Page 18 of Believe in Caloosa Springs

It was cooler than I had expected it to be once the sun set, and I was tempted to run to the cabin and grab my jacket. I was glad I hadn’t bothered once Tyler and Jake had gotten a fire going in the pit.

I leaned back in my chair and stared up at the black expanse of the Colorado sky. Stars so clear you could reach out and grab one. We had great nighttime views back in Utah as well, but this was something else. Despite there being no moon in the sky, things somehow seemed brighter. The heavens were more intense. I couldn’t wait to see my first full moon out here in the middle of nowhere. Maybe I’d buy a telescope.

“Porter?”

I looked over to see a can of beer in Jake’s outstretched hand.

“No, thanks, man. Appreciate it, though.”

“You don’t drink?”

“Not really,” I shrugged, trying to remain casual and hope that he wouldn't prod further. LDS didn’t drink. My parents certainly had never touched a drop. Myself, I wasn’t particularly hung up on that particular tenet of faith. Jesus drank wine, after all. On the other hand, I’d seen people act like complete fools whenthey’d had too much. And beer smelled like piss. I’d never tasted it, but from the smell alone, I wasn’t very much tempted to try.

Jake snickered. “Whatever, man.”

I tried to always give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but there was just something about the dude that rubbed me the wrong way. The last thing I wanted was to cause any problems, but I’d heard a few of the comments he’d made to Aaron during supper. And then Henry had told me that he was talking about Tian being a defective freak. I didn’t like that, either.

As hard as I tried, I couldn’t stop myself from glancing over at the closed door of the cabin Tian was sleeping in. It had been nearly four hours since the doctor walked out and told Tyler and Pops that he was going to be just fine. The fainting itself wasn’t concerning, but he did seem a little dehydrated and should definitely rest for a while. Not that I was standing behind Tyler, eavesdropping, or anything.

I was glad to hear that it was nothing major. The doctor had also checked the cut on his arm. It was surface-level and wouldn’t need anymore than some antiseptic and to keep it covered while it healed. I felt terrible about the whole thing. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’d flinched away from the handle when his long fingers brushed against mine. It had felt like a jolt of electricity, and my immediate reaction was to pull away.Stupid.

Everything about him sent alarm bells throughout my nervous system. He was covered in tattoos. Ihatedtattoos. He had metal rings in his lip and nose. Ihatedthe way piercings looked on most people. And his clothes were, objectively, weird. They weren’t, like, normal clothes, they were closer to… Halloween clothes. Gothic? They didn’t make clothing like that in Salt Lake City. Or, if they did, I had been too sheltered to ever encounter it.

His skin was really soft; surprisingly so. His frame was lithe and lanky. It had taken minimal effort to steady him as he wavered on his feet, and then to carry him to the couch. His face had gone white as a sheet, and he had been pale to begin with. He’d looked up into my eyes just before he’d lost consciousness, his pupils blown and pushing the emerald of his iris to a sliver.

I shook my head before I allowed my thoughts to wonder what else might blow his pupils. He was certainly not anything at all like any of the boys I had ever fantasized about. My preferred partners looked a bit less… intimidating. Not that I thought my parents were ever going to forgive me for lying to them and abandoning my mission, or for being gay, but there wasn’t a snowflake's chance in Hell of them ever accepting someone who looked like Tian. I could already hear my mother sobbing and praying aloud for my salvation.

“What’s got you all twisted up?”

“Huh?”

“You look like you’re contemplating the mysteries of the universe over here,” Henry said as he took the empty seat next to me, stretching his hands towards the open flames to warm them.

I shrugged, leaning over and grabbing the half-empty water bottle I’d placed under my chair. “Meh. Just been a long day, I guess.”

Henry was quiet for a moment as he glanced over at the cabin where I’d taken Tian. “Has the scary guy come out yet?”

“Don’t call him that.” It came out snappier than I had intended.

Henry raised his eyebrow as he turned back to face me. “What’s with you?”

“Nothin’. I just don’t think that’s a nice thing to call someone we just met. Besides, he got a little cut on his arm and passed out cold in my arms…real scary.The boy’s a total monster.”

Henry stared at me for a long moment, and I did my best to just face forward. I was suddenly in a foul mood, and Henry wasn’t making it any better. Deciding I’d had enough human interaction for one day, I got to my feet. “I think I’m going to head to be-”

I stopped mid-sentence as Tian’s door opened slowly and he appeared in the doorway. He looked nervous.

I took off in his direction, faintly aware of Henry calling my name from behind.

At first, he didn’t notice me making my way over. Then, he just stood there, watching as I made my way up to him.

“How are you feeling,” I asked, my voice low as I stopped six feet or so from the doorway he’d framed himself in.

I watched him bite his lower lip as he glanced up at me through thick eyelashes and blushed a miserable scarlet.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, his voice low as he stared at the ground.

We stood like that for a moment, him looking down and me looking at him, until a breeze kicked up, giving him a shiver. He raised his hands to rub the sides of his arms.

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