Page 68 of Lost Boy
“I won’t put it off any longer. This has to stop,” he mumbles the last part, and Joel squeezes him. “Tesoro, come with me to my office for support?” Dad asks Joel.
“Of course, honey.”
“Well, I’m gonna retire on home as well. There’s a mystery casserole in the refrigerator, and I wrote the cooking instructions on the foil. Follow it, please. Don’t ruin me hard work, lads.”
I chuckle, excited for another Georgie mystery casserole special. They’re always delicious and some version of shepherd’s pie with meat and potatoes in a savory gravy.
“See ya later, George. Thanks for everything.”
“Ye cheeky get, ye.” But she smiles kindly, knowing I’m only teasing when I call her George.
Fallon’s been quiet this whole time, just observing. Now that everyone’s gone and off to their own afternoons, we can spend the rest of the day in my roomtogether.
Just me and my boyfriend.
CHAPTERTWENTY
RYDER
Two weeks.
I’ve had a boyfriend for two weeks, and we’ve successfully hidden our relationship. When all I really want to do is show him off and tell everyone that I’m gay and Fallon is mine. I’m too close to winning the championship, though. I can taste it. And I just can’t risk it or add any unneeded scrutiny.
We’re playing the Jefferson Jaguars, and things haven’t cooled down in the slightest since the toilet paper incident. Tensions are higher than ever. Seth has not-so-subtly reminded me what he thinks he knows about Fallon and me. I keep reminding him that I have proof of him vandalizing a school employee’s home. Twice. Shuts him right up every time.
And two days ago, Cole let a donkey loose in the JHS gymnasium. Just free to roam, shit, and enjoy the massive amounts of hay he generously sprinkled over the hardwood court.
It was a mess, but the donkey enjoyed himself, and Cole did too. As did the rest of the academy. The Jaguars, not so much.
Knowing the prank war has been escalating, I heard Coach Patterson made his team clean up the gym themselves, with no help from the custodians. And picturing Dustin, Seth, and Rich bitching the entire time, looking and smelling like jackasses, brings me so much fucking joy.
“PETA is gonna be on our ass if this gets out!” Joel shouts in the authoritative tone that usually only comes out when we play like shit.
“The donkey is fine! He’s back at the petting zoo. No harm, no foul. That dude lived like a donkey king for the night. And that was not a confession of guilt! Just a statement of fact,” Cole adds, and Joel rolls his eyes.
“Regardless, these pranks have to stop, guys,” Joel tells the locker room at the end of our last practice before the weekend. “We’ll have four more practices next week, then the championship game on Friday. We’re going to scrimmage hard and focus on our individual weak spots. But until then, I don’t want you to think you’ve got the weekend off. There will be no relaxing. Only trust building.”
What?
The room is so dead silent you could hear a pin drop. Everyone’s as confused as I am, holding their breath and waiting for our coach to explain.
I know the guys were looking forward to blowing off some steam before the most stressful week of our high school basketball careers. Parties, hooking up, drinking, and probably doing stupid things are a given.
“You’re all wondering what that means.” Joel pulls a stack of pamphlets from his back pocket and walks around the locker room, tossing one to each of us.
Camp Dakota: Trust and Team Relationship Building.
Is he shitting me?
A chorus of groans echoes within the stark gray concrete walls and metal lockers. I shift my feet, squeaking my Jordans on the shiny floor as I lean against the lockers. I’ve already showered and changed into gray joggers and a new white hoodie.
I glance at the clock on the wall. It’s getting late, and this new development is ruining my plans for the night. I was looking forward to making out with my boyfriend, maybe even taking it further than we have. We’ve been keeping pace, holding steady and enjoying sucking each other off while I train his hole to take me—
“Ryder.”
Shit.
“Hmm?”
