Ray poked at the oddly textured, dry-looking pancake on his plate with his fork, then glanced around. Finn and Lucas were happily devouring theirs. Across the table, Nico, his tan chest smeared with random beige flecks of batter, pushed the last pancake from the pan onto his plate with a spatula. Ray watched, bemused, wondering how Nico managed to turn pancake-making into as messy an experience as their nail painting.

Nico caught Ray’s tentative expression and grinned. “C’mon, eat up!”

Ray hesitated, then asked, “How come you’re making breakfast and not your mom?” He glanced at the stairs, silently hoping she would appear and take over. But more than that, he was eager to ask her more questions about the Omen Rose.

“She sleeps in on the weekends,” Nico replied, heading back into the kitchen.

Ray's eyes drifted to the microwave, where the green glow of the digital clock read 9:06. “But didn’t she go to bed at like seven last night?” A foot brushed against his ankle under the table, and he turned to Lucas smiling dreamily beside him. “What?”

“Nothing,” Lucas replied, leaning in with a growing grin. “Should we tell them?”

Finn set down his glass of orange juice, licking the remnants from his lips. “Tell us about what?”

Ray glared warily at Lucas, whose sly smile now covered his face. “Ray and I hooked up last night,” Lucas said proudly.

“Yep, we already know that,” Nico said, plopping into his chair. “You were jacking each other off.”

“No, no, after that! Ray and I snuck out in the middle of the night, and I gave him the best blowie of his life. Right, Ray? He even made cum for the first time!”

“Oh, man,” Ray said, shielding his face. Why did he agree to be boyfriends with someone so embarrassing?

“Cool!” Nico exclaimed. “So you’re going out now?”

“Yes, homos,” Lucas said, nodding enthusiastically. “So back off, he’s my man.” He pulled Ray into his side.

“Good for you, but you’re still a prick,” Finn said, violently stabbing his pancake.

“You know, if you’re gonna be boyfriends, you should go out on a date. One time, Logan took me on one to Skateburger at the pier. It was sooo fun! We did boyfriend stuff, like, a photo booth, and watching the waves.”

“Wait… Skateburger? I thought you were a vegan,” Lucas said, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

“Well, I had a plant burger… thingy. And fries.”

“Suuure. I know the truth,” Lucas said, prodding a finger into his forehead. “You love long, hard, all-American shmeat.”

Nico grinned. “Ohhh. Like dick,” he said, licking his lips. “Yep, guilty. Logan’s got a serious monster. Sooo… when are you guys going to have sex?” 

“We’ll work up to it. Unlike you horndogs,” Lucas said, wagging his finger at Nico and Finn. “If you’d let us borrow one of your dildos, we could ease into it all smooth-like.”

Ray opened his mouth to protest, against the idea of sticking anything in any butt, but Nico spoke before he could.

“Mom said I’m not supposed to!” Nico said.

“Do it anyway!” Lucas said, then lowered his voice. “Come on Nico, she doesn’t have to know.”

“She’ll know. You can use them here. Or, just find a zucchini or something at home.”

“Zucchini,” Lucas repeated and blew a raspberry. “What am I, a hopeless gay? Only the best for my love,” he said, pressing his cheek up against Ray’s. “No, we’re going to buy something way cooler than anything you have. It’s gonna be a state-of-the-art sex machine. There will be no oriface left untouched! They’ll have to measure its quality in OPS! That’s orgasms per second,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“But you are a child!” Finn said. “You cannot buy something like that, you don’t have money or a credit card.”

“Yep, and the one Logan bought me was more than a hundred bucks!” Nico said.

“Listen, listen,” Lucas said, his voice rising in a defensive pitch as he waved his hands frantically. “All Ray and I need to do is do a garage sale, easier than one of Mr. Blake’s quizzes.”

Ray looked at him skeptically. “And what exactly are you planning to sell for a hundred dollars?”

The hopeful glint in Lucas’s eyes fizzled away as he groaned and slumped his shoulders. “I dunno, alright? I’m still thinking!”

“Maybe you can sell your underwear,” Nico suggested.

“Yuck,” Ray scoffed, crinkling his nose.

Lucas turned to Nico with a face of disbelief. “Who the fuck is in the used underwear market?”

“No, listen!” Nico said, laughing. “I was talking to this guy the other day who wanted me to send pictures of my boxers. There’s obviously some demand.”

“I am deeply concerned,” Finn said with a sigh.

“I have about forty questions, but that’s not important,” Lucas said and turned to Ray. “Don’t you have anything valuable to sell?”

“Um, I could sell some drawings…”

“Why not a bake sale?” Finn suggested. Lucas raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “Or a lemonade stand?”

Lucas’s skepticism vanished as a spark of enthusiasm ignited in his eyes. “Oh my God, perf!” Lucas exclaimed, springing from his seat with newfound energy.

Ray pondered for a moment, then nodded. “That could work. I think my parents have an old lemon squeezer somewhere.”

Lucas got up and began pacing. “Yeah, but squeezing lemons sounds like a lot of work. Let’s just resell pre-made lemonade! My mom gets the best lemonade; we probably have some at home. We’ll just buy a few and sell cups for five dollars each!”

“Er, I guess…”

“Trust me, twenty cups, and boom, that’s a hundred right there!” he said, punctuating his claim with a confident flick of his wrist. The others exchanged glances, Finn raising an eyebrow and Nico smirking. “You’ll see,” he added, smiling smugly.

“We don’t doubt you, I think we just stopped caring,” Finn said, reaching for the syrup.

Lucas punched his arm. “Whatever, Ray and I will be the ones having the sweetest mothafuckin’ gasms while you sit around tickling your baby carrot. Onward!” he shouted, rushing out of the room alone.

“Where does he think he’s going?” Finn asked.

Nico cocked his head. “I dunno, that’s the pantry.”

“I swear we had some left,” Lucas muttered, his voice echoing slightly in the cool expanse of the refrigerator, bottles clinking as he shuffled them around.

Ray leaned against the kitchen counter, arms folded. “Maybe you imagined it?”

Lucas shot a glare over his shoulder. “I didn’t imagine it, Ray. It’s not like lemonade grows legs and runs away.”

“Then maybe someone drank it?”

Just as Lucas was about to respond, the approaching tapping of dog paws on the kitchen floor interrupted them. They both looked up to see Paige entering the room with Apollo, his tail wagging furiously.

“Guys, you’ve gotta take Apollo out,” Paige said, thrusting his leash into Ray’s hands, who accepted it awkwardly.

“Hell no!” Lucas protested, slamming the fridge. “It’s your turn today! It’s Monday!”

Paige, seemingly unfazed, dumped her backpack onto the kitchen table and an avalanche of books and binders spilled out. She began rifling through the mess.

Lucas, trying to regain control of the situation, walked up to her. “We’re doing a lemonade stand.”

Paige glanced up from her backpack. “Lucas,” she said firmly, “it is a fucking awful day for a lemonade stand,” she said, gesturing to the gray clouds outside the window. “Now, take him out before he pisses himself.”

“That’s not fair and I’m calling mom,” he threatened.

“Lucas,” she said, a little more pleadingly as she grasped his hands. “I really need to start on this assignment. It’s due tomorrow.”

“Yeah, and I bet you had weeks to do it!” Lucas retorted. Ray could tell this sort of thing happened a lot.

With a heavy sigh, Paige grabbed and dropped a heavy textbook onto the table with a thud, as if to underscore her point. “I don’t have time for you right now, Lucas.”

Lucas opened his mouth to continue arguing but caught the intensity in her eyes. “You owe me so hard,” he grumbled and took the leash from Ray. “And where’s the damn lemonade at?”

“I don’t know, have you checked your ass?”

“Hilarious. So funny. Bitch,” he muttered and took Ray by the wrist. “C’mon.”

Apollo, sensing the upcoming walk, started for the door, his leash jingling with excitement. Lucas continued to grumble under his breath, grabbing his bright orange hoodie from the coat rack and pulling it on, in swift, frustrated movements.

The outside air welcomed them with its cool, nippy embrace, and Ray instinctively tucked his hands into the cozy pockets of his hoodie.

“Sorry about her,” Lucas said. “Probably on her period.”

Ray shrugged. “It’s okay. I’ve never walked a dog before, so at least it’s something new.”

“Really? You never had a dog?”

“No. We… wanted one,” Ray replied, his voice trailing off.

They started walking down the street, Apollo energetically leading the way. After reaching the end of the block, Lucas extended the leash towards Ray. “Here, you should hold him.”

Ray took the leash, and Apollo looked back as if to acknowledge the change and offer his approval. As they walked, Ray’s grip became more and more confident. “We used to have two cats when I lived in Abbotsford. Poor old Pepper got eaten by a coyote.”

“Holy. Shit.”

“Yeah, at least that’s what we think happened. The other one—Dawn—got really sad after that, and he stopped going outside. Then he got sick.”

Lucas shook his head sadly. “Poor kitty! Weird how animals grieve like us. Do you still have Dawn?”

“No, now I have Ash. He’s really smart. A lot like Pepper, actually. But we don’t let him go out because we don’t want him to get eaten, too.”

“Cool name.”

Ray looked down at the sidewalk. “Yeah.”

As they continued their walk, Apollo stopped frequently to sniff around. The neighborhood street gradually opened up into a longer, quieter road. The houses became fewer and farther between, replaced with more trees and bushes.

Lucas took out his phone and started tapping away. “I’m telling my mom to buy more lemonade,” he announced, then scratched his head. “We’re probably going to need cups and shit, too.”

Ray dropped his voice to a hush. “How come you want one of those sex toys so bad? Are they really that worth it? We can just masturbate for free.”

“Trust me, it’ll be so worth it. Nico has one that goes in his ass, but also attaches to his dick! I saw him nearly cum just from it vibrating.”

“Vibrating?”

“It’s hooked up to his phone so he can control it and make it vibrate and stuff.”

“Oh.”

“I watched a bunch of videos about it. They make the coolest sex toys these days.”

“People put up videos of that? On the internet?”

“Boy, like you wouldn’t believe. Oh yeah, you don’t even have a phone. After we get back, I’ll show you some,” he said, and Ray nodded. “Man, I’m getting horny. Are you?”

“Um, a little bit,” he lied.

“I’ll suck you off again,” Lucas offered in a low, tantalizing whisper.

Ray and his penis perked up. “Really?” he asked and glanced around. “Here?” The foliage was thick with untamed bushes and trees on their side of the street, while across from them, a few scattered houses stood at comfortable intervals. 

Catching the spark of eagerness in Ray’s eyes, Lucas smirked. “In the bushes!”

“What if someone sees us?!”

“Just come. Trust.” Lucas walked Apollo over to a sturdy tree with a thin yet solid trunk and looped the leash around it, securing it with a knot. 

Heart beating with anticipation, Ray followed Lucas into the bushes. They looked around to make sure no one was watching before crouching and crawling inside. Leaves and twigs snagged against Ray’s face, but he closed his eyes and pushed forward. He glanced back, watching the filtering light grow dimmer as he crawled further until he bumped heads with Lucas, who grinned at him, their faces inches apart.

“It actually feels totally secret in here,” Ray whispered, letting a smile break through.

“Good, ‘cause I’mma suck you silly! I’ve been craving that peen of yours since Friday,” Lucas said, slipping his fingers into Ray’s waistband. “Dude, I beat off to you like four times this weekend!”

Ray could feel Lucas’s hot breath on his neck. “You’re really horny,” he said with a nervous smile.

Lucas pulled down his shorts and tight white briefs, behind which lay Ray’s half-hard dick. He grabbed it, and Ray whimpered as Lucas’s warm, wet tongue grazed the underside of his sensitive head.

“Mmm, I know you love it,” Lucas said, gently slapping it against his lips.

“Do you think I’ll make cum again like last time?”

“Definitely. I’m a beast.” He swirled his tongue along the underside of Ray’s shaft, and Ray groaned.

“Think you can let me see it this time? Like I shoot it on your hand… or my hand?”

“Bro, you can blow it on my face if you want.” Apollo’s bark echoed from outside, breaking their illusion of privacy. “Apollo, shut it!” he shouted in a whisper, his tightened grip on Ray’s boner causing Ray to flinch. “We’re right here, boy!”

Ray closed his eyes as Lucas enveloped him with a faint slurp sound. Instinctively, he closed his knees and put his hands on Lucas’s shoulders. “Ooh,” he exclaimed with a shudder as the nerves of his foreskin lit up. “Lucas,” he said as Lucas started to bob up and down, “how do you think God would feel about what we’re doing?”

“God?” Lucas said with genuine surprise. “If that dude has a problem with us, let me deal with him.”

Apollo barked again, followed by a low growl, setting the two on edge. With furrowed brows, Lucas let go of Ray and peered out from the bush, trying to discern what was going on. “Hey!” he called somewhat angrily and climbed out of the bush.

Confused and scared, Ray quickly pulled up his underpants and shoved his hard and slightly moist erection inside. He crawled up to the edge of the bush and peered out. A man dressed in sweatpants with his dog was no more than ten feet from Apollo on the street, who was still leashed to the tree, watching with a protective stance. 

“Oh!” the man said when he saw Lucas, pulling out an earbud. Ray pulled up his shorts, shook away his nerves, and slowly emerged from the bushes. The man’s eyes widened further. “Wasn’t expecting a whole welcoming committee.”

“We… dropped something, and were looking for it,” Lucas said, then shifted into a more confident stance. “Not the point. What do you think you’re doing?”

“Hey, hey,” he said, raising his hands in a gesture of peace, “I just came out of my house and, well, sorry… is this your dog?”

Lucas nodded. “Yeah, that’s Apollo. He’s with us.”

Ray, sensing an opportunity, stepped forward confidently. “We’re walking him. For someone,” he announced. He caught Lucas’s eye, giving him a look that urged cooperation. “We’re dog walkers, and if you’re looking for someone to walk your dog, we only charge twenty dollars.”

The man’s eyes narrowed, but his skepticism quickly wavered when his phone abruptly rang. He fished it out of his pocket, and his eyes lit up with urgency when he glanced at the screen. “Hold that thought,” he said and pointed to one of the houses across the street. “Can you bring her straight back to that house after the walk?”

Lucas and Ray exchanged a quick, surprised look before nodding in agreement. The man, his face washing over with relief, hurriedly handed Lucas the leash of his little spaniel, along with a roll of doggie bags.

“Thanks, kids, something unexpected came up. I’ll pay you when you’re back. Remember, the house with the red-tiled roof!” He answered the phone as he rushed back toward his house.

“You’re welcome!” Lucas called after him, then thrust the leash to Ray. “Dude, I don’t know how you did that, but looks like we’re up an easy twenty bucks! I never knew you were so crafty!”

Ray flashed a grin. “Maybe we won’t even need the lemonade stand!”

“Apparently not if you’re gonna randomly be a business genius!” Lucas said as he walked over to untie Apollo. “Rain check on that blowjob. But I’ll throw in an extra one for your good work ethic.”

Ray discreetly balled his fist triumphantly inside his hoodie pocket. “Yay!”

With Apollo and their new spaniel in tow, they continued on their walk. The spaniel was initially hesitant, looking back repeatedly, ears perked, as if expecting her owner to reappear, but as the walk progressed, she seemed to grow more confident, her steps falling into rhythm with Apollo’s.

Their conversation meandered from their new potential dog-walking empire to school. As they walked, the houses continued to thin out, and the air became tangibly saltier. Gradually, the distant, gentle lapping of water became increasingly audible. Lucas was going on about his drama teacher when he noticed Ray’s stride slowing.

Ahead, the road meandered towards a small harbor, houses dotted along its banks. Ray’s face tightened as an apprehensive shadow spread across it. The once distant sound of water seemed to grip him with an invisible force.

“What?” Lucas said, scanning ahead to make sure he wasn’t missing anything. He slowed down, tugging on Apollo’s leash to hold him back. “What’s up?”

Ray’s voice was tense, barely above a whisper. He swallowed hard. “Maybe we should turn around.”

“Yo, the bay is the nicest part of the walk—even if it is cloudy and gross! C’mon dude, we made it this far!”

Ray’s legs folded beneath him and he sank onto the sidewalk. Why did everyone want to bring him to the ocean? Lucas, after a moment of confused hesitation, lowered himself beside him. They sat shoulder to shoulder.

“I can’t,” Ray said, shaking his head.

Lucas stared at him with concerned brows. “You need me to take the dog?” Ray gave a slight shake of his head, his eyes still not meeting Lucas’s. “You tired or something?” Again, Ray shook his head. “C’mon dude, you gotta give me something here, don’t make me guess! Are you okay?”

Ray drew a breath, finally lifting his eyes to Lucas’s. “Lucas,” he said with a firmness in his voice, “I… I can’t go near the water.”

Lucas blinked. “What? Why?”

“I just… don’t like it.,” he answered shakily.

Lucas let out a small, disbelieving laugh, trying to lighten the mood. “We’re not going swimming or anything,” he said, reaching out to give Ray a light-hearted pat on the head. After getting no response, he pulled his hand back. “Why are you being so mysterio all of a sudden?”

“The ocean is evil,” Ray murmured, his voice so low it was almost lost in the coastal wind.

A frown creased Lucas’s forehead. “What?”

“Nothing good ever happens in the ocean!” Ray’s voice cracked.

Lucas’s frown deepened. “Alright dude, you’re freaking me out. Tell me what’s going on! I demand it!”

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“Hey,” Lucas said softly, “if you’re scared, for whatever reason, that’s totally cool! Everyone’s afraid of something! I don’t know what’s going on, but I promise we’re safe, and we’re gonna be safe; the ocean’s not going to hurt you. We don’t even have to look at it. Hell, we don’t even have to go on the docks!”

Ray looked up at him, their eyes meeting, and Lucas laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Ray shook his head. “I don’t want to go any further,” he said, a finality in his voice.

“That’s fine. We can turn around. No pressure, no biggie!”

“Thanks, Lucas,” Ray murmured, his breathing still unsteady. “Maybe we can just sit here for a minute…”

“Totally,” Lucas replied, offering a supportive smile. “Maybe we’ll spot some more potential clients.” He glanced casually toward the harbor, pretending to survey the area for the sake of normalcy, but as his gaze swept across, something unusual caught his attention. “Wait…” His posture tensed, and he squinted his eyes against the glare of the overcast sky.

Ray followed his gaze to three figures gathered by a docked pontoon boat. Among them, a younger boy’s silhouette was unmistakable. The two adults beside him were dressed in vivid red—The Omen Rose. And the kid… there was something jarringly familiar about his short blond crew cut.

Lucas leaped to his feet. “Is that…”

The realization dawned on Ray, and he jumped up alongside Lucas.

“Robby?” they said in unison, then looked at each other.

“You know Robby?” Lucas exclaimed.

“He tried to… take me to the beach. Over the summer. How do you know him?”

“Shit,” Lucas said, looking back at the harbor. “That’s Landon’s little brother. Why is he with Omen Rose people? This can’t be good…”

“I don’t have a good feeling about this either.”

“Fuck, if only I had my binoculars. Gotta get closer!”

“Lucas…”

“He shouldn’t be alone with those creeps! Who knows what they’re doing with him!” Lucas exclaimed, tossing Ray Apollo’s leash, then bolted toward the docks.

Ray’s heart raced as he watched Lucas dash away, the memory of their previous encounter flashing through his mind and urging him to not let Lucas get hurt again. Quickly, he led the dogs to a nearby telephone pole, fumbling slightly as he secured the leashes around it.

“Please guys, just stay here, one second!” he said shakily. With one last hesitant glance at the confused-looking dogs, a surge of resolve pushed him forward. He took a deep breath and ran after Lucas.

With every step closer to the harbor, Ray’s anxiety intensified, the feeling reminiscent of diving in after Jonah at the lake. He found Lucas crouched behind a dilapidated fence with rusted sheet metal panels for cover.

Treading carefully to muffle his footsteps on the wooden dock, Ray ducked down next to Lucas, his breathing heavy with adrenaline. His eyes flickered to the nearby water, sending an unwelcome shiver through him.

“Lucas, we need to go,” Ray whispered urgently. “Remember what Nico’s mom said about them! We can’t get caught up in this again!”

Lucas gave him a brief, wary glance before returning his attention to the small gap in the metal. The fence provided little cover, let alone view, especially with the glare of the setting sun, but it was enough to observe the figures. Terry, the handyman, gesticulated with his large hands to a thin and wiry man who stood with his arms crossed, nodding occasionally. The two of them were absorbed in conversation, unaware of the boys’ observation.

Robby’s back was turned to them, obscuring his face, but his small frame and rigid posture told them of the discomfort he was in.

“What’s he even doing here with them? Shit, we can’t leave Robby alone with those freaks,” Lucas whispered, his gaze fixed on him, torn between fear and a sense of duty. “We don’t have time to sit here watching them, we need to act!”

“And what are we gonna do? We can’t just barge in and do nothing! They’re way stronger than us!”

“I… I have pocket sand!”

“What?!” Ray shrieked.

“It’s this… thing Nico got me into. Forget it. I know, I wish I had a knife or something.”

The feeling that they were out in the open, likely to be seen at any moment, gnawed at Ray’s nerves. He urgently nudged Lucas. “Lucas!” he pressed, the desperation clear in his voice.

Lucas’s determined expression gradually softened into resignation. The resolve in his eyes began to relax, and he turned his head to meet Ray’s anxious gaze. With a heavy sigh, Lucas finally nodded. “Okay,” he whispered, the word barely audible. “Let’s go.”

With a careful glance around, they rose and ran back to the dogs, the sound of their hurried footsteps burning into their minds.

Two Months Later

The distant wail of a police siren was drowned out by the plaintive cry of a lone seagull. A gentle breeze carried the tang of saltwater through the air to a sky streaked with orange and pink hues. Waves, rhythmic and persistent, crashed over jagged rocks half-concealed in the shallow water, tugging pebbles and small shells as they receded with a soothing, whispering sound. Just beyond the reach of the tide, at the very fringe of the ocean’s reach, a pair of tan feet curled at the edge of a faded yellow towel, a pair of swim shorts wrapped around their ankles.

“Fuck,” Lucas cooed, clenching his arms at his sides.

Ray’s tongue flitted along the ridge of Lucas’s circumcised tip, and he brushed his long and unkempt brown hair out of his face, pushing the unruly strands behind his ear. His eyes met Lucas’s and he grinned, still dancing his tongue across Lucas’s glans. He shuffled back, his knees stabbing the sand as he repositioned, and lowered his face right up to Lucas’s hard dick. Several fine hairs decorated the base, and Ray eyed them enviously. Lucas lifted his butt, thrusting his penis towards Ray’s mouth, but Ray pushed it away with his palm.

“Hey, what happened to ‘leaving me to it?’” Ray said, cocking an eyebrow. 

“I want you to suck it though,” Lucas whined. Ray grasped Lucas’s balls and planted a kiss right on the tip of his dick. “Deep throat me! Oh God, I need it!”

Ray swallowed his cock, caressing his shaft with his lips on the way down. He bobbed up and down slowly a few times before Lucas took over, grabbing Ray’s shoulders and driving himself deeper. “Mmm, fuck, you’re so good,” Lucas said, caressing Ray’s hair.

Ray reached into his gym shorts and grabbed hold of his hard dick, giving it a few strokes. He was making a bunch more cum now, so he needed to be careful not to make a mess. When he felt Lucas tense beneath him, he slid his dick out of his mouth, letting it throb in the open beach air.

“Wanna finish with the thing?” Ray asked.

Lucas sat up on his elbows, panting heavily as he gasped for breath, his chest heaving with each gulp of air. “Yeah,” he breathed, “In the bag.” He waved his hand at the straw beach bag beside the towel.

Ray peered inside and spotted the wand-like object between the two water bottles. It wasn’t large, about the size of his hand and a half. He grabbed it, twisting it around until he found it, and pressed the power button. The head, shaped like a large pencil eraser, began to buzz. “Where should I do it?”

“Cock… my cock… please…” Lucas begged, twisting his lower body so his hips were raised and his erection pointed straight up.

Ray got to work and grabbed Lucas’s penis by the base of his shaft. The slit was wet with precum, and Ray pressed the vibrating silicone to his frenulum.

“Uuuhhh,” Lucas moaned, the droplet freeing and dripping on his chest.

Ray smirked; that spot always got the best reaction. He could feel Lucas’s shaft quivering in his hand, and he slid the vibrator along it, momentarily vibrating his balls, then bringing it back up to his tight frenulum.

“Hold it there!” Lucas exclaimed, his back arched. “Yesss!”

“Are you close?” Ray asked.

As if to answer him, Lucas’s penis throbbed and shot out a beady string of milky fluid that landed in the middle of his heaving chest. “Huhhh!” Ray, surprised, rubbed the vibrator in a small circle against the flaring head, and Lucas cried out and fired another hefty spurt. The rest of his load dribbled out in small surges.

“Oh, you were,” Ray said, clicking off the vibrator.

“Fuck Ray, that was so fucking good.”

Ray moved beside his head and leaned down to kiss him. Their lips touched, and Lucas looked up into his green eyes and smiled. They made out, Ray hovering above him to avoid touching the semen on Lucas’s chest, until Lucas broke the kiss and sat up. “Get on your back, let me do you,” he said.

Ray glanced at the horizon, where the sun hung low. “That’s okay, I don’t think I have time.”

“Damn, seriously?” Lucas checked his phone. “Shit, how is it already six? Well, let me walk you home!”

“Nah, it’s super out of your way,” Ray said, slipping on his sandals. He grabbed a towel out of the bag. “I’ll see you on the bus,” he said, tossing the towel to Lucas.

“Okay, then,” Lucas said and began cleaning himself with the towel. “Bye, love you! Scoot safe!”

“See ya!” Ray called back, already on his way to the hill back up to the road.

He followed the same route up as he did on the way down, following a particular path up some roots and earth that provided a natural staircase to his weary legs. Emerging from the green canopy, Ray paused to survey the bushes for his scooter. He spotted it next to Lucas’s bike and wrestled it free. 

With a swift kick, he set off, the wheels humming against the asphalt. Light filtered through the trees, dotting the street with a soft glow, while the wind blew through his hair. With each push of his scooter, excitement swelled in him. Jonah was going to be so amazed to hear about his epic bravery. He actually went in the sand! Right up to the waves! Maybe soon he’d try going in the water. He pictured Jonah’s reaction and the inevitable flurry of questions that would follow.

Coasting into the open garage, Ray brought the scooter to a gentle stop and parked it in the usual corner. As he stepped into the house, he was greeted by the familiar murmur of the television.

“Hey, you’re back,” his mom said from the couch. His dad looked up from the TV and gave him a welcoming nod.

Ray lingered by the doorway, the excitement bubbling inside him. “Yeah, and guess what?” he said, drawing his mom’s smile and his dad’s curious glance. “I went to the beach with Lucas.”

His mom sat up straight while his dad reached for the remote to mute the TV.

“You did what, Ray?” his mom asked, eyes widening with astonishment but also slight concern.

Stepping into the living room, Ray couldn’t contain his pride. “I walked in the sand,” he declared with steady confidence in his voice. “And also guess what? The waves weren’t that scary.”

The room was charged with a momentary silence as his parents shared an uncertain look. His mom spoke first. “That’s… quite something, Ray!” she said, rising to wrap him in a congratulatory yet protective hug. “But do you think you should be doing that?”

Ray leaned into the hug. “It’s okay, Lucas helped me get used to it, bit by bit. Usually I just sit in the dirt part, but today just felt different,” he explained, his mind flashing with images of them walking down, hand in hand.

“Good for you, Ray,” his dad said.

Ray could sense the forced cheer in his voice but was too amped up to care. “I can’t wait to call Jonah,” he beamed. “He’s going to be so amazed!”

“Actually,” his dad said, “he left a voicemail earlier. Said it was something important.”

Ray’s interest piqued instantly. “Really? What did he say?” he asked, glancing at the phone on the kitchen counter.

“You should ask him yourself. And try not to be on the darn thing all night, okay?” his dad said with a knowing look.

Nodding in agreement, Ray walked over and picked up the phone, anticipation coursing through him as he made his way to his room. Ash watched him pass in the hallway with a judgemental stare before Ray gently closed the door behind him.

He didn’t have to wait long. The phone rang only twice before Jonah’s voice, notably subdued, greeted him. “Hey, Ray.”

“Hi,” Ray replied. A pause hung in the air. “You alright?”

There was another pause as Jonah took a deep breath. “Do you have a minute?”