Page 40 of String Boys

He turned and captured Seth’s mouth, shuddering at the taste, when a harsh gasp broke into their moment.

They both turned their heads toward the sound, and Kelly let out a bark of shocked laughter.

Off the path, about twenty yards away, hidden by the shadows and some trees, Isela was bent over a log, her hair hanging in her face, her palm jammed into her mouth. Matty was pumping behind her, both of them naked from the waist down.

At Kelly’s sound, Matty and Isela both looked up, while Kelly was still in Seth’s arms.

Kelly swallowed. “I think we need to go help Mom,” he said loudly, then turned without looking at Seth and led the way down the path.

They were within sight of the campground before Seth spoke. “What now?”

Kelly shrugged. “Checkmate,” he said. “You and I were kissing. He wasbanging his girlfriend.He squeals on me, I squeal on him.”

Seth’s hand, tugging on his, was hot now, like the exertion and the embarrassment had flooded under his skin. “But… but Matty won’t like us anymore.”

Kelly turned, feeling suddenly older than he was. “Yeah, Seth, but did he really like us anyway? I mean, we have to live in the same place because we’re brothers, but his whole life is about Isela, and the two of them, they don’t like anything we are.”

Seth swallowed hard, and his eyes did that thing where it seemed like he was two hundred years away without even blinking.

“Okay,” Seth said, his voice as remote as his eyes.

And Kelly got it then, so hard and so quickly his chest ached like he’d just caught a soccer ball with it. “Seth?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re really hurt right now.”

Seth blinked, and his eyes grew a little shiny. “I’m fine.”

Oh God.

Kelly had always known Seth was his dreamy boy, that he seemed to float in from far away to visit planet Earth to make sure it was all doing okay.

Until this moment he’d never realized that Seth did that because being here on planet Earth hurt.

Oh Seth. All those times you were so dreamy—except when you were playing music. Or with me. Did the world hurt so very much?

He stood up on his tiptoes and kissed Seth, hard, like he didn’t care who saw him, like he was proud Seth was his.

Seth responded eagerly, only pulling back when Kelly did.

“I’ll be enough, right?” Kelly asked, surprised at his own hurt.

“All I need.” He was right there, in the here and now, and Kelly’s chest eased up a little.

Kelly caught enough breath to walk back to the campsite and find his mom. Chili that night, which probably meant Matty would fart up the tent right before he bailed to bang Isela again, but that was okay. As long as he left.

That night, Matty managed to completely avoid Seth and Kelly through dinner, through campfire songs, through marshmallows. Kelly pretended he didn’t notice, and Seth was light-years away. For a brief moment, Kelly wished Seth could be therewithKelly, and then he caught Matty shoving up against Seth on their way to the tent. Seth hit a tree with a muffled grunt, and Kelly whirled to confront Matty.

Well, in a stage whisper. “What the fuck’s your problem,” he hissed. “You got something to say to us?”

“Do I got something to say to two little faggots who can’t—”

“Can’t what?” Kelly snarled. “Can’t keep it in our pants? ’Cause our things were exactly where they were supposed to be, Matty. Where the fuck was yours?”

“You shut your filthy mouth!” Matty pulled back his arm, cocking to release a punch, and to Kelly’s horror, Seth wandered in between them like this wasn’t about to go WWF on them.

“Congratulations on you and Isela,” Seth said, as though he meant it. “You must really care about her.”