Year 4

There was no year 3. With one thing and another, there was no holiday in Kaimoana the following year, it just didn't happen.

With the downturn in the economy and all, Mr. Kersten's business was struggling. He had staffing problems and there was no time for a holiday. The Stones went to the Gold Coast, in Australia, to see Ethan's grandparents. It wasn't bad, it was an experience, but it cost a bloody fortune and they'd rather be in Kaimoana.

Next summer, emails were exchanged, and they all went back to their favourite place.

It was a tradition now, the (sort-of) annual Summer holiday staying at the Ocean View Motels in Kaimoana. There was some talk about, for once, holidaying somewhere else. John Stone was keen on going somewhere new, but he was over-ruled and they returned to Kaimoana. It was familiar territory and always a great place for a family holiday.

They were later than usual this year. Jared had already had his 14th birthday. ("A real teenager at last!") The kids were going to be late starting their school year, which they didn't mind at all.

The late start was Mrs. Kersten's fault. She wouldn't go on holiday until her Great-Aunt Mary was dead and buried. She was, finally, but she took her time about it! Mary was an old, old lady, she was ancient, but she was a tough old bird and she was a long time going.

She was in a hospice and had the best of care, but Mrs. K. couldn't leave until it was over. When she was a girl, Mary was like a grandmother to her. Ironic really. Sally Kersten's husband was a pharmacist and he knew the treatments for a thousand ailments, but he couldn't do anything about old age.

So, better late than never, they arrived for their holiday. The trip up was much more comfortable this time. They'd hired a 10-seater mini-coach. A wise decision and well worth the money it cost. They arrived and pulled up outside good old Unit 6. They all got out and stood, stretching limbs and looking around. Nothing had changed. It was like coming home, in a way.

Mr. and Mrs. Stone, smiling widely, came over to welcome them. Ethan hung back, looking out from the doorway of their unit.

Jared looked around for him. They looked each other up and down, their eyes met and they both looked away, strangely shy and embarrassed. They'd both grown and changed in the last 2 years.

Ethan was long, thin and surly-looking and he had an 'emo' look going on. He was all in black - black boots and low-slung baggy black jeans - the silver-studded wide leather belt looked like it was dragging them down rather than holding them up. His white-skinned mid-riff was bare because the tight top was way too short. There was some sort of red jewel in his navel and his wrists were covered in bangles, multi-coloured on the left arm and silver on the right. He wore a silver choker around his neck and his black hair, with fluorescent streaks in it, swept down and covered one side of his face. He was thin, white and sickly-looking.

Jared was much more fresh, wholesome and sporty-looking. He had white socks, with jandals, on his feet, brief white Adiddas sports-shorts, an over-sized white t-shirt cascading around him and a red cap jammed, sideways, on his spiked blond hair. His hair was blonder than ever. (He bleached it, and why not anyway?)

His skin was all healthy, tanned and golden-looking and he wore no jewellery, apart from his flashing turquoise-blue eyes and sparkling white teeth. He'd got taller too. His hips were still slim, but his shoulders were broad and powerful-looking.

They both looked good, but very different - like chalk and cheese.

"Jared?" Carrie said. "Aren't you going to say hello to Ethan?"

"Yeah. Hello Ethan." He picked up his bag and took it into their unit. Ethan went back into theirs and shut the door.

No-one said anything, they didn't want to start a teen tantrum, but at the shared barbecue later, the adults were all wondering why Jared and Ethan weren't talking. They had barely said half a dozen words to each other and were sitting separately in the motel yard - Jared with his brothers and Ethan, with Carrie, in the shade of a tree.

"Jared?" Mrs. Stone couldn't contain herself any longer. "Are you going to sleep over with us? With Ethan, I mean."

"No, I don't think so. We're too old for sleep-overs now."

"You are? That's a shame. You'll always be welcome you know."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks."

It was a warm evening and far too hot to be thinking about going to bed. Jared took his brothers over to the beach. Carrie stayed with the grown-ups, she was only 11, but she thought that she was one of them. The fathers went out for a beer and Ethan went for a walk, alone, up to the look-out on the hill.

It was a long evening. The sun was well-gone, behind the mountains, but the big yellow moon above the sea made it as bright as day, almost. There was a sunset, but it had faded and gone ages ago. The Kersten boys went back to their unit to go to bed for the night.

The little boys, Beau and Bobby, had the bunks and Jared took the single bed, threatening to thump them if they didn't shut up and go to sleep. It didn't work though. They weren't tired and way too excited for sleeping. Jared wasn't tired anyway, but he was not in the mood for talking and playing. He needed time to think about things.

What was up with Ethan? His best friend was like a stranger to him.

What was up with Jared? He'd changed so much. Ethan lay alone in his big bed and wondered where their friendship had gone.

Next day, they all went out for the day together, first on a jet-boat ride on the Kowhai River, and then for a picnic at the settlement of Oaro. Almost all of them - Ethan didn't. He refused to come, he wasn't interested and he hated this bloody place! They left him at the motel to spend the day alone.

Jared played with the kids, for a while, in the river-pool under the railway bridge at Oaro. But he got sick of that. The water was warm, but it wasn't even waist-deep, mostly. He went back over and stretched out on a towel near the mothers.

"Ethan didn't want to come with us?" Mrs. Kersten asked.

"No," Mrs. Stone replied. "I tried to get him to come, but he refused in no uncertain terms. Sunshine will dry you out and shrivel you up, don't you know? He doesn't want to look like a raisin."

"A raisin? Not much fear of that. Your boy's changed."

"He certainly has. Suddenly, we've got this surly, moody, impossible teenager on our hands. I know it's not easy on them, but he's bloody hard to live with."

"Tell me about it!" Mrs. K. laughed.

"But Jared's not like that. He's still a nice kid."

"Sometimes, yes, but he has his moments. They all do. It's part of growing-up, I think."

"You might be right. It's not easy on any of us, but they do grow up. It'll get better. I don't envy you, you've got to go through it another 3 times."

"We are. Worse luck."

Jared lay quietly thinking. Interesting to see how the parents saw things. He missed Ethan, missed the boy he was. He loved him - used to anyway. Where had he gone?

Jared had a girlfriend back at home, but it wasn't the same. There was no great romance there, no deep feelings. They really just went out together because it was convenient. Everyone their age was pairing-off and it was expected of them. They were good friends, but definitely not in love.

He used to be in love with Ethan. Did he still love him? He didn't know, they were strangers now.

The moon was even bigger and brighter that night. Must've been a full moon this time, surely. It was almost midnight when Jared got out of bed. He hadn't been sleeping, he needed a pee and wanted a drink.

He didn't bother turning the lights on, it was as bright as day out there. There was no coke left. 'Bloody Kids!' So he had a lemonade. Standing by the kitchen window, he saw Ethan come out of their unit across the way, and he headed out to the street, like a shadow in the night.

'Hmm. What are you up to and where are you going at this time of day?'

It was really none of his business, but he had to know, so he followed him. He went outside, slipped his feet into his jandals by the door and went out to the street.

There was no sign of Ethan in either direction, so he crossed over to look at the beach. He was there, standing down by the water in the moonlight.

There was sand below the wall, so he vaulted over and walked out to where the boy was standing. Ethan heard the crunching of the gravel under his feet, because he looked around, saw him coming, and then turned back again.

Jared walked over and stood quietly next to him, looking out across the water in the bay.

"Lost something?" Ethan asked without looking at him.

"Yeah. I have actually. I've lost something really, really valuable. Probably the most valuable thing I've had in my life."

"And you've lost it?" Now he looked at him. "What've you lost?"

"A friend. I've lost a beautiful boy named Ethan. Any idea where he went?"

"Jared! Oh Fuck, Jared. I miss you so much!"

"I'm right here, you Dork!" Jared grinned widely. "I'll always be here if you want me."

"I'll always want you," Ethan sobbed. "I love you, Jared. I love you."

"And I love you - very much." He kissed him.



Bobby woke in the morning. He looked down from the top bunk. Beau was gone from the bottom bunk and Jared wasn't in his bed either. He swung down and went out to the kitchen. His mother was sitting at the table, Beau and Carrie were on Carrie's bed, watching TV.

"Hey Mum! Where's Jared?"

"Good morning to you too. What do you mean, where's Jared? Isn't he in his bed?"

"No, he's not there."

"Well I've been up for hours and he hasn't been out here. Where would he be?"

"Mum!" Carrie looked around. "He'll be with Ethan, of course. Jared loves Ethan and Ethan loves him too."

"Do you think so? I thought it was all over with those two. They haven't been talking at all."

"It's not over. Not those two, they'll never be over."

"Let's hope you're right."

There was a knock at the door and Mrs. Stone came in. "Morning, Sally. Can I borrow some milk? We're a bit short."

"Yes, of course you can. Help yourself in the fridge there."

"Thanks." She opened the door. "I wouldn't ask, but we've got an extra for breakfast."

"An extra?"

"Yes. A very nice boy named Jared. You might know him?"

"Well, I used to," Mrs. Kersten grinned. "So Jared's back?"

"He's back and our laughing boy is back too. It's great."

"Yes, that's good. That's very good."