Disclaimer:
I don't own any of these characters.

Author's Note:
This is a continuation of Graham Salisbury's Story The Ravine in the Island Boyz collection. One of my favorite short stories! ;)

Chapter 1

"I'm home!" Vinny let the screen door slam behind him as he stepped into the house. Everything was quiet and it was much too quiet for a Saturday afternoon.

"Mom?" He padded into the empty kitchen and over to the refrigerator. "Mom?" He couldn't find a note and this made him uneasy. His mother, a constant worrier, always left him a note if she went out while he was away. The absence of such a note was eerie.

Vinny threw his wet towel into a hamper in the back laundry room and continued his search of the house. He couldn't believe that his mother would have forgotten to leave a note for him and he couldn't believe she was actually gone. Maybe she's out back or fell asleep or something?

He continued to search the residence, ending in the backyard. The property was empty and the car was gone. Vinny sighed and took a seat on the back steps of the house. The peace that had overcome him earlier that day at the ravine suddenly left him and he felt helpless and a little ashamed.

He didn't regret not doing the jump. He was proud he had, and even Joe-Boy, Starlene, and Mo hadn't commented on his decision. He was sure they all thought him cowardly, but that didn't matter. What did matter, and what he did feel ashamed about, was having gone to the ravine in the first place; even after he had told his mother he wouldn't. He saw her disappearance as a sort of punishment for his disobedience.

"Mom, where are you?" He looked out over the yard and down to the empty street. The island was unusually quiet for the time of day and he felt uneasy.

"Hey, Vinny!"

He jumped at the sound of his name and spun around quickly. He spotted Starlene walking around the side of the house. What was she doing there? Was she going to get on his case about not jumping? Was she going to tell him Joe-Boy had been right all along and that he was a coward? Vinny didn't care to hear any of these things, but he figured he'd have to face someone eventually, and it may as well be Starlene.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" He asked as she approached. She said nothing and climbed up the porch steps to sit down beside him. Her blonde hair was still damp from the swim earlier, but she had changed t-shirts and was wearing a different pair of shorts.

"Where's Joe-Boy? I thought the two of you were going out tonight?"

Starlene tossed a handful of blonde hair over her shoulder, "We…um… sort of had a fight."

Vinny was taken-aback. "A fight? About what?"

"About you." She looked at him and Vinny couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. When he didn't answer, she continued, "I told him I thought I respected your decision. I told him I thought it took a lot more guts for you to not jump then to give into our demands and jump just to prove a point." She sort of smiled. "I guess he must have thought I was insulting him because before you know it, here we are yelling at eachother and then I'm running in the house crying."

Vinny didn't understand why she was smiling. The event seemed far from amusing. He also couldn't imagine all that had happened since he had left the group at Ginger Street. It had seemed like such a short while since he had arrived home and searched the house for his mom. But judging by Starlene's account, much more time had passed then he had thought. "Where's Joe-Boy now?"

"Don't know, don't care. He's probably off someplace with Mo."

"Was Mo there when the two of you had the fight?"

She nodded. "After you left, Joe-Boy began to call you chicken. That's when I had to step in." She smiled at him again and Vinny thought she expected some sort of thanks for her efforts.

"Um… well… thanks. I guess."

"Sure."

They sat silently for a moment and before long a car pulled into the driveway.

"That your mother?" Asked Starlene.

Vinny didn't answer. Instead he stood and walked down the porch steps where he met the vehicle.

"Vinny," His mother said as she stepped out of the car. "Good, you're home. Give me a hand with these groceries, would you?"

"Sure, Mom." Vinny took one of the paper bags she handed him. When he turned, he saw Starlene was no longer sitting on his porch. It was as if she had disappeared.

"Honey?"

Vinny turned and his mother handed him another bag. Vinny's thoughts of Starlene were soon set aside as he helped his mother with the remainder of the groceries. They soon stood in the kitchen, stashing the items away in the cupboards.

"So…" Said Vinny's mother. "How was your day, honey?"

Vinny shrugged. "Okay."

"Do anything interesting?"

Vinny thought about his trip t the ravine. "No."

His mother smiled and pulled more things out of the grocery bag. She began stashing cans of soup into the pantry. "So… who was that girl you were talking with when I pulled up?"

Vinny felt his face grow warm. "Oh, her? Um… just a friend of a friend from school."

"Oh really…"

Vinny could tell she didn't believe him, but for some reason he didn't care.

"Anyways, do you know when your father is going to be home?"

Vinny shrugged. "How should I know?"

His mother frowned. "I just wondered if he mentioned anything to you. I mean, normally he's home by now."

Vinny shrugged again.

"Well… dinner is in an hour."

"What are we having?"

"You'll see when it's done."

"Okay," Vinny pushed away from the counter and headed for the door. "I'll be outside." He let the screen door slam behind him and sat again on the porch steps. After a few minutes of unsuccessful thought, he wandered out into the yard and headed down the street.

He ended up walking back towards the ravine. He didn't know why he was, he even knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help it. Something just told him to go.