Jonah clenched his puffy jacket to his chest, hurrying down the sterile, white hallway. The clamor of footsteps echoed around him as he rushed past a woman in blue scrubs who gave him a cautious look, but his attention was solely focused on reaching his destination, room thirteen. Slipping through a large glass door, he was met with a pair of warm, hazel eyes and an eager smile from the lone bed, surrounded by an array of computer screens and medical apparatus.
“Hey mom,” Jonah said cheerily, approaching the bed.
“Any luck?” she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.
Jonah's grin widened as he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a can of Pepsi and handed it to her, glad to be rid of the chilly sensation against his chest.
“Yes! Thank you so much, baby,” she said, taking it from him and placing it on the bedside table next to an untouched transparent cup of orange juice, then planted a kiss on his head. “These nurses could learn a thing or two about quick service from you,” she said, and they both snickered. “Where’s dad?”
“Still on his phone meeting, I think,” he said, looking over at the door. “Oh, he asked what kind of takeout you wanted.”
“Whatever you want, sweetie.”
“Chinese?”
“Sounds great,” she said, leaning back in the bed. “I could use a good fortune.”
"Me too," Jonah said as he plopped down on a chair across from his mom's bed. As he looked over at her, she met his gaze with her usual motherly protectiveness. Her auburn hair, which was usually tied up in a ponytail, now fell loosely around her scruffy hospital gown-clad shoulders. Despite her disheveled appearance, they both exchanged smiles, grateful to be in each other's company.
“How things have changed,” she said wistfully, taking and opening the soda can, closing her eyes as she took a sip.
“Like what?” Jonah asked.
"Remember how I used to bring you soda whenever you were sick? Now, it's the other way around."
Jonah smiled at the memory and adjusted his glasses. “Oh yeah! 7up, the drink for sick people,” he joked.
She chuckled. “Right, except remember how we looked it up and—”
“It was total baloney!” they finished together, laughing.
“It was all a placebo,” Jonah went on. “They say ginger ale is actually better for you when you’re sick,” he said, then looked up curiously at her. “So… why didn’t you want a ginger ale?”
With a smile, she said, "Because I know you like Pepsi more. Come." She gestured for him to come over, and pushed the can to his mouth. "At least for now, I can still be your mom."
Jonah wiped his mouth. “You still can once you make a full recovery from that Pepsi!” he added, and they both burst into laughter.
She sighed. “Jonah, you’re so special,” she said, then began singing in a low voice. “Unforgettable. That’s what you are.” He grinned sheepishly at her, and she brushed his cheek with her palm, still slightly cold from the soda. “Unforgettable. Though near or far.”
“Oh, mom,” he giggled, small tears forming in his eyes as he withdrew from her.
She lay back, closed her eyes, and let out a contented sigh. Jonah scanned the room before making his way over to the large window. From there, he gazed out at the dimly lit streets and buildings below. The distant wail of an ambulance sent shivers down his spine as he was transported back to the terrifying moment when his mom fainted while cooking. Jonah, who was in another room doing his homework, heard the thud. He was so frightened that his hands shook as he struggled to dial the emergency number, and the haunting sound of the siren was forever embedded in his mind.
“Hey,” Jonah said, distracting himself with a random thought as he took his phone out and walked back over to the bed. “Do you know what this is? Ray found it the other day.” He showed her Ray’s text, double-tapping the photo to expand it on the screen.
His mom squinted as she stared at it. “No. Why? What is that?”
“Ray said it’s a card for a club on an island or something. I couldn’t find anything on the internet, but I thought I’d ask you because you’re, y’know, a genius.”
She squinted again. “Looks like a business card, or maybe a hotel key?” Another squint. “Didn’t you say he lives in Clearwater? Maybe it’s for those rich people islands off the coast. Looks fancy enough.”
“Oh yeah! The islands that you can only see on a perfectly clear day. I wonder,” Jonah said, rubbing his chin. Since Paris lived in Clearwater, it would make sense. As if on cue, Jonah’s phone started ringing with the jazzy ringtone he set for Ray’s home phone. “One sec, mom, Ray’s calling!”
As he raised the phone to his ear, his mom waved her hand to get his attention. “Can you go get dad?” she mouthed.
Jonah nodded and skipped out of the room. “Hey!”
“Hi, Jonah! Did you get the picture?” Ray asked. He seemed excited, and Jonah felt bad he didn’t have any new answers for him.
“Yup! Looks mighty official to me. Anything else happen while you were there?”
“Nah, we mostly just danced and played games. Oh yeah, I wanted to tell you we played chess and I won twice!”
“Nice, Ray! Didn’t know you played!”
“I used to play a lot, then I sorta… stopped.”
Jonah turned a corner. Gosh, the hospital was big. “Well, if ya end up getting a phone this summer, we could play every day!”
“That would be so cool!”
“Right?” Jonah said, passing a room with a man moaning loudly. “Well, shoot. If the card isn’t Lucas’s, then whose is it?”
“It’s gotta be someone else on my bus. I’m gonna try to figure it out next week. Could you find anything else out from the picture?”
“I reverse-searched it, but I couldn’t find anything online.”
“Oh, cool,” Ray said, then paused. “What’s reverse searching?”
“Don’t worry about it, just means that there’s no info I could find on the whole internet. Although, my mom actually made a really good point just now. There’s a bunch of islands off the coast of Clearwater that are owned by a bunch of rich old people. When Paris mentioned the island, maybe those islands are what he was referring to!”
“Wow, that is a really good point! Your mom’s a genius.”
Jonah finally arrived at the elevators and chuckled. “That’s what I said! So, do you have any binoculars or anything like that? There’s a spot on the beach where you can see the islands, but only on a super clear day,” he said, pushing the button to call the elevator.
Ray went quiet for a second before responding. “Uh, I don’t think so.”
“Okay, well try and get some then. You’re good at that, remember? Like with the lotion!” With a ding, the elevator arrived, and he stepped inside. “I think it’d be really helpful in our investigation. Plus, that’s not all you can use them for.” He lowered his voice as the elevator doors closed. “You could spy on your sexy neighbor.”
Ray giggled as he pictured himself sitting on the roof, watching the teenage redhead that lived next door through a pair of binoculars. “That would be hot.”
“You could watch her strip in her bedroom, you could literally watch her titties bounce all over the place when she takes off her bra!” Jonah adjusted his shorts preemptively as the thought had his dick stiffening.
“That does sound cool. I’ll see if we have any,” Ray said, lacking any real enthusiasm.
“Awesome,” Jonah said, arriving at the lobby. “I gotta go find my dad somewhere in this huge hospital. Talk to ya later, Ray!”
After saying their goodbyes, Jonah hung up the phone and took a moment to take in his surroundings. The hospital lobby was grand and spacious, more like a lobby of an upscale hotel than a hospital. Lavish seating areas were arranged throughout, accentuated by a variety of indoor plants. Jonah made his way over to the front desk and was greeted by a friendly woman sporting blue glasses and a warm smile.
“Hi! I like your glasses,” Jonah said.
“Thank you!” she replied, evidently gleefully surprised at receiving such a compliment from a small boy. “Are you looking for something?”
“Have you seen a tall man wearing, uh, a red beanie?”
She nodded in agreement and gestured toward the main entrance. Jonah followed her gaze and noticed his dad standing outside, illuminated by the bright overhead lights, as he engaged in a conversation over the phone, and couldn't help but feel a tinge of frustration. Why did his dad have to work all the time? Mom was in the hospital and surely, he could use a break. If his dad was going to be busy, he figured he might as well take advantage of the time he had. The conversation in the elevator had left him feeling rather turned on, so he made a beeline for the restroom.
As he rushed past a man at the sink, he could feel the man's curious gaze on him and quickly locked himself inside the furthest stall, sitting down on the toilet lid. After a few moments, he heard the man exit the restroom with the sound of the door squeaking shut. Finally alone, he retrieved his phone and inserted his headphones. One of his favorite porn videos was already queued up in a tab, and his body buzzed with boyish thrill.
The video began with a petite brunette in pink underwear sitting atop the torso of a shaven, muscular man. Jonah shoved his shorts and briefs to his knees. His throbbing dick stood proudly, handsomely circumcised with a tight pair of balls. Lifting his hand, he spat into it then wrapped his fingers around his shaft, and began pounding away. Through the sexy moaning sounds in his headphones, he could hear the squishy sound of him jerking himself, and picked up the pace. His tongue peeked out from the corner of his mouth as he devoured the video with his attention.
“Yeah, baby,” he purred.
The man tugged aside the girl’s panties, revealing her hot, shaved pussy, as hairless as Jonah’s genitals, and Jonah licked his lips. A notification popped up over the video, but he swiped it away, laser-focused on the intense scene that was unfolding. As the man slipped his dick inside her, Jonah could feel his penis becoming even harder beneath his fingers.
Not even five minutes had passed before he could feel the feeling ramping up, and he knew he wouldn’t last much longer. Spitting one last time into his hand, he flogged his dick with increasing speed until he was there. He jumped up, rubbing and rubbing until he gasped and squirted out a thin, watery spurt onto the top of the plastic toilet seat cover dispenser. Biting his lip, a groan escaped him as two additional drops followed, landing beside the initial pool. The intensity of the feeling caused his glasses to fall to the floor, but that didn’t matter as his orgasm continued to rip through his young body until it finally dissipated. He squeezed his dick to force out any remaining liquid, then fetched his glasses and cleaned them with his shirt. As he was closing the video, he noticed the mystery notification from earlier and curiously opened it.
Unknown: Who da fuck is this?
It was Lucas’s number. Jonah groaned, much less erotically this time. Oh, Ray... He pulled his pants up and hobbled out of the restroom, leaving his shimmering ejaculate behind.
Nico's eyes flickered open to the sound of the door creaking open, his vision hazy and unfocused. As the blurry details of his bedroom slowly came into focus, he was flooded with the memory of the events from the previous day and buried his face in the pillow with a shrill cry.
“Honey?” came his mother’s soft, tentative voice, and he felt her fingers lightly graze his bare shoulder. “You okay?”
“No!” he replied sharply, hugging his pillow to his face.
His mom flipped on the lights, opened the blinds, and went to sit at the edge of his bed. Nico lay unresponsive and motionless, so she pulled off the sheets. His body was a winding adventure of a growing preteen: curvy shapes, smooth, olive skin, and a lankiness that only accentuated his perfect form. Her eyes wandered on his two shapely globes of naked butt before crawling down his skinny legs and small feet; her little Greek god.
Nico reached out, blindly fumbling for the stolen sheets, only to realize that his mom had already yanked them away from his grasp. Reluctantly, he flipped onto his back, arching one leg as his tender, intact penis flopped sleepily against his stomach. He looked up at her, annoyed, his fluffy golden hair messy from the night of sleep, and draped an arm over his eyes.
“Any better than last night?” she asked hopefully.
“No.”
Her eyebrows furrowed with concern as she reached out to grasp Nico's ankles. She could feel the tension in her fingers as she began making small circles with her thumbs. “How’d you sleep?”
“Bad,” he said, yawning and stretching his arms over his head.
She crawled up between his legs and picked up his slumbering penis between her fingers. It was long but slim, at least up to its bulging head. As the whole thing twitched between her fingers, she gently slid down his foreskin, disrobing his blushing, rosy glans. Nico sighed, and his erection surged as it pumped to life with his steady heartbeat. He placed his hands under his head as she fondled him, watching as his tube of skin grew harder and longer in her grasp, panting as she rubbed her thumb over his sensitive tip.
“Want a quickie?” she asked with a hopeful half-smile.
“Ah, no!” he said, shaking his head as he pulled away. “Not today. Too sad.”
His mom nodded. “I get ya,” she said, slapping the side of his thigh as she stood up. “Want me to make something nice for breakfast?”
“I’m not hungry,” he declared, swinging his legs around the side of the bed.
“Yogurt, at least?”
“Fine,” he said with a yawn.
Without a word, she left his bedside and exited the room. Nico looked down at his dick, now only half-erect, and slid his foreskin back up. Despite the knowledge that the day would be nothing but pain, he eventually forced himself out of bed and approached the closet where he adorned himself with an unorthodox ensemble of dark pants, a randomly selected t-shirt, and a gray hoodie. After breakfast, his mom drove him to school where he threw up his hood and ambled to homeroom class, eyes locked to the ground. He was getting more stares than normal, but he didn’t care. Nothing mattered.
During Math, Finn observed the dejected boy with his head down, drumming on his desk, and a sympathetic frown creased his lips. Nico was typically unfazed by anything, what could be getting to him? When Nico raised his hand and asked for the bathroom, Finn took the opportunity to follow suit.
As Finn stepped into the bathroom, the scent of synthetic linen and a faint hint of mildew reached his nostrils. He walked along the row of stalls until his eyes settled on Nico's shoes. "Nico," he called out.
“Finn?”
Finn looked around before pressing on the locked door. “Could I come in?” Nico didn’t reply, but Finn heard the door unlatch and pushed the door open. Nico was sitting on the toilet, rubbing his reddened eyes. “What is going on with you? Why do you look so sad?” he asked, crouching beside him.
Nico sniffled. “Life sucks.”
Finn closed the stall door, locked it, and leaned against the wall. “What happened? This isn’t like you at all.”
Nico’s lip quivered, and he hesitantly pulled out his phone, fiddling with it before turning to show it to Finn. It was a text exchange.
Logan: Night 💕
Nico: LOVE U
Nico: Hey
Nico: Hi
Nico: Hi
Nico: 😢
Nico: Hi
“You’re upset because he hasn’t replied? Nico, it’s nine in the morning,” Finn said.
“You don’t get it. He went back to college yesterday and he almost never ignores my texts!”
Finn raised an eyebrow at him. “Ya, so?”
“So he doesn’t care about me anymore!”
Finn clicked his tongue. “That’s silly, Nico. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.” He knelt to remove Nico’s hood. Nico looked down, and his features contorted in pain as a wave of emotions washed over him. He buried his face into his sleeves and began to sob.
Finn rested a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay,” he said with slight discomfort.
“Can I hug you?” Nico asked between sobs.
Finn bit his lip and looked to the side. After a moment of hesitation, he responded. “Yes, but do it fast. We have to go back to class.”
Nico threw his arms around his skinny chest, nestling his head into Finn’s belly. Finn stood stiffly, his arms locked to his sides. “You’re like a teddy bear,” Nico sobbed. “Why are you so soft?”
Finn turned his head to silently scowl. “You can let go now,” he said bitterly.
“So soft,” Nico whispered, nuzzling into him. “It’s your shirt.”
Finn pried Nico off and stumbled out of the stall. “Well, I was there for you, and now I’m going back to class.”
“Thanks, Finn,” Nico said. “I needed that.”
Finn remained silent, and after a few moments, Nico heard him leave. He took a deep breath and tried to collect himself, taking a few minutes to wash his face in the sink and calm his racing thoughts. Once he was feeling more composed, he took a final deep breath and headed back to class.
A surge of students funneled into the classroom, weaving their way around Ray’s desk as he scanned the room for Lucas’s short mop of blond hair. It’d been all weekend and the two hadn’t even said hi yet! To his dismay, Lucas was one of the last kids to enter the classroom after Mr. Nilis, the math teacher, made everyone take their seats and prepare for class. It frustrated Ray how far apart he and Lucas ended up during the few classes they shared, but he knew it was unlikely for a Marlow to ever be seated next to a Boyer. Lucas sat down and started pulling supplies from his backpack. Ray tried waving to get his attention, but only managed to irritate those sitting directly around him.
“Please, please, everyone sit,” Mr. Nilis said to the last few students trickling in. “We’ll be going over fractions today, so I’ll need at least four-quarters of your attention,” he said with a smirk. Mr. Nilis was known as a math teacher who took his subject seriously, but thankfully not himself.
“Lucasss,” Ray called out in a hushed voice, hoping to catch Lucas's attention, but he only earned him disapproving glares from the teacher and some of his classmates. He called his name again, and when Lucas eventually turned around, Ray gave him a friendly wave. To Ray's dismay, Lucas responded with a cold stare before shaking his head and turning back. Confusion and apprehension washed over Ray as he wondered if he had unintentionally done something to upset Lucas.
For the rest of class, Ray was preoccupied with thoughts of their friendship. He replayed the events at Lucacs’s house over in his head, trying to remember if Lucas seemed upset about anything. Maybe he was salty about losing in chess? He couldn’t help but feel like he’d done something wrong, but he didn’t know exactly what. Determined to not lose a friend, he chased him down the hallway after class.
“Hey!” he said to Lucas’s back.
Lucas spun around, irritated eyes locking onto Ray’s. “Yo, what the fuck did you do on my phone last week?”
Oh crap. The text to Jonah…
“Huh?” Ray stammered, buying time to think.
“No, not ‘huh’. Why did you send that weird picture whatever it was? And whose number is that?” Lucas tapped his foot impatiently. Ray wasn’t sure what to say, or if he should’ve said anything at all, so Lucas went on. “I know it was you. It’s your hand in the picture.”
“Oh, that,” Ray said dismissively, but Lucas continued eyeing him. “Um, it’s a long story.”
“Well, I've got all day,” Lucas said before the shrill sound of the bell interrupted him. “Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. "Okay, tell me about it at lunch then."
Ray looked at the ground. “Are you mad at me?”
“Just fucking confused. Like, why did you… whatever. And don’t get me in trouble in class. I should be the one getting you in trouble. Gotta go,” he said and started towards his locker.
Ray watched him walk away, his heart thumping painfully in his chest, praying he hadn’t made a horrible mistake. As he gathered books from his locker, he smacked himself in the head. Stupid, stupid Ray.
A different kind of atmosphere hung over the lunch table as Ray walked up with tray in hand. The only person seated there was Nico, who didn’t even look up as Ray approached. Ray hesitated for a moment before sitting across from him, fearful that everything had fallen apart.
“Hi. Where is everyone?” Ray asked Nico, eyeing his drearier-than-usual outfit.
Nico shrugged and slowly scooped a bite of pasta salad into his mouth. His demeanor was a stark contrast from his usual vibrant self, and it was disconcerting to Ray to see him in such a state. Nico’s once bright clothing was replaced by dark hues, and his usually lively eyes now appeared empty and lifeless. He stared blankly at his tray as if eating was merely a mechanical task rather than a source of enjoyment. Strands of blonde hair peeked out from under his hood, adding to the disheveled appearance.
Ray hesitated for a moment, unsure what to say. “Is everything okay?” he finally asked.
Nico sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I don’t know.”
Ray nodded sympathetically. “I get sad sometimes, too. I’m a lot happier when I hang out with you guys, though,” he offered.
Nico sighed and didn’t respond. Ray wondered what could have possibly happened to bring him down like this. Nico’s sighs only seemed to grow heavier and more frequent, as if the weight of his thoughts was too much to bear. As Ray began eating, Finn appeared.
“Crap, is he still depressed?” Finn said, dropping his tray on the table.
“Er, what’s wrong with him?” Ray asked as Nico stared blankly, indifferent to their conversation. “He’s usually the happy one.”
“He said he lost his boyfriend over the weekend,” Finn said.
“What? He’s… dead?” Ray gasped.
An incredulous expression crossed Finn's face as if Ray were deranged. “No.” He reached across the table, snapping in Nico’s face. “Hello, Nico? Your friends are here! Look, here comes Lucas!”
“Wassup bitches!” Lucas said, sliding into his seat. Ray was happy to see that his attitude seemed back to normal. Lucas took one look at Nico and cocked his head to the side. “Dude, emo phase much?”
Nico sighed and took off his hood. “I’m just sad.”
“Yeah, us too. It’s Monday. Don’t act like you’re the only one dealing with it.”
Nico turned to Lucas, his eyes bleary with gloom. “Logan’s gone!” he shouted, shaking him.
Lucas grabbed his wrists. “Well, maybe if you put on a few pounds like I said,” he trailed off dismissively.
Nico slumped in his seat and covered his face with his hands. "What do I do now?" he cried out, his breathing becoming rapid and uncontrolled.
“Okay, dude, chill,” Lucas said, his tone concerned after finally picking up on the distress in Nico's voice.
Ray reached across the table to console him, patting him softly on the shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Nico. I think you’ll get a new boyfriend.”
“We didn’t break up,” Nico clarified, turning his head. “He’s just… gone! He went back to college,” he sighed. “I won’t get to see him for forever. Like, what am I supposed to do now? Just when things were getting good, too. He won’t even answer my texts.”
“Man, forget about him,” Lucas said. “He sounds mid anyway.”
“He’s not mid!” Nico declared, balling his fists in defiance. “I’ll never forget about him. He was perfect ever since I first saw him! Hot, but not so cool that he didn’t want to be around me. He wasn’t like everyone else who just wanted me out of the way; he actually talked to me, and not like a little kid. Like I was his friend. We were like best friends, only we loved each other.”
“But he’s way older than you,” Finn interrupted. “How can you be sure he wasn’t just trying to take advantage of you?”
“He’d never do that! I always felt safe with him. Safer than anywhere else! And when he held me, it felt like there was someone who actually cared. Not just someone who has to care, like my mom,” Nico grumbled. “I could talk to him about anything and he wouldn’t think I was weird or stupid like you guys make me feel sometimes,” he said, shooting Lucas a menacing look. Lucas's face fell, and he looked away. “Anyways, I wanted him to be my boyfriend first, not the other way around. Oh, and he cummed in me yesterday! It was so hot.”
Ray gagged, and Finn dropped his spork on the table.
“Excuse me, I’m trying to eat lunch,” Finn said.
“Nico,” Lucas said, “we care about you too, okay? You can come to us for anything. You don’t gotta seek out that old dude.”
“He’s not old!”
Lucas groaned. “Why not try dating someone your own age now? Like one of us,” he finished quietly.
“We’re still dating!”
“Are you?” Lucas asked, shooting him a questioning look.
“I… I don’t know,” Nico admitted. “He won’t respond to me. I don’t know what’s going on.”
“You should come over after school. I think I know what’ll cheer you up,” Lucas said with a smirk.
Nico despondently shook his head. “I got a lot to think about when I get home. Maybe another time.”
Lucas shrugged. “Fine, mope all you want,” he said, waving a dismissive hand before turning to face Ray. “Next order of business. What the fuck were you doing on my phone?” he demanded.
Finn's interest was piqued by the strange question, and he sat up straight to listen.
“Right,” Ray said. “So, remember when I did that stuff with Paris?”
Lucas slammed his hands on the table. “Holy. Shit. Were you texting Paris from my phone?”
“No, no, no!” Ray said, waving his hands. “It was, um, well, basically, so Paris and Griffin both had these weird symbols or maybe tattoos above their… privates.” Lucas raised an eyebrow but continued listening. “It was a circle, but broken, and with a dot in the middle,” he said, drawing it with his finger on the table. “Paris asked if I ever heard of the ‘Omen Rose’, and apparently it’s some kind of secret club. I think it has something to do with those symbols.”
Nico's head snapped up from his meal. “Omen Rose?” he echoed, setting down his food as he furrowed his brow. Why did that name sound so familiar?
“Now that’s a creepy name,” Finn said. “I don’t like the sound of it.”
“The card I found on the bus the other day,” Ray continued. “I thought it was yours,” he said, looking at Lucas, “but now I’m pretty sure it’s not.”
“Damn right about that. So who did you text it to?”
“My friend Jonah.”
“Oh, that bookworm from camp?” Lucas asked.
Ray reluctantly nodded. “He’s really smart and I thought he might be able to find out something if he saw a picture, but I don’t have a phone. So, I’m sorry I did that.”
“It’s fine I guess, it just really freaked me out. I thought my phone got hacked or something at first. Who’s card is it then, what’s it for, and what’s so special about the Omen Rose anyway?”
“I don’t know,” Ray admitted. “It just… feels… important, somehow.”
“I think you should stop poking around. It sounds like a bad sign—a bad omen!” Finn warned, his voice tinged with concern. “I watched a documentary about cults, and it said they often use symbols to—”
“Shut up, Finn!” Lucas interrupted. “We all know about Christianity, you’re not special.”
“I’m just saying that it’s very frightening. It’s not kid stuff,” Finn said, folding his arms.
Lucas ignored him. “So the card’s gotta belong to someone on the bus,” he said, rubbing his chin.
Ray shrugged. “Guess so.”
“Then let’s find out. You and me, today, on the bus.”
“Really?”
“Hell yeah, you got me all interested now! I wanna learn about a secret cult.”
“Guys…” Finn warned, but Lucas shushed him.
“What about her?” Lucas asked, pointing to the girl sitting in the bus seat across from Ray and him. She scowled at him through a wild thicket of black curls, then returned her attention to her phone.
“Um, ‘scuse me,” Ray said, waving to her. “Did you ever lose something on this bus?”
“Yeah,” she growled. “My patience with you two.”
“Not very friendly,” Lucas whispered to Ray, who nodded. “We should try a sneakier approach.” He grabbed a notebook and pencil from his backpack. “Let’s make a list! We can write down other stuff, too.”
Ray pushed down his notebook. “Actually, that gives me a better idea,” he said, pulling out his sketchbook.
“Hol up, is that what I think it is?” Lucas said, cocking his head to one side. “Are you an artist?”
"Drawing's my favorite thing ever!" Ray replied, grinning as he flipped to a blank page.
“No frickin’ way!” Lucas said, rubbing his hands together. “I have so many requests! Can you draw me?” he asked, striking a pose with two open fingers in front of his eyes.
Ray giggled. “I already drew you before.”
“Whoa, you did? Lemme see!” Lucas demanded. Ray eagerly flipped to the drawing of himself, Lucas, Nico, and Finn, and Lucas roared with laughter. “Look at his butt!” he said, pointing at Nico. "And Finn looks like he wants to jump out of the page and run away!" he snorted. “This is fucking gold! How dare you not tell me you were an artist.”
A huge grin spread across Ray's face as he watched Lucas flip through his drawings. He had been nervous to show them, but Lucas's reaction was better than anything he could have hoped for. Lucas scooted over to get a better look, and Ray could feel the heat from Lucas's body. Their legs were touching, and Ray felt a little flutter in his stomach, but he didn't say anything. He just enjoyed the moment, basking in the praise.
Once Lucas had looked through the book, they started on their list. There were only a few other kids that sat at the back of the bus with them regularly: Dylan, Ava, Elijah, Jake, Liam, and Izzy. As Ray drew portraits of each one, Lucas supplied information about them since Ray had never actually talked to any of them.
After Lucas got off the bus at his stop, Ray kept doodling on the list, lost in thought. He couldn't shake off the feeling that the Omen Rose was important, but it still wasn’t totally clear to him why; just a vague, gut feeling. Was it even worth it to keep searching? So far, they hadn't found any leads. But he couldn't give up now. Someone on the bus had to know something about it. It had to be important. It just had to be…
Nico hurled his backpack against the door and slumped onto the bed, his mind immersed in a flurry of doubts and worries. Almost twenty hours had passed since Nico’s last text from Logan, and it was so stressful that he was beginning to think Logan had just been biding his time until he could get rid of Nico. Deep down he knew that wasn’t the case, but his mind was in such turmoil that he couldn’t help but entertain the thought. He rolled down his sleeves, scrutinizing his thin arms and wondering if Lucas was right about him being too skinny before burying his face in a pillow and weeping.
Suddenly, a loud knock interrupted his despair.
“Not right now, mama!” Nico shouted. “I know you’re just trying to help, but I want to be alone!”
“Okay kid, but please remember what we talked about!” she called through the door. “Deep breaths! Open a window; get some fresh air! Are you sure you don’t want a massage?”
He rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. “Mom!” he shouted, annoyed. Couldn’t she see she was making things worse?
As her footsteps faded down the hallway, Nico lay face down on the bed, trying to calm his racing thoughts. Finally, he decided that some fresh air could actually do him some good, so he got up and went to raise the blinds. Outside, the peaceful cul-de-sac lay before him, bathed in the warm glow of the evening sun as if nothing were wrong, and everything was perfect. Everything had been perfect; why did Logan have to leave? He thought back to all the fun times over the last weekend: the day at the pier, the cozy night in the cabin in the woods, the lazy afternoon spent hanging on the couch together. Why did things have to change?
Wiping away some tears, he walked over to the cage on his desk. A fat little guinea pig crawled out from its little enclosure, scuttling through the wood shavings as he looked up hopefully at Nico. Nico grabbed the small bag of pellets and dumped a few into the cage, staring blankly as the excited creature nibbled on them.
“At least you’re not ignoring me, Logan,” he said to it, their shared name causing a small smile to tug at the corners of his mouth despite the sadness in his eyes.
Several high-pitched chimes rang out from the other side of the room, and he immediately perked up, sprinting over to his backpack and voraciously ripping his phone out. The sight of the screen brought the first smile of the day to his face, but it quickly disappeared when he saw that the video call wasn't from Logan. His sorrowful frown returned, and he sniffled and wiped his eyes before reluctantly accepting the call. As the video connected, he tried to compose himself, but the lump in his throat made it difficult to speak.
“You got my hopes up,” he said bitterly.
The boy on the screen raised his eyebrows and turned his head questioningly. "What?" he asked, his voice just beginning to break with the onset of puberty.
“I thought it was Logan calling,” Nico clarified with a sigh.
The boy ran a hand through his dark hair. “I see. Well, since we’re cousins, you could say I’m part Logan, eh?” he said playfully.
Nico collapsed on his back into bed. “Not really. You don’t have his beautiful face or voice,” he said, then looked away thoughtfully. “Or his huge dick.”
The boy frowned. “Alright, I regret calling already.”
Nico closed his eyes and shook his head. “Sorry, Parker. Your dick is sorta big,” he said, and Parker turned away, feeling the heat rising to his cheeks. “I’m just sad ‘cause he hasn’t texted me back today. He always does! It’s really freaking me out. Like, does he even like me anymore? I feel like I’m going to rupture!”
Parker laughed, his freckles wrinkling along with his nose. “Yeah, I’m sure after being madly in love with you he just suddenly hates you for no reason,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You really are a dork, you know?”
Nico frowned. “Wow, thanks.”
“No problem,” Parker said, brushing a hand through his hair. “And just so you know, he hasn’t texted me back either.”
Nico's eyes lit up, and he leaned in eagerly. “Wait, really?”
Parker shook his head. “Not since last night. He’s probably out partying like every college guy ever. Give him a break, I’m sure he could use it. Go suck on some CBD or whatever the hell it is you do to fix whatever he’s done to your brain.”
Nico was glancing around distractedly. “Holy shit. I gotta go. Thanks, Parker!” he said, reaching for the hangup button on the phone.
“What?” Parker said, looking confused. “Wait—”
Nico ended the call and glided over to the open window. The sunbeams caressed his face, and he let the gentle breeze carry away his evaporating worry. Hopping onto the windowsill, he climbed through onto the roof, relishing the rough texture of the gravel against his palms. He carefully made his way to the other side that overlooked their private backyard, fully secluded by tall trees. He pushed back his hood, reclined onto the warm shingles, and basked in the comforting sunshine that wrapped around him. The lazy breeze tickled his hair.
Logan, Logan, Logan. It was his first day back at college after being gone all summer, of course, he was busy! How could Nico have been so naive? He was probably partying or out at a bar catching up with friends. Nico envisioned his trendy brown hair, his toned biceps which were neither too bulky nor too scrawny, and his friendly smile. Just thinking about him was enough to make Nico feel all fuzzy inside, and his dick responded accordingly, growing throbbingly hard and desperate for attention. His face grew warmer, and not from the sun.
Slipping off his belt and pants, he tossed them to the side where they clung to the roof for their dear lives. His erection jutted upward over the bottom of his hoodie with a slight left curve, the tip poking out just enough from its own hoodie to showcase its pinkish complexion. He stared at it, more and more arousal pumping into him until he couldn’t help but wrap his fingers around the skinny pole in an erotic arpeggio, each point of contact generating a little tingle of pleasure. After several delicate strokes, he withdrew his hand, tucking them both beneath his head and immersing himself in the stunning sky before him.
A red-tailed hawk glided high above, poised and still as if surveying the world below. The trees around him rustled and swayed like organic gelatin. He could hear the tranquil melody of wind chimes that rang out intermittently from the front of the house drifting in and out of the breeze. The symphony of nature's music lulled him into a sense of peace and serenity, feeling happy for the first time that day, but after a few moments of bliss, he felt his penis twitch as nature’s truest duty called.
Gripping it, he wormed his index finger into the tight sheath of foreskin, discovering a modicum of precum already pooling from the slit. He rubbed it around in a circle, moaning and licking his lips as his eyes rolled back. It was time.
He pulled his hoodie and polo shirt over his head, tossing them next to his discarded pants, left in only a pair of white ankle socks. As he rolled down the veil of foreskin, the precum smeared all over his glans made it shine like a beautiful rose quartz in the sunlight. The rest of his body was smooth and hairless, tan everywhere except for a small area around his dick—he had his frequent beach visits and routine roof sunbathing to thank for that.
It was only the previous day that his boyfriend towered over him, naked and strong like an Olympian god. His dick, big and thick with a well-trimmed bush of pubes, had Nico’s mouth watering in his desperation to feel it enter him. He wished his own dick was as awesome as Logan’s, but for now he’d have to make do with his skinny twig. He could still feel the jolt that ran through him when the mushroom-like head pushed against his delicate ring, crying out in ecstasy when it popped inside him. No toy or finger could replicate it, but he was desperate to feel it once again.
He brought his index finger to his lips, getting it moist and slippery, then lovingly caressed his hole the way Logan had many times before. Working the tip inside his anus, he could feel his body clamping around it, and moaned. It was no penis, but in his cloud of arousal, it was just as satisfying. Eventually, he brushed against the little bump inside him and squeaked as a flow of clear liquid spilled out of his pulsing dick and ran down his shaft and balls.
“Uhhh, fuck,” he muttered, watching the precum stream down and glisten in the sunlight. He closed his eyes, reliving Logan slowly thrusting into him, his buttcheeks being tickled by manly pubic hair. The perfection of that moment was so absolute that Nico wished he could capture it in a bottle and hold onto it forever. He stroked his dick urgently, twisting his fist to spread the slippery precum all over his shaft.
Logan was plowing into him now, grazing his prostate with every thrust, leaving him wrapped in a warm wave of utter ecstasy. Whimpers and grunts spilled out of him while the wind chimes increased in volume as if to mask his sexual cries. He felt it coming and thrust forward as his ass tightened around his finger, crying out in utter ecstasy as a string of pure, glassy semen erupted from his flaring tip, spattering his chest up to his neck. With another adolescent cry, his penis released two more sticky jets, and he sucked in air, writhing in pleasure as four more spurts followed, each with decreasing vigor until the last spilled out onto his belly, and he became still, totally out of breath as he wilted on the roof to rest.
The wind whispered through the trees, chimes tinkled, and cars hummed in the distance. After regaining some energy, he groaned and forced an eye open. His body was completely coated in pools of fresh, watery cum, some running down the sides of his chest. He traced a finger down the trail like a ski slope, collecting some of the liquid and savoring it with a series of lip smacks. The slightly-sweet flavor of his youth was always a bonus to the already fun activity. Over the next few minutes, he basked in the diminishing light, slowly consuming the rest of his semen until he was more or less clean, then relaxed until the sun disappeared behind the trees.
He dressed, balancing awkwardly, and slipped back into his room. As the darkness crept inside his room, he countered it by lighting several candles on his desk, casting a warm glow over the room. With a reluctant sigh, he retrieved his backpack and settled in to start on his homework. While scanning his list of assignments, he heard his phone buzz across the room, and he hurried over to check it, finding a single message awaiting him.
Logan: I didn’t forget about you 😘
Nico laughed incredulously at first, took a second look at the message, then hugged the phone to his chest as a smile spread across his face.