Andrew, 8

Whoah, it was a big roof!

Andrew was sitting up there, scrubbing at rust spots with a wire brush. He looked up as Giles walked, carefully, over to him.

"Hey, Giles."

"Hey." He sat down next to him. "You've got a big job here."

"Yeah. Big but straight forward. It won't take long."

"Probably not. Andrew, you're gay, aren't you?"

"You know that. I told you."

"You did. I'm not gay but Cameron is. What do you think of him."

"Cameron? Pretty cool. He's a nice guy."

"Cam is very cool. But what would you think of him as, well, as a boyfriend?"

"He'll be a great partner for somebody."

"I mean for you."

"Me? Oh no, I couldn't do that."

"Why not then? He's interested in you. I know that."

"No he wouldn't be. Cameron's not for me.""

"I don't see why not."

"Well I do. He's my boss' son and all of his family have been very good to me. I couldn't pay then back by stuffing around with Cameron. I made a mistake once and fucked up my life. That's not going to happen again."

"I don't think that would happen."

"I know it won't. It won't happen because I'm not going there. Not now, not ever."

"You're sure about this?"

"Very, very sure. Anyway, as soon as I've got enough money together, I'm out of here."

"Out of here? Are you leaving?"

"As soon as I can."

"Oh. But you do like Cameron?"

"Of course I do. He's been a good friend to me, the best I've ever had."

"Your friend, but not your boyfriend."

"Exactly. I've got to work, Giles. Mr. Liam's not paying me to sit talking."

"He's not. Okay, I'll let you get on with it, but think about Cam. Think hard."

"There's nothing to think about. Goodbye, Giles."

"Bye, Andrew."

Giles got down off the roof and walked away defeated. He went home to call Gabriel to tell him that he'd tried and failed. Andrew was too damm stubborn for him.

Andrew carried on scrubbing the roof and thinking. He'd like to get with Cameron. He'd love to, there was nothing he would like more, but that couldn't happen. Life was not that simple. He'd stuffed his own life up, he was not going to stuff Cameron's as well.

When Giles called Gabriel, he wanted a word by word replay of the conversation. He told him as well as he could remember.

"Okay," Gabriel said. "That didn't work. Cameron needs to talk to him directly."

"That won't work either. You said Cam told you that he can't get close to him. This kid's much more stubborn than Cam is, he'd never talk him round."

"Right. We'll just have to try plan B then."

"Plan B? You don't give up easily, Gabriel."

"I don't ever give up. I'll make some calls, and then get back to you and tell you what we're going to do."

"We? I think that we should drop it. It's hopeless and it's none of our business really."

"It is our business. Cameron said you're his best friend. Are you his friend or not?"

"Yeah, I am."

"We're going to help him then. I'll call you back."

Giles was not so sure about this, but, yeah, he'd go along. He'd like to see him happy, he was a misery-guts lately. Anyway, he'd only met Gabriel a couple of times, but he'd heard all about him. It sounded like the kid would make a good friend and he sure as hell didn't want him for an enemy. Cam said that the Wild Boy hadn't killed anybody - yet. He'd rather not be the first.

It was several hours before Gabriel called him back. Giles sister answered the phone and called for him. He came in and took the phone. "Thanks, Sis. Who is it?"

"I dunno. Some kid," she shrugged.

"'Kay. Thanks. Hello?"

"Hey Giles, this is Gabriel."

"Gabriel. Of course it is. Hello."

"Hi. Sorry it took so long. I had trouble getting hold of Dad. I've got a plan and I think it'll work. Can you go away for the weekend? With your car, of course, we'll need it."

"Yeah, that could be arranged."

"Arrange it then. Number two, have you got a tent? Not a big one, we need a small hiker's tent. Two man at the most. The only tent we've got is a huge three-room one and that'd be no use."

"I haven't got a tent, but Cameron has. I could borrow his one."

"That'd work. Get Cameron's tent. Get it off him before Friday, but tell him you only want to use it on Saturday night."

"On Saturday night?"

"Yeah. You're taking Cameron to the Taylor's Beach party on Friday night."

"Am I? We've done that before. I don't know about camping out this weekend. The weather's not too flash and the forecast is foul."

"I hope it is. I hope it's really wet. Don't worry, you and I are not sleeping in the tent. We'll be in a nice warm and dry house."

"Well, good! What do we need the tent for?"

"For Cameron."

"You're putting Cameron in a little tent in the rain? Gabriel, what are you plotting?"

"Not plotting, planning. We're going to fix Cam's life."

"I don't see how."

"Listen and I'll tell you."

Giles listened open-mouthed as Gabriel outlined his plan. He seemed to have everything worked out. It was bloody outrageous, and it was going to take a lot of hard work. Cameron was worth it, wasn't he? Yeah, he was. Okay, he'd go along with it, he couldn't think of anything else to try. If it worked, well, good!

On Wednesday, John and Garth came in from sea a day early. They unloaded at the wharf, and then went home. They walked into the house, and Gabriel grinned.

"Cool. Thanks Guys. I'll love you forever."

"You'd bloody better!" his dad replied.

Garth added, "If this plan doesn't work, it's all on your head, Gabe. We know nothing about it."

"It'll work, don't worry."

"It's not us who need to worry, it's you."

"Okay, Gabe, his dad said. "What've you done with the phone?"

"You're doing it now?"

"Sure I am. That's what we're here for. Where's the phone?"

"I think it's in my room. Hang on, I'll get it." Gabriel returned with the mobile, handed it to his dad and he made his call.

"Hello. Is this Liam Black? John Ayres here. I think we've got a job for you, a big one. We've got a house, on our property up back of Springs Junction, over the Lewis Pass. We want to build a second house there. Would you be interested? Yeah, 4 or 5 bedrooms. We'd want to approve the plans, but we'd leave the whole job to you - plumbing, wiring, everything. We just want to pick up the keys when you've finished.

Yes, we've got finance. You'd be paid cash, however you want it. Good then. We're tied up for this week, but you could maybe come up there with us next Tuesday? Spend the night if you like, you'll be our guest.

Okay, great. Thanks, Liam. Pleasure doing business with you. The second thing is, Gabriel, our son, is a friend of your Cameron. You know of him? Yes, that's him, the Wild Boy. Gabriel and Giles have got this scheme and they want to take Cameron and Andrew away for the weekend, Friday night until Sunday. But it's a surprise, they are to know nothing about it. I think they're taking them up to our home. Is that all right with you?

Okay, great. Thanks, but remember, don't tell them. We're going back to sea, I'll ring you on Monday. Bye now."

He disconnected and grinned, "Happy now? You owe me, My Son."

"Very happy. Thanks, Dad. You're the best. He said it's all right?"

"He said it's fine by him. It'd do them both good to have a break but good luck getting Andrew to go anywhere."

"He'll go. He's not getting a choice."

"I suspected that. You be nice to your friends, Gabe."

"Always. They'll come back smiling or they won't come back at all."

"I wish you hadn't said that. We don't want to know any more."

Also on Wednesday, Giles drove Cameron home from school and he stopped to pick up the tent which Cameron had said he could borrow. Cameron brought the tent and gear out and dropped them in the boot. "I wish you'd tell me why you want it."

"For sleeping in of course."

"But where are you going and who with?"

"Gentleman doesn't kiss and tell, Cam."

"A gentleman? You? That'll be the day."

"Shut up. You know what I mean. Is that the lot? 'Kay, thanks Mate. See you tomorrow.

"Yeah, 'bye. Be good - until the weekend anyway."

"Yeah. About the weekend, are you going to the party Friday Night? I'll give you a lift in."

"I wasn't going to."

"Come on, Cam, you've gotta come. You haven't been for ages and you'll turn into an old granddad if you're not careful. Why don't you ask Andrew if he wants to come too?"

"Andrew wouldn't come. He never goes anywhere."

"Yeah, he's getting like a granddad too. You need to come to show him that life's about having fun, not just working and sleeping.."

"You might be right. Yeah, okay, I'll come. I'm not getting ripped though, that's not fun."

"A little bit can be. Okay, I'll pick you up about 7.30 Saturday night."

"Right, see you then. Don't be late."

"Whatever."

Giles drove home feeling well pleased with himself. That went well. One more step in Gabriel's devious plan. It was going good and just might work at this rate. What was the worst that could happen? Well, they could kill somebody. He sure hoped not. He didn't want to think about that, but Gabriel had better know what he was doing or they were in major trouble!

As soon as he got home, he rang Gabriel for reassurance, again. Gabriel just laughed. "No worries. I know this stuff, I've been using it since I was a little kid. When you're dealing with injured wild creatures, you need it."

"But have you used it on a person?"

"Not a human one, no. But it'll work."

Friday night came. Their arrangements were made and everything was ready to go. Gabriel told Giles, for the 100th time that it'd be okay. Giles sat in his car and sighed.

"I could do with a drink."

"Don't be dumb. Wouldn't help. It'd just make you silly."

"I need a toke then."

"That's worse. C'mon, Giles, it's time. Let's do it."