“Who’s bright idea was it to go hiking this early in the damn morning?” Riley griped as the trail they were on continued to curve upward through the trees.
“Yours,” the rest of them said in unison.
“Well, I’m a dumbass, and this is someone else’s fault but mine.” Riley mumbled.
Mika and Kelly rolled their eyes good naturedly as their boyfriends continued to complain, Gen less so, but complain he did. Mostly because he was just tired and wanted to go back to bed with Mika. Marcus led the group up the meandering trail, amused by everyone else as he usually was.
He was the last one to go to bed, but he was still up before the sun rose. He had brewed a pot of coffee, the aroma of which was like an alarm clock to the two couples who stumbled out of their tents, bleary eyed and fighting with their shirts. Kelly walked out with her sleeping bag over her head and plopped down next to Mika who had slumped into one of the canvas chairs, his head lolling against the back, his whole body aching, his legs still weak and unsteady. Gen brought him a cup of coffee and Mika thanked him as he slowly brought his head back forward, his disheveled hair hanging in his eyes.
Kelly moaned as Riley handed her a cup and landed a kiss on the top of her head. She leaned against Mika and yawned. “Get much sleep?” she asked.
He shook his head. “You?”
Same response.
“Totally worth it,” Mika said, sipping his sugary sweet brew. Gen really did know how to make him happy.
“Oh, yeah,” Kelly said with a chuckle. She sat up and leaned forward with her cup between her hands. They watched on as the other three prepared the grill with a griddle attachment for pancakes and eggs while sausages and bacon grilled beside it.
“Were you scared?” Kelly asked in a low voice for only the two of them to hear.
Mika shook his head. “Not for one second. I know I probably should have been, everything I ever read says as much, but…I wasn’t.”
She smiled at him. “That really is saying something, isn’t it? Guess you really did find your prince charming.”
Mika giggled. “More like my warrior prince. Charming was a lameass who was too much into chasing pretty girls.”
Kelly laughed. “Right, he probably would have run screaming at the first sight of bloodshed.”
“And girls want guys like that?” Mika asked. “The sweeping you off your feet thing is cute but come on…I want someone strong to protect and fight for me when I can’t do it alone. A battle warrior prince.” He smiled at Gen as the older boy glanced his way and smiled.
“Not all girls want that,” Kelly said, gazing at Riley. “We also don’t want super macho guys, either. Somewhere in the middle is where you find the perfect guy. He’ll cook you breakfast, comfort you when you're sad, let you win at games, hold and kiss you softly, really listen when you have a problem or just need to talk, and talk to you about his day while you do your hair or lounge out. He also sticks up for you, defends and protects you, and knocks some jackass to the ground if they try to hurt you. He also has to be strong enough to put you in your place when you need it, and humble enough when you have to do the same to him.”
“Doesn’t hurt if they look damn good, too,” Mika said, his eyes glued to Gen as they worked at the grill. He couldn’t help but smile a little as Gen laughed with the other two, trying to understand how to flip a pancake without destroying it.
“It is definitely a bonus,” Kelly agreed. She swung one leg over a knee and leaned back in her chair, turning her head to Mika. “So what was it like?”
“Kelly, come on…” His ears began to turn red and he brought his cup to his lips.
“Are you embarrassed?” she teased.
“No!” he said. “I just don’t kiss and tell, that’s all.”
“Yesterday, you two couldn’t stop sucking face and pawing at each other, and now it’s ‘I don’t kiss and tell’?”
His eyes went to the side and he blushed furiously, sinking low in his chair. “I just don’t want to tell, how about that?”
Kelly put her elbow on the arm of her chair and rested her chin in her hand, her eyes boring a hole through the side of his head until he finally glanced in her direction, his eyes shining. She smiled. “That good, huh?”
He tried to cover his face but was unsuccessful, a broad grin breaking free. He threw his head back and groaned as she squealed with laughter.
Marcus, Riley, and Gen stood at the grill, listening as the other two giggled and whispered behind them. It was no guess what it was that had them in a fit. Riley held out his fist.
“Well done, my dude.”
“Same to you,” Gen tapped Riley’s knuckles with his own while Marcus slapped him on the back.
“Careful, that one is gonna burn,” Marcus said, pointing at one of the pancakes. Gen flipped it carefully, happy that it also came out good.
“Poor Marcus, no one warmed his tent last night,” Riley said with feigned sadness.
“No, I just got mental images for my spank bank thanks to you fuckers.”
Gen and Riley let out exclamations of “Dude, what the fuck?!” “Come on, man!” “Really?” “Ugh!” Someone made a loud gagging noise. Marcus just laughed.
When everything was done, Gen sat next to Mika and handed him a plate with everything. “Don’t hate it too badly, it’s my first time.”
“Is it now?” Kelly said with a teasing grin.
Gen blushed as Mika giggled. They all dug into their breakfast, not one person disappointed in Gen’s very first batch of pancakes.
“You guys want to go for a hike after this?” Riley asked. “There’s a pretty easy trail near here that leads up to the top of this hill.” He pointed at the one he was referring to. “You can get a great view of the entire lake from up there.”
“Sounds good to me,” Kelly said. Everyone else agreed.
And now everyone was cursing Riley for making the suggestion in the first place. They were all tired and sore from the day before, for Kelly and Mika it was also from the night before, as well, the trail wasn’t as easy as he had promised, and it took longer than anyone had thought.
Marcus, a seasoned hiker, teased the other four relentlessly, calling them all babies for whining so much. Gen promised to throw him off the nearest cliff. Riley promised to jump in the void with him. Kelly and Mika promised if they got back to camp alive, they would flay Riley with the grill flipper.
Everyone was having a great time.
When they weren’t joining in on the complaints and threats, Mika and Gen were admiring their surroundings, with Mika pointing out different birds and other animals that came across their path. Gen would make a comment about something and Mika would laugh, making the rest of them smile. As Riley had said, they knew Mika had been faking for years. Hearing him laugh for real made them all feel good knowing that he was truly happy for the first time in his life.
Finally, they reached the top of the hill. Riley arrived first, arms outspread with a giant sigh of relief. “Observe, my fellow mortals, the splendor of the gods!”
The others arrived, grumbling and cursing, Mika limping a little after twisting his ankle on a rock he hadn’t seen. When they came to stand with Riley, however, everyone went silent. The view around them was truly something to behold. The lake shimmered in the morning sun, the trees various shades of green. It was a reminder how Spring had arrived but was still taking its time establishing a foothold on the Earth.
Kelly took Riley’s hand, her eyes wide with wonder. She hadn’t seen anything like this before. No one before had ever bothered to show her anything so pretty that wasn’t bought in a store. This man, however, this goofy guy she was crazy about, went out of his way to show her true beauty. He moved slightly behind her and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, his chin on her shoulder.
“Worth it?” he asked.
She nodded. “Totally worth it.” She rested her cheek against his head as they admired the view.
Mika and Gen came up alongside them, both of them just as entranced. Gen noticed ducks flying around and into the lake, and thought he spotted some fish jumping in the water. A breeze blew by, ruffling his mohawk and lifting Mika’s hair back from his face. Mika absently tucked some loose strands behind his ear, a small smile on his face, his gaze far away.
Gen put his arm around him. “Where are you going?”
Mika looked up at him, eyes shining. “Anywhere with you.”
Marcus rolled his eyes and stood on the other side of Riley and Kelly. He desperately wished at that moment that Alison and Aubrey were there with him. Not because he felt like the odd man out, that sort of thing didn’t bother him. It was because he knew they would love this sort of thing. He suddenly had a thought and pulled out his phone and a plastic rod attachment that he extended.
“A selfie stick, really?” Kelly asked, dumbfounded. “I would not expect that of you, Marcus.”
“I’m a man of many unexpected surprises,” he said and raised his phone so all of them were in view. “Say ‘cheese!’”
Not one person made a straight face. According to all of them, it was the best picture taken the entire trip.
The hike back to camp was a lot less miserable with far less complaining and more talk about what they all had planned for the rest of Break.
“Unfortunately, I have to work a few days,” Gen said with a dramatic sigh. “No more fun for me!”
“My condolences,” Riley said, patting him on the shoulder. “I, too, must attend the mines.”
“Where do you work?”
“The grocery store near Rockwood.”
Gen stared at him. “The fuck you say.”
“Yeah, I’m in the service deli.”
“That’s why I never see you, then,” Gen said. “I’m in the freezer, but I’m only there three days a week.”
“Yeah, totally different area of the store. When do you normally work?”
They talked about their schedules while Marcus was telling Kelly and Mika about taking part in an event at the police forensics lab where they would be showing potential candidates the sort of things they may be doing if they decided to join them.
Mika was saying that outside of having to take the kids on Thursday, he didn’t have anything else set in stone for the week.
Kelly frowned. She was going to have to go to Seth’s house to get the rest of her stuff, if he hadn’t destroyed any of it. She was definitely nervous about the whole thing and wasn’t sure how she could go about it without risking a confrontation.
“That’s easy, we’ll go with you,” Riley said, glancing up at her, his eyes serious. Gen and Marcus nodded. Mika squeezed her hand. Kelly hadn’t expected that response at all . Usually people just told her she’d figure it out, that the cops were on speed dial, or something else to excuse themselves from her problems. Truth be told, she had become one of those people, doing her best not to get involved in everyone’s problems.
Yet, here her closest friends were, already lending their aid and protection and she didn’t even need to ask for it. She thanked them in a small voice, truly grateful.
“You know,” she said as they were nearing the campsite, “I realized something last night, and it made me rethink a lot about how I’ve allowed myself to go about my life. I’ve always kept myself to myself, not wanting to get involved in other peoples’ business, and not wanting them in mine. In my family, secrets equal survival.” She cast a glance to Mika who shared the look before watching where his feet were landing.
“But what you guys did for me last night, I didn’t expect it. Not at all. No one has ever stuck up for me the way you did. You put yourselves in the path of my problems without a second thought, without considering the consequences. You didn’t know if he had a weapon or if there was backup coming or what. You just acted, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.”
“Well, yeah,” Gen said. “Isn’t that what friends do?” He looked back at her, completely serious. He didn’t say it to be cheesy, or to lighten the mood. He asked because he honestly wanted to know. For him, it just seemed like the most obvious thing in the world to protect someone you care about. It reminded her just how separated he still was from the rest of humanity. He didn’t know that most friends just usually let each other hang in the wind to let them figure things out for themselves. At least, that was her experience.
“Kelly,” Mika said. “We’re not everyone else, you know. We actually give a shit about you. I’ve never expected you to run to help me when things get bad, I don’t expect it from anyone, ever. But things are different now.” He smiled at Gen. “We can do things differently.” He took her hand and she held on tight. So much was said in just those few words.
They came out into the clearing where their campsite was and loud sighs of relief and dramatic thanks were offered for their safe arrival. Kelly and Mika rescinded their threat to flay Riley’s skin, to which he was grateful. Kelly walked over to the dock and stared out across the water.
Things are different now, Mika had said. He had no idea how true those words were. She turned to see everyone start to pack up and tear down the equipment, the sad reality of having to return to the real world written on their faces. No one wanted to go home but everyone knew they couldn’t stay there forever. It was the curse of Spring Break with good friends. She gazed back out across the lake and smiled.
“Hey, guys,” she called. They all stopped as she looked back at them, smiling. “How bout one quick swim?”
The boys all looked between them, then around at all the stuff that needed to be taken down and piled back into their vehicles. They looked back at the lake and the pretty girl standing in silhouette, her blond hair blowing gently in the breeze, the sweetest smile any of them had ever seen on her lips.
Gen put down what was in his hands and headed over to the dock, Mika close behind. Marcus and Riley didn’t even hesitate to follow. Once out with Kelly, Mika took one of her hands, Riley the other. Gen took Mika’s, and Marcus took Gen’s. They said nothing, just jumped into the water with one big yell.
-*-
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