Spear Forest

Chapter Three

Under the same night sat another troubled soul.

"So just like that? We are over ?"

"C'mon Mitchy you and I both know long distance wouldn't work. Plus with you not getting accepted this semester I don't know if I can do this anymore."

Silence filled the cold crisp air. Not even a single breath. Mitch wasn't breathing. 

"Hello?....Mitchy?

Silence still, except Mitch began to tremble. Nearly four years down the drain. Their anniversary was a month away. Mitch had already planned for a surprise and bought plane tickets, even made reservations to a restaurant near the university.

"Mitchy...I know you hear me. Please don't take it too hard ."

The silence continued on his side. His breath was caught. He struggled to breathe yet the tears from his dark gray eyes flowed freely.

"I hope you will forgive me one day ."

Silence.

"Goodbye Mitch."

A dial tone filled the air this time.

"But I love you.", He choked. His lungs finally filled with air and began to remove the moisture that built up in his throat. He coughed and cried and coughed until nothing else came out not even tears. He stood to his feet, struggling to keep balance on the slanted rooftop of his home. Once he gained footing he stepped back and launched his phone into the night sky, it vanished into the moonlight. It was like the moon had swallowed it. Yet as expected, Mitch heard the sound of something breaking the surface of a body of water.

He sat back down and placed his head between his legs. He didn't move. Not until he heard shuffling followed by grunting coming up from the side of the house.

"Hey bro why are ...oh..." though it was dark Michael could see tear stains glistening from the moonlight. He sat down next to him and reached into his bag. He pulled out two glass colas. " it's still cold."

Mitch took it without hesitation and popped it open. His gaze glanced from the cola to his brother and then rested on the moon. " Nice haircut."

Michael looked at him then to the moon. " Thanks, bro."

Silently they toasted their colas and watched the night sky.

————-

"Looook out belowww."

With the sun at its highest peak and temperatures hitting above record the crew took it upon themselves to cool off at a fall located on the edge of their hometown town, Farmingville.

"Watch it, Michael!" Wiping water from her eyes Agatha Shot Michael a dirty look. "I'm trying to tan here." She was laid out on a beach towel flat on her back with her arms stretched out on both sides.

"Pfft. Good luck with that!" Michael cocked his arms back and slammed them against the water's surface. Soaking Agatha from head to toe.

"That's it!" Agatha jumped to her feet and dived, pursuing Michael who had already fled.

Michael soon regretted his decision as he felt something grab his ankle. He cursed under his breath just before he was yanked under.

"Sometimes I wonder if that dude is related to me let alone my twin."

"I could agree." Laying on Sam's lap mudon rested under an umbrella Mitch was trying to fix.

Sam raked her hands through mudon's hair. This gesture never failed to put him to sleep. " I also agree I don't see why it's a good idea to pick a fight in water with gold medalist swimmer, the logic in that is absent."

The sunlight on mudon's face flickered as Mitch continue to struggle with the umbrella that wouldn't stay open. "I'm napping here Mitch, do you need help or what? You're going to blind me opening and closing it like that. "He sat up to wipe his eyes, "even with my eyes closed."

"Nah this thing is beyond repair, why not just take your butt into the lake like your girl is about to do."

Mudon turned around just in time to see Sam's feet disappear under the surface behind the rest of her body. He stood to his feet and looked back at Mitch who suddenly had a gray aura around him, something that has acquainted itself with him since the day after the bond fire. Mitch never referred to Sam as mudon's girl though the entire group was fully aware they are dating. Mudon was puzzled, he studied him for a minute till It hit him. He kneeled and placed a hand on Mitch's shoulder, " She's gone isn't she."

Mitch nodded and stood to his feet, "Yeah. She is gone."

Mudon said nothing as he watched Mitch dive in with the rest of the gang. He felt bad. He knew Emily wasn't for him. She was a top-tier student since middle school, it was no surprise to anyone when she graduated early and left for the university soon after. To Mitch, Emily was everything to him and because of that the gang somewhat accepted her. Somewhat, this is because not only was mudon aware of the low compatibility between them but everyone was. Emily wasn't a commitment-type person unless it involved academics. Mitch was warned many times but fell head first anyway just to get broken into a million.

"Are you coming or what." Mitch cocked his hand back and splashed mudon.

"You must have forgotten That I too am a competitive swimmer." Mudon takes a few steps back before launching himself off the dock, diving in head first.

Hours went by till finally the sun was setting and it was time to air dry. One by one the crew took a seat near each other. Some were panting others were examining their raisin skin.

" I don't know about you guys but I'm starving, Agatha dear, how about we dig into whatever you brought in that picnic basket?"

"Wait until you see what I made this time around." Rolling over, Agatha reached and grabbed the basket then rolled back over and placed it in front of everyone,

"I made many different things so it's a like a mystery. Who knows what you'll find? Dig in!"

At that, the gang lunged for the basket and began wildly scrummaging into it.

Michael was the first to reveal " Yes! Salmon croquettes!" He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, " you're the best babe."

Next was Sam. " Tuna sandwich? You're lucky I like to fish ."

"Be grateful you didn't tilapia soup." Mudon looked over at Mitch's hands. He was holding an entire Styrofoam to-go plate. " Before you open that, want to trade? I'll take anything over this soup."

Mitch shook his head. " sorry man judging by the weight and the outcomes of everyone's findings, this could be THE one thing." He opened the top of the plate and revealed a full catfish dinner. "Agatha if you're trying to confess to me I guess I don't mind you dating both of us."

Before Agatha could respond, Michael gave him a backhand. " Shut up and eat!"

"Don't mind if I do."

A month into summer break everything was like any other summer the gang had experienced. Hangouts the at the lake, beer talk over a fire near the forest. The only difference was that this summer was their last. Everyone had finally graduated high school and had their sights on the future at the university in the state over. Everyone except for the twins, Mitch and Michael.