Two Boys Healing (Book Two)

12. Lake (Part 1)

"Goooood morning campers! I hope you're all ready for a wonderful new day with your new friends! Today will be filled with canoe racing, rock climbing, and hiking! I hope you're ready to get your outside on!"

"What does that even mean?" Will grumbled, peeling his eyes open as their head camp councilor, Taryn, spoke over the intercom in each of their cabins. "'Get your outside on'?"

"I think," Ash said with a yawn as he pulled on a shirt down below, "that it means, like, get ready for the day. Or something."

Jake was already gone--he usually was, by this time of the morning--and Chaol was snoring as heavily as ever. Will usually had to wake him up with force.

Will huffed. "It sounds stupid."

Ash giggled a little and strode to the bathroom, starting to brush his teeth. "Mhm."

Will yawned and stretched, smacking his lips. The sun was just barely over the horizon. Rock climbing and canoe races could be fun...

Will climbed down from his bunk and crossed to Chaol's, slapping him lightly on his face. "Chaol, bud, wake up," he sighed. "We don't have all day."

"Uggggh," Chaol groaned, rolling over and slapping Will's hand away. "Nooo. Stop."

Ash chuckled from the bathroom, and Will looked over, noting with some surprise that is it just me, or is Ash getting taller?

He cleared his throat and returned to the task at hand, then yelled at the top of his lungs, "SHIT, CHAOL, YOUR BLANKET'S ON FIRE!!!"

That did it.

Chaol's eyes snapped open and he started thrashing, squealing like a scared pig. Ash spewed his mouthful of toothpaste and spit and started laughing when Chaol flopped over the edge of the bed and landed with a thud on the hard wooden floor.

"aH--" Chaol gasped. "Get it OFF--"

Will grinned and held out a hand to help Him up. "Good morning."

Chaol blinked at him, winded, and then realized that there was, in fact, no fire. His face split into a grin. "Ah, you got me good," he chuckled. "You sneaky little fuck."

Ash was still laughing, and Will could hardly believe how good it felt to hear that again.

~ ~ ~

"Uh, like, what the fuck is this?"

"A canoe," Ash said simply, buckling his life-jacket. "Have you never seen a canoe before?"

"That's not a canoe," Will yelped, poking at the absurd yellow banana-like thing that was sitting half-in the water with his paddle. "That's a floating embarrassment, is what that is."

Ash grinned. "It's not my fault you just had to get the last bagel in the dining hall, otherwise we could have had one of the sexy red ones." He shrugged. "Plus, my foster dad says embarrassment builds character."

"I have character," Will huffed indignantly. "I have all the character in the world, thank you very much."

Ash only chuckled and headed for the canoe.

Yep, he's definitely taller...

Today, Ash was wearing faded blue ripped jeans and a white t-shirt, and Will couldn't decide if he looked hot or adorable. He settled for somewhere between the two and followed him to the horrible yellow monster of a canoe, helping to push it into the water once Ash got settled. Then he climbed in.

"Your life-jacket," Ash reminded him, and Will scoffed. 

"I can swim just fine. I'm like a duck."