Andrew, 7

They went home, relieved and happy. Cameron wanted to get Andrew alone so he could talk to him, but it wasn't happening. No-one wanted to leave him alone, the parents and the kids were hanging around him like flies around a honey-pot. He really wished that he could claim the boy as his special friend, but so, it seemed, did everyone else.

They were all reassuring him that they wanted him there as part of their family and they never wanted him to leave. He did have to admit, if only to himself, Andrew had been very good for their family. The place had never looked so good, it looked like a new house. Even the outbuildings, right down to the chookhouse, were looking good. But, apart from all the work he'd done, the family had never been so united and cohesive. The parents had even stopped drinking. Well, almost.

Cameron knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was in love with Andrew, but so, it seemed, was everyone else and Andrew didn't treat him any different to the others. He was a bit withdrawn from him if anything, like he was holding back.

However, Cameron did know one thing about him that none of the others knew, so he was going to make use of it. He obviously was not going to cut him out from the herd, so he gave up and went to bed early. Before he went, he insisted that Andrew take his cellphone and keep it by him for the night.

"Mum is no.3 on the speed-dial and Dad is no.4. If there is any trouble at all, call them and they'll come running."

"I will. Thanks, Cameron. But who are no.1 and no.2?"

"They wouldn't be a lot of help in a hurry. Giles is no.1 and Gabriel's no.2, but they're miles away. Mum and Dad are right here if you need them."

"Hope I don't, but thanks."

"G'nite then. See you in the morning."

"It's early for you, Cameron," his mother said, smiling. "You might even get up on time for once."

"G'night, Mum." He went to bed and left them to it.

He'd see Andrew alone in the morning. What he knew that no-one else did, was that Andrew often went over and sat on the beach in the early mornings. He didn't swim or fish or anything, he just sat there looking at the sea. He'd never bothered him there before, but tomorrow he would. He wanted to talk to him about private stuff.

The alarm jarred him awake shortly before 6am. Damm. It wasn't even daylight yet. He lay there for a minute to get his head together, and then got up, got dressed and hurried over to the beach. It soon would be daylight, the eastern sky was awash with pink, purple and oranges. Sunsets around Kaimoana were nothing much, but the sunrise could be spectacular as the sun rose out of the sea. Not that he saw it a lot, but sometimes he wasn't even in bed yet.

He got over to the beach and looked around. Curses! The boy wasn't there. Well, not yet anyway. He sat down to wait in case he did come. There was a sheltered place below some toi-toi bushes, so he sat there and promptly went back to sleep. He was tired.

When he woke again, the sun was well-up in the sky, there was no-one else around and it was almost a quarter to eight! "Bugger! Guess who's late again?"

He hurried home to shower, dress for school and, hopefully, grab something to eat before the bus arrived.

When he emerged from the house in a rush, all fresh and clean with his hair nicely gelled and munching on toast, Andrew was out there, painting the fence along the driveway. He stopped, said hello and goodbye, and then ran out to the waiting bus. Hopefully, he'd get to talk to him after school. Andrew grinned and said goodbye to his back.

He got home in the afternoon and rushed up to the house. The fence painting was finished and Andrew was not there. Neither of the parents were either, so he had no idea where he was.

His mum arrived home with a load of groceries and told him that Andrew had gone with his father. They were having a look at a job that he'd been asked to tender for - restoring and repainting Department of Conservation huts up in the back country. They were all away out in very remote areas and the job, if they got it, would be worth a small fortune. That was all she knew. They'd just have to wait until his father came home to find out more.

They were late getting back. Everyone else had finished and cleaned up before they walked in and their dinner was in the oven. They sat at the table to eat.

Cameron got himself a drink and sat down with them, but he soon gave up and went to his room. He doubted that they even knew that he was there. His dad and Andrew were busy talking excitedly and were full of their plans with what they could do with the DOC contract.

He knew that he should be glad that they were getting on so well and that things were working out for Andrew, but, dammit, he was not! He was jealous of them. The pathetic, lost and broken boy who he'd brought home from Christchurch had changed so much. He was so keen, capable and hard-working that any employer would be glad to have him. Nothing was ever a problem and he was always so dammed happy in his work - always laughing, singing and whistling and always bloody working. He never stopped.

Andrew had made a place for himself here and, it seemed, there was no room for Cameron in it. He was always friendly enough, but no more than he was with the others and he never stopped. What a catch he'd be! Some day, some guy, someone good enough, was going to score the perfect boyfriend in Andrew. But it wouldn't be him, he wasn't that good. Dammit. Seemed like he was fated to fall in love with people who'd never love him. The parents were delighted with Andrew, especially his father. It almost looked like he was in love with the kid. He'd not only got himself an excellent worker and boarder, he had a new, and better, son and friend. Dammit. He'd never been that close to Cameron. He went to bed and felt sorry for himself.

Andrew went to his bed too, eventually. He was grinning and laughing when he went out to the cottage. He went in there, closed the door and the smile fell off his face. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.

The DOC contract looked really good. It'd be perfect. The plan, if they got it, was for him to do the bulk of the work. He, and 2 builders, would be flown in by helicopter to the back-country huts. The builders would spend a couple of days doing repairs, and then he would be left there alone to finish off and do the painting, inside and out. There'd be enough work to keep him out there for weeks and weeks, maybe months, and they'd be paid heaps for it.

His father would never be able to track him down out there and, by the time they'd finished, the legal stuff would be sorted and he'd be free of him forever. He'd be legally independent with heaps of money and, hopefully, a good reference. With all that behind him he'd be able to go, probably back to Christchurch, find somewhere to live, get a job and make a fresh start at building a life. He didn't care where he went, anywhere would do - anywhere away from here and away from Cameron.

The poor boy falling in love with the boss' daughter was a joke, whoever heard of someone falling in love with the boss' son? It was just not done. Even if he could, he wouldn't do that to Cameron.

Cameron was such a cool kid, he was practically perfect. He was very good-looking, a great body and beautiful hair. Those eyes! That smile! All of Cameron's friends loved him and he had some great friends. He was bright, intelligent, popular and caring. Cameron had saved his life and he was very grateful to him, but he knew he'd do that for anyone, it was just the sort of person he was. Plus, he had a really good family who loved him. He had a great future ahead of him and he didn't need a pennyless nobody bringing him down.

He said that he was gay, but he was way too good for Andrew. Whoever he finished up with would be somebody special, not a nobody who'd been rejected by his own family. Then, there was his family - Mr. Liam, Mrs. Black, Jonas and Lennie. They were all special people too. They'd been so good to him and made him so welcome here, he couldn't pay them back by fucking around with their no.1 son and brother.

He did his best to keep his distance from him, but it wasn't easy. It was bloody hard being so close to the perfect boy and knowing that he was not for him. Sooner or later, he was going to make a fool of himself and stuff things up if he stayed here, so he had to leave. The sooner the better.

If they got the contract, he'd be away working and living out in the huts for 5 or 6 days a week. He'd easily be able to keep busy around the land on the other days. He so hoped they got it, it would be perfect! If they didn't, well, he'd just carry on as he was, working hard and keeping his thoughts to himself and saving every penny until he had enough to go.

Cameron gave up. It was time to face reality, him and Andrew were never going to happen. He'd just have to get on with his life, somehow. He was not happy.

He was so not happy people were starting to notice. His mother and Giles both saw that he was miserable and asked him why, but he brushed them off and kept his troubles to himself. Gabriel was not so easily detered.

On Tuesday, Cameron went to Gabriel's place for lunch, which he did sometimes. After they'd eaten, Gabriel showed him a hilarious video that Garth had made of Molly Hawk and Teddy Tuna fighting over a string of sausages. (Teddy won). Cameron didn't even crack a smile.

"Okay, Cam, what's eating you?"

"Mmm? Oh, nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yeah, nothing. Just got things on my mind. Sorry."

"Yeah, I'm sorry too. What things? They must be heavy, I've never seen you so down."

"Just personal stuff. I'll get over it."

"I hope you do. Do you still want to suck my dick?"

"What? Shit, Gabe, no I do not!"

"Good, 'cause you're not going to. Tell me your problems. What's wrong, Cam?"

"Thanks, but there's nothing you can do."

"You don't know that. Tell me."

"All right then, it's Andrew," he sighed.

"Of course it is. I should've known. What's he done?"

"He hasn't done anything. He wouldn't."

"What's the problem then?"

"Don't give up easily, do you?"

"I don't give up at all. I killed a stag by hounding it for 4 days."

"You haven't got 4 days."

"Tell me now then. I love you, Cameron and I want to know what's wrong with you."

"Well . . okay. I'm in love with Andrew. It's stupid and it's hopeless, but I love him and he doesn't love me."

"Has he told you that?"

"No, but he doesn't have to. I've got eyes and I can see. He's way too good for me."

"Your eyes are full of shit. You are full of shit. No-one's too good for you, Cameron Black. Nobody!"

"Wish you were right, but you're not. He's way too good. He's a star. He's thinking about leaving, going to Christchurch. Dad's not going to like that."

"He's not. But what about you? Are you going to like it?"

"I'm not, but it's probably best. I'll get over him. I got over you."

"You just had the hots for me. I think this is much more serious."

'Yeah? Probably. Seriously hopeless."

"It's not hopeless. Damm, Cam. If I was gay, I'd be interested. You'd be a great catch for any gayboy. You've gotta, at least, tell him how you feel."

"Not going to happen. I wanted to, but I couldn't. Damm, look at the time! I've gotta go or I'm in trouble. I'm gone, Gabe. Thanks for lunch and, well, thanks. Catch you later."

"Okay. Short and sweet then. Go to school. Before you go, Giles lives out your way, doesn't he?"

"Giles? Yeah, just up the road a bit."

"And what's his surname? Something to do with cows, wasn't it?"

"No! His name is Townsend. Kids call him Cowsend. What do you want to know about Giles for?"

"Just wondering. Maybe I've got the hots for him."

"Yeah, right! That'd work. You're not gay and neither's he. Gotta go. 'Bye, Gabe. Love ya."

"Me too. 'Bye, Cam."

Cameron went running back to school. Gabriel cleaned up their lunch stuff, and he had a think. He had a think, he had an idea, and he made a phone call.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Mrs. Townsend?"

"That'd be right."

"Good. Mrs. Townsend, I'm Gabriel Ayres, I'm a friend of Gile's friend Cameron. I want to talk to Giles about him. Has he got a cellphone?"

"Yes, of course he has. 021 212363."

"Thanks, Mrs. Townsend. That's all I wanted."

"You're welcome. But don't call him yet, he's in school until 3.30."

"I'll call him then. Thanks."

3.30pm came, Gabriel stopped what he was doing, waited a couple of minutes, and then he made a phone call.

Giles gave Cameron a lift home. He often did now that he had his own car, but he refused to take him to school in the mornings. He said he wasn't waiting around for him to get his act together in the morning. He was a pain and always late. Besides, if he did take him in, the kids on the bus would be robbed of their early morning entertainment. But, he took him home. He was usually awake by then.

They pulled into the drive and stopped at the back of the house.

"The painting looks good. Is it all finished now?"

"It's finished," Cameron replied. "Andrew did the lot and everything that doesn't move around here has got a fresh coat of paint."

"He's done well. What's your dad got him doing now?"

"He's got him woking with him. They're fixing up the roof on the Memorial Hall, and then Andrew's going to paint it."

"Big job!"

"It is, but he'll do it. No sweat."

"He's a good worker."

"He's bloody incredible."

"He is. Okay, Cam, out you get. I've got things to do."

"I'm going. Thanks, Giles. 'Bye."

"Laters, Cam."

Cameron grabbed his bag, got out of the car and watched Giles back out of the drive. At the highway, he turned and headed off, back into town.

"What are you doing? You'd forget your head if it wasn't screwed on." Cameron went inside - time to eat!

Giles stopped in the carpark at the side of the Memorial Hall and Cameron's dad was leaving in his ute. So that was good timing.

"Hey, Mr. Black. Andrew around?"

"G'day, Giles. Yes, he's up on the roof. If you're talking to him, tell him I'll be back in 5 minutes."

"Okay, sure."

Mr. B left in a hurry and Giles ran up the ladder.