Kaimoana Tales,Lachlan & Gary, 61

Back at the house, they walked into the crowded kitchen. One of Cherie’s friends had gone home but the other one was still there. Lachlan’s parents had arrived home from work and were sitting at the table.

The old lady looked around and smiled. “Are you going to stay, Gary? Good, good. Move along, Girls. Make some room for him.”

Gary sat down behind the table, next to Lachlan’s sister and her friend. Lachlan sat at the end opposite his father. Both Mrs’s. Mclaughlin, junior and senior, would be on the other side. (Mrs’s?)

“Mum? Dad? You know Gary, don’t you?”

Mr. McLaughlin grunted and nodded at his paper, but Lachlan’s mother smiled and said, “Yes, of course. Hello Gary. Have you got enough room there? Move along a bit more, Girls.”

“It’s okay, I’m fine thanks. Stay where you are, Girls. Umm, Hey, Everybody.”

“Hello. Gran, Cherie and Grace have been telling us about how you made magic music on the old piano. I’d love to hear it. Are you going to play for us, after dinner?”

“Well, I’ll try. I get a bit embarrassed.”

“I hope you will. It sounds like you’ve got no reason to be embarrassed, you’ve got fans here.”

“Fans?” Gary blushed. “I don’t know about that.”

“Of course you have!” The old lady came over with plates for Gary and her son. “As soon as your fan club starts, I’ll be joining. Do they still have fan clubs? We’ve got steak and kidney stew with Yorkshire Pud. And you eat some, Lachlan! You can’t live on nothing.”

“I eat enough, Gran. Moderation is the key.”

“Just don’t starve yourself, that’s all.”

“Leave him alone, Mum.” Lachlan’s father looked up. “Lachlan’s doing all right. Well done, Boy, and thanks for cutting and stacking the wood. I thought I was coming home to a mess and you’ve already cleaned it up.”

“Thanks, Dad. It was good exercise and Gary helped too.”

“You did? Thanks, but I’m not paying you.”

“This great meal is more than enough payment. It was good to help.”

“Yeah? Good to have a friend too.”

“It’s good. It’s really good,” Lachlan grinned.

The old lady brought over the rest of the meals and sat down at the table. “Here we are then. Cherie, would you like to say grace?”

“Yeah, okay.” Cherie bowed her head and said, “Two, four, six, eight, bog in and don’t wait.”

“Cherie! I wish that someone would be serious around here for once. Eat up, everybody. Don’t let it get cold.”

There was not much chance of that. The heaped meals disappeared in no time flat, even Lachlan’s. Gary really enjoyed it – good food and good company. It was a long since he’d sat and eaten with a family. He liked the banter around the table.

He’d met the old lady a few times before, she was a sweetie. Lachlan’s parents were nowhere near as grumpy as he’d been led to believe. They were okay.

He also liked the way everyone washed their own dishes when they were finished.. They rinsed them in one side of the double sink, washed them in the other and left them in the rack to dry. Very well organized. He and Joel usually only washed dishes when they ran out of clean ones.

When they were finished there, everyone went through to the living room. Gary sat on the couch and the two girls sat on either side of him.

“You live here, Cherie. Where does Grace live??”

She was too shy to answer him, so Cherie did. “Grace is here for a sleep-over. She lives in town. She’s Dylan James’ sister. Do you know Dylan?”

“Yeah, I know Dylan. He’s a nice guy.”

Grace blushed. “Dylan is nice. He doesn’t play the piano, he’s just got a guitar and it’s fucking awful.”

“Umm, okay,” Gary grinned and looked away before he laughed in her face. Mr. McLaughlin looked at him and rolled his eyes.

“I’m having a beer. Would you like one, Gary? Lachlan won’t, he only drinks water these days.”

“Well . . I,” Gary looked at Lachlan who grinned and nodded.

“Have a beer if you want one. It doesn’t bother me and Dad doesn’t offer it to many people.”

“In that case, thanks, I’d love a beer. Just one though.”

“One is all you’re getting. I still owe you for the wood and, besides, it might loosen you up a bit so you’ll play for us.”

“I’ll play something; I’ll try to. I freeze-up when I get embarrassed, I’m not used to an audience, but I’ll try.”

“Thank you, Gary. I’m sure it will be lovely,” the younger Mrs. McLaughlin said. “Would it help if everyone went back and sat in the kitchen?”

“No, it’s okay, thanks. Stay where you are, I’ve got to get used to it.”

Gary looked at Lachlan who grinned and gave him a ‘thumbs-up’. Lachlan lit the gas fire while the others all had a beer, except the girls of course, they had a coke – which would probably keep them awake all night.

Gary finished his beer. He had a ‘stubby’ – a half-size bottle, 2 medium glasses. He got up and went over to the piano.

Lachlan stood and announced, “Ladies and Gentleman, presenting the greatest pianist ever to play in South Bay.”

“Shut up, Lachie.” Gary sat down. “Has anyone got any requests?”

“I have,” said the old lady. “There’s a tune my grandmother used to love. It’s really old, but it’s a beautiful song. It might be a bit complex for just one instrument, but do you know ‘Whispering Hope’? It’s an old gospel song in 3 part harmony.”

“Yeah, I know Whispering Hope,” Gary grinned.

“Oh, good! I’ve got a copy of the music in the cabinet, I think.”

“No need. I don’t need the music, I know it well. Whispering Hope was Mrs. Nagurski’s favourite, she made all of her students learn it.”

He played half a dozen notes, and then stopped and looked around. “Sorry. We’ll try it again.”

He sat looking at the keys and nodding rapidly, obviously playing the tune in his head. He stopped, held his hands over the keys and flexed his fingers, and then started to play. The tune started quiet and simple and became more and more complex as it built to a climax, and then faded out again.

The final note ‘plinked’. Gary’s hands dropped to his legs and he sat still and quiet with his head bowed. There wasn’t a sound in the room. Absolute silence. The old lady got up and rushed out of the door.

Gary looked around at all of the eyes fixed on him. “Umm, sorry,” he mumbled. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Wrong?” said the younger Mrs. McLaughlin. “You did nothing wrong, Gary. I think everyone here is just – well, gobsmacked actually. I would never have believed that any one person could fill a room with music like that. It was beautiful, simply beautiful. Thank you. Thank you so much!”

Mr. McLaughlin said, “Gary, you were born too late. Today’s music is all guitars and electronic noises. A hundred years ago, you would’ve been a super-star. You’re a real artist, but, well, can you play us something else – something more modern and simple. A pop song perhaps?”

“Oh, yeah!” Cherie said. “Do you know Lady Gaga’s Poker Face? It’s our favourite!’

“Well, I think so.”

He turned back to the keyboard and started picking out the tune, but was interrupted before he started playing. The older Mrs. McLaughlin came back, grabbed his head and kissed him.

“Thank you, Gary. That was so beautiful, you made me cry. I wish that my grandmother could’ve heard you, she’d cry too. I want you to have this.”

She put a folded, yellowed, piece of material on the keyboard in front of him. He unfolded and opened it. It was a very old and faded sampler with all the words of Whispering Hope picked out in multi-coloured cottons.

“Well, I – thanks, but?” He looked up, a question in his eyes.

“When my grandmother was a girl, she had rheumatic fever and was bed-ridden for months. While she was there, she embroidered that. It used to be framed and under glass and it hung in our old family home for many years.

Now, I think it has a new home. I want you to have it, Gary.”

“Me? Oh no. I can’t accept this. It’s an heirloom and it belongs in your family.”

“It’s not worth anything much. It’s been sitting in my glory-box for years now, along with all of my other old junk. When I die, it will all probably go to the rubbish-dump.

You’ve made an old woman very happy, Gary and I really want you to take it. Do what you like with it. Keep it, find it another home, throw it away, whatever you decide.”

“Well.” He looked around the room, looked at Cherie, and then nodded. “Okay, I will. Thank you, Mrs. McLaughlin. This is very special and I think I know exactly what I’m going to do with it.”

“Good Boy. Whatever you decide, it’s up to you.”

“All right.” He refolded the sampler and put it up on top of the piano. “Now, we were going to try this.”

He started playing again. This time the tune was fast and bright and it flowed effortlessly. The young girls, who knew it well, were singing all of the words. No-one else knew them. He finished and switched straight into Ob La Di, which the adults all knew and which could’ve been written for the piano.

He played bits of a few other tunes, and then stopped suddenly. He sat looking at the keyboard, a big grin on his face. He looked around the room.

“That was fun!” he said. “Even if no-one else enjoyed it, I did.”

“Don’t be dumb, Gary,” Lachlan replied. “We didn’t like that, we loved it, really loved it. Right, Gran?”

“Gary, Gary, Gary,” the old lady said. “Don’t be modest, Boy, and don’t be shy. You are good – very, very good. You have a wonderful talent and thank you.”

Lachlan’s mum said, “They told us, Gary, that you were something special. I thought, ‘Whatever. It’s just a piano.’ I was wrong, you’re bloody amazing. I never knew that a piano could sound so good.”

“Criminal,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “That’s the only word for it. It’s criminal to sit on a talent like that and not use it. You’ve never played in public?”

“No, never,” Gary blushed.

“Well, you should. You really should. Olive Braidwood would love to get her hands on you.”

“Olive Braidwood?”

“Yes!” the grandmother enthused. “Mrs. Braidwood at the library. She’s the driving force behind the Kaimoana Operatic Society. Apparently, Dr. Stevens has written a musical comedy about the ‘True Story of Kaimoana.’ They’re looking for talent and recruiting people to put the show on in the Community Centre. She’d be rapt to get you on board.”

“Well . . I don’t know if I could do that.”

“Oh, yes you could!” Lachlan agreed with the others. “Seriously, you so have to do this. You’ve been looking for something to fill up your days, this could be just what you need. It’d be so good for you and good for the Operatic Society and for the town too. Please, Gary, you have to do it!”

“Well, I don’t know,” Gary wavered.

“Well I do! Gary, please? For me, for yourself and for the town.”

“Umm, okay. Yes. I’ll try it, for you.”

“Brilliant! Thanks. I’ll come too, they’re still looking for people to make-up the numbers.”

“You’ll come too? That’d be good. What do you play, Lachie?”

“Absolutely nothing. Well, I play the guitar, badly, but I can sing.”

“You sing? I didn’t know that.”

“You don’t know everything about me, My Friend. Yes, I can sing. I’m nothing great, not like you, but I can sing good enough for the chorus. I used to be in the Society, years ago, when I was a kid. We did Robin Hood, Men in Tights, I was one of them. I was far too young for the role but I had fun.”

“Sweetie,” his grandmother smiled. “You were adorable! It would be so good if you got involved again. Please say that you’ll do it, Gary, for Lachlan.”

“Yeah. I’ve already said that I will, if they want me.”

“Oh, they’ll want you, there’s no doubt about that.” Lachlan’s mother left the room.

Kaimoana Tales, Lachlan & Gary, 60

There was nothing wrong with the tuning. The piano sounded fine. So, he hoped he could remember how to do this. He started picking-out a tune, Be Back Soon from Oliver. Yes, he remembered how to do it.

The tune flowed and he lost himself in the music. He’d so missed playing; this was great! One tune morphed into another as the memories ran and he was away in a world of his own, living the music.

Finally, he stopped for a break and sat quietly with his head bowed, just enjoying the moment. He definitely was going to get a piano, when he had somewhere to keep it. When they got a house, a piano would be the first thing they’d put in it.

A movement in the kitchen doorway caught his eye. He looked around and Lachlan’s grandmother and the 3 young girls were standing there staring at him. Lachlan was near the other door off the hallway, also staring.

“My God, Boy!” The old lady came into the room. “That was beautiful. I never knew that old thing could sound like that. It never has before. Gary, that was magic!”

“The touch of a master’s hand,” Lachlan grinned. “Amazing, Gary, simply incredible. You can follow a tune all right! Gran’s right, that was magic.”

“Well . .umm . .yeah.” Gary blushed and stammered. “Sorry, Mrs. McLaughlin. I should’ve asked you first if it was all right. Lachlan said I could try the piano.”

“Gary, you don’t need to ask, you play it anytime you like. It was a real privilege to listen to, and thank you.”

“Ohmigosh! That was like – great, like real music.” One of the girls enthused.

“It was real music,” Lachlan said. “Really real. You’re a master, Gary. Play us something else, please?”

“Well, I – yeah, okay, I’ll try. I’m not used to an audience.”

Gary sat down again. “I’ve only ever played for my teacher, no-one else was interested.”

“They don’t know what they were missing.” Mrs. McLaughlin sat on the couch. “Your teacher must’ve known his stuff. Who taught you to play?”

“It was a lady, Ms. Nagurski. She was a crabby old thing and a retired teacher, but she loved music.”

“She must’ve loved you then. Please play some more, Gary.”

He played for a while. The music was fine when it flowed, but he was having trouble and he kept stopping and starting again. He was acutely aware of all the eyes focused on him. He tried to forget about them, but couldn’t and his face was bright red. He tried bits of half a dozen tunes, then he stopped, closed the lid over the keys and swiveled around to face Mrs. McLaughlin.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do it. I’m just not used to being watched.”

“It’s okay, Lad. Just relax. You’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about you know, you’re a very fine musician. I’ve never heard better and that’s the truth.”

Lachlan said, “Gran’s right. Your music sounds great, your teacher taught you well. There must’ve been a time when you couldn’t play anything, now you can. Maybe the next step is to learn to play for an audience so people can enjoy what you do. Seriously, anyone who hears you is going to love what they hear.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so. They will. Have you ever heard yourself play?”

“Well, yeah. I hear the piano, but I’m concentrating on what I’m doing.”

“We should record you so you can sit back and listen and hear it like anyone else does.”

“Yeah? Might be worth a try.”

“Sure it would. Practice makes perfect. You’ve just got to practice playing for people.”

“But I can’t!”

“Yes you can. When I decided to start exercising, I started by walking in to school. I thought it was going to kill me, but I kept at it and now I can run all the way.”

“Very true, Lachlan. He’s right, Gary. You already play just fine, now you got to learn to play for others. A performer performs, that’s what it’s all about.

But, tiny steps for tiny feet. The girls and I will clear off and leave you with just Lachlan. You don’t have to worry if he’ll like what he hears, if it was rubbish he’d still like it because it’s you playing. But, it’s not rubbish, it’s really, really fine music when it’s flowing.

Come on, Girls – back to the kitchen.”

“Aww, Gran! Couldn’t we stay?”

“No, you couldn’t, not yet. Besides, you’ve got cookies in the oven, they might burn.”

“Oh, damm! The baking!” The girls left in a hurry and Mrs. McLaughlin went with them.

“That’s better,” Lachlan grinned. “I’ll put a tape on, and then you can play for just you and me.”

“Umm, no,” Gary replied. “Do put a tape on, but then can you go away and not listen to me?”

“Not listen? But I want to! Don’t you care what I think?”

“Yes, I do. I care too much. Playing for a whole room full of strangers would be easier than playing for just you.”

“But why?”

“I wouldn’t care that much about what anyone else thought, but one frown from you would destroy me completely.”

“Oh? But I wouldn’t frown at you.”

“I couldn’t take the risk.”

I see, I think. Look, stay there a minute, Gary. Don’t move. I want you to hear something.”

Lachlan sat at the computer on the other side of the room and logged on.

“It’ll take a minute. Just wait, this is very important. Aargh! Takes ages when you’re waiting!”

They both sat and waited impatiently.

“The girls have got so much junk on this thing. I’m sure it’s slowing everything down. Time it was cleaned-out again. Ah, here we are – at last. And, into Youtube we go.”

He opened the site and did a quick search by artist and title.

“Yes! This is it, Gary. It’s really old, so don’t be put off by the pictures. This was the Beatles’ second no.1 hit, ‘Do You Want to Know a Secret?’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8Vx6E26lFM Listen to it, don’t worry about the music, listen to the words.” He stood up and stepped away from the screen.

Gary sat and listened to the song. He couldn’t see the screen from away across the room. He had tears in his eyes anyway. The song finished and he got up and stood in front of Lachlan.

“Is that for real?”

“Yeah, very real. Seriously, Gary, I’m in love with you. So you see, it really wouldn’t matter if your playing was crap. I’d still love it because it was you playing. But, it wouldn’t be crap, it’d be brilliant because it was you playing and you are brilliant. Seriously, I . . “

Gary put 2 fingers on Lachlan’s lips. “Lachie, shut up.”

“Shut up?”

“Yeah. While you’re talking, I can’t do this.”

He kissed him.

They broke apart and Gary smiled. “If I could sing, I’d sing the same song to you.”

“”You mean?”

“I mean I’ve got the same secret. I love you, Lachlan. I really do.”

“I guess we can’t be mates then.”

“Yeah we can. Why not?”

“Because we’ll be lovers. I love you, Gary. I’ve known that for ages. When you were admiring the cowboys, I felt like killing somebody.”

“No need for that. If you want me, I’m yours.”

“Oh, I do! No more secrets then.”

“No more secrets.” He kissed him.

“Come on, let’s go for a walk over to the beach.”

“A walk? But aren’t you going to play some more?”

“Maybe later, but first I want to tell you all of my secrets. It’s time that you heard my story. We can’t do that here; anyone could walk in at any time. Let’s go to the beach.”

They walked out through the kitchen. Mrs. McLaughlin watched them go, but she said nothing. Across the road, they walked down on to the pebbly beach and sat, out of sight of the row of houses behind them.

They sat looking out over the calm Pacific Ocean and Gary started telling his story. He told him of his early, fumbling, experiments with neighbourhood boys, his short-lived and very intense holiday affair with his cousin, Joel, and the disastrous aftermath.

Lachlan nodded knowingly as Gary spoke of his loneliness after he went home after the holiday and his search for someone to love him. He was wide-eyed as he told him about the abuse by the 3 older boys, he spared no details at all.

He cried when he heard of the way they’d humiliated him with the videos and the rejection by his family. He wanted to cheer Ron’s rescue of Gary and his giving him a new start, and cry again because he lost his old mate.

Gary finished by speaking of his aimless drifting around the country, his impulsive arrival here, in Kaimoana and his finding of Joel.

“So, that’s it. That’s who I am and where I come from. Now you know, do you still want to know me?”

“Oh, Gary! Of course I do. I want to know you. I’m really sorry now for all the cracks about your not having a job. You could do anything you want, and you deserve it – all good things.

My life has been so bland and boring. The only exciting thing that’s ever happened was the day you walked into it. I so want to be your special friend, I love you.”

“My very special friend! Thanks, Lachie. I love you, a lot.”

They sat looking into each other’s teary eyes and they smiled. Gary decided that that was enough talking and he felt that he’d come home at last. He kissed him.

They sat side-by-side on the beach, heads together and arms around each other. They were in plain sight of anyone who came across the road and neither of them cared. Nothing and nobody else mattered; they had each other, they were together and life was good.

The spell was broken when Lachlan’s sister came over and yelled at them.

“Lachlan! Lachlan, you have to come home right now. Gran’s putting dinner on the table and you have to come and get it. She said that there’s some for Gary if he wants it.”

“Okay, Cherie, thanks. Tell Gran we’re coming. You’re invited for dinner, Gary. Do you want to come and eat with us?”

“I’d love to, thanks. Joel’s going to Virgil’s, so I was going to eat alone again.”

“Well now you don’t have to. Come on.”

Kaimoana Tales, Lachlan & Gary, 59

Gary lay on his bed in the caravan watching TV. It was something to do, but it was boring. He was bored. Lachlan was right, he was wasting his life. What was Lachlan doing?

No, he was being weird. What about Peter de Groot’s cute cousins? They definitely didn’t look boring. It was a shame that he didn’t know Peter well enough to just drop in on him, then he’d get to meet the new boys. Could he do that anyway? No, he’d just look stupid.

What to do? It was too early to eat and Joel was eating at Virgil’s tonight. Joel was great and Virgil was all right. No, he was better than all right, he was great too. They were good friends, but they were so into each other, he always felt he was on the outside. He’d met a few people, but those two were the best friends he’d made. Them and Lachlan.

Shame that he was being weird, he did like Lachlan really. Actually, he liked him a lot – when he wasn’t being weird.

Dammit! Life was out there, somewhere. Nothing was going to happen while he was lying around watching dumb afternoon TV programmes. He put his sneakers back on and went out for a walk.

He went out of the caravan and out of the yard, to the road. Joel’s Uncle Doug was working on an engine outside the big front-door.

He stopped what he was doing and looked up at Gary. Gary smiled and nodded and went the other way. Doug was always friendly enough, but there was something creepy about him. He always felt that he was undressing him with his eyes. Creepy.

Back along the road, he passed in front of Lachlan’s house. Lachlan was there, down the end of the driveway, splitting wood. The kid was always exercising in one way or another. Should he go in and talk to him?

He stopped walking and watched him. Lachlan hadn’t seen him there, he thought. He was standing side-on to him and focused on chopping the wood.

There was an old saying about how firewood warms you twice, once when you cut it and once when you burn it. Looked like that was working. Lachlan had slipped his shirt off and was wearing nothing but his ugly, baggy, low-slung jeans. His top-half was not ugly though, he was looking good. He had a good tan and the sweat he’d worked up was making him glow in the sunshine.

All the hard work he’d been doing was paying off, the kid was developing a damm fine body. If he saw him in the street and he didn’t know him, he’d have a second look. The boy and his bod were eye-candy. He looked good.

More that that, even if he was a dog, which he was not, he’d still want to know him. Lachlan was a good guy.

It was a shame that their relationship had developed the way it did. Maybe it was time that they had another look? Could they start again? Sure they could, if the kid stopped being weird.

He walked in off the street. Lachlan stopped and watched him coming.

“Hey, Lachlan.”

“What do you want? I’m busy here.”

“I can see that. You’re doing good.”

“Someone’s got to do it.”

“I guess. It’s doing you good too.”

“There must be a catch. What do you mean by that?”

“No catch. I mean it. You’re getting a good work-out and it’s doing you good. You’re looking good.”

“Really? I thought I was a Fat Boy.”

“Maybe you were once, but you’re not now.”

“Yeah?” Lachlan looked at him suspiciously. “C’mon, Gary, drop the other shoe. You’ve thought of some new way to insult me, haven’t you?”

“No I haven’t. I’ve been thinking, Lachlan.”

“Gee, wow.”

“No, don’t. I don’t want to do that anymore.”

“You don’t want to do what anymore?”

“Talk shit all the time. Lachlan, can we stop the insults and just be mates?”

“There’s got to be a catch somewhere. No more Fat Boy jokes?”

“No, none. I’m sick of that. It’s not funny and it’s not real anyway. I like you, Lachie. You’re the best friend I’ve got around here, around anywhere really. I don’t want to lose you.”

“Umm. Are you for real?”

“For sure.”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll give it a go if you will. You’re not a bad guy really. So, what about the cute cowboys? Met any of them yet?”

“No, I haven’t. They don’t seem to be getting involved with anyone.”

“I noticed that. They’re sticking close together and walking around, posing.”

“They are. Maybe they’re just a pack of posers. They do look good, but that doesn’t mean they’re worth knowing – not like you.”

“Here we go. Are you saying that I’m nothing to look at?”

“No, I’m not. I’m saying that you’re someone worth knowing. Anyway, you do look good and getting better all the time. You’ve come a long way in the time I’ve known you and good on you for working at it. But what you look like doesn’t matter so much, you’re gorgeous on the inside anyway.”

“Umm, well – wow! Thanks, I think. You really are Gary Stafford, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am. Who else would I be?”

Lachlan grinned. “I thought maybe you had a nice twin brother.”

“Shut up. There’s only one of me.”

“There certainly is! You’re okay, Gary.”

“Yeah? So are you, very okay. Can I give you a hand here?”

“What? Are you offering to do some actual work?”

“Don’t, Lachlan. Yes, I am offering, I’d like to help you.”

“Okay, sorry. Yeah, you could help. If you’ll get the wheelbarrow from the garden shed, you could start taking the blocks to the woodshed and stacking them in there. Thanks.”

“Thank you. It’ll be good to do something.”

They worked together until the job was done. Lachlan finished splitting the wood and took over the wheelbarrow, dumping the blocks in the shed for Gary to stack them away neatly. Finished, they stood back and admired what they’d done.

“Thanks, Gary. I thought it was going to take a couple of days.”

“Yeah, we make a good team.”

“We do. Come inside and have a drink while I have a shower.”

“If you shower every time you get a sweat up, you must get a lot of showers.”

“I guess I do really. Come on.”

They went into the kitchen and got a couple of cold drinks – two large cokes – diet coke, of course. They took them into the living-room because Lachlan’s sister and a couple of her friends were busy baking cookies and they filled the room up.

“Hey. You’ve got a piano!”

“Yeah, it’s Gran’s. No-one plays it, it just sits there, taking up space and gathering dust. Do you play piano?”

“Yeah, well, I used to. I had lessons for years and my mother had one. I haven’t played since I left home, it’s about the only thing I miss about the place.”

“I wouldn’t know where to start. I’ve got a guitar, an acoustic one, but I’m not very good at that either. Guess I’m just not musical. Are you any good?”

“I don’t know if I’m good, but I can follow a tune and I enjoy playing, I used to.”

“And you miss it? Why did you leave home anyway? You’re young to be living on your own.”

“I’m not that young. I’m 16.”

“That much? I’m still 15. That’s still young to be on your own. Why did you leave?”

“It’s a long story. The short version is that they kicked me out because I’m gay.”

“That’s rough. Mind you, I wouldn’t be surprised if my family did the same thing.”

“They don’t know about you?”

“Not likely! And I’m not telling them either. I suppose I’ll have to, one day, but not until I’m good and ready.”

“Might be wise. Anyway, if they do throw you out, you could come and live with me. I wouldn’t kick you out.”

“Yeah? Thanks, but I wouldn’t want to live in that old caravan with you and Joel. There’s not enough room in there for you two without me as well.”

“Yeah, it’s cramped, but you wouldn’t have to live in the caravan. I’d buy us a house.”

“How are you going to buy a house? You haven’t even got a job. What are you living on anyway? Are you getting a benefit?”

“No, I don’t need one. I’ve got some money.”

“Yeah? Must be a lot if you can buy a house.”

“It’s a lot. I could afford it.”

“Where did you get money? Did you rob a bank or something?”

“Nothing like that. I told you, it’s a long story. I’ll have to share it with you sometime.”

“Sometime, but not now. I’m going to have that shower; I’ll just be a few minutes. Have a play on the piano if you like. Just move all the junk on it onto the coffee table.”

“Thanks. I’ll do that.”

“You’re welcome. I don’t know if it’s in tune; no-one’s touched it in ages. Try it anyway; I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay.”

“That’s it? No cracks about smelly fat boys?”

“Definitely not. Go away, Lachie.”

Lachlan went to the bathroom. Gary cleared the family photos off the piano.

‘Man, Lachlan was a nice-looking kid. Great smile.’

He adjusted the seat, opened the lid, sat down and spread and flexed his fingers He ran his fingers up and down the keys.

Kaimoana Tales, Lachlan & Gary 58

“Look at what, Gary?”

“Over there – the eye-candy. Nice!”

Coming down into the street from the Esplanade were 3 blond teenage boys. They were dressed identically in boots, tight blue jeans, plaid shirts and cowboy hats. They all looked very similar and were stunningly good-looking, but they were 3 different sizes – large, medium and small. Heads were turning as they passed.

“Vey nice,” Gary sighed. “Those guys would give William Scott a run for his money. He’s got competition if they’re staying around here.”

“They’re staying,” Jacob said. “They’re going to be living here now.”

“They are? Really? Cool! How do you know that?”

“We met them last night.”

“You did? Lucky Sods! How did you meet them? Where did they come from, and why are they living here? Also, how do we meet them?”

“They’re Peter’s cousins, the de Groot brothers. They’re from Canada and they’re going to be living with Peter.”

“Whoah! Lucky Peter. Where’re you going, Lachie?”

“I’m going home. See you later, Riley, Jacob.”

“What’s the big hurry?” Gary asked. “Wet your knickers or something?”

“No, but I think you might. I’m not sitting here watching you drool over the eye-candy.” Lachlan picked up his bag and walked away. Gary sat and watched him.

“What the hell’s got into him?” he shrugged.

Jacob and Riley looked at each other. Jacob grinned and winked. Riley nodded.

“Gary, do you like Lachlan?”

“Yeah, he’s okay. He’s a mate.”

“A mate. I think maybe you’d better buy 2 bunches of flowers – one for Dianne and one for Lachlan.”

“What would I want to buy flowers for him for?”

Jacob said, “You don’t see it, do you? You just hurt the kid’s feelings.”

“Lachlan’s feelings? He hasn’t got any feelings; he’s got a hide as thick as a pig-skin. We’re mates but we trade insults all the time, that’s what we do. I don’t see what I said anyway.”

“Please yourself, Gary, but if you want to keep your friend, you’d better do something.”

“Whatever,” Gary shrugged. “How do I meet the new boys?”

“I’m sure I don’t know.” Riley got up. “We’re not getting involved. We’ve got work to do, c’mon, Jake.”

“Okay, Slavedriver. Gary, forget about the new boys; go fix things with your mate.”

“But I didn’t do anything.”

“Whatever. Laters, Gary.” They went into the café.

“Whatever yourself.” Gary finished his drink and started walking. What was going on with Lachlan? He didn’t have a clue.

‘Must be his time of the month or something.’

He crossed the street and started walking along to where the cowboys had gone. However, they’d reached the end of the short street, turned around and were walking back towards him.

They really were nice to look at. He smiled as they approached, but got no response at all. They didn’t even look at him and just kept going.

‘Stuck up Pricks!’

He went around the corner and up to Virgil’s house. Maybe Lachlan had called in there. He hadn’t, so Gary walked on home to South Bay.

He was getting tired of living in a poky old caravan. It was fun for a while, but there was no room to move. It was about time he bought a house or something. He didn’t see why Joel was so against the idea, he could afford it.

It was all right for Joel living way out of town, he had a car, Gary didn’t. It was about time he did. He’d have to learn to drive first though.

There was no sign of Lachlan anywhere. He passed his house in South Bay, but didn’t stop. To hell with him. If he was going to be weird, he could do it on his own. He went home.

Next day, after school, Gary was waiting in the street outside, as usual. Peter de Groot was there as well. Gary didn’t know him well, but he knew who he was, it was a small town and Peter was a friend of Joel’s.

“Hey, Peter. How’re you doing? Waiting for Ashton?”

“No, I’m waiting for my cousins. It’s their first day here and Mother insisted that I came here to make sure that they get home safely.”

“They’re hardly going to get lost are they?”

“Of course not, but Mother worries, it’s what she does best. Who are you waiting for?”

“Oh, nobody, just my mate.”

“You shouldn’t say that. Having a friend is special, there’s nothing ‘just’ about it.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Here they come.”

The kids came pouring out of the school like leaving there was the high-point of their day. A few of them greeted Gary in passing and a couple said, “Hey” to Peter, but no-one stopped.

Peter’s cousins came out together and walked away with Peter. Gary was disappointed that he didn’t get an intro, but they were in a hurry and didn’t stop. He stayed where he was, he was waiting.

In a surprisingly short time, the rush was over and everyone had gone. There was no sign of Lachlan. Oh well, he shrugged and wandered away down-town to see if anything was happening.

There was nothing much, but there was a furniture truck outside Mrs. Woods’ shop. A couple of guys and a big butch girl were loading it with the stock from the shop. So, it really was all over for that business then. Would anyone miss it? He’d been in there, for a look, but there was nothing there that interested him.

There was an empty shop in the street then. It probably wouldn’t be empty for long, it was quite a big building and was a prime-site, right in the heart of the main street.

Gary thought that, maybe, he should buy it and open a shop of his own. It’d be something to do. Selling what? What would appeal to locals and, more importantly, to tourists? Sex toys, party drugs and filthy movies? No, not in this town.

He wandered on up the Esplanade, and then went for a walk to the lookout on the top of the hill. He seriously had to find something productive to do with his days. He needed a job or something. Anything would be better than nothing.

Okay, driving lessons would be a good place to start. If he had a car, he could run Lachlan to and from school, and they could go away for trips together too. That’d be great.

Where was the Fat Boy anyway? He went to Virgil’s place to see if he was there. He wasn’t, Virgil didn’t know where he was.

And where was Lachlan? Still at school actually. He knew that Gary would probably be waiting outside for him, he usually was. Then again, he might not be. Peter’s American cousins had arrived and started at the school, one of them was in his class.

Maybe Gary had got lucky and got to meet one of them. Whatever, he didn’t care. He knew that he couldn’t compete with the good-looking new kids in town. Everyone seemed to want to know them, but not Lachlan. Fuck ‘em, anyway.

He finished his assignment of homework reading and looked out of the front windows. There was no-one there. Good. He zipped-up his book-bag, swung it onto his back and put his arms through the straps.

He went outside, walked out of the school and started the long, hard, run home. It was hard going up the hill, but at least the worst part came first, once he got over the top it was easy, down the hill and around into South Bay. He didn’t stop running until he got to the door at the back of his house.

He stood, bent forward with his hands on his thighs, recovering as his breathing slowed and feeling damm proud of himself. His gran came out of the door with a washing-basket under her arm.

“Hello, Sweetheart. Did you run all the way home?”

“Yeah, I did,” he grinned. “And I didn’t stop once. First time I’ve done that. There was a time, just a few weeks ago, when I didn’t think I could do it. Walking was hard enough, but I did it!”

“Good for you, Boy. I’m proud of you. Do you want something special for dinner to celebrate?”

“Gran! You know that I don’t.”

“Well you should. It wouldn’t hurt to break-out once in a while. I must say though, you’re looking good, really good. All your hard work is paying off. Well done, Lachlan.”

“Thanks, Gran. We’re not there yet, but we’re on the way.”

“You are! Well on the way. All the girls will be chasing you soon.”

“I’d better keep up the running then.”

“Don’t run too fast, Sweetheart. It might be fun to get caught.”

“Yeah, rite! I’ll get changed, and then I’ll chop some of that wood up.”

“There’s no hurry for that. Your dad’s left it out of the way, for once, and there’s plenty of firewood in the shed. It’s a nice day, why don’t you go and see your friends? Gary walked past here before, so he’s at home.”

“Gran, I don’t care what Gary is doing. I’ll chop some wood, it’ll be good exercise.”

“Please yourself, you usually do, but don’t neglect your friends. They are important and I like Gary, he’s a nice kid.”

“You go and see him then, I’m not.”

“Oh? Have you two fallen out?”

“No, I just can’t be bothered with him. I’d rather chop wood. Laters, Gran.”

He went inside and his grandmother went out to the clothesline, shaking her head. Lachlan had come such a long way in the last couple of months, she’d hate to see him slip back to the lonely boy he was. Diet and exercise was all very well, but there was more to life than that.

Lachlan changed out of his school-clothes and went out to start on the wood. Someone had to do it. The big ‘rounds’ of sliced-up logs had to be broken-down and stacked in the wood-shed. It was fun to do, except when the axe bounced off the knotty bits. It was good exercise and it was doing something productive.

He was tired of trading insults with Gary all the time, it was all they ever did. Then some good-looking kids walked past and Gary got all excited. To hell with him anyway! Why didn’t he look at Lachlan like that? He never had and he never would. Did he want him to?

No! To hell with him. Gary was just a waster, a total waste of time and they were going nowhere. He needed to find somebody, but it wasn’t going to happen while Gary was in the way. So, who would he like to get to know? Bloody no-one, that’s who. To hell with Gary.

The axe sliced satisfyingly into the wood.

Kaimoana Tales, Ashton 56

(Hey Guys, Here's the missing chapter. I skipped over it because i was teasing - you lot all saw through what we were doing with Ashton & Peter :(

You know me too well :) )

The BMW pulled up in the street outside and Ashton got out of it. He climbed over the gate and started up the path to the house. Mrs. de Groot stood and barred the way, glaring at him.

“Hey, Mrs. de Groot. Is Peter here?”

“Whether he is or not is no concern of yours. You are no longer welcome in our house. Go away and don’t come back here again.”

“Whoah! I’m sorry?”

“You heard me. Get your sorry butt off our property. Go back to your laughing friends.”

“They’re not laughing now and they’re not my friends.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean they probably hate me now and I don’t care. I took them all out to a back-road behind Hapuku, told them all exactly what I thought of them and I left them there. There’s no cell-phone coverage out there, so they’ve got a long, long, walk home.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because of the way they were treating Peter. They all think they’re so cool and they’re not. The whole lot of them together is not worth 1/10th of what Peter is. He’s a very special boy and I love him. I’m sorry, but I do.”

The fierce old lady stood, still barring the way, arms folded and studying the anxious boy.

“You love him?” She demanded.

Ashton blushed. “I do love Peter. I probably shouldn’t say that to you, his mother, but it’s the truth, I love him.”

“Yes, you should say that. There is nothing else you could say that would get you into this house. Peter is in there and he has been crying because he thought you were laughing at him.”

“I wasn’t. I’d never laugh at Peter. I was angry – bloody angry, at all those other idiots, but never at Peter. He’s the only decent friend I’ve ever had. I love him.”

She stood there looking at him, and then she nodded and she smiled, at last. “Yes,” she said. “Peter chose well. He loves you, you know. Go inside and talk to him.” She stepped aside.

“I can? Oh, thank you, Mrs. de Groot! Peter’s right, he’s got the greatest mother.”

“Go and make my sad boy happy,” she smiled.

“I will. I hope. I’ll try.” Ashton hurried inside.

“Yes, you are a good boy.” Mrs. de Groot carried on working in her garden.

Ashton rushed into the house. Peter looked around, and then turned back to his book. Ashton stood looking at his back and suddenly all he felt was dread.

“Peter?” he ventured quietly.

He stood waiting. There was no reply for a long time, and then Peter sighed. “I’m sorry, Ashton. I can’t do this anymore. Go back to your world and leave me with mine.”

“Peter, no! Please. Don’t shut me out.”

“Please go. I’m simply not good enough.”

“What do you mean? You’re plenty good enough for anyone.”

“You were there, with all of your cool friends, laughing at me.”

“I wasn’t laughing at you.”

“You weren’t? It doesn’t matter anyway. Everyone else was. You are the coolest kid in town, I’m just a dork and a laughing stock. You need a friend but you can do so much better than me.”

“No way! There is no-one better than you. I love you, Peter.”

“What?”

“I love you.”

Peter stood up and looked bewildered. “You don’t. You can’t!”

“I do.” Ashton closed in on him and put his hands on his shoulders. “I can.” He kissed him on the lips.

Peter was dumbfounded! “But . . but . . you, I. You’re not gay!”

“Want a bet?” Ashton smiled and he kissed him again. “Peter Perfect, I love you. I don’t know if I’m gay or not, I never thought that I was, but then, I’ve never loved anyone – not like I love you.

If you tell me to leave, I’ll go, but I really hope that you don’t.”

“Oh, Ashton! Please don’t go.” Peter kissed him.

He kissed him back, and on, and on. They broke apart and stood clinging together and both thinking the exact same thing – their lives had just got a whole lot better.

Peter sighed, “I’ve dreamed about this, but I never thought that it would happen. Where do we go from here?”

“I don’t know where we’ll go, but wherever it is, we’ll go together.”

“Together. Oh, yes! Thank you, Ashton. It’s going to cost you, you know. Your friends won’t want you being around me.”

“It won’t cost me anything and they’re not my friends. I dumped them.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. I drove them out to the back of Hapuku, told them that they’re a pack of stuck-up wankers and I left them there. They’ve got a long walk home. There’s no cell-phone coverage out there.”

“Oh, you’re mean.”

“They bloody asked for it. When Deidre leaned across and sounded the horn at you, I was so wild I felt like punching her.”

“I guess that they’re not your friends now.”

“They never were. You are the only friend I’ve got and the only one I want.”

“Oh, Ashton. Never in my wildest dreams . . .” He kissed him.

They broke apart when there was a cough behind them. Mrs. de Groot was standing, smiling at them. “Is everybody happy? That is much better. I’ll make us some tea, shall I?”

“Mother, you don’t have to do that. I’ll get the tea.”

“Nonsense, Peter. Getting tea is what I do. You boys sit down and talk.”

Mrs. de Groot busied herself in the kitchen area. The boys sat together in front of the fire.

“What are your parents going to think about this?”

“They’ll blow a fuse. Know what? I don’t care what they think. They don’t care about me anyway, they never have.”

“That’s sad.”

“Yeah, I suppose. That’s just the way it is. Stuff ‘em anyway.”

“I would hate to lose my parents.”

“I doubt if you ever will. Anyway, you can’t lose what you never had. You’re lucky, Peter. You’ve got a brilliant mother.”

“I have. I’m very lucky.”

“You deserve it. Is your father going to be the same?”

“Father will be fine. He’s like me, he does what he’s told around here.”

“That’s probably wise.”

“Oh, it is!”

The tea-trolley arrived.

“Eat up, Boys. The tea is almost ready. Is Ashton going to stay here tonight?”

Ashton and Peter looked at each other and smiled. “Yes, I’d really like to, if I may.”

“Of course you may – any time at all. In that case, I’ve got a job for you when we’ve finished here.”

“What is that, Mother?”

“You can make up one of the beds in the bus. Please yourselves which one. The sleeping-loft in the front has more room than the one in the back, but it gets the sun earlier and there are no drapes in there yet.”

“I, umm, I don’t need a lot of room.”

“Maybe not, but the two of you together will need some space.”

“Really? You don’t mind if we sleep together again?”

“I don’t mind. Why else why you want to stay here?”

“I could think of a hundred reasons why I’d want to. But, thanks, I’d love to be with Peter.”

“Then you shall. We don’t have to ask Peter, he would love to be with you too.”

“I would. Thank you, Mother.”

“Be happy, My Son.” She went back for the tea.

“Wow, Peter. Your mum’s amazing!”

“She is a good person,” Peter smiled, “and I am happy – very happy. Thanks, Ashton.”

“Thank you and I’m very happy too. Your coming and finding me up on the cliffs was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“We can thank Father for that.”

“Your father? Did he tell you to do that?”

“Well, kind-of. Father says that if you really want something, you should decide what you can do, and then do it.”

“Like he is doing?”

“Apparently, yes.”

Later, they were out in the house-bus. Peter was getting the fire ready for lighting and Ashton was getting the bed set-up in the sleeping-loft. They’d decided on the loft at the back because it was going to be Peter’s full-time bed after his cousins arrived. The boys were all going to be sleeping in the bus.

There was a knock on the door and Riley and Jacob came in.

“Hey, Peter. Your mum said that you were out here.”

“Riley! Jacob! Come in, my friends.”

“We already did. What is Ashton Woods’ Beamer doing in the street out there?”

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“Is he here?”

“Look up, Riley,” Peter beamed.

They all looked up at Ashton grinning down at them from the loft.

“Wow. Ashton, what are you doing in Peter’s bus?”

“Getting the bed ready.” Ashton swung down and stood next to Peter.

“Your bed? Are you sleeping here, Ashton?”

“No.” He put an arm around Peter. “We are sleeping here.”

“Together? Really? Peter, what happened?”

“My dreams came true, Riley,” Peter beamed and Ashton kissed him.

“Our dreams came true.”

Riley stood with his mouth hanging open, Jacob nudged him. “Shut your mouth, Rye. You’ll catch a fly. Congrats, Guys. We’re really pleased for you.”

“Thanks, Jacob. We’re really pleased too.” Peter kissed Ashton, just so they all knew what was what. (And because he wanted to.)

“Wow! Great.” Riley recovered his wits. “Sorry, Guys. I’m a bit slow sometimes.”

“Just sometimes?”

“Shut up, Jake. It is just sometimes – just the important times by the look of it. Ashton, this boy loves you. He always has and I’ve always told him that it was never going to happen.”

“Well, Riley, you were wrong and I’m glad you were. Peter and I are together now, and that’s cool. I hope that we’ll all be friends.”

“Sure we will,” Jacob said. “You be nice to Peter and we’ll be nice to you.”

“Do we get orgies?” Riley grinned.

“Eww! Shut up, Riley,” came from all directions.

“Sheesh, Spoilsports! Seriously though, that’s great Peter, really great. At last! We’re delighted for you and you’re a lucky guy, Ashton. This is one special boy.”

“He is,” Ashton grinned. “Peter’s very special.”

“Let’s stop embarrassing me,” Peter blushed. “Have you finished up there, Ashton? I’ll light the fire and we can sit and talk. Do you guys want tea?”

“No way!”

“Not today, thanks, Mate.”

They sat around the pot-belly stove, Peter and Ashton in chairs on either side and facing each other, Riley in a chair in front of it with Jacob sitting on him.

“You two are very comfortable together,” Ashton commented.

“Sure we are,” Riley said. “There’s no point in hiding it from you two. This is the boy I love.”

“Yeah, good for you, Riley.”

“Good for me too,” Jacob said. “How on earth did you two get together?”

They shared their story.

Riley said, “And Peter’s mum is okay with it? Good! How are your parents going to take it, Ashton?”

“They’ll freak. They will probably throw me out and I don’t care.”

“What are you going to do then?”

“I haven’t a clue.”

Peter said, “You can come and live here with us.”

“I’d love to, Peter, but I can’t. I can’t ask your parents to support me.”

“You may not have to,” Riley said. “Come and see my mum, she’ll sort things out for you.”

“Do you think she would?”

“Sure she would,” Jacob said. “Dianne’s great. She sorted our lives out.”

“That’s what Dylan said too. I don’t know what she could do though”

“Dylan James? He’s a good guy. You might not know, but Mum will. Come and talk to her.”

“Okay, I will if I have to. Thanks.”

“Welcome. Stick with us at school too. If anyone gives you stick, Jake’ll take his leg off and whack them with it.”

“Jake will do no such thing!” Jacob frowned. “I’m not getting dirt on my new leg. You’re making huge changes in your life, Ashton, and I’m glad you dumped the beautiful people out in the wop-wops, it’ll do them good.”

“They probably don’t think so,” Ashton shrugged. “But tough. They asked for it. Any changes in my life have got to be a change for the better. I’m not falling into the trap that Damian did.”

“Damian, yeah. Poor little bugger. His mate, William, is taking it really hard.”

“William will be all right. He’s got Dylan to look after him.”

“Dylan again. Do you think that Dylan and William are a couple?”

“None of your business, Riley. But if you’ve got to know, go and ask them.”

“Fair enough. I guess that you know what the de Groots are doing with this old bus now?”

“Yeah, I do. They’re filling it up with Peter’s cousins.”

Peter said, “There’s still room for you, Ashton, as long as you sleep in my bed.”

“Well I’m not sleeping in anyone else’s!”

Mrs. de Groot came knocking at the door. Peter opened it.

“Dinner is almost ready, Son. Do Riley and Jacob want to stay and eat with us?”

“No thanks, Mrs. de Groot,” Jacob sung out. “It’s time we were getting home, Dianne is expecting us.”

“All right then, as long as you are sure. You’re always very welcome here, Boys.”

Riley stood up, tipping Jacob off. “Thanks, Mrs. de Groot, but we’ve really got to go home.”

“Yeah,” Jacob said. “Plus we’ve still got to work on Coll.”

“What do you have to work on Colin for?”

“He’s got a new girlfriend and he won’t tell us who it is.”

She smiled. “You two could do with a good dose of ‘mind your own business’.”

“It is our business! If we’re going to be uncles, then we have to know who with.”

“Give the boy a chance, Jacob,” Ashton said. “Good looking kid like him might have a hundred girls before he settles down.”

“You calling my brother a slut, Ashton Woods? (But you might be right).”

“Shut up, Jake.”

“Okay, we’re outta here. Good luck, Guys, and be nice to each other.”

“Thanks,” Ashton grinned. “And we will.”

Jacob and Riley left, Peter and Ashton went inside for their meal. They ate, and then helped clean up. Peter washed the dishes, Ashton dried, and Mrs. de Groot put them away as well as sorting the scraps for her worm farm, the compost and the chooks.

The boys showered, separately, and then dressed in pjamas and dressing gowns, (Ashton borrowed Mr. de Groot’s one). The three of them sat by the fire, listened to the radio and played cards. Ashton had never done anything like that before, and he thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Also, he’d never played cards before, but he was a fast learner.

They had a light supper – melted cheese on bread toasted on forks held over the fire, potatoes and chestnuts roasted in the embers, and steaming mugs of hot chocolate. They finished, Mrs. de Groot took the mugs away and came back with a lighted candle for the boys to take out to the bus. She turned the radio off.

“Well, Boys, time for bed. Have a good night and please be careful with the candle. Don’t burn the bus down.”

Peter stood up and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Mother. We’ll be careful. Good night.”

“Good night, My Son.”

Ashton stood as well. He was really embarrassed, but he was grateful, so he forced himself, he kissed her cheek. “Goodnight, Mrs. de Groot. Thank you for everything. You’re a fantastic mother and I’ve had a very nice evening. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“I hope we will again, many times. You’re a good boy, Ashton, and you’ll always be welcome here. Put the spark-guard up, Peter. Good night, Boys.”

She went to her room. Peter put the guard in front of the fire. “Ready for bed, Ashton?”

“Oh yeah, very ready. You? Let’s go then.”

They turned the lights off and went out to the bus. Peter carried the candle and shielded it from the draughts with his other hand.

“Father is going to put the power on to the bus, next time he comes home.”

“It’s not a problem. I quite like the candle. Is your father an electrician?”

“No, just a handy-man. He can turn his hand to most things and he’s good at what he does.”

“Like father, like son?”

“I don’t know about that.”

“Well I do. You’re great, Peter. Really great, and I love you.”

“Oh Ashton! I love you very much. Today you’ve made all of my dreams come true. Thank you.”

“Hey! Thank you.” Ashton kissed him. “And, we haven’t finished yet. This is like our honeymoon here.”

“Sounds good to me!” Peter kissed him back.

They left the dressing gowns on the bottom bunk and climbed the ladder to the loft. Peter took the candle with him and put it on a ledge up there.

“You sure that’s safe?”

“It’ll be fine. I’m not snuffing it out yet, I want to look at you. I can’t believe that you’re here with me and I’m scared if I blow the candle out, you might disappear in a puff of smoke.”

“I’m going nowhere, Silly Boy. This is where I want to be – here, with you.”

“Oh, Ashton! I love you so much!”

“I love you more than that, Peter Perfect.” They kissed and cuddled and kissed, getting hotter and hotter together.

“Want to get rid of these pjamas?”

“Oh, yes!”

They stripped rapidly, and Ashton froze. He stopped and sat looking at him, the seconds dragged on and on.

“Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Peter, absolutely nothing. You’re so, so beautiful. I never knew that a boy could be as beautiful as you.”

“Ashton!” Peter blushed, deepest red. “I’m not beautiful. You are.”

“Wrong!” Ashton, gently, pushed him down to lie flat on his back. He sat, bent over him and running his eyes, his fingers and his lips all over the beautiful boy’s body.

“Gorgeous, gorgeous, Boy!” He stretched out on top of him and Peter wrapped his arms and legs around him, like a baby possum clinging to its mother’s belly.

“Ashton, Ashton. Please, make love to me.”

“I’m trying to, you Dork!” Ashton grinned.

“No! I mean all the way. Make love to me please”

“Oh yes!” He kissed him. “All the way and always. I love you Peter.”

“I love you. Umm, do we need protection? I don’t have any condoms or anything.”

“Condoms? I’m not going to get pregnant, are you?”

“Hardly! But you’re supposed to use them, aren’t you? I’ve never done this before.”

“Never? Cool, neither have I. Well, apart from a couple of blow-jobs with girls, so we don’t need condoms.”

“What are blow-jobs? Is that like sucking off?”

“You don’t know? You soon will. Gorgeous Boy, you’ve got a lot to learn. I’ll show you what I know and we’ll learn together.”

He kissed him. He blew the candle out.

Kaimoana Tales Lachlan & Gary, 57

“Hello, Fat Boy. Break any scales today?”

“Not yet. How’re you, you Unemployed Bum? Got a job yet?”

“Nope. Still haven’t found one that’s good enough.”

“Good enough for you? Thought of shoveling shit at the racecourse?”

“Why? Been crapping in the stables, have you?”

“No, but if you were working there, I’d shit on your shovel.”

“Eww. You’re disgusting, you know that?”

“I try. How’s it going, Gary? How’s your day been?”

“Not bad; I’ve had worse. How was your day? Learn anything in school?”

“Yeah, heaps. You should try it sometime.”

“And turn out like you? No thanks.”

“We can’t all be brilliant. They’ve got a Special Needs class, for the retards. You’d fit in well there.”

“How come you’re not in it then? Oh, I know, their seats are too small for wide loads.”

“Will you two cut it out? Honestly! You’re worse than Mac and Joyce!”

“Yes Sir, Mr. Cain, Sir!”

“Damm, Lachlan, anyone would think that you two couldn’t stand each other.”

“He loves me really,” Gary grinned. “Trouble is, I’m just not into Fat Boys.”

“Well I wouldn’t want a boyfriend who’s too lazy to get his butt out of bed in the mornings.”

“Stop it! Stop it right now!” Virgil demanded. “Lachlan is not fat. Once, maybe, but not now, and Gary doesn’t have to get a job if he doesn’t want to. If I was in his position, I wouldn’t be in any hurry either.”

“His position? His usual position is with his head up his butt.”

“As long as it’s not up yours. I could get lost in there.”

“You wish.”

“You think? Scatology is not my thing.”

“Oooo! Big words. I bet you’ve been waiting all day for a chance to use that one.”

“Not really. At least I know some words. Your biggest word is ‘wheelbarrow’, innit?”

“Wheelbarow-innit? I don’t know that one.”

“Shut up, Lachie! Do you guys want to come down-town for a drink? The Craypot is doing thickshakes now.”

Virgil shook his head. “No thanks, Gary. I’m going home. Gran’s due back today and I want to see her.”

“You want to see what she’s brought you, you mean. How about you, Lachie?”

“Yeah, okay, Gazza. I’ll come so that you don’t look like a sad git with no mates. I’m not having a fatshake though, I’ll have a coffee and thanks.”

“Yeah, okay. Wouldn’t want to see you fall off the wagon – you’d break the road!”

They parted at the corner. Gary and Lachlan went down to the main street, Virgil carried on up the hill to home.

Those two were something else. They were both gay and single, you’d think that they’d at least try to get along. But, no, they seemed to spend all their time trying to gross each other out. They did spend a lot of time together though. Gary was usually waiting outside the school everyday, and it wasn’t Virgil he was waiting for.

Also, Gary seemed to spend a lot of time in the Craypot Café. If he wanted a job, he should get one there, he must know how the place worked by now. Maybe he was into redheads? The twins, Colin and Jacob, were redheads and they lived at the Craypot – well, up the back of it.

No, he was out of luck there if he was. Colin was into the girls and Jacob only had eyes for Riley. They were a pair of lovebirds if ever he saw one.

There was another pair, walking up the hill ahead of him, Dylan James and his cousin, William. Virgil suspected that they might be a couple, but he wasn’t sure, William was only year 9 and Dylan was a senior.

They were both good-looking kids, especially William, he was stunning! But, he was only half the size of Dylan – he towered over him. They were always together when out of school, you never saw one without the other, especially since William had lost his other mate.

Damian Woods had flipped his lid and hung himself. Poor little bugger. Silly little bugger.

That had knocked the hell out of his big brother too. Ashton Woods was like a whole different person now and all the ‘beautiful people’ stayed well away from him. Virgil didn’t know what to think of that.

Ah well, they were all interesting, but he wasn’t interested. He had the best boyfriend in town. Joel was the greatest and he was all his. How cool was that? Very cool!

He went home.

“Hey, Betty. How’re you on this lovely day in paradise?” Gary sauntered in to the Craypot Cafe like he owned the place.

“Hello, Gary. I’m fine, how are you?”

“I’m good. I’m extra good. I’ll have a thickshake please, lime flavour, and an extra low-fat coffee for the boy here.”

“Who are you calling a boy? I’m just as old as you are.”

“Some of us grow up faster though.”

“You reckon? I hadn’t noticed.”

“Shut up, Lachie. Find yourself a seat – one that’s not going to break.”

“I’ll break one over your head! We’ll sit outside then.” Lachlan headed back out of the door.

“Gary, Honey, get your own drinks, would you? I’m busy here.”

“Sure. Where are Dianne and the boys?”

“Dianne’s gone fishing. I don’t know where the boys are, they’re not back from school yet. It’s about time that they were.”

“They’ll show. They don’t go far. Well, Riley and Jacob don’t, Colin could be anywhere. He’s got a new girlfriend, you know.”

“I know – Missy Waipouri! The boy must have a death-wish.”

“Come on, Betty. Missy’s not that bad. She’s all talk really.”

“If you say so. Help yourself, Gary, I’ll be out the back.”

Gary got the drinks, rang-up the sales and paid with plastic. He took them out to the front and put them on the table in front of Lachlan.

“Thanks.”

“Welcome, Fat Boy. Don’t know how you can drink coffee like that – no milk, cream or sugar. It’s foul.”

“No? Well you just suck on your fat and sugar. What are you doing?”

Gary straightened up from looking under the table.

“Just checking. We wouldn’t want you to go through Dianne’s deck.”

“I’ll put your bloody head through it! Sit down and shut up, Gary.”

“Who said you could wear the king’s hat?”

“I did.”

“Oh, okay. Yes, Boss.”

Gary sat down and they grinned at each other across the table.

“Fatty.”

“Lay-about.”

“Jealous.”

“Of you? Get real. What’s going on over there?”

“Over where?”

“Over the road, in Mrs. Woods’ Tasteful Souvenirs shop? The windows are all covered in white paper.”

“Well I don’t know. Here’s Riley and Jacob, why don’t you ask them?”

“I will. Hey, guys. How’s it going?”

“Going good, Lachlan.” Riley and his mate came in from the street. “I see you’ve got your favourite sparring partner with you.”

“Yeah, well. I feel sorry for him sometimes. He’s got no mates you know.”

“Shut it, McLaughlin. I’ve got mates – better ones than you too.”

“Fantasy Friends don’t count. Riley, what’s Mrs. Woods up to? She planning a ‘tasteful exhibition’ or something?”

“No, not that. We do know, but I don’t think we should tell you. You’ll have to wait and see.”

Jacob said, “Don’t be such a wet blanket, Rye. Everybody loves gossip, and that’s a juicy one. She’s shutting down, Lachlan. Dianne made her.”

“She what? Dianne made Mrs. Woods shut her shop? How did she? Why did she?”

“Mum did not make her shut her shop down. Well, not intentionally, it was their choice.”

“But why did they choose to?” Gary was very interested now. “There’s definitely some juicy gossip here. Spill it, Riley!”

“Yeah. Come on, Rye. You know you’re dying to tell them.”

“Well,” Riley grinned as he pulled out a chair and sat down. “It seems that a certain family is nowhere as rich as they like to make out they are. They’ve been cutting corners and indulging in illegal activities.”

“Like what?”

“Like, dealing in black-market booze, and other junk like ‘P’, from their liquor store. Like falsifying the records of hours worked by farm machinery they’re selling, and winding-back the meters on second-hand cars. Like building and operating unauthorized motel units – definitely not a good look for people who are on the council.

Even worse, their 3 storey mansion, up on the hill, is all flash and no substance. It was built on the cheap and it’s not up to earthquake standards. They paid a council inspector to sign it off when it should’ve been demolished.

The list goes on and on and that’s all without even looking at the way they’ve been treating their kids. They owe a fortune in back taxes too, they couldn’t afford to have the IRD looking to closely at their accounts.”

“Whoah! And Dianne found all this? Why would she even look at their business?”

“My Mum’s a lovely lady, but you really don’t want to get on the wrong side of her. We asked her if she could do anything for Ashton, and she’s having a ball! Anyway, Mr. and Mrs. Woods are sorting their shit out and they’re having to make economies. The shop’s losing money, so it’s shutting down.”

“They’re making changes then?”

“Bigtime! Ashton and his sister have moved out of the horrible boxes they were sleeping in and they’re in the fancy guest-rooms now. Plus, any work they do from now on will be paid at the rate that Dianne negotiated for them. They’re even getting back-pay.”

“She’s getting stuck into them.”

“She is,” Jacob grinned. “Ashton’s Beamer is really his now. They had to pay for it and give it to him legally. It’s in his name now and he can do what he likes with it.”

“Amazing,” Gary said. “Thanks, Guys. Finish your drink, Lachie. We’ve got shopping to do.”

“Shopping? What shopping?”

“We’re going to buy a big bunch of flowers for Dianne.”

“Okay, but why?”

“To say thanks for what she’s doing.”

Riley said, “Gary? Mrs. de Groot has already done that. She arrived around with a huge bunch of flowers from her garden. Mum cried.”

“Well, we might make her cry some more. I want to say thanks and also make sure that we’re on her side. Call it insurance.”

“You don’t have to do that. Mum knows that we’re friends.”

“Doesn’t hurt to be doubly sure. Anyway, I want to. Dianne’s great. When I need a lawyer, I want it to be her.

Whoah! Tottie alert! Look what’s coming down the street.”

Kaimoana Tales, Ashton 55

She left them sitting around the fire, went to her room and closed the door.

“Do you know what the Plan is, Peter?”

“Yes, Jacob. The Plan is for my parents to be wealthy again.”

“But, what about the details? Do you know how they’re going to do it?”

“No I don’t. No-one’s shared that with me yet. I think that they don’t want me to worry.”

Riley said, “Well, you know, if those cookies are part of the Plan, they just might do it. Have you been wishing on a star, Peter? All of your dreams might come true – rich parents and Ashton in your bed!”

“If I have Ashton for a friend, I’ll be more than happy. I don’t care about anything else.”

“Damm, Peter,” Jacob said. “If Ashton doesn’t come back for you, he needs his head read.”

They didn’t stay long; they just spent a few minutes catching-up on each other’s news, and then Riley and Jacob said that they had to go. “Coll’s out somewhere. We’re trying to crack his MSN Messenger to find out who he’s been chatting to.”

“That’s not nice! If it’s private then you should keep your noses out of it.”

“Should,” Jacob grinned, “But we’re not going to. We think Coll’s got a girlfriend and he won’t tell us who it is, so it serves him right.

“It does,” Riley nodded. “We need to know who our new sister-in-law is going to be.”

“Leave him alone you pair of rogues! Are you trying to marry him off or something?”

“Yeah, we’ve got a plan too you know.”

“We have,” Jacob agreed. “We want to be uncles. We should find his condoms and put pin-holes in them.”

“Jacob Richardson! You bloody better not. Don’t think that I won’t tell him. Colin is my friend.”

“Spoilsport. You’re a good friend, Peter.”

“That he is,” Riley agreed. “Want to fool around while your mum’s not here?”

“You know that I don’t.”

“Yeah, dammit. Well, stand up and give me a hug, and then I’ll go home and fool around with my Jake.”

Riley and Jacob both hugged Peter, wished him luck, and then they left.

Peter tried to read for a few minutes, but couldn’t get into it. After reading the same page for the third time, he gave up. He closed his library book, put the spark-guard up at the fire, locked the door, and went to bed, to, hopefully, dream about Ashton again.

It wasn’t late, so he left the outside light on in case Ashton came back. His mother would growl when she found out, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want Ashton hurting himself in the dark. He didn’t come back.

Peter woke in the morning before his mother did. He got the fire going to warm the room before she came out. He made himself a drink and sat with it, thinking quietly.

He had to go to the library later. If Ashton hadn’t come around before he went, he’d email him while he was there, just to let him know that he was thinking about him, and so that Ashton would have his email address.

He didn’t have to find Ashton’s addy, he already knew it. Silly boy had it on his Facebook page, didn’t he? Not a wise move. He was risking getting mail from any sad lonely gits – like Peter de Groot for instance.

Now that he was away from him, he was aware that Ashton was a star, he was popular and he didn’t need Peter for a friend, not like Peter needed him. But, he had spent the end of a day and a night with him and he saw things about him that, apparently, no-one else did. They were friends weren’t they? Sure they were. They’d made a connection, hadn’t they?

His mother was still not out of bed, so he stoked the fire and went out the back to collect the morning’s eggs from the chook-run. While he was out there, he pinched a couple of ripe strawberries, and then filled the basket with tomatoes that were ready for picking.

The gardens at the back of the house didn’t get a lot of direct sunshine, so they brought the tomatoes inside to ripen, sitting on the house windowsills. They’d need to be making sauce soon, they were running out of room!

Back inside, the kettle was boiling over the fire, so he took it off and left it to the side. His mother came out and took over her kitchen and their day began.

He spent most of the morning doing schoolwork and some gardening. He really should have been collecting driftwood, but gave that a miss. He didn’t want to be away from home in case Ashton came back. There was still no sign of him.

It had never worried Peter before that they didn’t have a phone. Lately he was starting to think that they should.

After lunch, he couldn’t put it off any longer, so he went to the town library. Before he left, he made sure that his mother knew where he was going and when he’d be back.

He returned his books and selected some new ones. Mrs. Braidwood had one of the ones she’d ordered for him! He spent some time on the computer, remembering, of course, to send an email to Ashton. It didn’t say much, just that he was thinking of him and hoped that he was okay.

He hit ‘send’, it worked, so now Ashton would have his address. Computers were great. He logged-off, thanked Mrs. Braidwood, and left for home, carrying his new books.

He knew that he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t resist, so he opened his book and started reading as he walked along the street. He’d been waiting and waiting for this one, and he couldn’t wait any longer.

After the main street, he started along the Esplanade, but on the wrong side of the road. Lost in the book already, he was walking on the grass verge on the side of the street away from the sidewalk along the waterfront.

At the intersection of the first street coming down from the hill, he glanced up the road. A car was coming, but it was way off in the distance, so he kept walking, out across the side-street, still reading his book.

A car came up the Esplanade behind him and went to turn into the side-street. It had to stop and wait for Peter to cross in front of it. He didn’t even see them there until the car horn sounded, loud and long, and it startled him. He got such a fright he dropped his arm-load of books. They hit the ground and scattered everywhere.

He looked around and it was the BMW! It was full, as usual, of teenagers and they were laughing. They were laughing at him! Well, most of them were.

The driver, of course, was Ashton and he wasn’t laughing, he wasn’t even looking at him. It was hard to see them all in there because of the tinted windows, but he could see Ashton’s white face. He was saying something to the blonde girl sitting next to him.

Peter was so embarrassed. He wanted to scuttle away and hide somewhere, but he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t leave Mrs. Braidwood’s books scattered over the road, they’d get run over. He dropped to his knees to start gathering the books together, and trying not to cry, that’d just make it worse. He should be used to being a laughing-stock by now, but he never would.

One of the girls in the back, stood up with her head and shoulders out of the BMW’s sun-roof and yelled at him. “Come on, you Bloody Dork! Move your pansy arse! We haven’t got all day while you’re farting around.”

The windows came down and others were leaning out and yelling abuse and laughing at him.

The car started with a jerk, reversed and turned back down the street where they’d come from. With a roar and a squeal of the tyres, they sped off back towards the main street, breaking all the speed limits and with all the beautiful people still yelling and laughing.

Peter picked up all of the books and carried on home, feeling lower than he ever had in his life. That was so embarrassing! He knew that he wasn’t cool, but why did they treat him like that? He was totally humiliated, yet again.

He was crying his eyes out by the time he got back to the sad little shack that he lived in. He walked into the living-room and threw himself, face down, on his cot-bed.

He’d been laughed at a thousand times before, but it never hurt as much as it did this time. That absolute worst thing about it was that Ashton was there and he felt so betrayed by him.

He’d thought that they were friends now, obviously, he was wrong. Ashton didn’t care about him, he was just using him when he needed somebody. Peter was such an idiot! Why did he ever hope for better?

His mother came in and stood by the bed, looking down worriedly, at him. “What is wrong, My Son? Has someone been upsetting you?”

“Ashton!” he wailed.

“Ashton? I thought he was your friend?”

“So did I, Mother. I’m such a fool! He’s gone back to his friends and they’re all laughing at me. I thought . . . I thought . . . I’m so stupid!”

“Oh, Peter.” She sat down and held him while he cried on her shoulder. “You’re not stupid, My Son. You’re a wonderful boy. If Ashton Woods can not see that, then he is the stupid one – really stupid.”

“No he’s not, Mother. It’s me.” Peter turned away and got some toilet paper to clear his eyes and nose. “I knew that he would be feeling bad about his brother and I thought that I could help him. How stupid is that? I’m just a nobody and he’s Ashton! I’m just the town dork. He doesn’t need me, he’s got hundreds of friends. All of the cool kids are Ashton’s friends, not me. I was a fool to think that it could ever be any different.

I’ve got school work to do, I’d better get on with it. This is my life.”

“My poor boy! We have asked a lot of you, and you’ve never complained, but I know it hasn’t been easy for you.”

“I’ve got nothing to complain about. I’ve got you and Father and I know that you love me. I don’t need anything else.”

“But you do. You need so much more than we have given you, and you deserve it too. We are going to make it up to you. Just a little longer and things are going to change. Your life will get better.”

“My life is fine just the way it is.”

“Now you are being foolish. Your life is not fine, but it will be – I promise.”

Peter blew his nose again and gave a little grin. “The Plan, right?”

“Yes, Son, the Plan. I used to think that Father was dreaming, but not now. He was right all along. Things are starting to come together and it is going to happen.”

“I hope you’re right, Mother. You deserve it too, you both do.

“You are the sweetest boy!” She kissed his head, and then stood up. “You are a very special boy and Ashton Woods is the biggest fool in town. You do your schooling. I’ll do some gardening, and then we will have something nice for dinner. I’ll just be outside if you want me.”

“Thank you, Mother. Thanks for everything.”

“Thanks for what? It will get better, Peter. Wait and see.”

His mother went outside to her work and Peter sat at the desk to get on with his. She was a lovely old thing really, and he knew that she loved him. He didn’t doubt it for a minute, he never had.

She just didn’t understand him and this obsession that he had with Ashton Woods, nobody did. He didn’t understand it himself. He knew that it was impossible, but he loved Ashton. He always had and he always would. What a waste of a life!

Kaimoana Tales, Ashton 54

Mrs. de Groot woke them in the morning with a tray of tea and toast. “Good morning, Boys. It is time that you were awake. Did you sleep well, Ashton?”

“Umm, yes, I did, thanks. Thanks for the tea.”

“Enjoy it. Peter, you need to get the fire going please. I will have scrambled eggs for you when you are ready.”

“Thanks, Mother. We’ll be there soon.” Peter sat up and took toast in one hand and tea in the other. “Are you okay, Ashton?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for letting me stay.”

“You’re very welcome.”

Ashton sat there, feeling awkward. Nobody had said anything, but he felt a bit strange being in bed with Peter when his mother was in the same room. He was sure glad that he’d worn the pj’s.

“Do you, ah, do you have friends staying over often?”

“Friends?” Peter smiled. “What friends? No, I’ve never had anyone stay the night before. Ever. It’s a whole new experience for me. Thanks, Ashton.”

“Thank you. I really didn’t want to go home last night. I still don’t, but I’d better.”

“Will your parents be worried about you?”

“Not likely! They won’t even know I’m not there. They don’t give a damm about me; as long as the work’s done, they don’t care.”

“They’re mad! Maybe things will change now that they’ve lost a son?”

“I can’t see it. They won’t change, but I bloody will!”

“That is good,” Peter nodded. “It’ll be good if something good comes out of your poor brother’s dying.”

“Yeah? I think something good has already happened.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’ve got you for a friend, haven’t I? That’s good.”

“It is! Very good. You could’ve always had me, you just didn’t know.”

“No, I didn’t. I was blind. You’re a good one, Peter.”

“I’m just me,” he blushed. “You are the special one. Our worlds are so different, we just didn’t come together.”

“Now they have. I’ve got to go home, there’ll be a mess to clean up, but I’ll be back if I can.”

“You can come back any time you want to. You’ll always be more than welcome here.”

“Thank you, My Friend.”

“Now I’d better get up and light the fire. Your clothes are on the chair, I folded them and Mother has left a towel for you. You could get dressed in the bathroom and have a shower if you want to.”

“Thanks, I’ll do that.”

They cleaned up, and then sat at the table and Mrs. de Groot served up big plates of scrambled eggs on toast. They were light and fluffy, but they were almost like omelets, they had chopped onions, tomatoes and herbs in them.

“This is great, Mrs. de Groot. I’ll be as big as a house if you keep feeding me like this.”

“Nonsense. Growing boys need their food. Enjoy it, Ashton. I like to see people eating good food.”

“This is very good food. The eggs are a rich colour.”

“Of course they are, they’re free range and organic fed. We have our own hens, on the hill out at the back. Now, I’m going to clean-up my bedroom. There’s a box of food there. Take it home to your mother when you go. The poor woman won’t be feeling like cooking.”

“She never does, but thanks. That’s nice of you.”

(He’d take it home all right. Suzanne could have some, but the parents wouldn’t – stuff ‘em. It was too good for them.)

When he left, Peter walked out to the car with him. “You’re not going to school today?”

“No. I couldn’t stand that. I’m having the rest of the week off. How come you never go to school?”

“I’m home-schooled, I don’t even have to leave the room. I do my schooling on the desk by my bed.”

“That’d be nice on a wet day.”

“It is nice. I get a bit lonely though.”

“Wrong! Maybe you used to, but not any more. I’ll be back so often you’ll get sick of the sight of me.”

“That is never going to happen. You’ve made me very happy, thanks, Ashton.”

“Thank you, Peter. I’m sad for my brother, but you’ve made me happier than I’ve been for a long time, maybe forever. Thanks for coming and finding me yesterday. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t there.”

“I don’t even want to think about that. I’ll always be there for you.”

“Yeah? I think you would too, and that’s good!”

Ashton hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. He got into his car and left before he started crying. Peter went back inside, grinning from ear to ear. Riley was so not going to believe this! His impossible dream had come true – wicked!

Peter hung around home all day, which was not unusual. He did have some errands that he should’ve been doing, but they could wait. It was more important for him to be there if Ashton came back. However, he didn’t.

He was disappointed, but decided that that was just being selfish. He wanted to see him, but Ashton was probably busy. They’d just buried his brother and his family probably needed him there. The Woods would, wouldn’t they? Yes, of course they would.

Even so, he couldn’t help looking up hopefully ever time a car went past. He didn’t show.

After dark, he was lying on his bed, reading a book – on it not in it as he usually did. He had still not quite stopped hoping that Ashton would come back. There was a knock on the door and he flew across the room and opened it before his mother was halfway there.

“Oh. It’s you.”

It was only Riley. Only? Any other time he would’ve been delighted to see his friend.

“Sorry. I was expecting . . .someone else. Hello Riley, how’re you?”

“I’m good. Nice that you’re so pleased to see us. Can we come in for a minute?”

“Of course. I am pleased to see you, I always am. Please come in.”

“Okay. Come on, Jake! Shake a leg or whatever!” He grinned at Peter. “He’s in the toilet.”

“I don’t want to think about that. Come and sit by the fire.”

Riley stepped in the room, Mrs. de Groot looked up and beamed. “Riley! How nice. Come and sit down and I will make us some tea.”

“Hey, Mrs. de Groot. No tea, thanks. We’re not stopping, we just called in for a minute to say hello.”

“Nonsense. It’s chilly out there. Some nice hot tea will warm you up. I’ve got cake.”

“You’ve always got cake. Really, thanks but we don’t want anything. We haven’t got time.”

“Yes you have. There’s always time for tea. Sit down and talk, it won’t take a minute.”

“Well, umm, yeah. Maybe just a taste then.”

“Good boy! Boys need to eat.”

“Mother!” Peter rolled his eyes.

“Shush, Peter. Talk to your friend.”

Jacob appeared out of the dark. “Hey Guys. Sorry about that, I was busting!”

“That’s okay, Jacob. When you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go. At least you didn’t do it on the vege garden.”

“I thought I was going to have to do it out in the street! We just got here in time. Hey, Mrs. de Groot, how are you?”

“I am very well, thank you Jacob. Thank you for asking. Take a seat by the fire; I am just getting tea.”

“There’s a surprise! No, sorry. Tea would be great, thanks, but we’re really not hungry.”

“Of course you are. Of course you are. Boys are always hungry.”

“Not around here, they’re not.”

“Don’t be cheeky, Jacob.”

“Cheeky? Who, me?”

“Yes you, you scamp. Go away before I have to smack you.”

They exchanged grins and Jacob joined the others by the fire.

“So, Peter, who were you expecting if not us? Is your father due home? No, he wouldn’t knock, would he?”

“No, not Father. I thought that you were Ashton actually.”

“Ashton? Not likely! We don’t even look like him; and we haven’t got a Beamer.”

“I had noticed that.”

“Everyone’s smart tonight. Peter, my friend, why would you think that it was Ashton knocking on your door? Seriously, you’ve really got to get over this obsession with Ashton Woods. He’s got his world and you’ve got yours, and there’s no way that he’s going to come knocking on your door.”

“Don’t you believe it, Riley,” Peter grinned. “Ashton was here yesterday. He gave me a ride home in the Beamer.”

“No! Really?”

“Yes, really. He stayed the night here too; he slept with me.”

“He did not!”

“He did so. Ask Mother, she woke us up this morning.”

“She did? Really?? Damm, Peter, that’s fantastic! How did that happen?”

“Ashton has a place where he goes when he’s feeling down and needs to be by himself. I thought he’d go there after Damian’s funeral and I was worried about him, so I waited there for him. We talked, he brought me home, he didn’t want to go back to his house, so he stayed here. He slept in my bed. Nothing happened, we just slept. He went home this morning; he said that he’d be back, but he hasn’t yet. He’s probably busy with family stuff.”

“Wow! Just wow. That’s great, Peter, really great. Ashton Woods and Peter de Groot!” Riley beamed his approval.

Jacob agreed. “It is great. You’re a fantastic kid, Peter. Ashton is a lucky boy. If I didn’t have my Riley, I’d be chasing you too.”

“Oi!!” Riley protested.

“Shut up, Riley. I’m all yours and you know it, but who wouldn’t want a love like Peter has for that kid?”

“Yeah, you’re right, and Ashton is very lucky. So he hasn’t come back yet? He’s an idiot if he doesn’t. Has he got a big dick?”

“Eww! Shut up, Riley – really shut up! I don’t know and I wouldn’t tell you if I did.”

“Fair enough, I suppose. Dammit. Can I be your Best Man?”

“Yeah, right! I can’t see that ever happening, but if I ever need a Best Man, of course it would be you.”

“Yeah, we love you too, don’t we, Jake?”

“Sure we do. You’re our mate, Peter, and we love you.”

“As you should, as you should.” Mrs. de Groot came over with the dreaded tea-trolley, but this time there was surprisingly little on it. She handed them each a small plate with a single, large and round, cookie on it.

“Now, Boys, as you all insist that you are not hungry, I want you to try these and tell me what you think of them. Don’t say that they are nice to be polite. Tell me what you really think. The tea is in the pot, help yourself when you are ready.”

They watched each other as they all took a taste and chewed thoughtfully. They all bit bigger mouthfuls. Jacob swallowed, looked at what was left, and looked up. “Wow!”

“Definitely,” Riley agreed. “You’ve got it, Jake. Wow says it all. Mrs. de Groot, these are fantastic – incredible! You always make good food, but these are something else. I’ve never tasted anything like it.”

“Yes, wow,” Jacob grinned. “Got any more? I never want to eat anything else again.”

“It’s wonderful, Mother. Really wonderful. Is this the recipe that Father emailed to me?”

“Yes, it is. Thank you, Boys. It is a recipe that Father and Uncle developed together. Would you like another one?”

Jacob held up his empty plate. “Does a bear shit in the woods? No, sorry, but yes! Please, more!”

“Seriously.” Riley held his plate up as well.

“Just one more then.” She replenished their plates. “If you are still hungry, there is fruit-loaf on the sink-bench.”

“Mrs. de Groot, would you consider selling these in Mum’s café?”

“I don’t think so, Riley, but thank you for asking.”

“But, well, why not then? If people get a taste of these, they’d buy all that you could make. You could make a lot of money.”

“I hope that we do. That is the Plan. You know.”

“The Plan? I hope it works for you.”

“So do we all. If all goes well, we hope to sell thousands of these every week.”

“Thousands?” said Jacob. “How do you plan to do that?”

“Ah, that is for me to know,” she smiled. “Thank you, Boys. I am going to bed now; have a nice visit.”

“’Night, Mrs. de Groot.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Mother.”