Lunch is ham sandwiches with a wedge of pickle forked out of a jar canned by Granny herself. Zach takes a drink from his glass of water as the first rays of sun make their way through the house. He hears Granny down the hall, helping Maddie with her bath, leaving the two boys to finish lunch on their own.
Leaning his chair back in the dust speckled air, Shane cranes his head toward the dining room window. Not a word has been said between the two boys. It leaves Zach feeling uncomfortable, but Shane seems to be just the same as always.
Zach forces himself to look down at his plate of food rather than admire the boy's neck, or his hands gripping firmly on the table, his forearms stretched taught, keeping his balance and preventing his backward fall to the floor.
"Hey."
Zach picks up his head to see Shane turning back toward him, dropping the legs of the chair to the floor. He catches his weight against the table, causing everything on it to rattle momentarily, then smiles.
"It's the perfect time to go to the bridge. It looks like a heatwave is coming on, and the water level will be real high from all the rain. Wanna go?"
Zach takes one last drink from his glass.
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Of course he wanted to go. But...
Things are still so awkward between them. He doesn't know what to say. He wants Shane to look at him. He won't. And on top of it all...
It's so hot.
It doesn't take long to reach the bridge. Both boys seem to trudge ahead on the forest path as if on a mission. Zach to settle his fears about his nightmare's premonition. Shane, for an unknown reason.
The bridge comes into view through the canopy of trees, sitting perfectly serene even after the morning's deluge. Zach's feet carry him quickly to its flooded grounds.
Relief washes over him as he confirms the bridge intact, further discrediting his nightmare as a silly fear of the night. The feeling makes him want to celebrate its existence once more, to share the moment, the bridge's never-ending beauty, with the boy beside him.
But Shane is not worried for the bridge. He does not know of Zach's nightmare; he doesn't share his concern. He simply walks across the stone structure's face with slow steps, clenching pieces of dried grass between his teeth, treating the moment like any other.
Zach makes up his mind. He doesn't know where the courage comes from, perhaps from the bridge itself. His heart feels steady as he reaches indulgently for Shane's hand for the second time today.
Shane's hand clutches into a fist at the touch, and he hops back a step like a frightened cat, facing Zach directly as if ready to attack. Zach hides his own hand behind his back in response. He doesn't let the reaction offend him, but feels sure that the hurt is spilling out through his face.
With a laugh, Shane rubs his hand on his hip. He takes the grass from his mouth and stares down at it as he speaks. "Sorry. I guess I was startled."
"Oh. That's ok. I'm sorry." Startled? Or displeased...
They stand separate for a moment, and the heat of the afternoon seems to increase. The sun has returned with a vengeance after the evening and morning's storm. It feels peaceful, but agitating somehow. Zach pulls at his clothes; he wants to cool off somewhere instead of facing his fears, but he can't let it end like this. He wants to know once and for all.
"Shane?" his voice comes out louder than he intends.
"Hm?" The boy tosses the remaining grass into the water and turns to give Zach his attention.
"Why haven't you tried kissing me yet?"
Shane's eyebrows shoot up, and Zach feels his face turning red. Rushing his explanation, he continues, "No. I mean...your friends told me about it. And I-"
"You don't have to worry," Shane interrupts the boy's panic with a shake of his head. His hair falls past his eyes with a kind of modest allure. "I know it's weird. I've decided to stop doing that." He offers a halfhearted smile, not meeting Zach's gaze.
"Having someone new come in who isn't from this place made me realize," he pauses, choosing his words, "that maybe not everyone would appreciate it." Zach doesn't understand but allows the boy to continue.
"And, honestly, meeting you is what made me decide that. You're," Is he blushing now? Zach can't quite tell before Shane turns back toward the water. "You're someone really special to me now. It just doesn't seem worth it, ya know? For once...from you," His next words are mumbled, making Zach lean in closer, though he still doesn't hear.
"The rejection would hurt too much."
He looks up at Zach again now and states simply, "I want us to be friends for the rest of our lives." He beams, but it quickly fades.
An unexpected irritation rises in Zach.
"That's not very fair. Now I feel like someone you think of least as a friend."
Shane laughs, a kind of erupted laugh that pitches him forward at the waist. The tension is gone from the air, but Zach can only blink at the scene before him. He doesn't understand what could be so funny about it all; his question was serious!
Quickly changing the subject, Shane asks, "Hey wanna see something?"
Zach sighs, but can't help but find the boy's dodge amusing.
"Yeah, always."
"You know how I told you the old man boarded up the bridge to keep it from crumbling? Well, it turns out he made something really cool. Come here."
Together they round the edge of the bridge and hop down toward the river, sliding carefully across its steep-sloped embankment.
"You're not afraid of the dark, are you, city boy?"
Shane takes off his shirt, discarding it at Zach's feet in the grass.