Year 6, 3

The further along the track they went, the easier the walking was. By the time they walked under the 'maori' archway and out into the settlement of South Bay, the track was easily wide and flat enough to drive a car along it. Talking quietly and secure in their own little world, they were still holding hands and didn't even know it. They were soon reminded though.

They were passing in front of the big open door on the front of a workshop/shed, Griffin Marine Engineering, and 2 big uncouth types there sneered at them.

"Fucking queers!"

"Yeah, Fuck off, Queers. Keep that stuff in the bedroom where decent people don't have to look at it.

'Decent people?'

They looked at them. Ethan tried to pull his hand away, but Jared held tight and wouldn't let go. Fuck 'em anyway. He knew these two, he remembered them from years and years ago. They were the same two who were giving Ethan a hard time on the beach that day. They were older and bigger now, but it was them, he was sure of it. They hadn't changed.

"Grow up, why don'cha?" He sneered back at them.

"Jared, don't!" Ethan protested.

Jared spoke to Ethan but looked defiantly at the other two and spoke loud enough for them to hear. "Don't worry about them, My Friend. We smacked these two over when we were 10 and we'll do it again."

There was no answer and they kept on walking, still with their hands linked. When they were out of earshot, he let Ethan go. "I hate idiots like them."

"Don't hate them," Ethan replied. "You're better than that."

"Yeah? So are you, much better."

"I thought that we were in trouble there."

"No. Those type are cowards, usually. Stand up to them and they'll back off."

"Usually, but not always. You think they're the same two you saved me from on the beach that day."

"They are, I'm sure of it. Can't be that many of them around here. Anyway, I didn't just save you, you saved me too."

"I did, didn't I?" Ethan grinned. "I had to, you were fighting for me. You're an awesome kid, Jared."

"So are you, totally awesome. We should thank them really."

"We should thank those creeps? Why?"

"Because if it wasn't for them, we might never have got together. I was getting nowhere with you until then."

"Well, I was shy."

"You're not now. I love you, Ethan."

"I love you too. Shall we go back and thank them then?"

"I don't think so. Keep walking, Dork."

"Oh? I'm a dork, am I?"

"Yeah, but you're my dork."

"And you're my one."

"Oh, yah!"

In the racecourse, near the corner where the road met the highway, a tall blond guy was running around the track at an impossible speed. They stopped and watched, he was impressive. A smaller dark-haired youth cheered him on from the side and timed him with a stop-watch. The runner completed another circuit, breasted an imaginary finishing tape and stopped, panting.

"Awesome, Lachlan!" The dark-haired youth yelled. "Simply fucking awesome! And the crowd goes wild. Yay, yay, yay!" He danced around waving his hands in the air.

"Shut up, Virgil," the blond grinned. "You're an idiot!"

"I am not!"

"Yeah you are. Those guys think you are too." He nodded at Jared and Ethan, over the fence.

"Hey!" The guy, Virgil, turned and looked at them. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Well," Ethan grinned. "If it looks like one and it sounds like one . . ."

"Shut the fuck up," he grinned back. "No-one asked for your opinion. Lachie, that was your best time ever. You just keep on getting better and better."

"You think?"

"I've got the timer, haven't I?" He showed the stopwatch. "Next time we go to Westpoint, you'll leave Superboy for dead."

"Not likely," Lachlan snorted. He picked his clothes up and shrugged into his top. "No-one beats Superboy - nobody!"

"Superboy?" Jared wondered aloud.

"Yeah, Superboy." Virgil turned around. "He's a guy over in Westpoint and he's a fucking awesome runner. Probably the best, until now. He's my cousin too, well, distantly he is."

"He sounds good."

"He is, he's very good. Not as good as Lachlan though."

"Shut up, Virgil," Lachlan blushed. "He is too, he's way better. Hey, Guys. I'm Lachlan and this is Virgil, who are you"

"Hey, Lachlan. Hey, Virgil. I'm Jared and he's Ethan. We're from Christchurch and we're holidaying here."

"Of course you are," Virgil grinned. "Honeymooning, are you?"

"Honeymooning? What makes you think that?"

"Well, there is this." Virgil held his hands up and clasped them together.

"Oh." Jared and Ethan both looked down and blushed. They were holding hands again and didn't know it.

"Oh, yeah," Ethan said. "Yes, we're a couple. We've been together for years and what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing wrong with that," Lachlan replied. "Absolutely nothing. If I thought there was I wouldn't have a boyfriend and neither would Virgil."

"Oh?" said Jared. "You guys are a couple too?"

"No, they're not," said Ethan.

"They're not? How do you know that?"

"Because Lachlan's with Gary, at the art shop. Aren't you? There can't be 2 Lachlan's in a town this size."

"There isn't," Virgil replied. "There's only room enough for one."

"Don't be cheeky," Lachlan grinned. "Yeah, Gary is my mate. How do you know that?"

"We were talking to what's-his-name, the red-haired guy at the Craypot Cafe, he told us."

"Jacob," Virgil nodded. "What's-his-name's name was Jacob."

"It probably still is."

"Don't be smart, Lachie." Virgil took his cell out and looked at it. "Are you guys going into town? I'm going there in a minute if you want a lift."

"That'd be great, thanks," Jared replied. "We've done enough walking. But how are you going to give us a lift? I don't see any cars."

"We haven't got one, but there's one on the way. Joel's coming to get me."

"And Joel is?"

"The best boy in the world. Joel's my mate."

"Maybe one of the best." Ethan put his hand on Jared's shoulder.

"Yeah, one of them." Jared put his hand over Ethan's.

"Ain't love grand?" Virgil smiled. "Here's my Joel coming now. Where are you guys staying?"

"The Ocean View Motel, on the Esplanade. Do you know it?"

"Of course we know the Ocean View," Lachlan beamed. "Gary owns it."

Jared said, "Of course he does. Your Gary must be really rich."

"Yes and no. He would have a lot, but it's all tied-up in investments. He's never got a dollar to spend. Borrows off me half the time and I'm definitely not rich."

"The rich boyfriend borrows money off you? That's not right."

"No, it's not like that. He pays me back and he'd give me anything I wanted, I just don't ask. It's good to see him being wise with his money, and he is."

"Your Gary's a good guy then?"

"He is. He's the best."

"No, he's not," Virgil said. "Here's the best boy now.

A big old Chevy pulled up ahead of the two on the road.

"All right! We're outta here." Virgil vaulted the fence. "See you, Lachie."

"Yeah, later, My Friend. See you around, Guys." Lachlan waved to Joel and started walking home.

Ethan said, "He doesn't live with Gary then?"

"No, he lives up the road, with his parents. Joel lives with Gary."

"Your boyfriend lives with Lachlan's boyfriend."

"Yeah, in separate rooms. They're cousins."

"Small town."

"Very small town. Hey Joel, how's it?"

"It's good, Gorgeous Boy. Who've you got here?"

"A couple of strays. Jared and Ethan. They're staying in the Ocean View. Can we give them a lift into town?"

"Sure we can. Hey, Guys. Jump in the back."

Jared opened the door and they both got in. Virgil sat in the front seat and started rummaging through the glove-box. Joel shook his head at him.

"So, you guys want to go to the Ocean View?"

"Yeah, we're staying there. Just anywhere in town would be good, thanks."

"We'll take you there, it's not far out of our way. Staying there with your family, are you?"

"No," Ethan smiled. "Just us. We've been there before, but this is our first holiday alone together."

"You're a couple? Very cool. Virgil, what are you doing there?"

"Looking for my CD. Where've you put it?"

"Of course you are. You won't find it in there."

"Where then? C'mon, Joel, hand it over. I want to hear my CD."

"For the millioneth time. Okay, here it is."

"Cool! Ta very much and don't hide it from me again." Virgil took it from him and put it in the slot. "Where's the cover, Joel Stafford? You scratch this CD and you're in fucking big trouble!"

"Thought I might be," Joel grinned. "And, he presses 'start'," (Virgil pressed 'start'). "And, he presses 'select', and he selects track 4 and he sits back grinning."

"Shut up and listen."

"I've heard it before. I sung the bloody thing!"

"You did, and you did it brilliantly."

Virgil swung around and looked at the 2 in the backseat. "Listen to this, Guys. Best song in the world. It's live, on stage, too, at the show last year. Bloody brilliant!"

There was some crowd murmuring from the speakers, it stopped when a piano started. They lay back in their seats to listen to the quiet music, but the tempo quickly increased. The singer's voice started, loud and clear, "To dream the Impossible Dream."

Jared and Ethan both sat up listening carefully. The song went on as they went over the hill, along the crowded main street and up the Esplanade. They didn't even see the sights, they were looking at the speakers. The final crashing notes sounded as they pulled into the Motels' driveway and they sat motionless and speechless.

Virgil swung around to look at them agian, grinning widely. "Well, is that good or what?"

"Wow!"

"Double wow. Damm, Joel, was that really you? That was awesome. Just awesome."

"Fucking good, eh? Virgil beamed. "That's my boy!"

"I've never heard anything like it," Ethan said. "Not my sort of music, but that was great."

"It was," Jared agreed. "Where can we get a copy of that?"

Virgil said, "Gary sells them, in his Emporium. It's on the True Story of Kaimoana CD."

"We're going there tomorrow," Ethan nodded. "We've gotta get that. Wow."

Joel said, "The piano was Gary. It wouldn't be the same without him."

"You a professional singer?"

"No, I work for Baker Brothers. Very handy too, I live upstairs from them."

"With Gary, yeah. You're a talented family."

"Just the best," Virgil beamed. "Okay, you're home. Bugger off now, we've got things to do."

"Yeah? So have we. Thanks for the lift."

"Not a problem. We'll see you around."

"Hope we do. We might want you to autograph that CD. 'Bye."

"'Bye already. Go!"

They got out and waved as the car drove away.

"Ethan, I do like this town. More and more."

"Me too. But let's go inside and shut the world out now."

They did.

They went out for a walk later, a bit after midnight. It was Ethan's idea, of course, and Jared wasn't letting him go out there alone. They weren't gone long, not even an hour. They went along the moon-lit beach and back by the quiet main street and the Esplanade. They didn't see a soul the whole time they were walking, just a couple of passing cars.

It was a pleasant, quiet night, but a bit chilly. Especially when you're wearing nothing but shorts and t-shirts. They went back to bed, where it was warm.