Two Extra Eyes
Chapter Eight
Surfing Happiness
The next morning, a strangely happy and energetic Lars jumped out of bed, ready to face the world and a certain blond. As he got ready to go out, he couldn't do anything to take the grin off his face. He didn't pay any attention to all the noise Otto and Twister were making next door. Even wearing his glasses was bearable. It was strange. The one thing he's considered a curse only a couple of days ago became his greatest asset. After all, they did help him become friends with the cute and slightly crazy Sam.
His grin widened at the thought of the boy. He had accepted that he has feelings for Sam after a particularly naughty dream. That kiss really must've done a number on him, and he was the one who gave it! It's amazing how much things changed in the course of a couple of days. For the past five or so years, he absolutely hated the boy and his friends, especially that redheaded punk in sunglasses. He considered all four of them, especially Sam, to be beneath him and therefore not worthy of even being around him except to get whomped.
Then his cronies deserted him and in one rare moment of weakness, he allowed the blond to hold and console him. In that one moment, a spark ignited in the depths of his heart, growing stronger each second he was with him. It grew from a mere ember to a flame when he first looked into Sam's eyes. And from having that delicious breakfast to getting the sports goggles to that good night kiss, it became an out of control inferno! Lars shook in total anticipation. He wanted to tell Sam exactly how he felt in the worst way possible!
There was just one question.
'How and when am I gonna do it?' He held his chin. 'I can't just walk right up to him and say, "Hey Squid, I love you. Wanna hook up?"! He'd run from me so fast, you'd think he was the Flash or something!'
His eyes widened as a blush appeared on his face. Did he just think what thought he thought (try saying that five times fast. ;-P)? He smiled broadly as he nodded to answer his internal question.
'I love him! I wanna be with him for life! …But what am I gonna say to him? Hell, is he even gonna speak to me after that kiss last night?'
He didn't have much time to contemplate this for the doorbell rang. With an excited gasp, he grabbed his surfboard, sports goggles, and change of clothes and zoomed down the hall so fast, the pictures on the walls flew off their respective hooks. When he reached the door, he yanked it open, only to find Sam on the other end. The boy still had his finger on the bell's button. He blinked at the happy-looking Lars.
"Hey Lars…" He said strangely.
"Hiya Squid!" The brunet yelled gleefully. "Let's go!"
With that, he ran down the stairs and started walking down the hill. Sam stared after him with an eyebrow raised. Lars was a little too happy this morning… Shaking his head, he grabbed his board and change of clothes and ran to catch up to him.
"Hey! Wait for me, Lars!" He shouted.
Keeping that grin on his face, the brunet stopped and allowed the blond to catch up. After Sam caught his breath, the duo continued on. There was a tense silence between them as they traveled down the hill towards the beach. A few moments passed and Lars noticed that Sam was being strangely silent compared to yesterday. He looked towards him and saw that he had a thinking expression. The brunet looked ahead again as he started to sweat. His companion must've been pondering about yesterday. Lars gulped. He prayed that he didn't scare the boy with his unintended(?) move. He didn't want to lose Sam. Not after he discovered his feelings for him! He had to set things right before it was too late!
He cleared his throat. "Uhhh… Squid?"
"Wha?.?.?" Sam snapped his head up in alarm. He calmed down when he realized who was talking to him. He faced his crush. "Yeah Lars?"
The older boy gulped again. "A-a-about yesterday…"
"Oh, don't worry about it." The blond interrupted, waving a dismissive hand.
"But I—"
Sam grabbed his hand and pulled. "C'mon. We're here."
Raising a confused eyebrow, Lars looked around. They were at the beach already!.? Unlike yesterday, there were many people lounging on the hot sands. There was plenty of space out in the water though. As a matter of fact, the entire area was bustling. The brunet scratched his head as they walked into the rental shop.
'I really need to pay more attention.'
They soon reached the locker room, where they proceeded to put their stuff away. During the few moments they were in there and when they walked over to the beach, Lars tried to bring up the subject of last night again. Sam, however, dodged the subject by always talking about the weather or what some shoobie was wearing. The brunet looked at him weirdly as they walked towards the water. He was acting very strange today. He was way too quiet; a complete contrast to yesterday. He frowned as they got on their boards and paddled out. He just wanted to clear up this whole mess and maybe even confess his love to Sam. He glared at the blond in front of him. He may love him, but he'll find out what the deal is even if he has to beat it out of him!
Soon, a wave came into view. Putting the subject into the back of his mind for the moment, Lars turned his board around as did Sam. Soon, the wave picked them both up, allowing them to surf. Lars immediately noticed the effect of his sports goggles. The water droplets bounced off them instantly as he rode the wave. He grinned as he and the blond went inside a tube.
"Yes!.!.!" He cheered, walking on the nose of his board. He pumped his fist and waved at Sam, who looked like his normal self again. "Sammy!.!.! I can surf again!.!.!"
He laughed joyously, completely unaware of the name he used. Sam gave him a wide grin. That was the very first time he ever heard Lars call him by that name. What made it even sweeter was that he considered that nickname very affectionate. And it came from Lars' mouth. That made it all the more special!
As they kicked out of the wave and waited for another one, Sam watched his crush laugh and cheer at his first successful wave since he got glasses. It was pretty apparent that he wasn't upset with Lars regarding yesterday's little smooch. As a matter of fact, he was trying very hard not to swim right up to him and return the favor. He wanted to talk to Lars about it so badly. But first, he needed to know what it meant. Did he have the same feelings as Sam did? Or was it all a mistake?
Sam gulped at the thought. He prayed that the brunet loved him back. He couldn't bear the thought of knowing that Lars did it by accident. He didn't know what he'd do if he ever found out Lars didn't have any feelings for him at all. But why did he kiss Sam? Did he just slip on a loose floorboard? Wait, the Rodriguez staircase was made from concrete, not wood. Then did Lars, in a fleeting moment of hormonally induced passion, threw all caution to the wind and just kissed him? Well, whatever the reason, he was determined to find out one way or the other. For now, he wanted to enjoy some wave action.
For the rest of the day, the boys tore up the swell like a piece of paper. They performed their best moves with the greatest of ease. They snapped their boards so wildly, you'd think they were whipping the waves like a jailer would whip a prisoner. In many instances, they would enter a tube and ride on the sides and ceiling as if they were on their skateboards at Mad Town or Zero Gravity Zone. They even launched off the waves and performed all sorts of handstands or spins before reentering them.
The waves were absolutely no match for Lars' goggles. He was able to see even in the fiercest of waves. It was almost as if the water was afraid to even go near his eyes! The goggles repelled the water like light repels darkness. The few times he did wipe out, the water fell off them as soon as they were above the surface.
The whole time, Lars was smiling and laughing louder than ever before. Even more loudly than the time he helped Twister set up that April Fools prank meant for Otto. He was overjoyed to be able to surf again after having to suffer so much at the hands of his glasses. Sam was happy as well. The very knowledge that he was able to make Lars' day great was enough to make him do a back flip in joy. He cheerfully commented on the older boy's increased control and judge of distance. The brunet thanked him for his kind words and grinned at him. It seemed to him that the blond wasn't in that strange mood anymore. Lars sighed with relief at that. It'll be much easier to talk to him about yesterday now.
Soon, the sun began to set, drowning the world in orange, blue, and purple. After riding one final wave and pulling off a sweet 360, the duo returned to shore. The beach was just about deserted now. Breathing in the sweet air, they walked towards the locker room, joking around like a couple of old friends. They may not have been talking about what transpired yesterday, but the conversation was certainly good for Lars. He hasn't had a chat like this in years! Being stuck with a trio of idiots for most of your life will do that to ya.
As they walked through the rental shop, Lars grinned at his blond companion. He hasn't had this much fun since…he couldn't remember! While hanging around and playing sports with his former gang was alright, they had become boring in recent years, not to mention things went downhill in a big way. He wasn't sure why, but he wouldn't be surprised if it was because of all the mischief they'd get into. Prior to getting his glasses, the Lasers' pranks have grown so destructive that they weren't even pranks anymore. Instead, they were outright vandalism. They'd break windows, spray graffiti everywhere, and even went so far as to tip over a car! And then there were the wild parties. There'd be so much drinking and smoking that he simply couldn't stand it. Eventually, he just stopped going to them. Soon enough, his three subordinates dropped out of school and started getting into even more trouble with the police.
He put on a determined look as he nodded to himself. He was glad he wasn't tied down to those fools. They were going nowhere fast and they were dragging him along with them. They'd most likely be put in jail or killed well before they can get their acts straight. He glowered at the memory of them. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with them. All he wanted now was Sam, even if it meant having to hang out with Otto. He shuddered at the thought of actually being on speaking terms with the boy.
"Lars? You ok?" Sam broke him out of his reverie. The brunet looked up and around himself. They were standing in front of their lockers. Sam's was open as the blond grabbed his towel and dried himself off. Lars blinked and shook his head.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine, Sammy. Just zoned out for a minute there." He answered.
That was when he realized what he said. He called him Sammy. Not Squid or even a simple Sam. He was too excited out in the water to even notice when he first called him that, but now in the confines of the locker room, his voice bounced off the walls, so he heard it loud and clear.
'Sammy…' He smiled as a small blush appeared on his cheeks. 'It felt good to say that… It's got a nice ring to it…'
Sam blinked. "Uhhh…"
Lars shook his head to get rid of his blush and turned to face his crush. "Zoned out again?"
"Uhhh… Yeah…"
"Sorry about that." The brunet apologized, rubbing the back of his head.
It grew silent as they prepared themselves. The only sounds that were heard were the sounds of the Lars' locker door opening and the ruffling of clothes. There were also the occasional sounds of a car passing by or someone rolling by on a skateboard or blades. Soon, the silence was getting to Lars. It was time to get down to business. He had to talk to Sam about yesterday now. It was the perfect time. There was no way the blond could get out without getting past him. He'd have to talk to Lars or risk going outside in his underwear. Either probability was fine with him, especially the latter. After drying himself off, he faced away from the other boy.
"Yo Sammy?"
"Yeah?" Sam looked up after running a hand through his hair. He had just put on his boxers.
"About what happened yesterday…"
As he explained his side of the story, he put his towel on his shoulders and untied his swimming trunks. The blond's eyes widened when he saw Lars pull down his trunks, revealing his gorgeous butt. Sam gulped loudly as he stared. His brain screamed at him to turn away and give him some privacy, but his body wouldn't respond. Every inch of his lightly tanned skin turned bright red when Lars bent down to pick up his trunks. The older teen's rear was just staring back at the dumbfounded boy. Sam's hands shook at his sides as he fought the strong urge to just reach out and squeeze. He dropped his towel as his hands raised themselves. He went completely deaf to Lars' words as his hands slowly inched forward. Those beautiful cheeks looked so tight. Sam's mouth moved like a fish's as he got ever closer to his goal. Just one little touch. That's all he wanted. …Well, he really wanted Lars to turn around right now but he was realistic. He knew that happy fantasy wasn't going to come true anytime soon.
He was mere inches away from those mounds of flesh when Lars rose, still talking. Blinking, Sam snatched his hands away and put them behind his back. Then Lars grabbed his boxers and bent down again. Grinning at his second chance, the blond raised his hands once more and made to experience what he's longed for. That was when Lars stood and raised his left leg. Sam froze instantly. He just got a glimpse of his…!.!.! Blood dripped out of the boy's nose as he stared, willing his eyes to focus on the object in the steadily growing darkness. Still talking, Lars put down his leg, allowing Sam a chance to recollect himself. The break was brief for Lars pulled up his right leg, giving Sam another precious glance. He growled with deep desire. That was it! He didn't care if Lars had the same feelings or not! Hell, he could care less if the taller boy was straight (and thank God he wasn't!)! He wanted him right there and now!
With his plan set, Sam charged right for the boy of his dreams, intent on living out his wildest fantasies on the locker room floor! What he didn't count on however was the interference of the very towel he dropped only a few seconds prior. As soon as he stepped on it, he felt himself going backwards hard and fast. Meanwhile, Lars pulled up his boxers.
"So that's it. I'm sorry about that kiss and whatever ya might've felt." He finished. He blinked when he didn't hear anything coming from Sam. "Squid?"
°THUD!°
Cringing at the sickening sound, Lars snapped his head behind him. There, he saw Sam dressed in only his boxers lying on the floor with a bloody nose, a dazed look in his eyes, and a very, VERY toothy grin on his face. Thinking of the worst, Lars immediately knelt and pulled the blond's head up.
"Sammy! Are you alright!.?" He panicked.
"Ugh…" Sam groaned, allowing his eyes to focus again. He blinked and a tinge of red grew on his face when he found himself staring into Lars' ruby orbs. He smiled shakily. "Yeah… I'm just super…"
For quite some time, they just stayed there staring at each other. Sam laying there on the hard floor, looking up at Lars, who was holding his head a few inches off the floor. Their eyes went wide and their faces went bright red when they noticed their states of dress and the fact that their bodies were pressed together. Overcome by pure emotion, Lars reached up to Sam's left cheek and rubbed it lovingly. Keeping his eyes on Lars', Sam leaned into the touch. They began to sweat as they felt the other's bated breath on them. The brunet licked his lips and swallowed the lump in his throat.
"Sammy…?" He whispered longingly.
"Yes…?" The blond replied sultrily.
"I…"
He bent forward slowly.
"Yes…?"
"I…"
He got closer.
"Lars…"
"I…"
They closed their eyes.
"I…"
Just a few more inches…
"I…"
Closer…
"Yes…?"
Almost there… They pursed their lips preparing for that contact. The air around them became hot and tense as the boys drew closer.
"I love…"
"I love…" Sam returned.
Almost there… They were about to…
"What the—!.?"
Be denied!
"HUH?.?.?"
Sam and Lars looked up and found Reggie standing there in the doorway. She saw the open lockers, the dripping surfboards, and the clothes on the bench. But what she was really concentrating on was the sight of two nearly naked boys on the floor about to make out. The blond and brunet stared back in fright. They didn't even think to lock the door. Her face turned red as she stuttered to talk.
"I-I-I w-w-w-was j-j-just b-b-bringing d-d-d-down some b-b-boxes of s-s-s-shoes when I saw the b-b-backroom d-d-door o-o-open…" She gulped. "Am I interrupting something?"
"Erm… No…" Lars answered in a low tone. He stood up and pulled up a very disappointed Sam. "He just fell and I was helping him up…" He said quickly.
"Y-y-yeah…" Sam supplied, resisting the strong urge to say some…unpleasant things to his best friend. Suppressing that urge, he glared at her as if to say, "Get out now. Don't ask questions. Just go." Gulping again, Reggie turned to leave.
"I-I-I think I'll just go now…" She then faced Sam with a look that said, "You better tell me every single detail later." Sam rolled his eyes at that. "See ya later, Sammy."
With that, she left the two boys to finish changing. Sam and Lars looked at each other hesitantly. Were they really about to…? They went red as they inwardly cursed the regal haired girl. They both had the same thought on their minds.
'She's got the WORST timing in the entire freaking universe!.!.!'
Staying totally silent, they finished changing into their normal clothes. Once Lars was wearing his glasses again and they picked up their belongings, they made their way out of the pier and towards the cul-de-sac. They still didn't talk to each other as they traversed the hill. Were they seriously going to kiss? Did Lars really love Sam? Did Sam really have feelings for Lars? Why the hell did Reggie have to interfere!.?.! Those questions were on their minds as they walked. Soon, they reached the peak of the hill and walked over to Sam's house. They turned to each other with confused looks.
"Uhhh…" Lars tried to speak.
"So…" Sam looked away.
Silence.
"Erm… What're we gonna do tomorrow?" The brunet asked cautiously.
"I think we'll go to the amusement park…" The blond replied. "We can work on your hand-eye coordination at the arcade and midway."
"Ok." Lars turned away. "See ya tomorrow then…" He started to walk.
"Lars wait." The older boy turned to Sam, who was shuffling his feet.
"Yeah?"
Sam looked up at him, fighting to ask about that little occurrence. He then sighed.
"Never mind. Have a nice evening."
"You too…"
They stared at each other for a few minutes. They saw desperation, confusion, and desire in each other's eyes. There was no denying it. They were really going to kiss back there. They both knew it. They loved each other. They were clearly happy with each other. So if they knew this, what was stopping them from telling the truth?
They both heaved a heavy sigh and turned towards their houses. There was simply too much going on inside to think things through. As it turned out, neither of them ate that night. They went to bed as soon as possible, hoping that the next day would come quickly so that they can move on. They sorely needed to see each other again. But they also needed to think this through.