Lorne & Logan, 6

They spent the evening and late into the night; Dan watched TV while the boys played on the computer. He went to bed, about midnight, and told them not to stay up all night – they needed to get some sleep.

After Dan had gone, Logan asked, “Where am I going to sleep?”

“In my bed with me,” Lorne grinned. “As long as you want to, of course. I could sleep out here, on the couch, and you can have the bed.”

“Of course I want to sleep with you! No way are you sleeping on the couch. I'm not putting you out of your own bed.”

“You're the guest here, so you get the best place.”

“The best place is where you are, Lorne. Nowhere else.”

“That's, umm . . that's good. Thanks, Logan. I love you.”

“I love you too – lots and lots. Now your dad's gone, at last, I'll show you some stuff that will blow your mind.”

“Porn stuff?”

“Well, yeah!”

“Cool. What've you got?”


They slept late in the morning, which suited Dan. That meant he could spend some time on the new computer. He knew he was being nosy, but he couldn't resist and he had a look at the History to see exactly what they were looking at last night.

He didn't suceed though. He noted, with a grin, that the browsing history, and also the temporary internet pages were as clean as a whistle – everything in them had been deleted.

'Oh well,' he mused. 'It's none of my business and I shouldn't be looking anyway. They must've been somewhere they didn't want me to know though.'

It was getting on for lunchtime when the boys emerged. Lorne came out first and had a quick shower. He then dressed and started cooking a late breakfast while Logan showered as well.

'Funny,' Dan thought. 'I'm sure I heard them showering last night. When did they get dirty?' He logged-off and stood up.

“Computer's all yours, if you want it. I'm going down to the lake – fishing.”

“Thanks, Dad. But we don't want it yet. Logan wants a guided tour around the property today.”

“Fair enough. Have fun but be careful if you go off the tracks. There are dozens of old mineshafts out there and the timbers over most of them are well-rotted by now.”

“Dad! I know where the shafts are.”

“Ah, but do you know everyone of them? There could be others that you haven't discovered yet. This whole area was worked over a hundred years ago and there are old shafts and exploratory diggings everywhere.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know all that. I grew up here, remember?”

“Okay, Clever Clogs. You haven't finished growing up yet and you don't know everything. All I'm saying is – be careful out there.”

“We will. Thanks, Dad.”

They ate – bacon and eggs with fried green tomatoes, sliced gherkins and onion rings with thick slabs of coarse brown bread.

“Just great, thanks, Lorne.” Logan sat back smiling and sipping his coffee. “A breakfast fit for a king.”

“He'd be a fat king if he ate like that all of the time! But, once in a while is good for a treat.”

“It would. I s'pose you'll tell me that everything was off your property here?”

“Well it was. Not the bread though. We baked it but the flour was bought in town. Everything else, including the bacon, was home-grown.”

“I'm impressed. But the coffee wasn't, was it?” Logan raised his mug.

“Ah, but it was. That's not real coffee, it's a coffee-substitute made from dandelion roots and we grew them. The milk's from our goats. The sugar was store-bought though.”

“You must live quite cheaply really?”

“We do, but it takes a lot of work.”

“You're not working today though.”

“I'm not. I've got better things to do today, and tomorrow too. Thanks for coming to stay, Logan.”

“Thanks for having me.”

“Oh,” Lorne grinned. “I'll have you anytime, My Friend.”

“Choice,” Logan blushed and grinned.

They cleaned up, which only took a few minutes despite having no dishwasher. Logan was horrified. Lorne said that they'd never had one – they were too hard on the power.

“We used to generate our own electricity too, but a flood wrecked everything and Dad decided not to fix it. It was easier, and cheaper, to connect us to the national grid. So now we have unlimited power and bills to pay every month.”

They went out walking and exploring. At first, Logan was delicately picking his way along the drier edges of the narrow, wet and muddy tracks, but Lorne laughed at him and called him a 'Real Townie'.

“Just plow through the middle of it. The puddles are only a few centimeters deep, you won't drown.”

“But I'll get my sneakers all mucky!”

“So? A bit of mud and water won't hurt them. We'll wash our feet in the river when we get back.”

“Oh, okay. I suppose you've done that before?”

“Hundreds of times. I'd go barefoot but you never know when there's going to be something sharp in there.”

“Talking from experience?”

“Definitely!”

“Lorne, this is a big property you've got here.”

“It's big. 150 hectares is a lot of land, more than the whole of Okarito, and a lot of it is on hills – if you flattened it out it'd probably be about 200 hectares – there are smaller farms.”

“Wow. That's a lot of land!”

“Yep. We don't use most of it. It's just regenerating bush and wilderness with a couple of plantations here and there.”

“Regenerating?”

“Yeah. Hard to believe, but a hundred and something years ago this whole area was basically bare earth and rocks.”

“It was?” Logan looked up at the trees towering above them. “Really?”

“Yes, really. I'll show you some old photos when we go back. The early miners weren't good conservationists and they made a right mess of things. They cleared a lot of the bush by setting fire to it and the land was dug-up and turned over, trenched and sluiced. There was even a dredge working along the river for a while, but not for long. They dug it all up, left long rows of boulders in their tailings, and then they gave up – not enough money in it, I guess.

They just walked away and left the place looking like a war had been fought here. They wouldn't get away with that today, and good job too!”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Logan stood looking around. “It has recovered well though, hasn't it? You wouldn't know that this wasn't all virgin forest.”

“You'd know if you looked close,” Lorne grinned. “Ain't no virgins around here – not any more.”

“No, there's not,” Logan grinned back.

“Anyway.” Lorne started walking again. “The land recovers. One thing that the Wet Coast is good at is growing trees – leave it alone and the bush will bounce back. The City Greenies who want to lock everything up never seem to understand that. Trees are just vegetables after all. Cut one down and a dozen more will spring up to take its place.”

“Given time.”

“Yeah, time, and that's what we're giving it.”

“So, where are all these mineshafts that we have to stay away from?”

“Oh, here and there. There's one just here that I want to show you.”

“What? In the hillside?”

“Yep. They're not all vertical, some are horizontal – like this.”

He pulled back the greenery to reveal a dark tunnel in the cliff-face. It was narrow – less than 2 meters wide – and relatively tall – about 4 meters and arched at the top.

“Come in here, Logan.”

“In there? Is it safe?”

“It's safe. The old-time miners knew what they were doing. This tunnel has stood here, with no support apart from its shape, for well over a hundred years and it'll probably still be here in another hundred.”

“It's dark in there!” Logan protested.

“Only for a bit. Your eyes soon get used to it and it's not that long – it's a tunnel right through the hill. There's a secret valley at the other end and you've gotta see that.”

“Um, okay.” Logan followed him inside. “Are you sure this is man-made? I mean, it looks like a natural cave.”

“Only around the entrance where there's enough light for moss to grow. Back in here you can still see the marks of their picks on the walls.”

“You can! It's like time has stood still.”

“Well, sort-of. There's no weather in here to smooth the rough edges.”

“Are you sure it's safe, Lorne?”

“I'm sure. I wouldn't take you anywhere dangerous. Well, as sure as you can be – there could be an earthquake in 5 minutes time, and everything would come crashing down.”

“Thanks for that thought.” Logan looked up at the roof above them. “What's that funny smell? There's no gas in here, is there?”

“No, Logan, there's no gas,” Lorne laughed. “It's not a coalmine. What you can smell is fresh air. I know that's foreign to a townie-boy, but it won't hurt you.”

“Shut up, Country-Mouse!” Logan grinned.

They walked up the slight rise through the tunnel, it wasn't long, the other end was clearly visible and getting larger. Water trickled down the channel on the right of the path but where they walked was high and dry. Logan trod along carefully, the clay floor was a bit greasy underfoot and his sneakers were still coated in mud.

Over three quarters of the way through and nearing the other end, Lorne stopped so suddenly that Logan, watching his feet and the wet patch on the ground, bumped into him. “Whoops. Sorry.”

“S'okay. Can you feel it – the air?”

“The air? Yeah.”

They'd been walking into a gentle draft, but now instead it blowing in their faces it was coming straight down on them. Logan looked up and, “Whoah – awesome!”

They were standing below a circular shaft and the circle of blue sky, criss-crossed with branches, was high above them.

“Pretty cool, isn't it?” Lorne grinned.

“It is! Very much so. This is man-made too, I suppose? Were they digging a well, or was it a humungous long-drop?”

“No, it's not a dunny and not a well either – there's no shortage of water around here. Granddad said that the miners started digging from the top. It was an exploratory shaft for a start and the tunnel came later.”

“Oh. Did they find any gold?”

“Not in here. It was all a complete waste of time and effort, but there was plenty of gold out in the valley ahead of us. It was worked for years and was one of the richest pockets around. It was worked twice actually.”

They walked outside into a green scene that could've come straight out of Jurassic Park. The steep-sided walls of the small valley rose high above them, all coated and covered with green moss and ferns. Slender-trunked trees rose from the valley floor. High overhead, their branches clawed for the sky and competed for the light.

It was a thin and broken roof above them and it definitely would not be waterproof on a rainy day, but it was a roof nonetheless. The whole valley was roofed with a network of slender branches and green leaves.

The path wound along, halfway up the side of the valley and sloping downwards. It was covered in a thick carpet of fallen leaves that crunched and squelched underfoot.

“So, this is your secret valley?”

“Yep. Very secret and don't you tell Dad about this. He knows nothing about it and that's good.”

“Why don't you want him to know? It's his land isn't it?”

“Only for his lifetime. This is my secret valley and what he doesn't know won't hurt him.”

“Just your secret place. Thanks for showing to to me.”

“It's not just that it's a secret, there's more to it than that. You see all of these leaves on the ground?”

“Well, yeah – there's millions of them.”

“There is, and look how thick they are.” Lorne dragged his foot and scratched a trench through the carpet. “They've been dropping here for a hundred years, more or less. If Dad knew about this he'd strip the place bare again and he'd have the lot for mulch in the gardens. He's not getting them. He can get his mulch somewhere else, this is mine. They're like a bandage covering the land and helping to repair it.”

“I see! You're like a Greenie then.”

“Not really, but I'm the guardian of my valley. Grandad knew and loved it, and now it's mine.”

“Good for you then. This whole area was worked over by the miners?”

“They made the valley. It was all carved out by high-pressure water-guns and washed away to get at the gold.”

“Where did all of the dirt go?”

“Through the bottom tunnel, over the long-toms and riffle-tables and out into the river.”

“A big operation!”

“It was, kind-of. Dozens of miners worked in here over the years and after they were finished, the Chinese were allowed in to work it again. You see all these stones along here?”

“Those stonewalls?”

“Yeah. They've all been stacked tidily by hand. That's how you can tell that Chinese miners were in here. The Europeans didn't stack the stones, they just flung them any old how.”

“So the Chinese were tidier, and more thorough too, I suppose? There can't have been much gold for them if it had been worked over before.”

“There wasn't much, but they worked hard and they made a living – scarcely.”

“Why did they bother? There were plenty of other places that they could've had first go at, weren't there?”

“There weren't any. The Chinese were only allowed onto ground that others had already had before them.”

“Why was that”

“Because they were all a pack of racist bastards!” Lorne was flushed with anger now. “Sorry, Logan, but I get mad every time I think about it. People came here from all over the world, mostly from Europe, Aussie and America, and they all treated the Chinese like shit. Bastards!”

“Didn't the Police and the Government have anything to say about that?”

“The New Zealand Government were the worst of the bloody lot of them. The Prime Minister made a public apology for the way they were treated – with extra taxes and quotas and everything – but it was too bloody late, a hundred years too late.”

“Whoah. You get worked up about this, don't you?”

“I do. Sorry. I know it was a different time and the world's moved on, but it was still disgusting.”

“I guess every society needs someone to put-down – like gays today.”

“Exactly. Come on, time we moved on too. That's the bottom tunnel where the water ran out of here.”

“I hope we're not going through there. It's small and dark and there's water in there.”

“Some water, yeah. There used to be much more. They brought it in here on a wooden viaduct, but that's collapsed and gone years ago. We go back the way we came in, it's easier.”

“Drier too – and that's good.”

Back out on the track, they carried on up a hill and into a pine forest. It was very different in there, it was dark under the trees as the direct sunlight never reached the ground. The bare-trunked trees were all planted in straight lines, more or less, and there was hardly any undergrowth at all. Apart from fallen twigs and pine-cones everything was under a mantle of dead, brown pine needles. Even the few large rocks were shrouded in needles.

“This is like an enchanted forest,” Logan exclaimed, “like the ones you read about in fantasy stories. It's magic in here!”

“Not really,” Lorne replied. “There's no magic here – well, apart from these.” He pointed to a cluster of red-capped, white-spotted fungi of various sizes, small to large.

“Toadstools? Oh, yeah, like pixies, or whatever, make their houses in in fairy stories. They're not really magic, are they?”

“Some people say they are. They often grow under pine trees and they're called 'magic mushrooms', but they're not really. These red ones are Fly Agaric. You can get high with them, but you can also die, they're highly poisonous.

The real magic mushrooms are Amanita Muscaria. They're a much stronger hallucogenic and you can eat them. They go well dried and chopped-up in salads – which can make for interesting barbeques and family dinners!

It's actually illegal in NZ to possess or purchase magic mushrooms, which is crazy because they're quite common, they grow everywhere.”

“Just as well they don't grow here or you'd be possesing them.”

“Yeah, just as well,” Lorne grinned. “They don't grow here – they're growing over there.” He pointed to a cluster of smaller, shiny and waxy looking, brown-capped fungi growing on a rotten log.

“They are the real thing?”

“They are. Told you, they grow everywhere. You'll find them in most pine forests and look how many there are!”

“So,” Logan eyed the mushrooms speculatively, “You can just pick them and eat them and get high?”

“No, you can not! And we're not even going to try. I don't do drugs, Logan, and I really hope you don't too. But, if you were going to use them, you'd have to dry them first. Or, you could boil them and then drink the water. That works but gives a much milder effect. Eating them works best.”

“Hey! For someone who doesn't do drugs, you sure know a lot about them.”

“Sure I know. I grew up in a hippie commune remember? The remains of one anyway. Actually,” he looked up, “these trees were here before the commune. They're all about 30 years old now and overdue for harvesting. They were one of the main reasons why they bought the place.”

“For the mushrooms under them?”

“No, for the trees, as an investment. Shame it didn't work out. Dad and the others pruned and tended all these trees for years and years and now they're worth nothing.”

“Because?”

“I told you – there's no local sawmill anymore and trucking them all the way to the nearest mill would cost more than they're worth..”

“That's a bugger. Couldn't you cut them up and sell them for firewood?”

“Could, I guess, but it'd be a lot of work and Dad's not interested. I think he's so disappointed he just doesn't want to know about them.”

“Maybe you could make a job for yourself – get a truck, chainsaw and axes and you could be in business.”

“Yeah, maybe. I don't know what I'm going to do. What are you going to do when you leave school, Logan?”

“Celebrate!”

“Shut up.”

They carried on with their tour of the property. The monoculture of the pines ended abruptly and they were back in the native bush which was much more varied and tangled with the dense undergrowth of the rain-forests. They climbed a short, steep, rise and emerged into a rocky clearing where there was a commanding view down over the valley, to the highway and beyond.

“Wow!” Logan stood on a boulder and looked out. “I knew we were climbing, but never knew we were getting so high up.”

“We've been climbing ever since we left the house,” Lorne replied. “This is just about the highest point on our land. It's a lot easier going back, it's all downhill from here.”

“I'm pleased to hear it.”

They took their time going back, there was still so much to see, and it was late afternoon when the got back to the house. They couldn't go straight inside though, first they had to wash the cloying mud off their sneakers. Their clothes were muddy as well, they'd both slipped and sat down out there.

They clambered down the bank to the river. There was a small, flat and pebbly beach and a wide and shallow underwater shelf before the water got deeper. Well, as deep as it got, it was only a little river.

Logan was bending over, with his back to him, washing his feet in the ankle-deep water. Lorne grinned wickedly and said, “Your clothes are muddy too.” And he pushed him.

With a startled yelp, hands flung out in front of him, Logan fell forwards and plunged into the deeper water. He came up spluttering, spitting water and glaring at him.

“Oh, you'll pay for that, Country Boy!” And he rushed at him.

Lorne took off, downstream, towards the road bridge, but was laughing too much to run. Logan tackled him from behind and carried him down into the water.

They came up laughing and stood face-to-face wrestling and both trying to throw the other down again. Lorne made the mistake of stepping back and Logan lunged and they both went underwater again. They rolled and wrestled and played in the shallow water like a couple of seal pups, laughing all the time.

Gasping for breath, face-up, when his head touched the shallows, Lorne hunched himself back so that his head and shoulders were up on the shelf. He was beaten. Logan was fitter and stronger than he was.

He didn't look very fit though. Logan crawled up out of the water and stopped, on his hands and knees and breathing hard. Their eyes met and they both grinned widely. It was a great moment.

Logan leaned across, lowered his head and he kissed him. Lorne wrapped his arms around him, pulled him down on top of himself and he kissed him back. “I love you, Logan.”

“I love you more than that.”

Lorne sighed as he sat up. It was the perfect end to the perfect day. He looked up and it really was the end. His heart sunk like it was made of lead.

Lorne & Logan, 5

Back to school. It was just another day, nothing much happened, except for one thing, that is. Logan didn't get involved in any games, he was busy. He spent all the time he could talking to Lorne. They both thought, said and agreed that for two kids from totally different backgrounds, they sure had a lot in common. They thought alike on practically every subject.

Neither of them said anything, but they were both aware that people were watching and there were some disapproving looks – like it was anyone's business who they talked to?

After school, they left together but didn't go to Logan's house. They walked across town to where Lorne's dad was working at the Thomas' place – putting up a glasshouse. They got to the Ute, which was parked out in the street. Lorne opened the passenger's side door and threw his bag in.

“The truck's not locked,” Logan commented.

“No, it never is. Dad's in there and who'd want to steal this old thing anyway?”

“Probably no-one. You just sit and wait, do you?”

“Yep. Sit and wait and do my homework. It's usually finished before we get home.”

“That's smart. This must be your dad coming now?”

A tall well-built guy with thinning blond hair was coming up the driveway.

“Yeah, that's him. Hey Dad, how's it going?”

“Going good. I'll probably finish up here early today. I'll take you home, clean up, and then I'm coming back to town. I've got a couple of things to take care of and I'll be late home tonight. Is this your friend Logan?”

“Yes, this is him. Logan, this is my dad, Dan Beynon.”

“Hey, Mr. Beynon.”

“Hello Logan. Call me Dan, that's my name.”

“Hey, Dan then.” Logan grinned and got a smile in return.

“I stayed at Logan's place last night. He lives with his mum and two brothers, in Reid Street.”

“And you stayed with them? You know you're supposed to go to Shane's if I've gone without you.”

“I know, but I don't like Shane and he doesn't like me either. I'd rather be with Logan.”

“It's good that you could then. You've got a mother and brothers, Logan, is there a father anywhere?”

“Yeah. My father lives in Franz. He walked out on Mum years ago and he's got a new wife. We call her the Bitch.”

“You don't get on then. At least you've got a mother.”

“Yeah, Mum's great. She works full-time, in an office, to support us all.”

“A busy lady. Do you help her?”

“Yeah, I do, a bit. We've got grandparents, Mum's mum and dad, and they help a lot with looking after the kids.”

“That's good. My father was a big help for us when Lorne was younger. I'd better get back to work; it's not going to finish itself. Nice to meet you, Logan. Thanks for looking after my boy last night.”

“No problem, Mr. Dan. It was a pleasure. Mum says he can come and stay any time he likes.”

“That's good. Tell her I said thanks, I appreciate that. See you later, Boys.” He lifted a box out of the back of the ute and went back inside and behind the house.

“I'll go too so you can start on the homework. See you tomorrow, Lorne.”

“Yeah, tomorrow. Thanks for everything, Logan. You're a good mate.”

“I am, aren't I,” Logan grinned. “You're not too bad yourself. 'Bye Lorne.”

“'Bye my Friend.”

Lorne's dad finished work early, just as he said he would, and he drove them home. He didn't have a lot to say and never mentioned going home without him the day before. Obviously it was all Lorne's fault for not being there on time and that was the end of it.

He did want to know about Logan and his family, and Lorne told him that they were great people. He really liked all of them, even the little brothers. He wished that he had brothers.

“Well, you don't.”

They arrived home, Dan said that he didn't have much time and he was in a hurry to leave again. “I'm going to get a quick shower and shave. While I'm doing that you can take one of those banana boxes by the door and fill it up with fruit and vegetables. Pick the best you can find and put in a good variety of stuff. When you've done that, leave it in the truck, get the fire going and you can feed yourself, okay?”

“Yeah, sure, Dad. But who are they for?”

“Just someone in town. We're never going to eat a fraction of what's there even with the chooks and the pig helping. Oh, put some fresh eggs in there too.”

Lorne had barely finished filling the carton when Dan, all cleaned and dressed up, came rushing out again. “All done? Great. Thanks for that. I'm outta here. Don't forget to feed the livestock and I'll see you in the morning, don't wait up. 'Bye, Son.”

“'Bye, Dad.” Lorne watched old truck leave, and then went inside to feed himself first – he was hungry. The livestock could wait a bit.

He was quite capable of looking after himself, that was how he'd been raised, but he did get lonely sometimes. He still missed his granddad and he so envied Logan, at home with his family around him. He wished that he was there with him.

Dan drove back into town, to Reid Street first. He parked the truck, got out and carried the box of fruit and veg into the house at no.16. The front door opened before he got there and a slender dark-haired woman looked out.

“Hi. Mrs. Greene, is it?”

“Yes, I'm Karen Greene.”

“Ah good. I'm Dan Beynon, Lorne's father. Thanks for looking after my boy last night; these are for you.”

“All these veges for us? Wow. Thank you.”

“It's not a lot. We've got huge gardens, far too much for just Lorne and I and everything's coming ripe at once. I appreciate your giving him a bed for the night, and he liked it here too. He's meant to go stay at my mate's place, but it seems he prefers to be here with your Logan.”

“Lorne was no problem at all. He's a lovely boy and he's very welcome here any time he likes.”

“You'll most likely be seeing a lot of him. He really likes your boy and that's good. We're a bit isolated, living away out of town like we do, and he's never really had a close friend before. I'm delighted for him.”

“That's good. You can be proud of him, he's a nice kid.”

“He is, and I'm very proud of him. Logan seems like a nice boy too.”

“Oh, he is that. He's one out of the box, my Logan. I was just going to have a hot drink, would you like to come in and have one with us?”

“Yeah, sure, why not? I've got a few minutes. Thanks.” Dan grinned. He really liked this lady. He got lonely too.

Karen grinned back and she led the way inside. She liked the look of this guy and she forgot all about growling at him for leaving his boy stranded in town. Now was not the time for that.

They sat and talked over coffees in the kitchen and Dan was there for more than a few minutes – the time went fast and he was late for his appointment. When he left he was running and they agreed that he'd come back when he had more time, sometime.

Wednesday morning, on the way in to town, Dan told Lorne that he'd pick him up from school as soon as it was over. “I'll be out the front waiting for you and don't be late.”

“I'll try not to. But that's two days in a row you're knocking off work early?”

“Early enough. I should finish the Thomas' job today, all going well, but we've got to get home early anyway. Ray Cousins is coming out to do a little job for us.”

“Oh? What job?”

“He's putting the phone on. There's already a line there, we've just never used it and had no telephone until now.”

“We're getting the phone on! Dad, that's great. Logan said that we need to get into the 21st century, that will be a big step on the way.”

“It will – one step anyway. We decided that there has to be changes, this is one of them.”

He pulled up outside the school and Lorne got out. “It's a good change too. Thanks, Dad. See you after school.”

“You will. Don't be late.”

He drove away and Lorne went inside with a big grin on his face. His dad did tend to keep things to himself too much, but this great news. He couldn't wait to tell Logan.

The phone was connected and Lorne's first call was, of course, to Logan. His excuse was that he wanted to tell him their new number, but really he just wanted to hear his voice on the phone. He didn't have anyone else to call but they couldn't talk for long – Dan wanted to try it out too.

It was a mobile phone, which would be great for private calls – he could sit outside on the deck and talk on the phone! Logan said that he could hear the river in the background. The only background noise that Lorne could hear was Logan's brothers – fighting again!

Dan was on the phone for hours. He could even take it out into the garden and the workshop or he could fish off the deck with the rod in one hand and the phone in the other. Choice! They didn't know why they didn't do it years ago.

When they went into town next morning, there was another box of fruit and vegetables on the back of the truck. He wouldn't say who it was for, Lorne was told to 'mind his own beeswax'. He found out anyway, when he went to Logan's house after school, there were two empty banana boxes on the back porch.

Logan wanted him to miss his ride so he could spend the night with him again, but Lorne said no, he was going home.

Friday morning, at school, Logan was grinning like a blissfully happy idiot, but he wouldn't say why. Lorne pestered him for a while, trying to find out why he was grinning, but he soon gave up. Logan wasn't telling and he didn't want to lose his best friend.

He was his only friend really. There were others, both girls and boys, who were being nice to him and including him in conversations etc, but he didn't know them much and they didn't know him at all. People were obviously starting to realise that.

Also, there were others who weren't nice at all. He didn't care, much, he was used to that and he was scared of no-one. None of them would cross him now, he had a reputation, his granddad's magic tricks had made sure of that. However, the 'evil; eyes' that were watching him were glaring at Logan as well, and that did worry him. Logan had always been popular and well-liked. Lorne hoped he wasn't going to lose that because of him.

He decided that they were going to talk about that at lunchtime, and what was he grinning about?

He didn't get a chance to talk. As soon as they broke for lunch Logan disappeared and he didn't come back – he wasn't there all afternoon. Lorne was asked where he was but he didn't know, he didn't have a clue and he hated that. He was not a big fan of mysteries. Even though it was probably none of his business, he wanted to know.

After school, he made a beeline to Logan's house, but he wasn't there, no-one was. So, where would he be? He didn't have a clue.

His dad's truck was parked where he said it would be, by the Council Workshops, behind the main street. Lorne sat in it and tried to read a book while waiting to go home. At least he could ring Logan later and find out what he was up to. Oh, Damm! He wasn't sick of him and trying to let him down gently, was he? He sure hoped not. He worried.

His dad came out, got in the truck and started for home and, damm. He was grinning too, but he wouldn't say why.

They arrived home and there was a strange car there, parked by the house, with no-one in it. It was sort-of familiar, he'd seen it before but couldn't think where.

“What's this? Visitors?”

“I've got an early birthday present for you – several presents actually.”

“Presents? But it's not my birthday yet.”

“I said they were early. Here we go . . .”

Logan, closely followed by his mother, came around from the river-side of the house. Lorne fell out of the truck in his excitement.

“Logan!! What are you doing here? Where've you been? I was worried. Your mum brought you out, why? Hey, Mrs. Greene.”

“Hello, Lorne. Pleased to see us, are you? Hello, Dan.”

“Hello to you too. Been waiting long?”

“No, not long. We just got here a few minutes ago. I am so impressed with your gardens. You said they were big and prolific, but – wow!”

“Yeah, they're pretty full. Come and I'll show you around. Where are your other boys?”

“They're okay. They're busily throwing stones in the river.”

“Okay. I hope they don't scare the fish away forever. Come on then. Lorne, there's some boxes in the back of the truck, they're for you. You boys can take them inside.” Dan and Karen went over to his gardens.

“Boxes?” Lorne lifted the tarpaulin and looked. “Oh, Shit! Is that what I think it is?”

Logan grinned. “If you think it's a computer, then – yes.”

“We've got a computer! That is so cool, but what're you doing here. Logan?”

“Aren't you pleased to see me?”

“You know I am. But why?”

“I helped your dad to buy it and now I've come out to set it up and get you on line. It won't take long, but if we're slow enough we can spin it out all weekend.”

“You're here for the weekend? All of it? Choice!”

“Yep. Your dad said I'm your other birthday present, so Happy Birthday.”

“Oh wow. Best present I've ever had and it's not even my birthday yet.”

“So it's a bit early. Let's get this inside and get started already.”

“Oh yah! Thanks, Logan.”

“Wait and see if I stuff it up before you thank me.”

“I don't care if you do. You're here and that's all I care about. I love you, Logan.”

“I love you too. Now come on.”

They carried the boxes inside and started umpacking. If Lorne's grins got any wider he'd look like a South Park Canadian! The desk came first, of course, they had to have to put everything. They set it all up next to the telephone in the living-room and plugged everything in.

When Dan and Karen, along with the two younger boys, came inside, Lorne jumped up, flung his arms around his dad and hugged him long and hard. He'd never been so happy and he didn't care who knew it.

“Whoah. Settle, Lorne. You'll break my ribs if you're not careful. Pleased with your presents, are you?”

“Oh yes! Thanks, Dad. Thanks a million!”

“You're welcome. Just remember it's not all yours; I'll want some time on it too.”

“You what?” Lorne was taken aback – he was thinking about Logan. Having him there for the weekend was the best present ever. And, eww!

“Oh, time on the computer. Of course you will.”

“Yes, the computer. What were you thinking of?”

“Oh, nothing,” he blushed and mumbled.

Jack and Brad saved him from his embarrassment. They'd heard about his magic, from Logan, and they wanted to see some. Logan was busy on the phone, so they sat around the table and he showed them the old cups and ball trick. He let each of them guess the right cup once and only once.

They were impressed, but he wouldn't tell them how it was done. “A magician never tells.”

“But your granddad must've told you.”

“Yeah, he showed you how, didn't he?”

“He did not. I had to work it out for myself.”

“Show us again then.”

“I don't think so. That'd be like telling.”

“Aww! Come on, just one more time.”

“That's enough, Boys,” Karen interrupted. “Leave Lorne alone now. It's time we were getting home anyway.”

“We'll go home and Google it.”

“Good luck with that,” Lorne grinned.

“Google knows everything,” Jack said knowingly.

“Yeah,” Brad agreed. “All you've gotta do is ask the right questions.”

“Okay Boys, out to the car, it's time we were going. Have a good weekend, Logan and you behave yourself. Dan will tell me if you don't.”

“I always do, Mum.”

“Sure you do. Goodbye, Lorne. Enjoy the computer

“Thanks, Karen. I'm sure I will. I've used the computers at school, but they've got all sorts of blocks on them to stop you going places.”

“Maybe we need some blocks here too,” Dan smiled.

“Dad! I was thinking of Youtube and emails and stuff.”

“Of course you were!”

Dan went out to see Karen and the kids off. Lorne sat and watched Logan who was still talking on the phone and following whoever's instructions on the computer. Actually, he just liked looking at him. He was surprised and impressed to see his father's credit card on the desk - Logan was privileged, normally that never left Dan's sight.

Logan finally finished, said thanks and goodbye and hung up the phone.

“I hope that wasn't a toll call,” Lorne said.

“No worries. It wasn't – just an 0800 number. It'd still be worth it if it was a toll call, you're on-line and that's your email address. He shut the computer down.

“Hey! What'd you turn it off for?”

“So I can watch you turn it on. Sit down here and we'll start surfing.”

“Surfing? Are we going to the beach?”

“No! It's an old term for cruising around the internet – 'surfing the web', I think.”

Dan came back inside and cooked dinner for the three of them – stir-fried veges with fish bits. After eating they went out for an hour, shooting possums.

“Early evening is the best time to get them; they've just woken up and come out for a feed.”

Dan had the rifle and Lorne and Logan took turns with the high-powered torch and the sack of dead possums. He shot 5, and then said that would be enough.

“Good job too, the sack's getting heavy.”

“Toughen up, Lorne. If they're heavy, they're too well fed. Bloody Pests!”

Logan stumbled along the hillside bush track in the dark. “I'm sort of surprised that you come out killing them. Aren't Alternatives meant to be into the sanctity of Life, and all that?”

“Maybe,” Dan replied. “But we're back-slidden hippies and we shoot 'em. If we don't, they'll eat the gardens. They think our place is their supermarket.”

“So it's you or them? You don't eat them, do you? Possums carry TB sometimes.”

“Sometimes all too often. No, we don't eat them directly. The pig does that, they can't hurt her, she's got a cast-iron stomach.”

“The pig eats the possums and then you eat the pig?”

“Eventually, yes. Plus she makes manure for the gardens to grow the fruit and vegetables.”

Lorne said, “It's all part of the cycle of life. Of course we kill things, living in the country you almost have to. Don't forget we ate fish with dinner – Dad caught them last night.”

“Oh, okay,” Logan nodded. “We mostly just get our food from the Supermarket, it's tidier that way.”

“More expensive too,” Dan said. “Someone has to be paid to kill it for you. Look at this! Get down off the fence, you Great Big Lump!”

They were approaching the pig-pen and the big sow was trying to climb the fence. Dan handed the rifle to Lorne and took the sack from him. He spilled the carcasses out on the ground, picked them up by their tails, one by one, and slung them over the fence into the pen, to the pig's great and noisy delight.

Logan said, “Don't you skin them or gut them or anything?”

“Nah. The pig doesn't care, she scoffs the lot. There'll be nothing but bones in there by the morning, and most of them will be crunched-up.”

They stood quietly watching the pig gleefully attacking the possums, ripping them to bits, munching and swallowing.

“She's making a pig of herself,” Logan grinned. “It'd be a great way of getting rid of the body if you killed someone.”

“It would,” Dan agreed. “Wake me in the night and you'll find out!”

“We'll try not to do that then,” Lorne grinned.

Logan also grinned, warily – they were joking, weren't they?

Lorne & Logan, 4

They spent recess togther, leaning on a wall and watching the rough and tumble of the touch-rugby game flowing around the sportsfield. Normally Logan would've been out there with them, but not today. He was more than happy where he was. They were oblivious to them, but there were many eyes watching them.

“Logan Greene with the Beynon kid? What the hell's he doing?'

At lunchtime, things didn't go so good. Lorne was held up by Ms. Bloody Bennett, who was as curious as anyone about what had happened to him. By the time he got free of her Logan had been dragged away and involved in a softball game.

Lorne looked around, everyone was being busy. He saw where Logan was and went back inside to get a book. He usually sat alone, reading, while he ate his sandwiches. Coming back out of the locker room, his way was blocked by four wanna-be tough guys.

“All alone, Fag? What the hell's going on with you and Greene?”

Lorne had always tried to fade into the background and go unnoticed, but no more. It was a small school and he knew these creeps by their reputation, which wasn't good.

Always in a pack and egging each other on, they were notorious bullies and nasty with it. At the end of last year, they put Lucas Ruffino in hospital with a broken arm and cracked ribs. There were lots of people around, but no-one admitted seeing anything, they were all scared of them.

There was no-one at all around now and Lorne had always feared that this day would come. However, he wasn't scared at all and he was ready for them.

“Nothing's going on. We've just been talking, like normal people do.”

“Normal? What the fuck would you know about normal people? Greene has been panting around you like a dog after a bitch on heat.”

“Greene's never showed any signs of being queer before. What've you done to him?”

“Yeah. Are you on heat, Bitch? Or is he already fucking you?”

“Why?” Lorne flexed his hands down by his sides. “Jealous, are you?”

“What?? You dirty little . . .” One of them lunged at him, but stopped when Lorne stepped back and, with an evil little grin, raised both hands and pointed 'puffers' at him. (Inhalation Aerosols, used by asthmatics etc.)

“I wouldn't if I was you,” he said quietly.

“Why?” The Tough hesitated. He was a bit uncertain now, this kid wasn't playing by the rules. He should be terrified, not standing there grinning at them. “What're you going to do, blow us away?”

“No, just this.” He pointed a puffer at the wooden frame and sprayed a quick zig-zag along it.

They all stood and stared as the old enamel paint blistered and bubbled, smoked and flaked off leaving a bare 'Z' shape on the wood.

“Whoah!” The puffers now seemed like threatening gun barrels pointing at them.

Lorne nodded. “It does that to old paint, think about what it'll do to your skin. Be quite painful, having your face fall off, don't you think?”

They did think, they quietly backed-off and walked away. Lorne went outside to sit, read and eat his lunch.

Back in for the first class of the afternoon, (Algebra!), Logan sat next to Lorne. “Did something happen at lunchtime?”

“Lots of things happened, probably. Why?”

“Everyone's looking at you again, and they're all talking.”

“Maybe they're jealous that you want to sit next to me.”

“I don't think so. I don't know what, but I know that something's up. Did you kill somebody?”

“Not yet.”

“What?? Lorne, what's going on?”

The only answer he got was a shrug. The teacher's arrival put a stop to the conversations in the room. “Lorne Beynon?”

Mr. Lawson stood at the front and scanned around the room. He obviously didn't know which one Lorne was.

“Here, Mr. Lawson.” Lorne raised a hand.

“Ah, right. There you are. You are to go to the Principal's office. Mrs. Carter wants a word with you.”

“I'll bet she does,” Lorne muttered. He gathered-up his books, stood and left the room. Mr. Lawson had to slap his desk and yell to quell the outburst of speculative talking.

He arrived at the office, near the main entrance, and looked around. There was no-one in sight except for the School Secretary who was talking on the 'phone and busily ignoring him.. He knocked on Mrs. Carter's door.

A voice inside said, “Sit. Wait.”

He sat on the 'naughty chair', by the door and waited. He wasn't concerned, really, but couldn't help worrying a bit. Was he in trouble or what?

After a few long minutes, the door opened and Mrs. Carter came out and looked at him. He rose to his feet and all she said was, “Come with me.” He started walking and followed, wondering where they were going.

That soon became apparent when she led him into and through the locker room and stopped in the far-side doorway. They both looked at the 'Z' shaped bare patch on the doorframe.

“Well? Do you want to tell me what happened here?”

“Not really,” he shrugged.

“I'll bet you don't, but I want to know. What did you do to this paintwork?”

“I, umm, I burnt a bit off.”

“Why?”

“As a warning. A bunch of bullies were giving me a hard time. I showed them what could happen to their faces if they didn't stop it.”

“Just as I thought. Bloody Bullies! I'm sick of them. Thank you for your honesty. Come back to the office now.”

She led him back there, sat at her desk and waved him to a chair. “Sit down, Lorne. Relax, you're not in as much trouble as you think you are.”

“I can't tell you who they were, Mrs. Carter.”

“I didn't expect that you would, but I have my suspicions.”

“There were four of them, all bigger than me and all out for trouble. I had to do something, so I did.”

“You certainly did. I've never seen anything like that. What did you spray on the doorframe?”

“I, ah . . I'd rather not say. It was just something of my granddad's.”

“Your granddad. That would be the Great Benyon,” she smiled.

“Wow.” Lorne was impressed. “How do you know that?”

“You'd be surprised at what I know.”

“I am surprised. Granddad was the Great Benyon, but he retired a long time ago. He died two years ago.”

“I know that. I was at his funeral.”

“Really? Did you know Granddad, Mrs. Carter?”

“I didn't really know him, but when I was a little girl, I was a big fan.”

“So was I,” Lorne nodded. “I was a huge fan.”

“Yes, well. That's not what we're here to talk about. We can't have you getting around burning the paint off the walls.”

“I'll pay for the damage. Dad could probably come in and fix it.”

“He probably could, but we won't worry about it. That whole area is due for repainting anyway. It can stay as it is, for now. The point is, Lorne, I can sympathise with what you did and I understand your reasons, but I can't approve of it. Whatever that stuff was, it was obviously highly corrosive and far too dangerous for you to be carrying around in the school. I hate to think what would happen if it got on someone's skin.”

“That was kind-of the point.”

“A point well made. Show me the inhalers, please.”

He closed his hands, opened them again showing the two blue inhalers and put them on the desk between them.

“Uh huh. You've learnt some of your granddad's tricks, I see. Lorne, you can't be carrying these things around with you.”

“They're just puffers. I need them, sometimes, for my breathing. It's getting better, but I was a bad asthmatic when I was younger.”

“But you not carrying them to help your breathing.”

“Yes I am.” He scooped them up and put one, and then the other, into his mouth, puffed and inhaled.

“Lorne!” She protested, then relaxed when she saw that he wasn't hurting himself. “Don't do that. You frightened the life out of me.”

“Sorry,” he grinned. He closed his hands around them, raised his fists and twisted them around. He opened his fingers again and small columns of flame danced on his palms, the inhalers were gone. He closed his hands to snuff the flames, opened them and showed his unburnt skin.

“Wow. Now who's impressed? Your grandfather taught you well. All right then. We'll say no more about it, but you've been warned. There is to be no repeat of today's incident and you are not to bring dangerous goods into the school again. If you do, there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly clear. Thank you, Mrs. Carter.”

“Thank you, Mr. Beynon. You can go back to your class now.”

He went back and slipped quietly into his seat. Logan looked at him, quizically. He couldn't talk, he just smiled and nodded. Anything else would have to wait.

They left school together, walking home to Logan's place. As they went, Lorne answered some, but not all, of Logan's hundreds of questions. He told him what had happened, there were already dozens of stories in circulation, but he wouldn't say how he'd done what he did.

There were almost there when their way was blocked by the same four bullies he'd run into at lunchtime, along with a couple more. Lorne sighed, slipped his bag off his shoulder and held it, by the straps, in his left hand. His right hand went into the top of the bag, under the flap.

“You can fuck off, Greene,” one of them growled. “It's your boyfriend here we want, not you.”

“I'm staying right here,” Logan tried to keep the quiver out of his voice. He was no great shakes as a fight, but he wasn't a quitter either. He wasn't running away and leaving Lorne to face the goons on his own.

“Please yourself,” the spokesman sneered. A bat-sized lump of wood came out from behind his back. A couple of the others did the same. “Any sign of those puffer things and we'll break every bone in your hands.”

“I don't think so.” Lorne brought his hand out of the bag and there was a gun in it – a shiny silver-gray Luger.

None of them there had ever seen a pistol, they weren't that common and carrying one was highly illegal, but they'd seen movies and had no doubt about what it was. The bullies all took a step back.

“What the fuck?”

“It's a beauty, isn't it?” Lorne grinned. “It's a Luger – World War Two, army surplus. Hundreds of them were smuggled home by returning soldiers, as souvenirs. Most of them are history now, but not this one. Nasty little things too. The bullets are grooved so they explode on impact and blow great holes in human bodies. Not accurate at long range, but deadly close-up.”

He scanned it along, pointing at each of them in turn.

“Who wants to try it first? I've got 6 shots.”

They all took another step back. One of them dropped his bat. “Fuck!”

“That's not real, it can't be. He wouldn't be walking around with a loaded gun.”

“Wouldn't he?” Lorne fired up into the flowering magnolia tree looming above the fence next to them. The shot sounded awfully loud in the quiet street. Birds squawked and fled and a shower of pink and white petals cascaded down.

“I've got 5 shots.” Lorne looked along the frightened faces. He was not grinning.

“Fuck this! I'm outta here.” Another bat hit the ground and its erstwhile owner turned and fled up the street, closely followed by all the others.

“That ends that then,” Lorne nodded. “Let's go.” They carried on walking.

“You shouldn't have done it, but thanks for standing with me, Logan.”

“I'll always stand by you, but – shit Lorne! You can't go walking around with a loaded gun. You could get into all sorts of trouble.”

“Trouble?” He lifted the gun, pointed it at his own head and pulled the trigger. A small flame flared and burnt at the end of the barrel. “For carrying a fancy cigarette lighter?”

“But . . . you . . . how did you do that?”

“Magic,” he grinned. “Great, isn't it?”

“It bloody is!” Logan grinned back.

At his house, Logan unlocked the front door ands he raced inside. “Busting for a leak! Help yourself to a drink. There's coke in the fridge, I think.”

He returned from the bathroom feeling greatly relieved, Lorne was looking out of the kitchen window.

“You're not having a drink? I am, it's what I do when I get home.” He opened the fridge and looked. “Damm. No coke! Those blasted kids must've got into it, there was plenty there last night. It'll have to be fruit juice then. Would you like some blackcurrant juice?”

“Yeah. That sounds good, thanks.”

Logan poured two glasses full and they took them in to sit in the living room.

“Don't spill it or Mum will kill me. Blackcurrant juice stains really bad.”

“I'll try not to do that then.” Lorne drank a mouthful, and then another. He held the glass up to look at the light from the windows through it.

“Something wrong, Lorne?”

“No. Not wrong exactly, but this is not blackcurrant juice.”

“Sure it is. It says so on the bottle.”

“Maybe it does, but it's wrong. We make our own juice at home and it tastes nothing like this.”

“So this is not home-made. Don't you like it?”

“I think I do. It's just not what I was expecting. This is much sweeter than the real thing, it must be loaded with sugar.”

“And that's bad?”

“Not bad, different.”

“I guess there's currants in your gardens. You guys have got huge gardens out there.”

“They're big. Between the gardens, kai moana, fishing and hunting sometimes, we're pretty much self-sufficient in food. All we need to buy is sugar, flour and that sort of stuff.”

“The gardens must be a lot of work.”

“They're not really. They were well designed and laid out on permaculture principles, with companion planting and organic pest control. They're nowhere near as random as they look. We spend more time harvesting than anything else.”

“That's good planning.” Logan put his drink on the cluttered coffee table. “Speaking of plans – what I did the other day, the sex stuff, that was not planned. I got way too carried away, I was wrong and I'm really sorry.”

“Yeah. You said. Don't beat yourself up, Logan. You've already apologised and it's over.”

“So we're good?”

“We are very good.”

“I've learnt my lesson, I won't get carried away again.”

“Hey.” Lorne put his drink down next to Logan's. “It's okay to get a bit carried away. You've earned that.” He kissed him.

They fell back to lie along the couch together, face to face, crotch to crotch, and kissed. Logan was instantly hard and he could feel that Lorne was too.Whatever else he was, this was one damm sexy boy!

He pushed his groin against him. It felt so good. He knew that he shouldn't, his brain was saying no but his body wasn't listening – like it had a mind of its own. He made thrusting, rubbing, circular movements with his hips, rubbing his hard and confined dick against Lorne's.

'So good! So, so . . so wrong! Damm.' He was doing it again. Did he want to drive this boy away, or what? Egg!

He pulled back away from him and rolled off to lie on his back with a crooked arm covering his flushed face.

“Logan?”

“Sorry. I'm sorry, Lorne. Really I am.”

“Sorry? For what?”

“I'm doing it again – the sex stuff. I know I shouldn't. I know that we can't do that, but I . . . I can't help myself. I'm so stupid! Sorry. I really . .”

His words were cut off when his mouth was covered by Lorne's. He lifted his head and grinned down at Logan.

“Nothing to be sorry for. Last time was then; this is now.” He kissed him.

“Oh yeah!”

It's hard to kiss someone when you're grinning as widely as Logan was, so he stopped smiling. They had less than 2 hours before Logan's mother and brothers were due home. They made the most of the time they had.

When Mrs. Greene walked into the kitchen Logan and his friend were sitting opposite each other with drinks and their school bags on the table between them. It all looked totally innocent and she wasn't fooled for a minute, it was too innocent. She was a teenager herself once.

“Hello Logan. Who's your friend?”

“Hey Mum. Have a good day? This is Lorne – Lorne Beynon.”

“Of course it is! We've been hearing about no-one else for days now. Hello Lorne, nice to meet you at last. I'm the mother – Karen Greene.”

She extended a hand and Lorne stood up to take it. “ Hey Mrs. Greene. Nice to meet you too.”

“Call me Karen, Kid. These are my other monsters, that's Jack and this is Brad. Say hello, Boys.”

“Hello Boys!” the two younger boys chorused and Lorne grinned.

“Hey Guys.”

The boys headed through to the TV, they weren't that interested in their brother's new friend – nothing to do with them. The mother was interested though.

“So, Lorne, have you got any brothers?”

“Nope. I've often wished I did, but I've got no brothers.”

“Sisters then?”

“No, none of them either. There's just Dad and I, no-one else.”

“You must have a quiet house. Logan said that you live away out of town, by the Waitangi River.”

“Waitangitanoa River. Yes, we do. I was born there and we've never moved.”

“Just you and your Dad. Where is your mother?”

“I really don't know -she moved.”

“And left you behind.”

“Yes. I don't remember her at all, I was just a baby. My parents were never married or anything. I think they were basically friends who got a bit too close one drunken night and I happened. She stayed around for a few months after I was born, and then decided that she didn't want to be a mother, and left.”

“That's hard.”

“I suppose it was. I don't remember. Luckily, Dad wanted me and he kept me and raised me. My grandfather, Dad's father, lived with us for a while, but he died two years ago so now there's just us.”

“Well, it seems like your father has done a pretty good job of raising you. It's not easy being a solo-parent, that much I know.”

“You've done a good job too, Mrs. Greene – an excellent job. Raising three boys can't have been easy.”

“We've had our moments and it's not finished yet, but they're good kids really – I quite like them.”

“I'm sure they like you too. Logan does, he told me so.”

“Did he just? I wish he'd tell me sometimes.”

“Mum!”

“Quiet, Logan. We're talking about you not to you.”

She made herself an instant coffee and they sat and talked, until Lorne noticed the clock on the wall.

“Whoah! Is that the right time?” He rose to his feet.

“More or less,” she replied. “I think it's right, I hope so. I set my watch by it.”

“Bugger! Sorry, I mean, Blast! I've gotta go, I'm late. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Greene. See you tomorrow, Logan. 'Bye.”

He grabbed his bag and headed for the door, pausing there to put his shoes on.

“What's the panic, Lorne?” Logan followed him. “Your dad will wait if you're a few minutes late, won't he?”

“No, he won't. That is the problem, he won't wait at all. The deal is if I'm not there he goes without me.”

“Really?” Logan followed him out to the street. “But what would you do then? It's a bloody long walk home.”

“It is, it's too far. I've done it before and by the time I got there, it was nearly time to come back again. I'm not doing that again.”

“Damm!” Logan was hobbling along on his bare feet but he wasn't giving up. He was worried about him now. “I can't believe he'd go without you. That's really hard.”

“I guess. That's the way it is. Dad's a hard man and he sticks by the rules.”

Around another corner, he looked up the street.

“Damm! He's gone. He was working at the Thomas' place and the truck's not there. I've missed him.”

“Bugger. What are you supposed to do now?”

“If I miss him, I'm meant to go and stay at his friend's place – at Shane Jones' house. I'm not doing that – no way!”

“Why not if he's your dad's friend.?”

“He's dad's friend, not mine. I don't know why Dad likes him, but he does. I don't. He's a horrible creepy old man and I'm not sleeping there ever again. Last time I did, I woke up and he was climbing into the bed with me.”

“With you? Why would he do that?”

“Why do you think, Logan? He'd like to fuck me and “I'm not doing that. No way.”

“What did you do?”

“I ran away and I spent the night sitting under a tree in nothing but my underwear. It was bloody cold and I'm not doing that again.”

“What are you going to do? Come back with me and you can stay the night at our place.”

“I can't. Your mum has got more than enough boys as it is. No, I'm better prepared this time. I've got a block of land, on the Forks Road at the edge of town. I'll stay there.”

“You have got a block of land?”

“I have. It's about a hectare and it's all in bush, on the hill above the road. Granddad was going to build a house there, but he never did and it's all mine now.”

“Wow. You know, Lorne Jackson, you must be the richest kid in town. But if there's no house there, where are you going to sleep? Under a tree again?”

“Well, sort of. I've made a bit of a shelter. It's rough but it's good enough. I'll sleep there.”

“No! You can't do that. You'll freeze your butt off. You don't have to sleep there, you've got your own friend in town now. Come back and sleep with me. I've got a huge bed, there's plenty of room for two and it'll be fun.”

“Fun? You just want to get me into your bed to have sex with me?”

“Yeah, sure. I'd like that, but only if you want to, we don't have to. No-one's going to make you do anything that you don't want to. Just being together will be fun. So, will you? Please?”

“Oh, yes please!” Lorne grinned. “I'd love to do that, but only if it's all right with your mum.”

“It will be fine with her. Come on, let's go tell her that she's got another mouth to feed.

Karen had no problem with Lorne's staying the night with Logan. She told him that he was welcome and that she's far prefer him to be there and not sitting under a tree.

“He has done that before,” Logan said.

“Well he's not doing it again. I think it's terrible that your father would go home without you and, if I see him around, I'll tell him that too.”

“Please don't, Mrs. . . umm, Karen. I knew the rules and that's the way it is. He doesn't wait and if I'm late it's my problem.”

“It shouldn't be. You're just a boy and he's far too hard.”

“He is,” Logan agreed. “When Jeffrey took me out the other day, he said that if I was late he'd go without me, but I don't think he really would. Your dad does.”

“If he says he's going to do something, he does it. It's just the way he is.”

“Lorne, before you sit down, phone your dad and tell him that you're here for the night.”

“Umm, thanks, but I can't do that.”

“Why not? Oh, won't he be home yet?”

“Makes no difference if he is or not,” Logan said. “They haven't got the phone on out there and no internet either. Incredible, eh?”

“It is! I didn't know anyone still lived like that.”

“We do,” Lorne said. “We've never had the phone on. Dad's got a cellphone, for his work, but it only works in town. There's no coverage out at home.”

“Amazing. Well, set up the table, Boys. Tell the little ones to clean up and we'll eat.”

They had a great evening together. Logan got out of washing the dishes because he had a visitor, which was good. They played a game on the computer and watched some TV together. (Yes, Lorne had a TV at home. Of course they did, they weren't totally primitive.)

Neither of them had any homework, nothing that couldn't wait anyway. Which was good. They showered, separately, and climbed into bed together. That was good too, that was really good! They had a great night.

Lorne woke in the morning in the unfamiliar bed. He lay quietly smiling and thinking about the night before. He rolled over and Logan was looking at him.

“Hi.”

“Hey'

“What're you thinking?”

“You really want to know? Okay, I'll tell you. I think I love you, Lorne.”

“Yeah?” he grinned widely. “I think I love you too.” He kissed him.

Lorne & Logan, 3

(in a hurry!)

Instead of going home, he went to his uncle's place. Uncle Jeffrey, his mum's brother, lived alone and he worked night-shift more often than not, so hopefully, he might be able to cadge a ride with him.

He arrived there and the door was locked. Still in bed? He hoped he wasn't working day-shift. He rang the bell and waited. He was about to give up and go, when ('Yes!') the door opened and his bleary-eyed uncle looked out. “Logan?”

“Hey, Unc. I didn't get you out of bed, did I? Sorry 'bout that..”

“No, I was already up. You caught me in the loo actually. What can I do for you, or did you just come to see my smiling face?”

“Is this your smiling face? I need a favour, a huge favour. Please, pretty please!”

“A favour? Stop batting your eyes at me, Boy. That won't work. Tell me what you want and I'll tell you if I'll do it.”

“I need a ride, out to Richardson Road, on the Waitangi River, about 20k out of town. Can you take me there please? Like, right now.”

“I know Richardson Road, that's about the limit of our patrolling area. Why do you want to go out there, like right now?”

“I've got to see a friend who lives out there. Well, I hope he's still a friend. We had a row on Monday and he hasn't been back to school since then.”

“Oh? Oh yeah – would your friend be the Beynon boy, Dan Beynon's kid?”

“Yeah, that's him, Lorne Beynon. Can you take me, Unc? It's way important.”

“Of course it is! It's always important and almost the End of the World at least once a week. Yes, I'll take you just because I'm the best uncle ever. Give me 5 minutes to have a coffee, and then we'll go. We'll go out on the bike, it's time it had a run to blow the cobwebs away.”

“On your old bike? Are you sure it'll get us there and back?”

“Don't you be cheeky about my old bike. She's a classic and very reliable if you treat her right.”

“Sounds like a woman,” Logan grinned. “But still an old one.”

“Are you sure you don't want to walk?”

“Very sure. Did I tell you that you're my favourite uncle?”

“Greaser! I'm the only one you've got.”

“True, but I don't need any others.”

“Okay, knock it off!” Jeffrey laughed. “I've already said I'll take you out. Come and have a coffee with me.”

Both of them dressed in black imitation leather outfits – jackets and leggings. Jeffrey wore a black full-face helmet and Logan had a cherry-pink one with a black visor. They wheeled out of town, riding on the old BSA. When they passed the 'Open Road' speed limit sign, Jeffrey pulled the throttle right back. That increased the engine roar, but didn't really do much about the speed.

However, it was only a few minutes before he slowed and turned off the highway onto a narrow, scrub-lined side-road. Richardson Road was sealed, but really needed resealing – you notice these things on old bikes with bad suspension. Hitting potholes was not fun.

He stopped next to a gravelled driveway which wound out of sight in the trees. “There you go, Boy. Dan Beynon's 23 Richardson Road. Go in there and do what you've got to do and I'll give you some privacy. I'll carry-on down to look at the lake and I'll be back here in exactly one hour. If you're not here waiting, it'll be a long walk back to town.”

“I'll be here. Thanks, Jeffrey. If I do have to walk all the way home, I'm telling your big sister on you.”

“I'm not scared of your mum. Once I was, but not now. Put your helmet on the carrier and I'm gone.”

“Okay. Why do I have to wear a pink helmet when you've got a cool black one?”

“Because, Nephew, you're smaller than me and my spare leathers and helmet are for the ladies to wear.”

“I'm wearing a woman's outfit?”

“You are, and very fetching you look too. I normally only take female passengers; I'm not riding around with big hairy blokes cuddling me.”

“Hey! I'm a bloke.”

“Almost. You're still a boy to me. Okay, see you soon.”

He restarted the bike, crossed the narrow wooden river-bridge and roared away down the road. Logan stood watching him go, then turned to face the driveway. Butterflies were going crazy inside him; he was really nervous now. That was dumb, he wanted to be here and he'd come all that way.

Which was going to cost him, by the way. Jeffrey never did anything for nothing, there was always a payback.

He could just stand there, wait an hour, and then go home, but that'd be even dumber. He forced himself to start walking. Around the corner, the greenery opened out suddenly. What had looked like dense bush from the road was nothing but a big, thick hedge. These people must really like their privacy.

Or, maybe it was a windbreak for the gardens. There were huge, busy gardens there, all on the left side of the driveway. Flowers, vegetable, berry-fruit and trees were all mixed together in glorious profusion. It was like no garden he'd ever seen.

There was no room for weeds to grow in the overflowing beds which were separated by narrow paths. Ripening fruit, pumpkins, beans and cucumbers growing on trellises and every sort of vegetable imaginable. Very impressive! You could feed a town on what was growing here.

There was a huge pink and black pig in a pen, along with a lot of chooks and ducks roamed free everywhere – probably because they eat snails and other pests but they don't scratch and dig like chooks do. The ducks were mostly white, but there were a few black ones too.

There was also a couple of geese sitting in the long grass on the right of the drive. For a start, he thought that they were oversized ducks, but they weren't, they were geese. One of them had half a dozen busy babies playing around her.Goslings?

He'd better be careful of them. Geese are good watchdogs, aren't they? And they were aggressive too. These ones weren't, at the moment, they just sat there looking at him. He gave them a wide berth anyway, in point in upsetting them if he didn't have to.

The long grass sloped down to the small fast-running river. There were a few beech trees dotted along the near side and a solid wall of trees over at the far side over the water. Close to the riverbank there was a small ramshackle and crooked house overshadowed by two trees.

The corrugated iron roof and chimney were painted dark-blue and almost thatched with fallen leaves. The house walls were about half and half, rough old weather boards and vertical corrugated iron, all painted a dull and faded white. There was a wide wooden deck along the riverside wall and the whole structure leaned back away from the water. The windows were tiny and there weren't many of them. It all looked like an old homemade house.

Further along the drive, at the end, there was a collection of rough old sheds clad in iron with a variety of colours, largely rusty. 'This here must be their house then,' Logan decided.

A power-cable crossed the river to connect to the house. It'd probably help stop it falling down too. A trickle of white woodsmoke was coming from the chimney, apart from that there was no sign of life there. He went over and knocked on the door.

It was only a couple of minutes until the door opened, but it seemed like ages. Lorne appeared in the doorway. His hair was a mess; he had a bad case of bed-hair. His blue eyes opened wide, they dull and lifeless looking and his face was a sickly pale colour, but – 'Wow!'. The body!

All he was wearing was an old, worn and faded pair of track-pants. His feet were bare and so was his torso, upper body and arms. 'Wow! Again.'

Logan had seen heaps of internet pics of adolescent males, who hasn't? But to actually come face to face with a half-dressed good looking boy was something else and much, much better. Good looking? No. Lorne wasn't good looking, he was way better than that. He was sensational. Logan stood open-mouthed and staring, feeling stunned. 'Oh, my . . wow!'

Lorne's body was not skinny, but it wasn't far from it, especially around the narrow waist. His broad shoulders were twice as wide as his waist. A perfect 'V' rose to the slightly-bony shoulders, muscles, pecs and abs swelled beneath the golden skin.

The skin! It was incredible – hairless, soft and smooth, warm, golden and fully fleshed. It was absolutely flawless and there was not a spot, not even a single mole, anywhere. Nothing. Amazing. He'd seen that Lorne's face looked good, but nothing had prepared him for the body. It was simply perfect and oozing sex - fully ripe and ready. Logan could've stood there all day, admiring it.

“Logan?” A quizzical smile appeared as he looked at the boy staring at him. “Logan, what on earth are you doing away out here?”

“I, umm – yeah,” Logan came back down to earth. “Are you okay? I mean, you haven't been at school since Monday and I was getting worried about you, really worried.”

“You must've been,” Lorne smiled. “Nobody ever comes out here.”

“Well, I had to. I had to know if you were all right and, also, I need to know if we're okay? I'm really, really sorry about – well, you know. Sorry. Are we still friends?”

“Whoah. Slow down, Logan. Yes, we're friends; I hope we are because I want to be your friend. I'm all right now, nearly all right. I've been horribly sick, but it's getting better. I think I'll live.”

“I'm pleased about that then. What was wrong? You getting better?”

“I am, slowly but surely. Dad says it was just the 'flu, but there's no 'just' about it. I've never felt so bad!”

“Good that it's over then. 'Flu can be a lot more serious than people think – especially the 'Man Flu'.”

“That'll be the one I had then. It was way serious. I'm standing in a draft here and that's not good. Do you want to come inside?”

“For a few minutes, yeah. I can't stay long. I got a ride out here with my uncle and he says that if I'm not there waiting for him in one hour, he's going without me.”

Lorne led him inside. “Would he really do that?”

“Probably. Well, maybe not. He'd more likely stop a couple of k's up the road and wait for me there.”

“You've got a mean uncle.”

“Sort of. He's not really mean, he just pretends he is and he's got a strange sense of humour. So this is your home?” Logan looked around the crowded little, low-ceilinged, living-room. Everything looked old and mis-matched, like the variegated squares of carpet on the floor.

“This is it.” Lorne sat on the couch and, worse-luck, pulled an old blanket around himself.

That was sensible, Logan knew. There was only a small fire in the open fireplace and it was not overly warm in there, but – 'Damm!' The amazing body was out of sight.

'Oh well, nice while it lasted,' he shrugged mentally.

“This is the only home I've ever known,” Lorne continued. “I was actually born in this room – right there in front of the fireplace.”

“Yeah? Wow. Not many people can say that.”

“Some can. Homebirths are getting more common. There weren't so many back when I arrived, but my parents were a couple of Alternatives, so that's the way we did it.”

“Alternatives?”

“That's what they called themselves. They were Hippies, if you like – getting back to basics and in touch with nature and all that stuff. The dream was to start a commune here, but it didn't work out.”

“It was all too much like hard work, I think. It was easier to get a job and work 8 hours a day instead of every waking hour for no pay. When people are stoned out of their skulls, you're not going to get much work out of them anyway. Dad was a worker, but he was the only one.”

“Now there's just you and your dad here? Where's your mum?”

“Who knows? We don't. They were never married and she just drifted away with some of the others and left us. My granddad lived here with us for a few years, he actually owned the property, he died a couple of years ago. We're sitting on 150 hectares here. There's a couple of small plantations, but it's mostly in bush and scrub.”

“Plantations?”

“Trees - Western Red Cedar and others, including Pines of course. They were planted as an investment when they first moved in to the property. They're ready for milling but they're not worth much now. It was not a good investment. I dunno what Dad's going to do about them, leave them growing I suppose.”

“But why wouldn't they be worth much?”

“There are no local sawmills any more, they've all shut down. To get the timber milled, the logs would have to be trucked away and that's not cheap.”

“I see. That's a shame – a disappointment after waiting all those years.”

“Tell me about it!”

“Was your granddad a Hippie too.”

“Alternative. No, he wasn't. He helped dad with the gardens and stuff, but he was never into the lifestyle thing. He was different though.”

“Different? How so?”

“He toured with circuses for years.”

“Circuses? Like big-tops and elephants and stuff?”

“You've got it.”

“Wow. That'd be cruisy. What a life! Was he a lion tamer or something?”

“No, nothing like that. He was a magician actually, a good one too.”

“A magician? Circuses don't have magic tricks, do they?”

“They did when Granddad was there. He was a clown who did magic. He was really good too. When he was younger he did stage shows and he was quite famous, as the Great Benyon. He liked the circus life, it was more fun and he didn't have to worry about the business side of things.

My granddad was a very cool guy and I still miss him like hell!”

“I guess you would. And that's why you never smile much! Did he teach you any magic tricks?”

“Oh yes. All of his old tricks and equipment are mine now. He left everything to me because Dad was never interested and I was the no.1 grandson.”

“Pretty cool to be no.1.”

“Pretty easy when you're the only one. How about you? You said you've got a mother and two brothers. Where's your dad?”

“Not far away. He's in Franz Josef, he manages a big hotel there. I don't see him much, but the kids go there a lot. They think they're living the Suite Life when they're there.”

“Suite Life? Oh, that old TV programme, you mean.”

“That's the one. They're not twins though, just brothers.”

“Just brothers. I wish I had a brother, but I don't.”

“They're a pain in the butt sometimes, but not always.”

“They're boys then. Why don't you spend more time with your dad, don't you get on?”

“Yeah, we do, sort of, but his new wife's a bitch. She doesn't like me and I don't like her. I'd rather stay at home with my mum. She's got no-one else.”

“Families are complicated, aren't they. Why did they split-up?”

“I'm not sure exactly. Lots of reasons, I suppose. He walked out and left Mum when she was pregnant with Brad. That's really low when you think about it. Mum hasn't forgiven him, she never will.”

“That's no surprise. I wouldn't either.”

They talked for a few minutes, and then Logan had to go. It was a long walk back to town and he didn't want to have to do that. Lorne said he'd come out to the road with him, but he told him not to.

“Stay here, look after yourself and get well. Are you coming back to school tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow? I don't think so. It's Friday, I might as well have the rest of the week off.”

“Will you be in town in the weekend?”

“Probably not. I'll see you at school on Monday.”

“I'll look forward to that.”

“Yeah, me too,” Lorne grinned.

“Lorne, you've got no cellphones, no land-line, no computer. Tell your dad he needs to get into the 21st century.”

“I wish he would. We could do with a new house too, but he won't build one. He says this old place is good enough for the two of us and he likes fishing off the deck.”

“Is that why the house is so close to the river?”

“Yep. It was built as a fisherman's lodge – just someone's hobby thing. Dad and Mum moved into it temporarily. They were going to build a proper house, but things happened and they never did.”

“I guess it'd cost a fortune to build a new house, especially way out of town like this.”

“It'd cost, but not too much. Dad could do a lot of the work himself, he's a good handyman-builder and I could pay for it.”

“Really? You could afford to buy a house?”

“Well, yeah. I've got pots of money, just sitting in the bank. Granddad left most of his money to me.”

“He left money to you and not your father? Wasn't he his son?”

“Yes, of course. Dad got some money, but not much. He got the property and that's worth heaps.”

“Oh. So you're rich then?”

“Kind of. Dad says it's better to leave the money where it is. It's invested, it's growing and it will be there when I need it.”

“That makes sense. You don't know where you'll finish up living.”

“Oh, but I do. I'll be living here. This is my home and I couldn't see myself living anywhere else. It'd be nice to have wheels though.”

“I guess it would. You're a long way out of town. Lorne, I've gotta go or I'm gonna be late. I'll come back in the weekend, if I can. Otherwise, I'll see you at school on Monday.”

“You will. Come back anytime you like. Thanks for coming out today.”

“Thank you. I had to know if we were okay. It's good that we are.”

“Yeah, it's good. Now go or you'll be walking.”

“Yeah. 'Bye, Lorne.”

Lorne & Logan, 2

Logan arrived home and let himself into the house, unlocking the door with the key worn on a strap around his neck. This was the only time of the day that he had the whole house to himself.

His mum didn't get home from work until after 5pm and she picked up his younger brothers, Jack and Brad, from the grandparents' on her way. Her parents lived across the road from the little boys' school so they went over there after 3pm everyday.

Logan could've gone there too, if he wanted to, but he didn't usually. Gran and Granddad's house was out of his way, he didn't need babysitting and he quite liked some time alone to do whatever he wanted. A boy needs privacy sometimes.

He wasn't getting it today though. He'd only been there a few minutes and was barely getting started on what he usually did as soon as he was home alone when the door-bell rang.

“Dammit! Nothing's going right today.”

He pulled up his pants, went to the front door, opened it and – 'Whoah!' Lorne Beynon was standing there grinning at him. This was all right – better than all right, but what was he doing here?

“Lorne?”

“Hello, Logan. Can we talk?”

“Talk? To each other? Yeah – great! But not here. Come on inside.”

He led the way into the living-room, waved at the couch and flopped into an armchair. “Have a seat. Don't mind the mess in here. Mum does try to keep it tidy but she's fighting a losing battle with three boys messing it up.”

“It's not that bad.” Lorne lowered his bag to the floor and sat down, looking around the cluttered room. “Just looks a bit lived-in, that's all. Who are the three boys?”

“It's lived in all right,” Logan nodded. “The boys are my brothers, Jack and Brad, and me. Mum's outnumbered three to one.”

“You've got brothers? I didn't know that. Are they at home now?”

“No. They won't be home for a couple of hours yet. Mum picks them up and brings them with her when she comes home from work. They're just little, they're in the Primary School, so they go to our grandparents' house after school. They live over the road from the school.”

“And you're home alone until they get here?”

“Yep. Best time of the day. It's the only time I get totally to myself.”

“You like that? I get far too much time alone. There's only Dad and I at home and he's a busy man.”

“Yeah? Busy doing what?”

“Working mostly. Working, gardening or fishing – that's his life.”

“Just you and him? Where's your mum?”

“Gone. She left when I was a baby.”

“Oh. That's too bad. But that's not what you want to talk about, is it?”

“It's not. I wanted to talk about us.”

“About us?”

“Yeah, you and me. We never got to talk at school, it's all far too busy there, but something happened between us today. I'm sure of it and I think, I hope, that you're feeling it too.”

“Right. I am.” Logan sat up straighter. “I felt something too. I've never really noticed you before, but I sure did today. I couldn't keep my eyes off you.”

“You couldn't,” Lorne grinned. “I saw that, all day long, because I was looking at you too. I've always been aware of you, you're a popular and up-front sort of kid. I've always wished that I could be your friend too, but you've never even seen me around.”

“True, but I'm seeing you now.” Logan went across and sat down on the couch, next to him. “And I do want to be your friend – very much so.”

“Good. Really good. Thanks,” Lorne replied quietly. He was still smiling but he looked a bit teary-eyed as well.

“I can't believe that we've spent all those years in the same classes and I didn't notice you. I'm not the only one either, lots of people were looking at you today. Lorne, what's happened to you? What's changed?”

“Lots of things have changed. I've been growing up a bit, puberty has happened, at last! Better late than never. I've been growing physically, eating like a hungry horse, and I've been getting lots of exercise, trying to get fit.

I've basically spent the summer outdoors, which has got me tanned and sun-bleached my hair. I've been swimming, climbing mountains and running down them and, well, working at it.”

“Your work has paid off,” Logan replied. “You look full of life, fit and healthy and, well, good. You're looking really good.”

“You think?” Lorne blushed, shyly. “I still don't look as good as you, I never will. But the biggest changes have been on the inside.”

“Inside?”

“Yes. We were talking, my dad and I, on New Year's Eve. We decided that we were going nowhere fast and it's time things changed for both of us. He's going to stop mucking around and get himself a proper job and I'm going to . . . to join the real world, where the real people are.”

“Like me?”

“Exactly like you. You were the first person I thought of.”

“That's very cool. I'm glad that you did. I'd love to be your friend, Lorne, best friends even.”

“Really? That's so great. Thanks. Umm, one thing you should know though – I'm gay.”

“You're what? Gay? How do you know that?”

“I've always known that. It's just who I am, I like boys not girls. Does that matter?”

“Oh yeah! That matters, that matters a lot!” Logan nodded and he moved closer to him.

“It does? I'm sorry, Logan. I can't help it, I just am and I like you. I'd better go. Sorry.”

He went to stand up but Logan stopped him by putting his hands on his shoulders and holding him down.

“You'd better not. Don't go, stay here with me.” He kissed him.

Lorne didn't respond. He sat rigid, like he'd been turned to stone and Logan's racing heart sank. Too far, too fast? He pulled back and looked into his blue eyes.

“Sorry,” he said. “I shouldn't have done that.”

Lorne shook his head. “Don't be,” he said. “Don't be sorry. I've always . . . I never thought . . . I never dreamed that – you just took me by surprise.”

“So it's all right then?”

“Oh yes, very all right!”

Lorne kissed him and Logan responded big-time! He was instantly hard, hot and horny. He so wanted this boy. They toppled sideways to lie along the couch, kissing, cuddling and whimpering.

Lorne lay on his back and Logan stretched out on top of him. Their arms were around each other and their legs entwined. Everything was great: they were both loving it, revelling in the closeness and loving each other. Then Logan blew it.

He was horny and he got carried away. He started humping against the gorgeous boy, grinding his hard dick against him through their clothes. Slowly at first, and then faster and harder as he lost himself in the sensations and he thought that Lorne was too. He wasn't.

“Logan, please – don't. Don't do this. Dammit, Logan. Stop it! Stop this now!!” Angrily, he fought him off and bucked him right off the couch.

Logan slid off and landed on the floor. He sat up and looked. Lorne was lying on his back with his arms flung above his head, all red in the face and breathing deeply.

“What's wrong? It's just what comes naturally. Am I going too fast? You liked it, didn't you? Sure you did.” He put a hand on his leg, slid it up and gently groped and stroked his groin.

Amazingly, Lorne wasn't even hard. Logan sure was, harder and hornier than he'd ever been.

“No, Logan, I did not like it. I didn't like it one bit. You think I just came here for sex? I'm not a slut, don't treat me like one.” He sat up, swinging his legs around and pushed the hand away.

“Oh, come on. It's just a bit of fun and it's what you came here for, isn't it?”

“I told you, I didn't come here for that. Fun? I don't think so.” He picked up his bag and walked to the door.

“”What're you doing?” Logan protested. “You're not leaving are you?”

“I think I'd better.” Lorne looked back, he was all-but crying. “If I stay here, we're going to have a massive fight and I don't want that. So I'd better go. Goodbye, Logan.”

He walked out, quietly closing the door behind him.

Logan sat for a few seconds, trying to get his head around what had gone wrong. The kid was gay, wasn't he? He jumped up to follow him, and ran out of the front door just in time to see Lorne striding along the street and disappearing around the corner.

“Lorne! Wait!” He took a few steps, and then stopped. He wasn't running after him and making a fool of himself in front of the whole town. 'To hell with that. To hell with him!'

He spun around and went back inside, angrily slamming the door behind him.

“You're nothing but a bloody tease, Beynon. You get me all worked up like that, and then walk out on me – Fuck you! I don't need this and I don't need you. There's plenty of others around who are not uptight prudes. Keep your precious virginity – Retard!”

It was just as well there was no-one else around, if there had been he probably would've lashed out at them and, yes, had a massive fight. He was so bloody wild. He'd never been angrier!

“Fuck 'im anyway. He might be getting taller, but he's still just a child. Grow up, Baby!”

It took a while, but he slowly calmed down. In his room, on the bed, with his burning face buried in the pillows, the anger faded and all that was left was the embarrassment – he'd made a right fool of himself. He'd got carried away and Lorne had done nothing wrong. He just didn't want to do it and Logan had no right to try and force him to.

“Oh, Gawd! I was so wrong. I'm sorry, Lorne, so, so sorry.”

He didn't know how he was going to fix this, but he knew that he had to. He couldn't go and find him because he had no idea where he lived. “Tomorrow!”

Tomorrow, at school, as soon as he saw him, he was going to apologise and beg, if he had to, for Lorne to forgive him and give him another chance. He had to. They were only just starting to get to know each other and he so wanted to know him.

He could see himself loving that boy. Maybe he already did? He went to the bathroom to wash his face and freshen-up. He didn't want to have to explain to his mum why he'd been crying. Not likely!

For once in his life, Logan went early to school next morning. That was a definite first! He didn't go inside, just hung around out at the front waiting for Lorne to arrive.

Kids started arriving, in dribs and drabs, all full of the usual lack of enthusiasm – and this was only the second day of the year! They had a long, long way to go until next summer. A few of them greeted him when they saw him standing there, but no-one stopped and he didn't go in with them.

Eventually, most everyone had arrived and there was still no sign of Lorne. Logan couldn't wait any longer or he was going to be late. He went into the school, he'd catch him later.

Walking in to the first class, he looked around the room hopefully, just in case Lorne had come in by some other way. He hadn't. Late, maybe? Could be.

The morning dragged on, class by class, and he had to accept that Lorne wasn't late; he was not coming. Absent on the second day? Not a good look. He tried to think about other things, but that wasn't easy to do.

Why wasn't Lorne at school? Was he sick or something? He looked fine yesterday – really fine and healthy too. Maybe he'd had an accident? Maybe his dad's old ute had broken down? Who knew? He wished that he did.

He surely wouldn't have just not come to school because he was pissed at Logan, would he? He was so sorry for what he'd done – 'Bloody Idiot!'

They were getting on so well until he blew it. He really had to apologise and get back on the right track, but couldn't do it if the Kid wasn't there. He carried on, going through the motions of his life. What other choice was there?

Next day, Wednesday, it was the same all over again. He was there early, he waited and Lorne didn't show up. Dammit. Now he was really starting to worry. Was he ever coming back at all?

At lunchtime, he went to the office to speak to Mrs. Bourke, the School Secretary. She'd know why Lorne was absent, his father should've rang to say why he wasn't there. She didn't and he hadn't.

“It's a mystery to me too, Logan. If you hear anything, please let me know.”

“Yeah, of course I will. I'll go and see him at home, where does he live?”

“Ah, no, sorry, I can't tell you that.”

“But why not? You must know his home address, it'll be in the school records.”

“Records are confidential, Logan. We can't give out students' personal details; it'd cost me my job if I did.”

“Oh. But what if it was an emergency?”

“Is it? Teenage dramas don't qualify as emergencies, you know.”

“How about his telephone number? Can you tell me that?”

She looked at her computer screen and shook her head. “I couldn't tell you, but I can tell you this, the school doesn't know. There is no phone number listed, apparently they haven't got one.”

“No phone at all? Not even a cell-phone? How can anyone live without a phone?”

“I wouldn't like to, but some do, it seems. Sorry I can't help. Do let us know if you hear anything..”

“Yeah. Thanks anyway, Mrs. Bourke.”

He left the office, feeling even more frustrated. She wouldn't tell him anything, but she wanted him to tell her. How was that fair?

Where was Lorne and what was he doing? No phone at all? That was weird. Ange might've been right, maybe the Beynons were aliens?

“Phaw! Shut up. Of course they're not. There are no aliens. But there's some strange people around, seems like.”

Thursday, he still wasn't there and Logan was getting worried. Something must've gone wrong. He went back to the office but Mrs. Bourke said that there still hadn't been any word from Lorne or his father. She was starting to get worried, maybe it was contagious. But, no, she still couldn't tell him Lorne's home address – she quite liked her job and wanted to keep it.

“You're a hard woman, Mrs. Bourke.”

“Only as hard as I have to be. I don't make the rules, sorry.”

“Yeah, I'm sorry too.” He turned to go, defeated again, but she stopped him.

“Logan, I find it strange that you don't know where your friend lives.”

“I guess it is strange, but he's a new friend. I haven't known him long and don't know much about him.”

“Obviously. You know, if I was you, I'd ask around the other kids. Someone must know where to find him.”

“Someone does. You know and you won't tell me.”

“I can't. Ask around, Logan, you never know. Who are his closest friends?”

“I don't think he's got any. I'll try anyway. Thanks for that.”

He asked around, mostly the girls because they they took more notice of people, and they were gossips, but no-one knew anything definite. Nobody knew where Lorne lived! 'Strange.'

He got some conflicting stories, Lorne had been seen going places after school, always on his own. However he'd been seen in Palmerston Street, Albion Street, Leopold Street, etc, etc. It seemed that he wandered around all over the place – like a spy would do?

'Shut up! He's not a spy, he's a kid.'

So, another day gone and he still hadn't fixed things and had no clue where he'd be. Dammit. He really hoped that it wasn't his fault that Lorne was AWOL. It wouldn't be, would it? He wasn't that upset. Or was he? Once again, he so wished that he hadn't done what he'd done – it was like sex abuse, wasn't it? Tacky!

Surprisingly, it was Ange, his ex, who came up with an answer for him. He was walking home, in a sour mood, as was becoming his normal state, when she caught up to him.

“Logan, wait up!”

“Oh? Hey, Ange. Something I can do for you?”

“No. Something I can do for you. I hear you've been asking where Lorne Beynon lives.”

“Right. I have been. He hasn't been back to school since the first day. We had . . a bit of an argument and I'm getting worried about him. Do you know where he lives?”

“I do. I found out from my aunty – Mr. Beynon did some work for her and she told me where they live.”

“So where?”

“You really want to know, don't you? Have a lover's tiff already? No, on second thoughts, I don't want to know. They live on Richardson Road, at no.23, but it's actually the first house you come to.”

“23 Richardson Road. Great, thanks! But – wait – where is Richardson Road? I've never heard of it.”

“It's a country road, it turns off the highway, on the way to Whataroa, about 20k's north of here. It's next to the Waitangi- whatever River.”

“The Waitangitanoa River, yeah, I know where that is. That's great, Ange. Thanks. Now I've just got to figure out how to get there. That's a long way out of town. Way too far to walk.”

“That's for sure. Why don't you just ring him?”

“They haven't got a phone, so I can't.”

“Of course they've got a phone. Everyone has at least one.”

“Not everyone. Mrs. Bourke said that they haven't.”

“Really? Wow. I told you they were weird. Maybe they are aliens?”

“Or, maybe they just don't have a phone. Thanks again, Ange. I think I've got a plan.”

“Okay. Good luck, Lover Boy, and I'll see you tomorrow.”

“You will, and shut up!”