Día de los Inocentes
Chapter Four
The Big Smooch
°BRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!.!.!.!.!°
This was it. Three o'clock. It was time to go to the gym, where the fate of two different skaters hung in the balance. The evil Lars laughed mischievously as he waited behind the bleachers. At long last, it was time to see his grand master plan unfurl. He snickered as he waited for the two pigeons to show up.
The first one to arrive was Otto, who had a look of pure nervousness on him, despite his tendency to jump head-on into anything. To the brunet's enjoyment, the redhead was looking around confusedly as he walked in from the gym's east entrance. The letter was clutched in his right hand as he waited for Clio to arrive.
'Man, where could she be? She told me to come here at three and she's nowhere to be found.' He thought. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. 'What's keeping her?'
Lars snickered as his rival paced around the center of the gym, inwardly wondering where his first, and apparently third, crush could possibly be.
'Any minute now…' The brunet thought, rubbing his hands. 'It was all worth it to throw those kooks off my trail all day. They have no clue.'
Otto was just about to lose hope and leave when he heard footsteps behind him. He grinned happily to know that this wasn't all some sick, cruel April Fools prank. At long last, he'll be able to get together with…
"Otto?"
The redhead blinked, his grin falling. That wasn't Clio's voice… In fact, the voice wasn't even female. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, he turned and faced the one who addressed him.
"Twister?"
Standing across from the boy in the sunglasses was none other than his best bro, who seemed to have a look that was a mix of extreme cowardice and utter confusion. Like Otto, he had his own letter clutched in his right hand.
"What are you doing here?" They both questioned.
Twister shook slightly as he gulped. What if the one in front of him somehow heard about Reggie's letter? What if Otto decided to fight him to keep him from dating the elder Rocket? He began to sweat. He didn't want to lose his friendship with the shorter redhead over something as insignificant as this.
Otto, meanwhile, had a quizzical look on him. What happened to Clio? And what's Twister doing here? Did he somehow hear about the letter? Did he have something against him dating his cousin? But why? And if that was the case, why wasn't Lars there too? Otto gulped. He didn't want to fight the taller redhead.
They both remained standing there for a few moments when a sudden, but very interesting question came to mind.
If, according to each other, the one standing opposite them didn't want the other to be with their sister/cousin, where exactly were the girls in question? One would think that if both boys objected to the other's falling in love with their respective relatives, the girls they wanted would be present, trying to convince said boys that they really wanted to be with them.
Confusing, ain't it? For those whose brains were fried by that little food for thought, let's simplify things a bit. The question is if Otto/Twister were present, supposedly ready to fight the other to defend the honor of Reggie/Clio, where the hell was the females in the equation? Needless to say, anybody not part of this strange turn of events would be wondering why they weren't trying to stop the two redheads from starting World War III!
Unless…
The two redheads' eyes widened in disbelief as they considered another possibility.
'Did he—'
They pointed at each other, a tinge of pink forming on their faces.
"Did you—"
"Pahahahahahahahahaha!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!" Lars roared with laughter as he jumped from his hiding place, making himself known. "April Fools! I knew ya dorks woulda fell for it! I wrote those bogus love letters! Like his—" He pointed at Otto. "—sister and our cousin would really wanna be with you twerps!" He held his sides as he continued chortling.
Unknown to him, however, Otto and Twister weren't paying any attention. Instead, they remained looking at each other in total disbelief.
'No way! Twister wrote this!.?' The former thought, holding up the letter. 'I thought for sure Clio was the one who wrote it.'
He then gasped as he realized something.
'That crush I had after I knew me and Clio would never work out…'
He closed his eyes as he remembered that faithful summer three years ago. He was surfing with his sister, his best bro, and the Squid in the Secret Spot. On the nearby beach, several tents were set up around a circle of rocks; a sure sign that they were to spend the night there. The waves were especially huge that day. This was due of course to a great south swell miles off the coast.
"Whoo hoo!.!.!" Otto cheered as he paddled back to his friends and sister. "Did you see that rad move?.! I got mad air from that last wave!"
"Yeah, yeah…" Reggie sighed, rolling her eyes. Sam also gave the same reaction. Normally they were used to the younger Rocket's banter after pulling off a sweet trick, but today, he was especially annoying.
"Pfft, you're just jealous of my mad skills, so I don't mind." The redhead grunted, turning away with his arms crossed.
"Whatever." His sister retorted, again rolling her eyes. "So who's up next?"
"I am!" Twister declared, paddling forward. "I'm gonna own this wave!"
But before he could even turn himself around to catch the next wave, he was slammed by a massive thirty footer!
"TWISTER!.!.!" The rest of the group gasped in horror as both he and his surfboard disappeared into the mist created by the wave.
The cameraman of the group was pounded so hard by the wave that he was forced into a spin cycle as he was pushed all the way back to the shore. His head was dragged along the sandy bottom as he struggled both to get his head above water and stay conscious. It was no use though. When he was a few feet from shore, he hit his head on a rock. Being propelled by the incredibly strong wave, he was knocked out almost instantly.
When he washed up on shore, his head was buried in the sand. His board was over three fourths destroyed. What was left of it was tied to his leg by its leash. The rest of the pieces were scattered around his body, which wasn't moving at all.
Fueled by pure adrenaline, Otto, Reggie, and Sam swam back to shore and ran up to Twister. Being frightful for his safety and health, the trio crowded around him, debating what to do with their friend.
"Quiet!.!.!" The blond shouted, stopping the frantic siblings. "Give him room to breathe! I need to perform CPR!"
Doing as he said, Otto and Reggie stood back. Sam knelt by Twister and turned him so that he was lying on his back. Remembering his training as a junior lifeguard, he tilted the capped boy's head back. Then to the shorter Rocket's shock, Sam parted Twister's lips, took a deep breath, and exhaled into his mouth. He repeated this once more before backing away. He then brought his hands together, one on top of the other, and put them over Twister's stomach. He then pushed firmly to try to get him breathing again.
As the blond continued the procedure, Otto couldn't help but feel jealous. Watching him put his lips and hands on his best bro over and over again made him shake with envy-induced anger. Lifeguard or not, Sam had no right to just do that to Twister! The dreadlocked one shook his fists at his sides as a slight glower crept onto his face. He was soon growling when he realized what he was thinking.
'Woah! What was that all about!.?' He thought, relaxing himself. 'Sam's only trying to save Twist's life, not take advantage of him!'
He then blushed, thinking that over.
'Do I…like Twister…?' He paled at the very thought. 'N-n-n-no way! I don't like him that way! …Right?'
He blinked when he heard a string of coughs followed by a sputter that sounded kind of like, "Ewwwww!.!.! Got offa me, Squid!" Twister had regained conciousness. Sighing with relief, Reggie ran over and put a hand on his shoulder to make sure he was alright. Once again, jealousy stirred in Otto's heart as he watched his sister practically mother his best friend almost as if they were together! He recoiled at the thought when he gasped, his eyes widening as he realized the truth.
'I…I have a crush…on Twister!' He felt a smile creep onto his face as he stepped towards his ailing friend. 'I…I really, really like him… more than a friend…'
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
As present-day Otto smiled at his trip into the past, Twister was grinning, lost in his own flashback.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
It was later that night. The gang was sitting around the campfire, roasting marshmallows. Being too tired from that day's near death experience to change into something warm, Twister was wrapped in a warm blanket. The others were in their normal clothes as they chatted and shared jokes, as well as the occasional ghost story.
As he sat there, listening to the others talk, he couldn't help but glance at his best friend, who was sitting next to him. He turned back to the fire and stared into it.
'Man… I almost bit the big one today…' He thought, sighing inwardly. 'Good thing Sam knew that stuff from being doing all that junior lifeguard training. If I really did drown, I wouldn't have been able to tell everybody good bye. Mom, Dad, Reggie, Squid. Even Lars. And then there's…'
He again chanced a glance at Otto. He blinked when the shorter redhead hurriedly turned back to the fire. Twister blinked. He had just caught his best bro staring at him. It was almost as if…
He shook his head. It must've been his imagination. There's no way Otto felt the same way as he did. But still… The shorter redhead was sitting a little too close to be friendly… Twister blushed.
'Maybe there'll be a chance for us.' He looked up at the full moon and sighed. 'Someday…'
He looked down and blinked when he heard snoring. Everybody was asleep. He sat there confused for a few seconds before shrugging. It seemed that the excitement of today's little experience finally got to them. He yawned as he leaned back against the log he was sitting in front of. He slowly closed his eyes shut.
'Well… Guess I better get some shut—'
His eyes shot open when he felt a weight on his right shoulder. He looked and felt his cheeks becoming a dark red when he saw Otto leaning against him. He stared at the boy longingly. The light of the fire really enhanced his features, giving him an almost spiritual look.
Cracking a small grin, Twister leaned against his head. He sighed happily as he felt the warmth of Otto's body against his own. It gave him a peaceful, serene feeling. Soon, he gave a yawn. He tried to fight his fatigue, but it was no use. Soon, his eyes drifted to a close and he was claimed by dreams of his crush.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Both boys opened their eyes and found themselves back in the middle of the gym. Lars was still laughing up a storm. Both Otto and Twister looked at each other, then the letters in their hands, then each other again.
'Wow… So he really loves me?' The shorter of the two thought. He read over the letter for quite possibly the thousandth time that day. 'But why was it done in pink ink and Clio's handwriting? Why did he act so secretive about it?'
'I don't believe this! Otto loves me!' Twister cheered inwardly. 'I thought for sure he would never like me that way so I just gave up! But now he loves me! I'm so happy!'
He was considering jumping around in jubilation when a thought came to him. He looked over the letter again.
'How come he wrote it with Reggie's handwriting though? Couldn't he have told me face to face?'
They both blinked in understanding.
'Ohhhhhh… I get it now!'
'He wrote it using Clio's handwriting and a pink pen so that I won't be grossed out!' Otto nodded at his deduction.
'He wrote the letter like Reggie does because he thought I woulda been majorly freaked out!' Twister nodded at his own thoughts.
They both looked at each other's letter, admiring what the other said about them, when they blinked, realizing there was one more thing left to do. They looked up into each other's eyes and walked towards each other. They stopped a few paces away from each other.
"Twist," Otto started. "I-I-I just wanted to say that I…" He blushed and looked the other way. "You know…"
"Y-y-yeah…" Twister nodded, his own blush forming. "I-I-I l-l-l…" He too turned away. "Ya know…"
They turned towards each other again.
"This isn't getting us anywhere. On the count of three, we'll say it together, alright?"
Twister nodded. "Fine with me."
The two redheads took a deep breath, trying to muster up the courage to say what they wanted to say for the last few years. Lars had long since stopped laughing as he watched the exchange with confusion etched on his face.
"One…" Otto started.
"Two…" Twister continued.
Both of them gulped. It was now or never. They closed their eyes as their faces got as red as humanly possible.
"Three! I love you!.!.!"
Lars gasped as those three words hung in the air. They echoed in the minds of all present. Neither of them could believe their ears. Otto and Twister, the two raddest extreme sports enthusiasts in Ocean Shores, just declared their love for each other. Both redheads cracked open an eye to find the other looking back at the other. They opened the other eye and smiled, knowing that their crush hadn't run away screaming.
Feeling brave, Otto walked those last few steps and brought his arms around Twister's waist. The taller boy stood there, enjoying the feeling of his love embracing him. It took a few moments before his brain reentered his head and he returned the hug. He bent forward and closed his eyes as he leaned his head against Otto's. They then parted and looked into each other's eyes, seeing the care, support, and warmth they both shared for each other.
Without thinking twice, Otto brought a hand up and cupped Twister's left cheek. The capped boy kept his stare on his new boyfriend as he leaned into the touch. Both of their eyes once again drifted to a close as they inched closer and closer until their lips connected in a passionate kiss.
Unbeknownst to the new couple, a dozen clicks a minute were heard as they kept their contact up for as long as possible. Lars, being not even five feet away from the scene, felt his jaw literally hit the ground as soon as the two kissed. Seconds later, his eyes bulged in shock when he noticed Twister returning the kiss and running his hands all over Otto's body. The clicking continued with a rapid fervor as Otto felt all over the taller boy.
Lars felt a slight blush come to his face as both boys stepped back from each other and maintained the kiss as they unzipped each other's shorts and reached inside. The mysterious clicking was going at such a speed that it seemed like a million crickets entered the gym and began singing of their praises for the newly formed relationship.
Eventually, but not before Lars could start crying in defeat, the lovers broke the kiss and panted as they looked at each other with a look of slight (only slight, mind you!) fatigue and wild, untamed lust. Unaware of the senior's wails, they embraced again.
"So…Twist…" Otto breathed, reaching into his pocket. "You wanted to see me without my shorts on?"
He pulled his hand out to reveal a small, plastic packet. Twister felt a strong blush when he realized what the object was. He quickly got over his surprise as he smirked devilishly.
"Oh you know I do." He purred, nodding. "So you think my body's hot?"
"Whaddya think?" Otto answered, pulling him in for another kiss. When they separated, he started pulling the other boy in the direction of the locker room. Otto opened the door for Twister, who giggled as he stepped inside. The shorter redhead, grinning from ear to ear, practically tore off his shirt before dashing inside.
"I…I don't believe it…" Lars uttered, hugging himself frightfully. "A-a-a-all this time… Th-th-they were…"
He had a pale, disbelieving look as he realized what just transpired and what was undoubtedly going on in that locker room! His pupils shrank to nothing when he realized that he caused all this to happen just because he wanted to prank the two dorks. He certainly didn't intend for that to happen.
"Yes!.!.!" A new voice cheered. "I can't believe how lucky I am!"
With a distant, faraway look on his face, the brunet turned to find Izzy, who was dancing around, holding a small object in his hands. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a digital camera. A small sack was at his feet.
"Not only do I finally have Blondie right where I want him, but I actually got a whole memory card filled with pictures of two guys getting together!"
Regaining his senses and blinking strangely, Lars walked up to the joyful teen.
"Let me get this straight, you took pictures of Rocket Dork and my brother confessing and making out?" He asked weirdly.
"Yep!.!.!" Izzy shouted with a grin so big, you'd think he was Iggy's taller and eviler twin. "They don't call me and Iggy the Yaoi Brothers for nothing! I can't believe what a lucky find this was!"
"Good for you… As for me, I'm gonna go home and take a nice long look at my life." The older boy said, slumping away.
The boy in the blue hat looked after him for a few moments before looking at the sack and then at the camera. That was when he nodded, deciding on a plan.
"Hey! Wait up!" He said, running up to Lars.
"What is it?" The taller brunet grunted.
"Since your prank apparently backfired, I was wondering if you wanted to join in on mine." Izzy flicked his thumb behind him at the gym's south exit, which led outside. "I got Blondie tied up and me and Iggy are gonna have a little fun." He snickered as he held up the sack and camera. "Whaddya say?"
Lars gave him an evil smirk. "I say lead the way! I need a release after that little performance."
"Right this way." The younger dark one said, walking towards the south exit.
