Lost in Paradise
Chapter Twenty-Three
The Descent
Izzy plummeted backwards down the steep slope, constantly looking over his shoulder. He managed to swerve around skaters in his path, but only barely. That was quite the task too considering his mind went blank once he entered the tunnel. In his panicked state, he forgot all he learned. He couldn't remember how to brake or slow his descent. He was falling like a meteor down the shaft. Good thing the tunnel was well lit, otherwise he'd be in even greater danger.
He looked around himself. He passed several corridors which seemed to go on forever. Other skaters were entering and exiting them every so often. To his right was a single rail splitting the road in two. It stretched for miles. Izzy wasn't sure if it ended at all. It seemed the rail was used for less experienced skaters to grab onto and pull themselves up out of the tunnel. Briefly Izzy contemplated reaching out to stop himself, but decided against it. He was moving way too fast. He'd probably suffer injury if he tried it.
"Aw man... I'm really in trouble this time..." He fearfully acknowledged. "How am I supposed to stop without crashing?"
He gulped as his mind played out the highly likely conclusion of crashing into a wall at 100 MPH, leaving a very gross sight for Keoni. How long would they take to scrape him off the wall, a week? Two? Even then, would there be anything left for Keoni and Iggy to mourn?
He quickly shook his head.
"C'mon! Ya gotta stay positive! You're gonna get out of this!"
He looked at the speeding blurs of some people he passed and sighed.
"Just wish I knew how..."
"HEY! LOOK OUT!.!.!"
Izzy pulled off a near perfect impression of an owl as he looked behind him, eyes widening. Ahead was a pair of younger skaters. One was tending to a leg injury while the other was keeping watch.
That set off a switch in Izzy's mind. Instantly he started moving wildly in an attempt to stop himself. Nothing he did would help though. He was on a collision course with the two kids!
The amnesiac's mind raced, trying to find a solution. There was no space to go around them, so he couldn't merely swerve around. He couldn't try jumping over them either; even sitting, the skaters were too tall, never mind the fact his landings still needed work. He could wind up tripping over them and snowballing down the tunnel, adding even more horror to the previous scene that played out in his mind.
That was when he looked to his right at the rail. His eyes brightened briefly before narrowing in concentration. He took a deep breath as he contemplated.
"I don't have much of a choice..." He gulped as he looked at the kids, who were getting closer and closer. He grit his teeth and turned his gaze back to the rail. "Please don't let me miss..." He took a final breath, then bent his legs. "Here goes!"
With all his strength, he leapt towards the rail. He turned his body so his feet were facing the rail. At the apex of the jump, he bent his skates backwards. The clang that came when his wheels caught onto the rail was so satisfying. Then came the all too important task of keeping himself balanced. He had to fight to maintain his balance as he grinded.
"Pleasedon'tlemmefall! Pleasedon'tlemmefall! Pleasedon'tlemmefall!" He pleaded as his arms spun like propellers.
His body wobbled back and forth several times. His left foot occasionally left the rail, but would quickly return. He finally balanced himself mere seconds before reaching the injured skater and his friend. The pair ducked towards the wall as Izzy zoomed by. After the gust of his slipstream petered out, they looked up at the retreating kid's back.
"Oh man, that was close!" Izzy breathed, his hand on his helmet as he looked back. "Now to hop off and..."
His eyes widened in fright as he realized an important detail.
"Aaah!.!.! I'm going way too fast!.!.!" He screamed.
Indeed, he was grinding so fast, his skates left a shower of sparks in his wake. He easily brightened everything around him as he descended. Good thing no one was around to get burned by the sparks. Just like before, he was powerless to stop himself. He was going so fast that jumping would result in him becoming wall pizza. Then there was the added question of what would happen should he fall.
"Oh crud..." His eyes widened, understanding the situation. "Somebody stop this crazy thing!.!.!"
He screamed as the rail curved to the left. He went straight for a few seconds before the rail dipped and raised in small hills. The sudden drops weren't doing a thing for Izzy's confidence. ...Or keeping his lunch in for that matter. Just as the rail straightened out again, Izzy, green in the face, burped back the building sick and gulped it down. That was when he felt himself going up and slowing down.
"Oh thank goodness!" He sighed. "An end to this nuttiness!"
He looked ahead and soon felt his mouth fall off. He was heading towards the top of a very steep looking hill. It was like something out of a roller coaster. Once he reached the top he got a brief look at what lied ahead.
His whole body went pale and cold as he saw the deep drops and sharp turns that went on for miles. To his utter amazement and despair, he noticed the rail wrapped around the walls, going up one side and across the ceiling for a short distance before dropping down the other side.
"H-How...?" He squeaked. "There's no way anybody can get through that without falling!"
Then he spied a sign nearby that read, "Remember to duck and think light!"
"'Think light?'" Izzy shrugged as his skates neared the edge of the drop. "Might as well..."
He sucked in his belly as far as it would go. Not that it helped. In the next seconds, the air would leave him.
The amnesiac wound up dropping down the rail, screaming his head off. The sudden rush of air flooded his mouth. His cheeks fluttered and wiggled due to the G forces, leaving his teeth visible. His insides were pushed to the very back of his body as he neared ground level. Remembering the sign's other piece of advice, Izzy crouched as low as he possibly could. He had no idea if he was going fast enough to make it, so he shut his eyes tightly.
What he felt next was just short of euphoric. He clearly felt his body fighting gravity one second and the next...nothing. Naturally his eyes stayed scrunched, but he couldn't fight the feeling of flight. It felt like he was soaring through the air like a bird. He felt his stomach and organs floating within his body. Even his bones seemed to escape the earth's pull. It was truly like nothing else he's felt.
After an eternity, Izzy finally felt earth's embrace again. He was falling once more. His eyes shot open to see only the tunnel lights and the road below. As if begging for verification, his eyes shot downward to see the rail. His feet were still very much stuck to it.
As he neared ground level, his mouth opened wide, greedily taking in air. He looked backwards to see himself moving farther and farther away from the terrifying loop. He couldn't believe he was seriously going fast enough to stay on the rail. He thought for sure he would've dropped long before going upside down!
"Oh...Oh man..." He panted. A smile broke out not long after. "I actually made it!" He threw his arms up in celebration. "Whoohoo!.!.!"
Of course, he was so busy congratulating himself he didn't notice the rail ending. His eyes shot open when he noticed he launched off the rail. Uncontrollably, he rotated upside down several times. All he could do was scream helplessly as he flew through the air, his body spinning in various directions. He wound up rolling across several walls and even along the ceiling. He felt the road (or at least what he hoped was the road) twisting and turning before finally feeling the Hawaiian humidity upon him.
Sunlight blinded the speeding Izzy. He felt himself shoot up a ramp and catch some air before hitting the ground and rolling ahead. It wasn't until he heard several screams that his eyes snapped open.
Just in time to crash into a palm tree.
The crowd collectively cringed at the sickening sound Izzy's body made. Izzy groaned as he slid down against the tree. He wound up face down on the ground.
"Ugh... At least I...stopped..." He breathed, smiling in relief. "No more pain..."
SNAP!
His head shot up to see a coconut falling towards him at an alarming speed!
"No..." He squeaked, eyes and ears drooping.
The coconut crashed into his helmet clad head seconds later. Izzy promptly face planted, losing consciousness.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
All Izzy could see was black. He had no idea how much time has passed, but he could feel the warm sunlight upon his brow, so it couldn't have been too long. He could also hear voices and breathing all around him. The voices were all jumbled and distant, but he could feel concern coming from them. How badly did he get hurt? He couldn't tell, but he knew he had to wake up. His eyelids felt like sandbags, refusing to budge. He had to keep trying though. Keoni was waiting for him...
Then the voices became clear as a bell.
"You ok, little brah?" A voice broke into the darkness. A familiar voice no less.
"I-Is he dead...?"
Another familiar voice! This time female. It couldn't be...?
"Somebody get a stick!" A newer voice shouted, laughing. "We got a dead body here!"
Horrified gasps erupted all around Izzy. That was followed by tense mumbling.
"Get outta here!" The first voice yelled aghast. "This ain't no joke! Give him some air!"
The crowd gave disappointed groans in response.
"Besides, if he was dead, he'd be pale and bloated and stuff." A third familiar voice explained. "That, and he's clearly breathing."
Izzy nearly jumped out of his skin. Even he wasn't this lucky! To find exactly who he wanted to talk to by complete and random chance. He really should play the lottery!
"So if he ain't dead, how do we wake him up?" The female, who Izzy recognized as Iwalani, asked.
"Shame I don't have any of my uncle's smelling salts on me." The first voice (Lee) lamented. "Coulda woke him up instantly."
"We could always dump water on him." The second voice (Niko) suggested.
That wouldn't be so bad actually. It was pretty warm today. Not to mention Izzy was all sticky from the coconut's milk. It had cracked down the middle and spilled all over him on impact. A nice soak would be heavenly right about now. Perhaps another jaunt to the waterfall with a certain jungle hotty.
"Nah, no spigot around." Lee corrected.
"Hey! How about I try my CPR!?" Iwalani shouted enthusiastically.
Instantly, Izzy began sweating...more so than before. At the same time, his blood turned ice cold. She wasn't seriously going to...? Oh no! He pushed himself to wake up, but no dice. His body felt like a sack of bricks. He couldn't budge.
"I dunno..." Niko sounded unsure. "Remember the last time you tried CPR?"
"Oh puh-lease! Anybody could get 30 compressions, two breaths mixed up!"
Hearing that made Izzy go pale. He had to get up! He had to show them he could breathe just fine! And quick! He could feel Iwalani kneeling beside him taking deep breaths. He could hear her crack her knuckles, which did anything but make him relax.
"Yeah, but twice?" Lee asked. "Ya almost killed the guy! Just wait for someone to come who knows what they're doing."
"And what if no one comes? What then?" Iwalani reasoned. "The kid could die! And look, he's already going pale from no oxygen! I gotta give him the kiss of life!"
And there was the word Izzy feared. There was NO way he was going to allow anybody but Keoni to k-k-KISS him! Delete that thought! His lips belonged to Keoni and ONLY Keoni! To allow someone else to kiss him, even to save his life, was outrageous! It would be the ultimate betrayal, especially after the amazing kiss Keoni gave him.
Thankfully, he finally pried his eyes open. The sight mere inches away from him frightened him to no end. There was Iwalani closing in, eyes closed and glossy lips parted. He could smell the strong scent of perfume emanating from her. Izzy's eyes widened and his teeth clenched tightly.
"AHHHHH!.!.! I'M UP!.!.! I'M UP!.!.!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
Izzy bolted from the ground and scrambled away from the girl. He dove behind the first tall thing he could find...which turned out to be Lee. Everyone looked shocked as he peered from behind the teen's legs to hiss at Iwalani.
"G-Get those things away from me!" He shouted, pointing at her. "Girl's lips... Yuck..." He added under his breath.
"..."
As the disappointed crowd broke up, Lee and Niko looked at each other, then at Izzy, then at Iwalani, before looking back at each other again.
"Hahahahaha!.!.!" They broke into hysterics, leaving Iwalani to glower at them, hands at her hips.
"And just what is so funny!?" Then she added to Izzy, "I'll have you know there are tons of boys that would do anything to get a kiss from me!"
"Blind boys, maybe..." The amnesiac muttered.
Lee and Niko laughed harder in response. That only made Iwalani's eye twitch as she snarled.
"Well at least now we can say you saved someone with your 'CPR!'" Niko shouted, breaking up the awkward moment.
"Hmph!" Iwalani huffed, turning away with her arms crossed.
"So what happened to you, lil' brah?" Lee said, prying his leg from Izzy's grip. "How'd you wind up here? And where's Lil' Oni?"
Izzy responded with his own question, "Where am I, anyway?"
He looked around himself. The place he wound up at was unlike the main area of the skate park. There were palm trees growing everywhere alongside hibiscus bushes of varying colors. Understandably the area was much smaller than the main section of the park. Only one half pipe and bowl were present, as well as a tiny rail. Unlike the rest of the park, there was a grand view of the ocean beyond a fence. He couldn't pin it, but this place seemed so serene and peaceful. Like you were meant to relax here rather than skate.
"Well you can say this is a secret part of Manu Wikiwiki." Niko explained. "Not too many people know about it since you have to take a pretty complicated path through the tunnels to get here."
"Not to mention we don't tell anyone about this spot." Iwalani supplied.
"Heh, I can see why..." Izzy took a deep breath. Even the air tasted different here. It felt like an oasis, cut off from the rest of the world. "This place is so beautiful..." His eyes were half lidded as he sighed wistfully. "Bet Keoni would love it here..."
Ah Keoni...
Izzy's eyes became watery as he imagined himself and Keoni sitting on a bench by the fence, watching the sunset over the ocean. The thought of all those colors mingling together as the pair held on to one another, their hearts and souls becoming one all but warmed Izzy's mind. His face turned bright red as he pictured both of them turning towards one another just as the last skater was leaving for the coming night. Their eyes became multicolored as they reflected the vanishing light. Their eyes blissfully shut as they came in, lips barely parted, anticipating that contact...
"Yeah, yeah. This is all nice and everything, but still..." Lee grabbed Izzy by the scruff of his shirt and yanked him to eye level. "WHERE'S KEONI!?"
"Aw man! Right before the best part, like always..." Izzy sighed, lowering his head. His blush all but deflated as he looked up and addressed Lee. "And I heard ya the first time! Lemme go!"
"Fine..." Lee unceremoniously dropped Izzy. The amnesiac landed on his butt.
"Ow..." Izzy rubbed his sore bottom. "Sheesh, he's strong..." Good thing he had no intention of actually FIGHTING the teen.
"Well...?" Lee crossed his arms and tapped his foot.
Izzy glowered as he looked up and explained how he and Keoni were practicing, then how he challenged Keoni to that race and the ensuing experience in the tunnels. When Izzy finished his story, the teens were looking at him with a mixture of disbelief, awe, and even a little jealousy.
"There is NO way you got through that loop!" Niko shouted. "Nobody can!"
"That's what I thought too, but I did." Izzy shrugged. "Never wanna go through that ever again."
"That's so crazy how you challenged Lil' Oni though!" Iwalani piped in. "Definitely not a good idea. Well, unless you're Lee, of course."
"I'm kinda impressed ya kept up with him at all. Even I have trouble racing him!" Lee admitted. Izzy fought the urge to smirk when he realized how envious the teen sounded. "So now you're lost then?"
Izzy blinked.
"Huh... Guess so..."
He hadn't thought that he may have trouble getting back to Keoni. He was too busy screaming his head off and concentrating on not crashing. There were a lot of twists and turns in those tunnels too. Easily felt like a hundred roller coasters put together! ...If he remembered what it felt like to ride a roller coaster, that is... Either way, he definitely didn't have the courage or energy to go through all that again. And besides, he had his eyes closed for most of if not the entire trip. He wouldn't know which way to go or where he'd wind up.
And then...and then...!
"OH CRUD! I'M LOST!.!.! AHHHH!.!.!" His scream echoed all around. "I'M LOST AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET BACK!.!.!"
Izzy's eyes went wide with fear as he considered (quite loudly in fact) that he may never leave the skate park. Even if he did want to go through that labyrinth again, there was no telling where he'd wind up next. He could wind up skating back and forth through the tunnels for the rest of his life, futilely looking for the exit. He'd starve, go thirsty, be ripped to shreds by rats or whatever crazy animals roamed the tunnels at night.
"Uh no? They actually do a pretty good job keeping things clean around here." Niko reasoned.
But worst of all was the absolutely last thing Izzy would want.
"I'LL NEVER SEE KEONI AGAIN!.!.! OH THIS IS HORRIBLE!.!.!" He bawled his eyes out. His eyes were like two tiny waterfalls as he cried.
As a puddle began forming around Izzy, Iwalani and Niko rounded on Lee.
"Nice going, Lee! Ya royally freaked him out!" The girl admonished.
"Did ya really have to get him screaming like that!?" The bigger teen covered his ears, trying to drown out Izzy's crying.
"Do something!.!.!" They both shouted.
"Ugh... Fine!" Lee slumped his shoulders. He turned to Izzy in defeat. "Come on... I'll take ya back to the main area."
Izzy sniffled and looked up. "Y-You will...?" He rubbed his bloodshot eyes.
"Yeah..." Lee sighed in resignation. "And I was having an awesome day too..."
"A-Alright, let's go..." Izzy stood up, wobbling as he regained his balance on his roller blades.
They started to make their way towards the tunnel entrance when a creaking sound was heard. This was quickly followed by a snap and Izzy crashing to the ground. Lee and the others gathered around and helped him sit up.
Wondering what happened, Izzy raised a foot and immediately found the problem. One of his blades had completely fallen apart on him. Half of the foot bed was hanging off the shoe. Two of the wheels had become unscrewed. They had rolled away to who knows where. It was impossible to stand on. It was totaled.
"Ouch... All that grinding must've wore it down." Izzy surmised, taking off the skate and inspecting it.
"That was a rental too, huh?" Niko asked. Izzy nodded in response. "No wonder it broke!"
"Yeah, all they got to rent out are junk gear." Lee nodded. "Surprised it lasted as long as you say it did..."
"Guess you're gonna have to hoof it then." Iwalani suggested.
Izzy looked at her in shock. "And mess up the one pair of socks I got!? No way!"
"So put on your shoes." Niko offered like it was no big deal.
"Heh, heh..." Izzy laughed nervously. "See, the thing is... I left them with Keoni... No backpack ya know?" He grinned sheepishly.
The teens gave him an incredulous look. Was he serious?.?.?
"Ugh fine." Lee huffed. There was no point arguing it. "I'll just get Lil' Oni myself."
"Thanks..." Izzy bowed his head gratefully.
"No prob." Lee replied, hoping on his skateboard. "Be back in a bit!"
Izzy's eyes widened as Lee started to roll away.
"Wait!" He shouted. Lee stopped and faced him. "Just... Tell Keoni..." He looked away and blushed.
"Tell him what?" Lee raised an eyebrow.
"Tell him..." Izzy looked up and smirked, ignoring his darkening face. "I'm gonna pay him back for that kiss!"
"WHA?.?.?" Lee turned red, flinching at the request.
"Ooooooooooooohhhhh!.!.!" Niko and Iwalani cheered, looking at each other. They too were going red as they giggled like school kids.
"Pay up!" The former shouted, holding his hand out. "I TOLD you there was a thing going on between them!"
"Huh...?" Izzy gave him a quizzical look.
"Oh fine..." Iwalani sighed, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a chain wallet and dug inside. "Deal's a deal. I was hoping Lil' Oni would find himself a nice local guy..."
She handed Niko a $20 bill, which he promptly pocketed. Izzy's eyes widened in realization.
"Hold up! You bet on whether or not me and Keoni were together!?" He demanded.
"Ummm... Well..." Niko and Iwalani tugged at their collars, avoiding eye contact.
"What gives, ya sickos!?"
What followed was a tense and frankly silly argument about the merits of privacy and how it was "okay" to love and celebrate the connection between oneself and their significant other. Simply put it was just one insane statement after another being flung back and forth between the two teens and a blushing Izzy. Lee distanced himself from the fight, and for good reason. He was mortified and embarrassed beyond belief. The other skaters nearby were staring at them. He sighed before skating away.
"Betting on a relationship that was soooo obvious... I gotta get new friends..." He muttered, shaking his head as he disappeared into the tunnel.
"So what's the big deal anyway?" Niko asked. "Lots of kids your age start liking other kids that way. It's perfectly normal."
"You don't have to be so tweaked about it." Iwalani supplied.
"It's not that!" Izzy snapped. "Just..." He looked around, making sure Lee was out of earshot. He sighed in resignation, unsure he should even be talking about this to the teen's friends. "Look, I'm...I'm jealous, ok?"
Niko and Iwalani looked at each other strangely before directing their raised eyebrows towards Izzy.
"Jealous? Of who?" The former asked.
Izzy's blush went dark as he bowed his head and squeaked out, "Lee..."
"What, because of how buddy-buddy they are?" Iwalani asked, tilting her head.
A nod.
"Dude! They're just friends." Niko reasoned. "Always have been, nothing more."
"But I could kinda see how you'd think that..." Iwalani said thoughtfully. "They do look kinda cute together, huh?"
"Irk!"
That just made Izzy tense up and go pale. He scrunched up his body and shivered, his eyes watering up again. Seeing that, Niko turned and glowered at Iwalani.
"Ugh! Real nice, big mouth!" He elbowed the girl's side. "I'm trying to keep him calm over here!"
"Oopsy!" Iwalani covered her mouth. "Sorry... What I meant to say is that they look so...ugly together?"
A cold glare from Izzy.
"...You calling Keoni ugly?"
Iwalani blanched. "What? No! I mean... Lee—no, no! L-Lil' Oni..." She stammered, trying to think of a proper excuse as she paced back and forth. Izzy and Niko sighed exasperatedly at the sight.
"Anyway..." Niko turned back to Izzy. "You got nothing to worry about. Lee and Lil' Oni are inseparable sure, but they're not like that at all."
"Then what about the day when they stopped talking to each other? What happened?"
Niko gave him an impressed look. "So you've been doing your homework, huh?"
"I just really want to know, to put my mind at ease."
"Well alright..." Niko sighed. "Now I don't know everything that happened, but..."
"Ugh... Hey Lee, where do ya want this?"
It was a beautiful, clear day at the beach. The tide was caressing the shoreline ever so softly, causing an almost soothing sound for the teens. Being away from the main tourist areas, the beach was empty, giving the group more than enough space to set up for the day's activity.
Niko had lugged a canoe all the way from the bus stop. It was just big enough for two passengers. Despite its size, the teen had no problem carrying it over his head. The main issue however was the humidity. It was brutally hot today. Sweat dripped from his forehead every so often onto the unforgiving sand. Steam wisped up as if it was all one big pit of hot coal. It was a good thing the haole rule of not wearing shoes on the beach didn't apply on hot days. Otherwise he'd be baking right about now.
"Aloha Niko, anywhere's fine." Lee answered, already changed for the occasion.
He was sporting a pair of blue swimming trunks. A bucket and cooler were lying by his feet, which were bare. Amazingly, the hot sand didn't bother him one bit.
A fire pit was set up close by, surrounded by a pair of moss covered logs. A surfboard was leaning on one of them, as well as a pair of fishing rods.
"Niko! Aloha!" Iwalani squealed, running up to them...and kicking up sand everywhere. "Like my new bikini?"
The guys were forced to cough and spit out sand for a few seconds before being able to look up. Niko was ready to deliver a few choice words when he gasped. Iwalani was looking...wow. She was dressed in a two piece swimsuit covered with camouflage. The top barely accentuated her...assets. In a strong contrast to her baggy pants, the bottom revealed her strong, but slender thighs. To top it off, she was shimmering in the sunlight. Whether that was due to sweat or sunscreen, Niko couldn't be sure. Without a doubt she was...she was...
"Alright! Can we PLEASE get to the part that actually matters?" Izzy was unimpressed. "What about Keoni!?"
"Huh?" Niko gasped. He was red as a tomato and sweating profusely. He was drooling and a bit of crimson was dripping out of his nose. He turned away, coughing as he, erm...readjusted himself. "Ahem! Sorry, got a little...carried away..."
He gave a sidelong glance at Iwalani, who was still trying to come up with a proper way to comfort Izzy. Niko sighed wistfully, causing Izzy to cross his arms and roll his eyes impatiently.
"Yeah, whatever."
Niko glowered at him. "Yeah, like Lil' Oni doesn't do the same thing to you."
Izzy blushed as his eyes went wide.
"Erm..."
"BUST!.!.!"
"Ugh..." The amnesiac slapped his forehead, conceding the teen's point. "Touché..."
Niko looked satisfied. "So anyway, we were all set to do our monthly fish and fry. All we were waiting for was Lil' Oni..."
"Aloha guys!" Keoni yelled cheerfully, waving as he reached the trio.
There was something...different about Keoni that day. He was wearing a deep purple shirt with pink silhouettes of seagulls embroidered all over it. It looked pressed and shimmered in the sun like it was velvet. Strangely, a bow tie was being worn over the collar. Definitely not the kind of thing one wears to the beach. Keoni was red in the face, clearly overheated from the fancy shirt. At least he was wearing swimming trunks, although these trunks seemed to have been picked specifically to match the shirt. They were black and baggy, soaking up even more sunlight.
Despite the sweat steadily dripping down his legs, Keoni was grinning, maybe more so than usual. He discarded his sandals and stuck his surfboard in the sand as soon as he reached the rest of the group.
"Lil' Oni! Glad ya can make it!" Lee shouted, holding out his fist.
"Big Oni..." Keoni sighed breathlessly, running over to the older boy...and kicking up sand in Niko's face again. Strongly resisting the strong urge to hug him, he eagerly bumped Lee's waiting fist. "I'd never miss this for anything, brah!"
Everyone gave him a strange look. Normally, the teens wouldn't bat an eyelash at the enthusiasm, but Keoni seemed off. He was grinning broadly for one, almost like he was too happy to be there. Also, he was staring at Lee intensely. Almost as if he was nervous, even though he was clearly smiling at the other boy. Lee was used to catching Keoni's stare every once in awhile, but this time felt so much weirder than before. It certainly didn't help that Keoni's eyes were moving up and down, like he was inspecting Lee from head to toe...
"Uh... Anybody home, Lil' Oni?" Lee asked, waving his hand in front of Keoni's face.
"Huh, wha...?" Keoni's eyes fluttered blissfully. It was as if Lee's voice brought him back from the brink.
"You ok, dude?" Niko asked.
"Oh! Uh yeah! I'm fine!" Keoni answered a little too quickly. His eyes were wide and his teeth were clenched. He chuckled weirdly, trying to take attention away from himself. He was failing at that, evident by Iwalani sniffing the air around him.
"Ugh! What is that smell?" She whipped her head away and pinched her nose.
"Hm?" Lee's nostrils slowly opened and closed, causing Keoni to blush harder. "Now that ya mention it, something does smell funky..."
"I know, right? Sorta like low tide..."
"Or roadkill..." Niko added.
That was when all three teens turned to Keoni, almost collectively pinpointing the origin of the smell to him. If he could sweat anymore, the kid would've flooded the entire beach. His eyes darted back and forth, trying to come up with an excuse.
Unfortunately, Iwalani beat him to it.
"Are...are you wearing cologne, Lil' Oni?"
"Erm..." Keoni went stiff.
He had to say something to save face, but what? After all, what kinda freak wears stinky cologne to the beach of all places? They'll probably laugh him off the beach and refuse to speak to him ever again! Keoni couldn't bear to have that happen, especially not when he finally willed up the courage to tell Lee everything!
"Eh, it's cool man." Lee saved him the embarrassment. He grabbed his surfboard. "C'mon! The water will wash it off. Those fish ain't gonna catch themselves!"
He ran for the shoreline followed by Niko and Iwalani, leaving Keoni to sigh in a mixture of relief and dejection.
"He...He didn't even compliment me on the outfit... And after I spent an hour picking it out too." He huffed before taking off the shirt and bow tie. He grabbed his surfboard and ran after the teens. "Wait up, Big Oni!"
"So we all paddled out to sea. Iwalani and me were in the canoe while Lee and Lil' Oni were on their surfboards." Niko explained. "We were going to do some fishing with our rods while they used a fishing net and snorkels to hunt underwater. Then at the end of the day we'd cook up our catches."
"Huh, so you guys did that every month, right?" Izzy asked.
Niko nodded. "Yep, we always had a ton of fun." He sighed longingly. "Man what I wouldn't give to have some fresh fish and shrimp like that again..."
"So you stopped?"
"Yeah... That day was actually the very last time we ever did our fishing trips... Without Lil' Oni, it just wasn't fun anymore."
Izzy almost didn't want to know. He hated the thought of opening old wounds, himself stuck with a pretty gaping one. But he had to press on. He had to find out Keoni and Lee's connection no matter what.
"So..." He gulped, trying to delay the inevitable. "What happened?"
Niko heaved another sigh.
"Well, the day passed by pretty normally. We all caught a hefty load. It was just about our best trip ever. Almost filled up the whole cooler." He snickered at a sudden thought. "Heck, we probably would've capsized the canoe if we caught anymore! But it was almost the end of summer and Lee wanted to make this meal memorable.
"Iwalani and I stopped our fishing and waited for Lee and Lil' Oni to come back from the last round. We were probably in that canoe for a couple of hours with no word from either one of them. Oh, don't worry!" He added upon seeing Izzy's concerned expression. "They weren't in any danger of drowning. Sometimes the current pushes them away from where we started.
"But..." Niko's tone turned grim. "When they finally did resurface, they were totally different from when we started. They were both quiet as they climbed on their boards, not saying a thing to me or Iwalani. We asked them what was wrong, but nothing. Matter of fact, we noticed Lil' Oni sniffling and stuff. His eyes were all puffy and his face was red. He refused to look our way as we paddled back to shore."
Izzy wiped away a tear, feeling his heart tear in two. The thought of a heartbroken and distraught Keoni ate at him. He was dangerously close to sobbing himself. Even worse came the realization that he was no closer to figuring out what happened.
"We weren't sure what to make of it, but Lee told us to drop the subject by the time we got back to the beach. Lil' Oni..." Niko paused, himself tearing up at the memory. "Lil' Oni... Whatever happened to him, he lost it as soon as we hit the sand. He was crying full blast, grabbed his stuff, and bolted out of there. We didn't know what to do so we let him go. That was the last time any of us saw him.
"Anytime we tried to get in touch with him, he was either not home or too busy to come out. He wouldn't even reply to any of our emails. And forget trying to talk to him at school! He'd avoid eye contact and run away whenever we tried to talk. So we stopped trying. Haven't spoken to him for years before yesterday..."
"And I take it Lee wouldn't tell you what happened even after all this time?" Izzy asked, arms crossed.
"Yeah..." Niko nodded. "How'd you know?"
A roll of the eyes.
"Lucky guess."
Izzy mentally snapped his fingers. A dead end, just like with Leilani.
"It wasn't for lack of trying though." Niko defended with a shrug. "We must've asked Lee a thousand times and nothing! The man was like a steep trap!"
"Great..." Izzy sighed. "He'll never spill the beans to an outsider like me..."
"You were actually planning on trying?" Niko raised an eyebrow.
"Well yeah." A shrug. "I'd do anything for Keoni..."
"So what's the deal with you two? How'd you wind up falling for each other? Don't think I've ever seen Lil' Oni so happy!"
Izzy sighed blissfully as he looked up at the clear sky, ignoring the sounds of skaters and Iwalani's blabbering.
"It all started..."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Aw man! Where could he have wound up?" Keoni panicked as he skated past the snack bar for the hundredth time. "I know I told him to just stay put, but you'd think he'd have tried to climb back up by now..."
It had been sometime since the couple was separated and Keoni was growing more and more worried by the minute. He had spoken to the manager for help locating Izzy, but no such luck. The manager said he'll get his top people on it, but the search turned up empty handed. That was impossible though. Keoni clearly saw Izzy go into the tunnel. There was no way out of the park from there as far as Keoni knew.
"Oh no..." His eyes widened in fright. "Wh-what if he can't get back up? A-After all, it's like a maze down there... Not to mention he was going pretty fast... What if he broke a leg and got lost?.?.?"
He quivered for a moment before getting a hold of himself. He shook his head and took a deep breath.
"C'mon Keoni, think of the Aloha Spirit... He's safe, ya gotta believe that."
He nodded to himself. Yeah, Izzy was just fine.
Still though... Why'd he have to accept Izzy's challenge and race him for? He should've known something like this would happen! Izzy wasn't nearly experienced enough to avoid such an accident. How could he have let the amnesiac's egging on get to him?
Keoni turned red and stared at the ground when he realized the answer.
"Because the crazy kid is adorable, that's why." He smiled to himself, remembering that beautiful kiss he gave Izzy. "He could get me to do anything just by looking at me with that goofy confident smile of his..."
Keoni sighed longingly at the memory. That feeling of the dark kid's cheek against his lips. The way he tried to escape. The way he tried futilely to get Keoni to kiss him on the lips. Oh how Keoni wanted to grant his wish right then and there! Almost too bad it was so much more fun to tease and trick Izzy. Keoni snickered at the sight of Izzy slumping to the ground, face stretched out and grinning like a fool in love.
Now he would do anything to get the other boy back. If only he was faster grabbing Izzy before he fell into the tunnel. He hoped—prayed—Izzy was alright. He didn't need to lose the amnesiac...not after losing one boy already...
Keoni then heard someone rolling up behind him and panting.
"There...you...are...!"
Keoni looked up and turned upon hearing the voice. There was Lee doubled over and trying to catch his breath.
"Big Oni?" He rolled his eyes at his thoughts. Wished that worked on the other boy he was thinking of... "What's up? Why are ya so outta breath, cuz?"
Lee quickly caught his breath and stood up straight. Without warning, he grabbed Keoni's arm and started pulling him towards the tunnel.
"C'mon! We gotta go!"
"Huh?" Keoni resisted the teen. "What are you talking about?"
Lee kept dragging him. "I've been looking all over for ya!"
"Let go, will ya!?" Keoni snatched his arm away. The sudden action make him blink and think for a second. "Wow, never thought I'd say that to you of all people..." He shook his head. "Now what is the deal? What's got ya all antsy!?"
"I found your friend...or rather he found us..." Lee looked away, scratching his cheek weirdly. "He can't get up so I was looking for you so you can help him out."
"Izzy? You found him?.?.?" Relief washed over Keoni like a giant wave. "Oh man that's great! ...Wait, he can't get up?.?.? Is he ok? What happened!? Is he still conscious?"
"Woah, woah! Chill out lil' brah!" Lee tried to calm him down. "You're gonna bite your tongue if you don't relax!"
"But where is he?! I gotta know if he's—OW!.!.!"
"Told ya..."
"Pffft...Pfft..." Keoni tended to his swollen tongue. "There...that's better."
Lee rolled his eyes. "Anyway, he's fine. Broke one of his rental skates. He needs his shoes."
"Oh, that's right!" Keoni grabbed his backpack and opened it to see Izzy's sneakers beside his own. If only their owners could be this close again... "Forgot I had them on me."
"If you're done, can we please get going already?" Lee started rolling towards the tunnel entrance. "I already wasted half my day looking for ya. Wanna get back to shredding before the sun sets."
Keoni nodded, catching up. "Yeah, gotta go help Izzy."
"'Help' him? He's fine. I left him with Niko and Iwalani."
A snicker. "Exactly. They must be driving him up the wall by now."
Lee chuckled in response. "I see your point."
They remained silent as they entered the tunnel. They skated down the steep slope taking care not to bump into one another. Even as gravity affected them and they concentrated on maintaining their balance, there was a tense air passing between the rivals. As if they were wondering things about the other, but of course refused to speak those concerns.
Keoni especially maintained a look of intent. He could care less about the dangerous forces of gravity pulling him faster and faster down the tunnel. All that mattered was reuniting with his love. Nothing else, not even being around the presence of his former flame was going to stop him from seeing Izzy again.
"Turn left here!" Lee shouted over the rushing wind.
"Got it!" Keoni returned, kicking off the incoming wall.
And that's another thing, why'd it have to be Leoni of all people that Izzy ran into? Couldn't he have bumped into some helpful police officer that just happened to be undercover to catch some criminal skaters? Or maybe he could've crashed into and then was captured by some crazy thugs who Keoni would have to fight to free the amnesiac. That would've been much better than Izzy running into his first crush!
But nope, Keoni was stuck having to think about the memories he and Lee shared. The thought of all that wasted time caused bile to build up in his stomach. Why'd he have to suggest coming back to the skate park? Of course Lee was going to be there waiting for him to relive the old memories he pushed away. To reopen old wounds he thought had long since healed. If only he suggested taking Izzy to do something like...bowling instead...
Keoni heaved a sigh as Lee directed him into a new tunnel. It didn't do much good thinking about what could've been. After all, the Aloha Spirit was about having no worries or regrets. He had to stop thinking about the past and look forward to the future. A future with a great (if not incredibly crazy and reckless) guy.
Besides, he stunk at bowling.
"Ok, one more left and we're there." Lee spoke up.
"Uh-huh..."
"Something wrong, lil' brah?" Lee screeched to a stop. "You've been off since we got in here."
"Nothing." Keoni avoided the older boy's gaze. "Just thinking about Izzy is all."
"So what's the deal with you and this kid? How long have ya known him?"
"W-well... It's been just over a month..." Keoni blinked at his own answer. "Oh man, has it already been a month...? Time sure flew by!" He smiled at himself and sighed lovingly.
"A month?" Lee raised a weirded out eyebrow. "That's hardly enough time..."
"Hey, it's plenty of time!" Keoni shot back, suddenly feeling his blood boil. "I feel like I know him like the back of my hand!"
"Okay, okay! Sheesh!" Lee ran a hand through the fake mohawk on his helmet. "It's just I'm...worried about you is all..."
"'Worried?'" Keoni hissed out the word. He glared icily at Lee. "No, no, no brah. You had your chance to worry about me! Now it's too late! You don't get to be worried about me! Not anymore!"
Lee looked hurt at those words, but he didn't act on it. Instead he looked away awkwardly. "You're right... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I just don't want to see you hurt... Not again, anyway." He added haphazardly.
"Hmph!" Keoni huffed at that. It sounded so much like what Mommi and his parents have told him. "I'm not going to get hurt. I'm a lot stronger than that. And besides, you don't know him like I do. He's so kind and gentle and has done so much good for me and my family. He's not capable of hurting me."
"But he has amnesia right? What if he's a totally different person when he gets his memory back?"
"So what?" Keoni spat. "Even after his memories return, I'll still be in his heart. He'll still love me...unlike you." He added with as much venom as he could manage. He turned his back on Lee and skated on ahead towards the tunnel exit.
Lee was left shaking his head in disappointment. That didn't go nearly as well as he hoped. He had no idea Keoni had so much anger stored up inside from that day. Thing is he couldn't blame the younger boy at all. Lee would be upset too. He could only hope Keoni was right about Izzy...for Keoni's sake.
"I'm sorry, Lil' Oni, forgive me..." He said to thin air. He kicked off and followed.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"No way!" Niko gave an impressed look. "You ran around inside a volcano just to get a rare flower for Lil' Oni?"
"Heh, heh yep!" Izzy smiled at the memory he was sharing. "It wasn't easy, I tell ya! And then it turns out he was allergic to the darned thing the whole time!" He laughed, holding his sides. "I can laugh about it now, but man was I mad that time!"
"That's just plain nuts!" Iwalani said, evidently given up on trying to make Izzy not feel jealous. "You're a lot braver than I gave ya credit for."
"Eh, it was nothing." Izzy gave a dismissive wave. "Like I said, I'd do anything for Keoni."
"You really like him, don't ya?"
"Like him...? I'm crazy about him!" Izzy clasped his hands together and laid his head on them. "He's my soulmate!"
"Woah..." Niko blinked. "You're in deep, bro..."
"Ahhh...I know..." Izzy fell backwards onto soft grass. He rested his head on his hands. He smiled at the orange darkening sky as he closed his eyes gently. "He makes me feel so many things. Whenever we're doing something together, my stomach does flip flops, my heart wants to fly out of my chest, my brain goes all loopy. Funny thing is, I don't want it to stop ever. But..."
"But...?" Niko pressed.
"But he doesn't know."
"Wha? You haven't told him how you feel?.?.?" Iwalani looked shocked at that.
"Erm... Not...in so many words?"
"Dude! Not cool!" Niko admonished. "Ya gotta tell him!"
"Ya can't string him along like that!" Iwalani added.
"I know, you're right..." Izzy looked unsure. "But how do I know if he'll love me back?"
"But he kissed you! How could you not know after that?"
"What if it was just another trick though? We've been pranking each other almost nonstop since I woke up..."
"Bro, Lil' Oni may be competitive and a little headstrong, but he wouldn't just do that to anyone." Niko defended.
Izzy still looked uncertain, but he had to concede their points. He knew in his heart Keoni would never do anything so powerful like kiss him if he didn't mean it. Not to mention it was unfair to both of them to keep their feelings bottled up much longer. He put on a determined look as he nodded at the teens.
"You're right, I can't hold it in much longer!" He said as the sound of rolling wheels was heard. He ignored it as he sat up, but Niko and Iwalani were shaking their heads and moving their hands to get Izzy to stop talking. He ignored them. "I feel so inspired! There's no way he won't reciprocate my feelings! I'm gonna tell him—"
"Tell me what, brah?"
Izzy froze instantly. His eyes instantly went to Niko and Iwalani, who were avoiding his gaze and whistling nonchalantly. He glowered at them before turning towards the sound of his beloved's voice.
"Keoni!" He shouted, springing to his feet. He ran over to the boy of his dreams, not realizing he still hasn't taken off his other skate from earlier. "I—WHOA!.!.!"
The skate rolled, causing Izzy to trip and stumble towards Keoni until...
CRASH!.!.!
Lee rolled out of the tunnel, feeling mighty low, when he raised his head and gasped.
There was Izzy looking dazed as he lied atop a winded and confused Keoni. The lighter brunette was coughing and struggling to get his bearings.
"Lil' Oni!"
Lee ran over to the scene to quickly find there was nothing to worry about. Keoni and Izzy were staring at each other intently. There was a twinkle in their eyes as they stared. Their cheeks were flushed, but neither boy made any attempt to move. Smiles slowly crept up each of their faces.
"Hey..." Izzy breathed.
"Aloha..." Keoni panted.
"Fancy meeting you here."
"Likewise, but ya gotta watch where you're going, cuz."
"I thought I was...till I landed." Izzy joked, shrugging.
Keoni rolled his eyes at that. "Uh-huh... Now do ya think you could...ugh...get offa me?"
"Aw, why?" Izzy pouted. "I'm enjoying the view..."
"C'mon brah..." Keoni looked away, growing redder. "This is embarrassing..."
Izzy raised an eyebrow at that. Since when did Keoni care about being embarrassed? Usually he was more than happy to engage the amnesiac's flirting. Despite that, he decided to keep messing with him.
"Why Keoni..." He snickered. "What's there to be embarrassed about? It's just little ol' me after all..."
"Uh... Well..."
"Lil' Oni and Izzy sitting in a palm tree!~" Niko and Iwalani sang, making both Keoni and Izzy turn dark red. Their eyes widened as they turned to the teasing teens. "K-I-S-S—~"
They stopped immediately upon seeing both boys glare at them. Oddly enough Lee, himself red faced, was glowering at them too, silently warning them to shut up. Satisfied, Izzy turned back to Keoni.
"I see your point." He said, getting up. He had to dig the toe of his skate to avoid falling again. He held a hand out towards Keoni.
"Mahalo." Keoni muttered, taking his hand. As Izzy pulled him up, he smiled again. "Oh brah, I missed you so much..." He added, bringing Izzy in for an embrace, which the amnesiac all too happily returned.
"I missed you too man." Izzy replied, resting his head on Keoni's shoulder. "Felt like forever passed by without ya... Thought I wasn't going to see ya ever again."
"Izzy..." Keoni's eyes watered. He felt moved by that. "Of course you were going to see me again. I'll always be by your side, cuz."
"Glad to hear it." Izzy smiled. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "So...can I get my shoes back? The concrete's kinda uncomfortable and this skate's making my other foot itchy!"
"Ugh..." Keoni slapped his forehead. "Ya really know how to ruin a moment. You know that, right?"
"Heh." Izzy stuck out his tongue as Keoni reached into his backpack. "I try."
"Yeah, I'm sure." Keoni handed the other boy his shoes. "We should get going anyway."
"Huh? So soon?" Izzy asked as he proceeded to change into his sneakers. "It's barely sunset..."
"Aw! You guys gotta leave already?" Iwalani pouted. "Ya just got here!"
"Yeah! I wanted to show ya my latest trick!" Niko added.
"Uh well..."
Keoni's eyes darted back and forth, trying to avoid everyone's curious gazes. He didn't want to tell Izzy about what happened in the tunnel, nor did he want to cause a scene with Lee. He wanted to get out of there badly. He thought up an excuse quickly.
"Um...my aunts are cooking up some delicious pineapple chicken...? Yeah! Don't wanna be late before everyone eats it all!" He grinned just a little too wide. Izzy didn't buy it though.
"Wait... Didn't we have that last night?"
"Oops..." Keoni blinked, starting to sweat. "We did... Then um...we're having a really huge dinner and my aunts need all hands on deck for clean up afterwards."
"Oh! That's true!" Izzy gasped. "We still need to earn a little more for your plane ticket after all."
"Yeah! That's right!" Keoni smiled, thankful he got through to Izzy. He grabbed the amnesiac's hand and darted for the tunnel, nearly tripping on his skates in the process. "Let's go, brah!"
"Woah!.!.!" Izzy could barely keep up as he was dragged into the tunnel. "See you guys later!" He waved to Niko and Iwalani. The teens made shaka signs and waved in response.
As they were about to enter the tunnel, Izzy noticed Lee looking a little downtrodden. He wasn't sure what happened to make the teen so upset, but Izzy wanted to make sure Lee knew how grateful he was for reuniting him with Keoni. He stopped himself from being dragged just as they were about to pass Lee. Keoni looked on curiously as Izzy walked up to the older boy.
"Thanks again for bringing Keoni to me." Izzy held out his hand. "I really appreciate it."
"Oh..." Lee blinked oddly, slowly taking Izzy's hand. "Uh... No prob, little brah. Happy to help out."
They shook hands, causing Keoni to tilt his head. He maintained that weird stare as Izzy walked back to him.
"What was that about?" He asked.
"Oh, he was the one that volunteered to go get ya." Izzy answered simply. "If it wasn't for him, I'd probably still be lost."
"Oh..."
Keoni was dumbfounded. He had no clue Lee actually wanted to bring the pair back together. He thought the teen was somehow forced into it. And after all that was said... Keoni felt like a heel. But still, why would Lee want to help him at all after what happened all those years ago? What was the point?
"C'mon Keoni." Izzy broke into his thoughts. He grabbed the other boy's hand and squeezed before continuing on into the tunnel. "It's gonna get dark. I'm starving. You?"
"Oh um... Yeah..." Keoni numbly replied, allowing his skates to glide.
They made it back to the main area without incident. Though the man in charge of the rental booth had some choice words for Izzy when he showed up with the busted roller blade. Both Keoni and Izzy were so embarrassed as made their way out of the skate park. It was strange to see them both blushing and avoiding each other's gaze without having first flirted with each other or wind up in some compromising position.
Both boys remained silent on the bus ride home. Keoni was staring out the window, wondering if he was right to be mad at Lee. He realized he was watching the ocean ripple and cascade in the light of the setting sun and glowered. He was totally right to be angry, even if Lee essentially did him a solid. The stupid guy broke his heart! Keoni could never forgive that!
Izzy meanwhile stared at the ceiling, taking in the sounds of the other passengers. They sounded happy, but tired as they spoke to loved ones about their activities for the coming night. He could relate. He too was tired, the day's events weighing heavily on his body and mind. He was sure his legs were going to be sore in the morning, thanks to that crazy race. Funny thing was he'd wouldn't mind doing it all over again, especially if he could get another prerace kiss from Keoni. That was beyond heavenly to Izzy. Not much can top that...well, aside from a kiss on the lips.
Of course, the conversation he had with Niko was on his mind as well. Whatever happened to Keoni, it must've been underwater. He was so happy and (much as it pained Izzy to admit) very much in love with Lee before the fishing trip began. If what Niko said was true, Keoni was heartbroken and distraught when he resurfaced.
What could've possibly happened? Izzy had to know, but he had already exhausted all possible avenues. The only ones who knew what happened were the boy sitting next to him and Lee. Lee seemed to be mum on the subject and the last thing Izzy wanted to do was make Keoni relive that day. Lee was without a doubt the answer. But will Izzy see him again before he heads back to Ocean Shores? He only had five days left in this paradise after all.
Izzy sighed. Maybe it was best not to worry about it. Keoni was happy now, wasn't that all that mattered? The amnesiac wasn't sure of that, but there was nothing much he could do.
"That sounds perfect. So we'll meet at 8? I can't wait to see you, baby."
Izzy had overheard a nearby phone conversation about a date. He smiled softly as he wondered what it felt like to go out on a date with someone. He never considered it before. Getting dressed all fancy like. Hanging out with someone he liked, eating dinner with them, talking about all sorts of things. Doing everything he can to impress the other boy. It all sounded like fun.
Especially the part with the good night kiss...
A part of him wondered if he ever went out on a date before losing his memory. Izzy frowned at that before shaking his head. He was sure it never happened. He would've felt it in his heart if he had known someone like that back on the mainland. He inwardly chuckled at the thought. Imagine how awkward it would've been if he confessed his love to Keoni, only to run into another boy he loved back in Ocean Shores! Or even worse, wound up wanting to love BOTH boys! It sounded crazy, like something out of a cheesy soap opera! He sighed happily knowing that Keoni was the only one in his life. He couldn't wait until he could take Keoni out on a date.
He peered at the boy of his dreams and smiled as he took his hand. Keoni jumped in shock and turned to Izzy with a frightened look. The expression quickly melted into a soft smile as Keoni squeezed Izzy's hand and leaned into his shoulder before looking out the window again. Sighing longingly, Izzy put an arm around Keoni and joined him.
Both boys were silent as they rode on, enjoying the passing scenery.