Ethan and Jacob: Wish You Were Here
by SalientLane
Chapter 9
A few weeks later. The sun was a big, blazing bully itself, beating down on our backs as we trudged along the dirt path with the other guys. Jacob and I had been eyeballing each other, communicating in that silent language best friends develop when words just get in the way. We were planning to snag the prime spot for the tent – near the river but not too close, under the shade but still with a killer view.
"Hey, Ethan!" The shout came from behind us, and I didn't need to turn around to know it was JD, the kind of kid who thought he was king of the world because his dad owned two jet skis.
"Nice backpack. Baby blue's your color?" JD teased, and a few of his minions chuckled.
Jacob squeezed my shoulder in a hang-in-there-buddy squeeze, but I shrugged it off. We weren't going to let JD ruin our trip.
"Blue like the sky, man," Jacob retorted with a grin, not missing a beat. "You know, full of endless possibilities."
"Whatever," JD snorted, shoving past us, elbowing me hard enough that I stumbled.
"Watch it!" Jacob's voice was tight with anger now.
"Oops," JD said, smirking. "Guess you can't see where you're going without your mommy holding your hand." He shoved again, harder this time, and laughter erupted from his posse.
"Let's just go," I muttered to Jacob, tugging at his sleeve. It wasn't worth it. But the shove sent us skidding down a slope, away from the trail, the group, and JD's mockery.
We landed in a pile of pine needles and leaves, out of sight from the path. I could hear the others moving on, JD's voice fading away.
"Nice landing," Jacob said, dusting himself off. He extended a hand to help me up, and we exchanged looks. No words needed. We both knew we weren't going back.
"Adventure awaits, frère," I declared, slapping the dirt from my shorts. Even lost, even pushed around, we could make it fun.
"Let's explore," Jacob suggested, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Lead the way, Jacques Cousteau," I joked, and we set off into the unknown.
The trees whispered secrets as we marched on, ignoring the sting of scrapes and the buzz of mosquitoes. Then, like a magic trick, the forest opened up and there it was: a hidden spot along the river, shimmering and inviting.
"Whoa," we both exclaimed.
"Check out our private swimming hole," Jacob said, grinning wide as he kicked off his shoes.
"Race you in!" I challenged, peeling off my sweaty shirt.
"Ha! You wish!" He laughed and bolted towards the water, splashing in with a dive that sent ripples across the surface.
I followed, leaping into the cool relief, the water enveloping me in its embrace. We swam until our fingers pruned and then sprawled onto the bank, letting the sun dry us.
"Think there's fish in here?" Jacob mused aloud, tossing pebbles into the water.
"Probably," I replied, eyeing a darting shadow beneath the surface. "But they're no match for us."
"True," he chuckled, flopping back on the grass.
"Explorers and fishermen extraordinaire," I added, puffing out my chest a bit.
"Conquerors of the wild," Jacob agreed, nudging me with his elbow.
"Kings of the summer," I concluded, looking over at him. His smile was my mirror.
"Always," he said softly.
And together, there by the river, we let the afternoon stretch on forever.
Clouds mustered like an army, grey and foreboding, before we even noticed the change. The first drop hit my nose - a cold surprise. I looked up.
"Storm's coming," I said, squinting as more drops pelted down, growing from a sprinkle to a barrage within seconds.
"Seriously?" Jacob stood up, his eyes tracing the swirling clouds. "Guess our summer kingdom's got dragons too, huh?"
"More like giant angry water balloons," I retorted, standing up as well. The air turned electric; the first rumble of thunder was distant but threatening.
"Let's find cover!" Jacob yelled over the increasing noise, grabbing his shirt and backpack.
"Right behind you!"
We ran, the ground beneath us turning slick with rain. Mud splashed up my legs, my heart drummed in my chest, loud as the sky's growls. Lightning zigzagged, a spider's web of light, and thunder cracked so close it felt like it hit my spine.
"Over there!" Jacob pointed through sheets of rain to an outline that cut into the horizon. A cabin, old and crooked like a forgotten storybook illustration.
"Hope it's not haunted," I shouted, half-joking to mask the unease in my belly.
"Then it'll meet two ghosts who can tell terrible puns!" He shot back with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.
The door creaked open at our push, revealing darkness and the smell of damp wood. We stumbled inside, shaking like wet dogs.
"Whoa, check this out," Jacob flicked on his flashlight, revealing dust motes dancing in its beam. The place was abandoned, all right, with cobwebs for curtains and dust for carpets. An ancient fireplace stood guard on one wall.
"Looks like nobody's home." I scanned the room, spotted an old blanket in a corner, and tossed it at him. "Housewarming present."
"Ha, very funny." He caught it, sneezing when dust puffed up. "Let's get a fire going before we freeze."
"Good plan."
Working together, we built a meager fire, coaxing flames from old newspapers and twigs. The warmth seeped into my bones, pushing back the chill of the storm outside. Thunder was a muffled drum, less scary here in the dimness, under our blanket, by the fire's side.
"Close call, huh?" Jacob broke the silence, poking the fire.
"Too close." I agreed.
"Thanks for, you know, being here. I'd hate to face the dragon alone."
"Anytime, man. What are best friends for?"
"Bad jokes and life-saving, apparently."
"Sounds about right."
We shared a smile, the kind that's only possible when you've weathered a storm together. Silence settled again, comfortable, filled with the crackle of fire and the muted fury of rain on the roof. Our kingdom might have been besieged by dragons, but we were knights in this moment, unbreakable and brave.
Authors deserve your feedback. It's the only payment they get. If you go to the top of the page you will find the author's name. Click that and you can email the author easily.* Please take a few moments, if you liked the story, to say so.
[For those who use webmail, or whose regular email client opens when they want to use webmail instead: Please right click the author's name. A menu will open in which you can copy the email address (it goes directly to your clipboard without having the courtesy of mentioning that to you) to paste into your webmail system (Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo etc). Each browser is subtly different, each Webmail system is different, or we'd give fuller instructions here. We trust you to know how to use your own system. Note: If the email address pastes or arrives with %40 in the middle, replace that weird set of characters with an @ sign.]
* Some browsers may require a right click instead
