run by the store on the way home," Mack said, "but I won't be long."

"Cool, can Seth stay with us till you get home?" Jordan asked hopefully.

"Sure, if it's okay with your folks," he said looking at Dan."

"That's fine, I have a feeling our two boys are going to be spending a lot of time together from now on," he chuckled.

"Well, if he gets to be a nuisance,  just send him packing," Mack laughed.

"Will do, and the same goes for Jordan when he visits."

On the way home, Seth pointed out places of interest, including the Junior High and High School and the football stadium, as well as the baseball complex, all located in the same area.

"How far is it to the campgrounds from school?" Jordan wondered.

"About ten miles," Seth offered, "right Mr. Kelly?"

"That sounds about right," Dan Kelly said, surprised at Jordan's question. He certainly wasn't the brooding boy from the day before. Of course he attributed most of that to Seth, after all, it was hard to be mad and lonely when you had a new friend to get to know. At this rate, Dan thought, Jordan will be on board by Christmas and the rest will be all downhill.

"Do you guys decorate for Christmas?" Seth asked then.

"Well...yeah," Jordan said, don't you?"

"Sure, didn't you see my decorations in the loft, and dad is gonna chop us down a big tree to decorate. Hey, if you want he could chop one down for you guys too."

"I thought we'd put one in the office too," Mrs. Kelly said, for the guests to enjoy."

"What guests?" Jordan laughed.

"No, she's right," Seth said excitedly, "next weekend there's a group of campers coming for a three day event. There will be about a half dozen tents and a bunch of kids."

"In December?" Jordan said eying Seth questioningly.

"Yeah, they come every year. It's a church group from Pryor, they camp out, have meetings, sing carols, and on the last night they build this big bonfire and stand around holding hands and singing and stuff. It's pretty cool."

"Did you know about this, mom...dad?"

"Yes son, they will arrive next Friday around 4, and we need to have everything ready to go for them. They'll be one RV and the rest will be tents. The spaces have been reserved for months, not that that's much of a problem this time of year, but I guess it was important that they be all together and not scattered."

"Great, more work for me," Jordan groaned, and both adults laughed.

At the Kellys' cabin, Jordan led Seth to his room and they sat down on the small bed there. There was no TV or video games yet, so they had to pass the time just talking and getting to know each other, but that was just fine with both boys.

The more Jordan learned about Seth, the more he liked the boy. He wasn't Lee, but if he had to be in this God forsaken place, Seth would be a good guy to share his misery with. Maybe when Lee came, if we're still here, he thought, the three of us can hang out and have some fun.

"Dude, did you have a girlfriend back in Chicago?" Seth asked, surprising Jordan.

"Nah, I mean I'm kinda young for that..."

"Yeah, I guess," Seth said, "reason I asked was, cause there will be some cute girls from the Church group next weekend."

Jordan laughed, "So? I'm sure they're not gonna be looking for dates or anything."

"You never know, some of those church girls are pretty wild."

"Oh, are you speaking from experience?"

"Maybe, last year I got this close..." Seth said holding his thumb and forefinger apart to demonstrate.

"Close to what?" Jordan said, squirming a little at what Seth was implying.

"Huh? Uh, you know," Seth said blushing.

Though he really didn't know, Jordan nodded, then proceeded to change the subject. 

"So, what do we have to do to get ready for the campers?"

"Oh, well...chop wood, make sure the brush and stuff is cleaned up around the campsites, check the RV hookups to make sure they're working, make sure the bathrooms are clean and stocked, twice a day. Dad usually does the hard stuff and I just help, but with you to help us it won't take nearly as long. We'll have lots of time to socialize, if you get my drift," he said grinning at the last part.

That again, Jordan thought, "My dad says he's gonna pay me to do some of the work. Does your dad pay you?"

"Nah," Seth said looking away, "he says it's my responsibility to help out, "I mean, he makes sure I have everything I need, and I get an allowance, but that's it."

Jordan nodded, "I don't know how much I'm getting yet, I guess dad will figure it out later."

"Seth, your dad is here," Mrs. Kelly said, gently knocking on the bedroom door.

"Aww...too bad. Well, see ya tomorrow," Jordan said hopping up.

"Yeah, I'll show you what needs to be done and we can get started."

Jordan groaned, "Thanks for reminding me."

Seth laughed, "It's not so bad. We'll have fun, you'll see. Well, goodnight."

"Night," Jordan said walking Seth out, then to Seth's dad, "Goodnight Mr. Abrams."

"Mack," the man said, "you can call me Mack, Mr. Abrams was my father," he laughed.

"Yes sir, uh...Mack," Jordan said grinning.

When the two were gone, Jordan started back to his room, but his dad stopped him in the living room.

"Well, son...what do you think?"

"About what?" Jordan said, trying not to sound the least bit enthusiastic.

"The stock market," Mr. Kelly joked, "About this place, about Seth, about anything that's happened today?" he added forcefully.

"Oh, well...dunno yet, we'll see."

"Ugh," Mr. Kelly said sounding frustrated, "Never mind, be sure to brush your teeth. Mom put your toothbrush in the bathroom."

Mission accomplished, so far, Jordan thought with a smile. Keep them guessing and act pissed all the time and maybe they'll get the message. Trouble was, it was hard to act pissed after meeting Seth. Seth seemed to have a way of making all this seem less terrible than before, and he found he was actually looking forward to tomorrow.

He brushed his teeth, but skipped his usual bedtime shower and just stripped down to his undies and piled into bed. He'd forgotten all about Lee promising to text, but when his phone alerted him to an incoming text he was grinning as he grabbed it from the nightstand.

Lee: You awake?

Jordan: No zzzzz...lol

Lee: ok bye...lol

Jordan: What up?

Lee: nuttin, just got into bed. Did you have fun with your new friends?

Jordan: yeah, sorta. Tomorrow we start work though..ugh

Lee: aww...too bad, wish I was there I'd help ya

Jordan: yeah, Seth says it's not hard work, but we'll see

Lee: this kid pretty cool?

Jordan: yeah, he's ok

Jordan didn't want to sound too excited about his new friend, after all, Lee was still his bestie, and he didn't want him thinking that Seth was replacing him.

Lee: don't forget me :(

Jordan: never...can I call ya?

Lee: yeah

They talked on the phone for about thirty minutes, and by the time they'd said goodnight, Jordan thought he'd assuaged any feeling of insecurity Lee had. This wasn't so bad, Jordan thought, we can text and call, and even do video chat if we want to. Yeah, they'd make it work. Jordan was actually feeling pretty good about things by the time he ended the call, and sleep came quickly once he settled in for the night.

.................................................

The incessant knocking on his bedroom door brought Jordan up out of sleep and left him struggling to figure out where he was, and what was going on. 

"Jordan honey, time to get up. Seth is here, and breakfast is on the table."

"Mom, it's the middle of the night," Jordan moaned, rubbing sleep from his eyes, then grabbing his phone, he saw it was actually just after 8am.

"It's morning dear, rise and shine," his mom laughed, "do you need me to come in there and pull you out of bed," she threatened.

"NO!" Jordan shouted, "DO NOT COME IN HERE, MOM!"

He heard his mom chuckle, and when the knocking ceased he assumed she'd gone away and he rolled out of bed. As usual, his morning wood greeted him and he moaned as he pushed it down, trying to buy himself a few more minutes before his need to empty his bladder overwhelmed him.

He considered getting dressed first, but after peeking out into the hall to make sure no one was there, he hurried to the bathroom and took a much needed pee. His erection slowly subsided as his bladder emptied, but suddenly he was reminded of Seth's little show the day before while he was peeing, and he began to chub up again.

"Arrgghh," he groaned, "what is wrong with you? Go down, go down," he commanded of his traitorous penis.

He finally managed to get his erection under control, and after checking again to make sure the coast was clear, he headed back to his room. When he got there however, he was in for quite a shock.

Sitting on his bed was Seth, and he seemed to take a long time looking Jordan over. Dressed only in his boxer briefs, Jordan felt almost naked as the older boy's eyes seemed to take in every inch of his body, and he quickly grabbed his jeans and began skinning them on.

"Good morning," Seth said as he continued to stare at Jordan.

"Uh, good morning. How long have you been up anyway?"

"Since 7, dad always gets up early. On school days I have to meet the bus at 7:30, so I'm used to getting up early."

"But it's Saturday," Jordan whined, "why couldn't we sleep in till a more reasonable  hour, like noon?"

Seth laughed, "City boy. You'll get used to it. Come on, your mom fixed pancakes, and she said I could eat with you guys. Don't tell her, but I already had breakfast with my dad, but I'm always hungry."

Despite his protests concerning the early hour, Jordan found he had a healthy appetite and ate 3 pancakes and two slices of bacon, which he washed down with a glass of milk.

"Hey, wait a minute," Jordan said, suddenly realizing something wasn't right, "Where did this food come from? When did you go grocery shopping?"

"We didn't, but Seth's dad did a little shopping for us last night. Remember him saying  he was stopping by the store, well he grabbed the basics for us so we could have breakfast. Later I'll go shopping for the rest, and by tonight I'll have everything we need to fix my usual delicious meals," Mrs. Kelly said.

Jordan thought that was really nice of Mack, but he didn't want to sound too appreciative, "That's good," he managed to say.

"Come on slowpoke, choke that last bite down and let's get going," Seth said after having cleaned his plate in record time.

"Geesh, you'd think you were my boss or something," Jordan groused.

"He is, for the time being," Mr. Kelly said, "Seth knows the ropes, so pay attention and do what he says."

"Hey, hear that? You're my slave," Seth teased.

"Oh brother, this is going to be a long day," Jordan said as he hopped up to put his plate in the sink, but the smile on his face said he wasn't dreading it too much.

On the way to the far end of the campsite, Seth pointed out different areas of interest and told stories related to some of them.

"Over there is where this group of teens from out of town had a beer party. One of them was old enough to get the permit to camp, but the rest of the kids were underage. Boy, the old owners bout went crazy when they figured out what was going on. They even called the sheriff, but fortunately one of the kid's dad was a cop and they didn't get in too much trouble."

"Beer sucks," Jordan said, "I had a can once at my friend Sammy's house and I poured most of it down the sink. It's nasty."

"I guess it's an acquired taste. Maybe you have to be 18 to like it or something," Seth laughed.

"That makes no sense at all," Jordan said, pushing Seth playfully, but he too was laughing.

"Who knows? According to adults you have to be 18 to do a lot of stuff, like...vote, and join the army, and...have sex," he giggled.

"Yeah, most adults think us kids don't know what we want," Jordan said, blushing a little, but liking this conversation nonetheless.

"How about you, how old do you think kids need to be before they do it?"

"Do it?" Jordan laughed, "Do it? You mean the big IT?" 

"Yeah, sex...how old should a guy be before he...you know, has sex?"

"What kind of sex, and with who?" Jordan blurted out before he could stop himself. Now Seth would think he was weird, or gay or something.

"Good question," Seth said, not seeming bothered by Jordan's choice of words at all, "There's sex, and there's sex. I mean, like two guys might...you know, fool around and experiment and stuff, but is that really sex? I guess what I mean is...not just sex, but love and that kind of stuff. I guess I mean, be in a relationship."

Now Jordan was really confused. What exactly was Seth talking about? He'd thought he was just asking the age old question of: what should the age of consent be? but it seemed like Seth's question was much more complex.

"Dude, you're not making sense. Anyone can fall in love, at any age, but sex is what makes the difference between a cute little crush and a full blow love affair. I mean, sex is like...an expression of love, right?"

"Wow, you've thought about this before, haven't you?"

"No, not really, I'm just trying to figure out what the question really is," Jordan said, although he had given this some thought as it applied to him and Lee.

"Okay, when can I bone a girl?" Seth said, then dissolved into laughter.

"Well, with your charm, I'd say when you're 30, if you're lucky," Jordan teased.

"Thanks man, I love you too," Seth said pretending to be hurt, "But I suppose you'll beat me to the punch, huh?"

"Maybe, but I'm in no hurry. Are you?"

"Huh, no...I mean, it would be nice...from what I've heard, but I'm still kinda young."

"So was the question hypothetical, or...were you wanting permission to bone some girl?" Jordan said grinning.

"Truthfully, I don't want to look like an idiot my first time. I want to have some experience and look like a real stud."

"Well, how can you have experience if you don't have a first time?" Jordan said shaking his head.

"Well, see..." Seth said, wondering if either of them was ready for this conversation, "never mind, you're right." Seth decided to save this conversation for a later date, if at all. He didn't feel like he knew Jordan quite well enough to go down this path...yet.

"Dork," Jordan said cuffing Seth on the arm.

"Weenie," Seth said, pushing Jordan playfully, "Hey, over there, it's my dad...come on," he said taking off running.

They joined Mack at one of the RV pads where he was testing the electrical outlet, and when he heard the boys running his way he looked up and smiled. They'd only known each other a day and they already looked like best buds. He envied them their easy familiarity and wished it was that easy for adults to make friends. Not that he'd really tried, but it would be nice to meet someone to share his life with. Though he knew no one could ever replace his wife, or Seth's mom, sometimes he longed to be in an adult relationship again.

"Hey guys. Seth, look in the toolbox and grab that other voltage tester. You and Jordan can start on the other side and check those outlets."

"Okay dad," Seth said taking off for the truck with Jordan hot on his heels.

"Come on, I'll show you how this works," Seth said digging the tester out of the toolbox. It was a simple device that plugged into the outlet and a bulb in the back end lit up if there was current flowing.

"Did you have to have any special training to use this?" Jordan said sarcastically.

"Yeah, I have an advanced degree in Electrical Testing," Seth giggled.

"Goof, what happens if the tester doesn't light up?"

"Then we check the breaker, which is in that metal box. If it's the breaker, you just flip it back on, but if that doesn't fix it then my Dad has to take a look at it. He's a licensed electrician, and I'm gonna get my license when I get old enough," Seth said proudly.

"Cool, so you could like...wire houses and stuff?"

"Yeah, and big buildings and factories. It pays really good and it's steady work."

"It's cool that you already know what you want to do," Jordan said sincerely, I have no idea what I want to be."

"Hey, you have time to figure it out," Seth said smiling, "come on, this one is fine, let's check the next one."

When the next outlet showed no power, Seth took the opportunity to show Jordan how the breaker worked. Sure enough, this one had been flipped, either by an overload or manually, and a quick flip fixed the problem.

Fortunately the rest of the pads all had power, as did all of the ones that Mack had checked, and they were ready to move on to more boring and physical parts of the job. 

"What's next boss," Jordan said grinning.

"Next we clean up all the brush and trash and make sure the trash cans are emptied. Then we'll check the bathrooms and clean them. By then it should be lunch time."

"When's nap time?" Jordan teased.

"Hey, we can work at our own pace as long as we get the work done. We have a week to get everything ready, so there's no hurry."

"Then we should def sleep in tomorrow," Jordan suggested.

"Tomorrow is Sunday, we don't work on Sunday unless there's a problem. Sometimes we go to church, and most Sundays we eat lunch in town."

"Church, you go to church?"

"Yeah, my mom used to be big in the church, dad...not so much, at least not since mom died. It's okay, but sometimes it's hard to be around all those people who knew mom."

"Yeah, so...do you believe in all that stuff, God and Jesus?"

"Well, yeah...I mean, I'm not sure I buy all of it, but I do believe in God. If I didn't, well, what would be the use of going on?"

"Good point," Jordan agreed. He had his own ideas about religion and a higher power, but he didn't feel like this was the time or the place to get into it, "We went to church about once a month, and of course on Holidays."

"You guys should come with us tomorrow. There are a lot of kids our age there, including girls," he said raising his eyebrows comically.

"You and the girls again," Jordan laughed, "are you in heat?"

"I'm always in heat," Seth laughed, "better be careful around me, don't bend over in front of me."

"Gross," Jordan said automatically, but the truth was, he was a little excited by Seth's sex talk, "I'll be careful."

"Seriously, I am horny a lot," Seth said, "you'll see what I mean when you start puberty."

"Who says I haven't already started?" Jordan said grinning.

"Oh, well...in that case, you already know...right?" Seth said, sounding flustered now, "Uh, do you do it a lot?" he said making the universal jacking motion.

"What's a lot?" Jordan said blushing, "I guess I'm pretty normal that way."

"I think I'm abnormal," Seth confided, "Sometimes I do it six times a day."

"Six?" Jordan laughed, "that is a lot. You must be a real sex fiend."

Seth sighed, "Sex fiends have victims, all I  have is my hand."

"Is that why you're so desperate to find a girlfriend?"

"I'm not...desperate...I mean. I just...you know, I wonder what it's like."

"Yeah, I guess every guy does."

"Not all," Seth laughed, "Some guys like other guys."

"Yeah, but there probably aren't any of those guys around here."

"Who knows? They say 10% of the population is gay or lesbian. So, if there are 100 kids at our school, that means 10 of them like the same sex. Think about it. The kid sitting next to you in class could be checking you out," Seth laughed.

"No harm in looking, I guess," Jordan said trying to sound neutral. Back in Chicago there were several out and proud kids in his school, and for the most part they were accepted by the rest of the other kids.

"What about touching?" Seth said, reaching over and slapping Jordan on the butt.

"Hey, watch it," Jordan said jumping back, "I'm beginning to wonder if you're one of the 10%."

"You never know," Seth teased, "some psychologists say we all have a little gay in us."

"Some more than others," Jordan laughed.

"Come on, let's check the bathrooms," Seth said, suddenly changing the subject.

"Ugh, more fun," Jordan groaned, "If it's too gross I might throw up."

"Pansy," Seth laughed, "wait till you have to pull a four foot floater out of the crapper."

"Oh, man...I feel nauseous, and I'm not kidding."

"Don't worry, there probably won't be anything like that this time of year," Seth laughed, "at least I hope not."

Actually, the bathrooms were fairly clean, and Jordan relaxed some as Seth showed him the process. A locked closet with a steel door held cleaning supplies, toilet paper and such, as well as having a mop sink with a bucket and mop. 

"See the drains in the floor," Seth said, "we can hook this garden hose up to the faucet and just hose the floor down. Then we can use the mop to sort of dry up some of the water so no one slips. It's pretty easy. I'll clean the toilets and you can clean the sinks, and we'll swap in the ladies bathroom."

"We have to clean the women's too?"

"Well, yeah...unless you know some girl who will do it," Seth laughed.

"But, what if a woman comes in while you're cleaning it?"

"Got it covered, we have a sign we put up when we're cleaning the ladies' bathroom."

"Ugh, I think this is gonna be the worst part of the job."

Despite his concerns, Jordan found cleaning the bathroom wasn't that big a deal, and actually fun with Seth by his side. They finished up just before noon, and Seth suggested they go for a walk along the lake.

He led Jordan along the rocky shoreline and they stared out at the placid lake and occasionally picked up a rock and skimmed it across the water. They laughed and talked as they kept pace with one another, and when they got to the little bridge Seth leaned over the side and spit into the water.

"Eww...you'll kill the fish," Seth teased.

"Nah, they swim around in their own poop all day, a little spit won't hurt em. Besides my spit tastes good I bet."

"Yeah, just keep telling yourself that."

"You wanna taste?" Seth said puckering his lips.

"Eww...save it for your girlfriend."

"That's just it," Seth said looking serious, "I don't know how to kiss a girl."

"So, what's so hard about it?" Jordan chuckled, "you just pucker up and put your lips against hers, and...maybe open your mouth a little, and if she'll let ya, use a little tongue."

Seth rolled his eyes, "Yeah, right, but what if the girl is more experienced? I heard that some girls practice on each other so they'll be good kissers when they find a boyfriend."

"Really? Yeah, I could totally see that. Girls are always touching each other and stuff."

"I wonder what else they do," Seth said adjusting himself automatically, then blushing when he saw Jordan's eyes follow his movement.

"Man, you are a horny dude," Jordan laughed.

"Sorry, so shoot me."

"Sorry, all out of bullets, come on, I'm hungry. Let's go see if my mom went to the grocery story yet."

Mrs. Kelly had not only gone to the grocery store in Salina, but she had fixed the boys a lunch of sandwiches and hot soup. The boys devoured the food as they rattled on about their morning, and Mrs. Kelly smiled at the two. 

Things were working out even better than she and her husband had hoped. The two boys seemed to be bonding nicely, and with them working side by side most days, they'd soon be as close as Jordan and Lee had been.

"What's on the agenda this afternoon?" Mrs. Kelly asked.

"I thought we'd check out the boat-dock and the landing. In the summer there are boats everywhere, but  this time of year hardly anyone goes boating."

"Well, sounds like a plan. More soup boys?"

"Yes please," Seth said, causing Jordan to laugh.

"You're a pig," Jordan teased.

"Oink, oink," Seth said, causing mother and son to laugh along with him.

After lunch, the boys used the bathroom then wandered down to the lake where Seth showed Jordan the landing and the boathouse. 

"The boathouse holds four boats, but there's usually not more than two boats at a time in there during the summer. A lot of people use the landing though, and not just the campers. Sometimes people come down here just to fish or take a boat trip on the lake. We charge 5 bucks to use the landing, but it's an honor system thing. There's a sign telling folks to go to the office and pay, and most folks do, but there are a few who stiff us."

"We should figure out some way to make them all pay," Jordan suggested.

"Well, unless you want to sit down here 24 hours a day, I don't know how."

"Not every minute of every day, but what if someone was here from say 8-5?"

"Who, you want to volunteer?"

"Nah, just sayin..."

"Anyway, like I said, most people pay. Folks around here are pretty honest."

"What's that?" Jordan said pointing to a small metal building almost hidden within a grove of trees.

"Huh? Oh, that's the old equipment shed. My dad moved everything to the shed behind our cabin cause someone broke into the old shed. It was weird though, they didn't steal anything, they just broke the lock and looked around I guess."

"Or, maybe it was some girl and boy looking for a place to bone," Jordan chuckled, "it wasn't you was it?"

"I wish, but anyway, I had the key, so I wouldn't have needed to break in. In fact I still have the key," he said starting toward the shed.

Jordan followed Seth's lead, and when they arrived at the little building, Seth produced a key ring and went through them till he found the one that fit the lock. It opened easily and Seth swung the door open to reveal that the interior was almost empty.

One wall had shelves built of 2x4s and plywood, but except for a few odds and ends, they were empty. Beneath the bottom shelf, a wooden crate held some assorted machine parts and nuts and bolts, and next to it sat a dirty pair of old boots, their laces looking ragged and rotted.

"Nice, we should rent this out as a honeymoon cottage," Jordan joked.

"It would make a nice clubhouse," Seth said, "I mean for some little kids, not for kids our age," he added quickly.

"Yeah, besides, just us two. Not much of a club," Jordan said looking around.

"Come on, let's get out of here, the dust is killing me," Seth said, "maybe we can come back sometime and do a little cleaning up."

"Still thinking about making it a clubhouse?" Jordan teased, "or just looking for a private place to whack it?"

"Shut up, but yeah...it would be good for that. Maybe stash some porn in the corner..."

"You have porn?"

"Just on my phone actually. I've never even seen a porno mag, have you?"

"Once, my friend Sammy had some Playboys and some other stuff. He stole em from his dad's stash."

"Cool, but videos are better I guess. I mean, in a magazine all you have are stills, online you can see the action."

"I guess," Jordan said blushing, "I've never seen any porn online."

"What? Wait! Really? Oh man, I'll have to show you sometime. Dang, I left my phone back home, but next chance we get I'll show ya."

"Uh, okay...I guess," Jordan said, blushing even brighter now.

"Hey, you're not shy are you?" Seth said poking at Jordan's ribs, "I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"Nah, not shy...I mean, not usually, but we only just met..."

"Yeah, sorry," Seth said.

"It's cool. So, what next?" Jordan said, hoping to end this awkward conversation.

"Huh? Oh, well...we could check the bathrooms one last time, then haul the trash to the dumpster and we're done for the day."

"Oh, cool. Maybe I'll get that nap after all."

"Sure, if you want, or...we could go fishing or something."

"Fishing?" Jordan laughed, "I'm from Chicago, the only fish I ever saw were on a plate or in an aquarium."

"It's easy, I'll teach ya. We have a couple of extra rods and reels."

"Well, okay...I guess I can try it."

"Sure, and if you get bored, you can take a nap by the lake," Seth joked.

The bathrooms looked as clean as they'd left them, and after dealing with the trash, the boys headed to Seth's house to grab the fishing stuff. Seth grabbed a couple of sodas for them and some cookies from the cookie jar and they were off.

Seth knew all the best places, and since there was hardly anyone camping out at present, they had the lake all to themselves. Once Jordan got over the unsavory task of baiting the hook, he found he actually liked fishing, and even more so when he landed his first fish.

It wasn't much of a fish as far as fish go, but to Jordan it was just about the most exciting thing he'd experienced.  After helping him get the fish off the hook, Seth held it up for Jordan to admire and he even took a pic of Jordan holding it, using Jordan's phone.

"Okay, throw it back in now," Seth said once the photo op was over.

"What? Why? I thought the whole idea of catching fish was to eat them."

"Ordinarily, but that was a perch, and not very big at that. Too many bones. What we need are some nice catfish or trout. Most of the time though, I just throw back whatever I catch. I hate cleaning fish. My dad though, he's a serious fisherman, and anytime he goes, we wind up eating fish for a few days."

"Goodbye Rodney," Seth said gently releasing the little perch into the water.

"Rodney, you named him?" Seth laughed, "what were you going to do, keep him for a pet?"

Jordan shrugged, "He was kinda cute." Jordan said, and that got both boys laughing.

The rest of the afternoon was spent laughing and talking, and occasionally one of them would land a fish, and each time they would return it to the lake. Jordan quit questioning the validity of Seth's way of fishing, and instead learned to enjoy it. It wasn't just about the fishing though, it was about the comradery he and Seth shared, and Jordan found he was liking the older boy more and more as they got to know each other. He still missed Lee, and to a lesser degree Sammy, but he was fast becoming attached to Seth.

They split up around five and each headed home, but not before they had swapped phone numbers and promised to talk or text later. Jordan found he was smiling as he stepped in the front door of their cabin, but he quickly wiped the smile off his face. No need to let the rents know he was actually starting to like this place and especially his new friend. No, they needed to suffer a while longer for their crimes against him, but it was getting harder and harder to play the part of the brooding son.

After a simple dinner of hamburger patties and mac n' cheese, Jordan helped clear, then went off to his room to call Lee.  Fortunately, they were in the same time zone, and he caught Lee just as he was also finishing up dinner.

They talked for almost an hour, and Lee was brimming over with excitement about what he and Sammy had done that day. At first Jordan felt jealous. How dare his two best friends get together and replace him? Then he realized he was doing the same thing with Seth. Maybe it was only natural that they seek out someone else to fill the void left by his moving away. As sad as it made him feel to think about losing Lee, and as hard as it was to accept that he was moving on, he knew there was nothing he could do about it. He had to accept the inevitable and try to move on himself. Maybe making friends with Seth was his way of moving on as well. 

Lee seemed to sense his friend's mood, but when he questioned him about it, Jordan managed to put on a good front and act perky once again. They finally ended the call when Lee's mom yelled at him to get off the phone, but when he told her who he was talking to, she changed her tone.

"Mom says hi, and she sends you a big hug," Lee giggled, and "she says tell your mom and dad hi, and we miss them.

"Okay, I will. We miss you too," Jordan said, letting the sadness seep back into his voice.

"Aww...dude don't get all sad. I miss you too, but we'll see each other soon, okay?"

"Yeah, I know. I'm fine, just tired. We worked pretty hard today, me and Seth."

"Tell that Seth kid to ease up on ya," Lee said.

"It's not that. He's cool...it's just that I'm not used to working. It was actually kind of fun today. And...well, after work we went fishing, can you believe that?"

"Fishing, as in catching a fish with a rod and reel?"

"Yeah, and it was actually pretty fun."

"Wow, you sure are adjusting to the country fast. When I finally get there you'll probably be wearn' overalls and runnin' around barefooted."

"I might, or naked..." Jordan teased.

"Well, that might be okay," Lee giggled, "if I can go naked too."

"Sure, we all do here in the sticks," Jordan joked.

"Wow, I'm def moving there then. The girls too?"

"What girls? So far I haven't seen a single girl, not even when we went to the restaurant in town."

"Hmm...so, it's like all guys there?"

"Nah, Seth says there will be girls at the Church camp next weekend."

"Oh, cool. Maybe you can hook up."

"Now you sound like Seth," Jordan chuckled.

"Well, dude...I gotta go, mom is giving me that look. Call me tomorrow okay?"

"Yeah, I will. Night, miss ya."

"Miss ya too," Lee said quietly, then almost in a whisper he added, "love ya."

Jordan was so surprised by Lee's words that he failed to respond right away, and when he finally did, he realized Lee had already ended the call.

"Love ya too," Jordan whispered to no one, and a single tear slid down his cheek.

 

End Chapter One

Other stories at Nifty by Rob Warr

Christmas Eve 1975

Girls Suck, but Boys do it Better

Hollow-Weenie

Josi

Love on the Half Pipe

Loving Jake

Pudding Cups

Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet

Viral Times