by Ami Snow
T-shirts, jeans, and button-down shirts were littered across the neatly tucked covers of his king-sized bed. An open suitcase filled with crumpled clothing and half-zipped pouches of toiletries stood next to three other similarly styled luggages. He walked towards the mahogany dresser, settling on the mauve overstuffed chair next to it. He glanced at the two framed pictures perched on top of the dresser. One was of a bright-eyed, beaming Aaliyah in a red polka-dot dress, two miniature afro puffs held together by matching red ribbons on either side of her tilted head.
He picked up the other picture, lightly tracing the edges of the embossed, golden frame. It was the picture of a young woman, with long, wavy dark hair and a petite, wide-bridged nose almost identical to Aaliyah's, smiling radiantly into the camera. Rubbing his temples, he placed the picture back on the dresser. He reached into his back pocket, retrieving an orange bottle and a credit card. He popped the bottle open, removing a round, white tablet, carefully crushing it with the edge of his card.
“Sorry, Rhonda.”
Ezra took a deep breath as he bent over the line of chalky white powder. He pushed his nose against the coolness of the dresser surface, the trail of white disappearing up his flared nostril. He leaned back, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.
Chapter Three –
“Here we are, guys.”
The heavy, custom-made tires of the Underwood's glinting black Lincoln Navigator rolled on to the asphalt of the quiet parking lot of Murphy Lake Camping Trail. Henry popped the rear door open and began unloading various pieces of camping and hiking gear as Tegan and Asher reluctantly piled out of the car. Asher nodded along to the jumping beat of the song blasting through his headphones, leaning against the car door, his eyes glued to his phone. Tegan shielded her eyes from the sweltering rays of the sun, beads of perspiration trickling down the nape of her neck. She inhaled deeply, her eyes squeezed shut, breathing in the brisk, vivifying fresh air.
“Whoa, Dad – look at all this stuff! What's going on? Have you lost your job and is this your sick, twisted way of telling us we're moving into the wilderness? What is all this?” said Tegan, amused.
“Ah, well – I figured better safe than sorry. Just a couple of tents and stakes, trekking poles, fishing rods, first aid equipment, coolers of beer and emergency food – I've got it all covered!” Henry grinned, his wide, exuberant smile almost childlike.
“Sounds awesome, Dad. This is gonna be fun,” Tegan forced a smile. It had been a while since she had seen her father express any form of genuine enthusiasm.
“What about you, Asher? You excited?” Tegan could hear the strained optimism in Henry's voice.
“Hey jackass,” snapped Tegan, crossing her arms, “Dad's talking to you. Would you stop with your shitty music for just one second, Jesus.”
“Yeah, sure, Dad, whatever.” Asher's eyes remained locked to his screen.
“You disrespectful, ungrateful, piece of –”
“Hey, great – they're here!” Henry quickly infringed on the start of Tegan's bubbling diatribe against her brother.
A charcoal gray Cadillac pulled up next to the Underwoods. Tegan held her breath as Aaliyah hopped out of the passenger's seat, slamming the door shut behind her. Her shimmery, springy curls were twisted in a puffy bun on top of her head. She was dressed in a champagne white tank top, her toned, graceful legs running down the stringy fringes of her cutoff denim shorts. The driver's seat of the car finally swung open, and Ezra stepped out slowly, pushing the temples of his aviators to the top of his head, settling it upon a bed of buzzed, closely cropped curls. Tegan's lips parted slightly as she stared at his recognizable, yet somewhat foreign face. His hair was now seasoned with bits of gray, the crinkles next to his velvety black eyes deepened. He had slimmed down considerably from his previously bulky, muscular tone, and was now slender, yet the hints of a sculpted chest and arms peeked out of his plain black shirt. She gulped, swallowing hard. The years away from home have been good to him – he was even more attractive than she remembered.
“Hey buddy! How you doing?” greeted Henry, wrapping him in a bear hug, “So glad you could make it. Winnie is on one of her business trips, she sends her love. You remember Asher and Tegan?”
“Great to see you, brother. Of course I remember Asher and Te –” Ezra stopped, his gaze landing on Tegan, quickly finishing, “Tegan.”
“Hi, Mr. Mathis,” Tegan's voice quavered slightly.
“Wow, Tegan, you're all grown up – uh, so is Asher – and you guys can call me Ezra. We're all adults, now, aren't we? Still can't believe my baby girl's twenty-one.”
“Sup, gorgeous,” drawled Asher, smirking as he scanned Aaliyah up and down, “Wanna party later?”
“Gross, as if,” sneered Aaliyah, rolling her eyes as Tegan pulled her away.
“Asher, that's hardly appropriate –” started Henry.
“It's alright, Henry. He's harmless.”
“Alright, then, let's go set up our tents and go fishing at Twain Lake. I was thinking we could follow the trail towards Murphy Lake, and then head on back to the parking lot.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
After the families had set up their tents, they headed towards Lake Twain, carrying fishing rods, foldable chairs, a box of bait and equipment and two coolers. The girls gabbed on as they unfolded the chairs. The fathers began to catch up as they pierced bait into the hooks. Asher extracted bottles of beer from the cooler and passed them around before flopping down on a chair. He stretched, grunting in satisfaction.
“Didn't know when the best time would be to do this, but – I'm really sorry about Rhonda. Winnie and I loved her, and we're absolutely heartbroken. How are you holding up?” asked Henry, sipping his beer.
“That's alright, brother. It's been two years now, but the pain never subsides, you know? Cancer destroys not only the victim, but everyone around them.”
“It does, I – oh no,” Henry reached into his pocket for his vibrating phone.
“Dad, how do you even have service?” Tegan raised her eyebrows.
“Sorry, guys – I know I said no phones, but I need to take this call.”
Henry rose abruptly, rushing off to the corner. He cupped a hand over the receiver of his phone, muffling the sounds of his words. Tegan watched as his eyes grew wide, wild with panic. He paced, gesturing ferociously with his hands. Finally, he hung up in a huff, stalking back towards their direction, his expression dark.
“I'm really sorry, guys – I know I said I wanted this trip –”
“What's going on?” Ezra asked, his eyebrows narrowed in concern.
“The goddamn Asian stock market is crashing. Our company investment in renewable energy in China just went belly up,” explained Henry, his voice rising, “The bank defaulted on its loan, and now the Chinese are filing for bankruptcy!”
“Henry, it's fine, you go deal with whatever you have to do,” said Ezra, rising, and grabbing his shoulder, “It'll be cool, brother. We'll make it work. We'll enjoy ourselves, won't we, kids?”
Tegan and Asher grumbled in unison, waving grudgingly as Henry scurried off towards the opposite direction, his phone pressed against his ear. The day seemed to drone tediously on, as the awkward pairings endured torturously boring small talk, not a single nibble at the end of their hooks. As the pale, amber rays of the sunset drew in, they decided to call it a day, packing up quickly and heading back to the campsite.
They gathered around the small, crackling flames of their campfire. Ezra yawned, rubbing his temples, complaining of a headache. He decided to retire early, leaving the young adults to chat idly amongst themselves. Asher watched as Aaliyah brushed a strand of her curls off the bridge of her nose, giggling as she exchanged petty gossip with Tegan. His gaze traced down her legs, biting his lip at the glorious sheen the glow of the campfire cast upon her legs. Tegan stood up, stretching, announcing that she was heading to the tent she shared with Aaliyah.
“Right behind you girl.”
/> Asher mimicked a similar sentiment nervously, swallowing hard. He watched as Aaliyah walked behind a cluster of trees, a fresh change of clothes in her hands. As softly as he could, he tailed her, positioning himself behind a wide trunk.
His eyes squinted as they focused on Aaliyah, who was lifting off her tank top. He swallowed, once again, driblets of sweat pouring down the sides of his face as she exposed her smooth, beautifully shaped breasts, his eyes lingering on the chocolate brown of her areolas. She bent over, rolling her shorts off her legs, her curvaceous, defined buttocks in full view. He stuck a hand down his pants, his belt clinking softly, and grabbed hold of his swelling cock. He began to rub up and down furiously, his pants dropping to his ankles through his fierce movements.
“Oh my God – what the fuck are you doing?!”
Chapter Four –
“Teegan! What the fuck?”
Asher scrambled forwards, clumsily pulling his pants up and buckling his belt. Tegan's feet seemed rooted to the ground, both hands clasped tightly over strenuously squeezed shut eyes. He pulled her arm, dragging her off to the side as he cursed under his breath. As they finally came to a stop, Tegan pulled away, disgusted, a continuous ringing in her ears.
“What the hell were you thinking?!” said Tegan angrily in a hushed voice, “That's my best friend! That's gross – oh, my god, I think I'm gonna be sick –”
“Please, Tegan,” whispered Asher, his tone desperate, “Don't – I'm sorry, don't tell Aaliyah, please.”
“This is wrong on so many levels, I can't even begin to – you've got some serious balls, with her dad here? Really?” Tegan growled, livid.
“Please, I swear to God – I promise this isn't going to happen again. Just look, Teegan, please. I'm begging you.” Asher dropped to his knees, his clenched fists against his chest, his glassy eyes wide.
“I – I don't know. I can't even look at you right now,” said Tegan, looking down at her feet, “Just – just promise I never catch – no, promise you never stoop this low again.”
“Thank you, Tegan,” breathed Asher, rising from his feet. He brushed the dirt off his knees.
“No – don't thank me for shit,” snapped Tegan, “Look. I know you got some. Just give me a hit and some rolling papers and fuck off for the night, will ya?”
“Sure, Teegs, whatever you want.”
Asher reached into his pockets and handed her a small, clear bag and a packet of mint-flavored rolling papers. He slumped off into the shadows, his head bowed, hands deep in his pockets. Tegan held up her lantern, the bright glow of the LED bulbs illuminating the path before her. She looked around, squinting, finally turning towards the opposite direction. She headed towards a small clearing, dimly lit by the pallid moonlight.
“Been so long on my own,
Gets so lonely on this path I roam,
But my heart, it stays strong,
Baby waiting for me at home.”
Tegan froze, recognizing the subtle vibratos of the disembodied, deep, baritone voice. She approached the clearing cautiously, careful not to make a sound. She grimaced at the twig snapping beneath the soles of her feet. The singing ceased abruptly, replaced by a soft rustling.
“Please – don't stop,” said Tegan, stepping into the clearing.
“Oh, hey, Tegan.”
Ezra looked up at Tegan, his stomach knotting. He remembered her a sweet, awkward but well-meaning child, and was always fond of having her around on her play dates with Aaliyah. She was now a full-grown, beautiful young woman. Her delicately upturned, china blue eyes were heavy-lidded, behind long, thick lashes. She had round, coral tinted cheeks with prominent cheekbones, and her copper red hair in an asymmetrical bob grazing her shoulders. He smacked his lips unconsciously, his eyes wandering her wide, shapely hips, the waist of her jeans fixedly embracing the silhouette of her curves. There was something about the way the moonlight hit the vanilla white flesh of her skin – he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her.
“You have a beautiful voice, Mr. Mathis.”
“Thanks, Tegan,” he patted the plot of dirt next to him, “Have a seat, and call me Ezra.”
“It's still kinda weird for me to refer to my father's friends by their first names,” said Tegan, smiling as she sat next to him, “I thought you were going to bed.”
“Just had trouble sleeping, I guess.”
“Would you like some?” offered Tegan, reaching into her pocket.
“Really?” snorted Ezra, shaking his head, “I guess you're of age. Sure. Roll up a fatty.”
Tegan crushed up a few pieces of the herb with her fingers, sprinkling it into the paper. She rolled it up, licking the ends. She burned it slowly, breathing deeply and coughing. The pair passed it between the two of them, Ezra blowing smoke rings of different shapes out his parted lips.
“So, I've heard you've been having a tough time at school. Wanna talk about it?”
“Well – I –” stuttered Tegan, taken aback.
“We don't have to.”
“They're just stupid guy problems, you wouldn't be interested.”
“Try me. A boyfriend?”
“No – yes – well, not really, we went out a couple of times. Had no clue his crazy ex was still in the picture. Anyway, I – I made a bad decision. I sent him a picture, and she somehow got a hold of it and sent it to everyone else in school,” said Tegan, breathing heavily, her words gaining speed as she went on.
“A picture?” repeated Ezra, his brows furrowed.
“Yeah, a dirty picture. Please don't tell my dad,” whispered Tegan, her eyes downcast.
“No, Tegan. You're a grown woman, it's your body, your decision. I'm not telling your dad. Just be careful who you send your private photos to. You're a beautiful girl, you better watch out for boys like that. You look for men, not boys,” said Ezra as he took another hit.
“Thanks, Mr. Math– Ezra,” squeaked Tegan.
“No problem.”
“I don't mean to pry, but how are you holding up?” Tegan asked softly after several beats of silence.
“No, that's alright, Tegan. It was rough and it still is. Aaliyah took it really hard, but she's a strong girl. We're a strong family,” said Ezra, staring into space.
“I'm sorry. But she is – Aaliyah's amazing. I'm so glad I found her.”
“She's lucky to have you, too. Listen, Tegan, I enjoyed talking to you. And thanks for the joint. I'm going to head back to my tent now, yeah? I'll see you in the morning.”
“You go ahead, I'll be back soon.”
Ezra beamed his flashlight in front of him, making his way towards his tent. He crawled into his tent, making sure to zip the front completely. He reached into his backpack, fumbling around the orange bottle. He popped two dual-colored capsules into his mouth. He fell to his sleeping bag, and was out cold within minutes.
Chapter Five –
Tegan crouched down to her feet, her hands outreached as she cooed at the little critter in front of her, rubbing the black striping running down its fawn tinted fur. The squirrel looked up at her with glossy, beady eyes, its buck teeth twitching. She tossed an acorn onto the squirrel's path. The squirrel disappeared up a tree, the acorn clutched in its tiny hands.
“That's real cute, Tegan,” smiled Aaliyah, rolling her eyes as she towered over her frame, “Now let's go. We've got a long way before we get to Murphy Lake, and I don't want to be left alone with Asher or my dad – he's been hella moody lately.”
Tegan rose, dusting off the dirt on her white-washed jeans, the binocular around her neck swinging against her chest. She hurried to catch up to the rest of the group, trekking poles gripped in her hands. Aaliyah put a finger to her lips and gestured for her to approach quietly. Ezra and Asher both had their raised binoculars pressed to their eye sockets and were gazing into the distance. Tegan looked into her binoculars, breathing in awe at the blue jay perched on a branch, its turquoise blue feathers rippling under the sunlight.
“That's gorgeous,” mumbl
ed Tegan.
“Isn't it?”
“Shoot, I'm gonna go back to our campsite from last night real quick, I think I left something.”
Asher craned his neck, his eyebrow raised suspiciously. He had noticed something off about Ezra this morning. He seemed fidgety, and earlier this morning had snapped at Aaliyah over a rather trivial matter. Asher squinted, noticing the dark, discolored rings under his bloodshot eyes, the armpits of his shirt stained with sweat. His eyes still fixed on Ezra, he watched as he scuttled off towards the direction of the campsite.
“I'll go see if he needs help,” muttered Asher.
He tailed Ezra, picking up his feet slowly as he sneaked behind him. He frowned, puzzled, as he watched Ezra walk towards a clearing. Ezra sat down in front of a tree stump. He reached into his back pocket, producing a small mint tin and two flashy, golden credit cards. Ezra removed a tablet from the tin. He placed it upon one credit card, crushing the tablet with his other card. Asher's eyes widened as Ezra leaned in and snorted. Startled, he staggered backwards, running back to the girls.
The group ultimately reached Murphy Lake as dusk broke. After a short, quiet meal of roasted fish and apples, the group scattered to retire for the night. Tegan, wide awake, decided to set out to explore for herself. She approached the bank of Murphy Lake, basking in the beauty of the sparkling water that stretched out across the horizon. She looked around sheepishly and slowly stripped, placing her neatly folded clothes upon a rock.
Tegan dipped her toe gingerly into the water, wincing at the piercing coolness. She took a deep breath and charged into the lake, the crystalline water rippling behind her. She threw her head back as she emerged from the surface, the dripping strands of her hair clinging to the sides of her face and neck.
“Tegan?”
“Oh my God – I'm so sorry –”
