Bare-Back Mountain

Chapter Six:

I pulled out a trout and sat it down next to me, measuring it using only my eyes. What... about... a foot? Foot and three inches...? I was clearly losing my touch and my mind because this particular trout (which was exactly 16.5 inches, unknown to me) was staring up at me, gasping for air, and silently whisper the word 'Joe'. That fish was promptly thrown back into the rushing waters as I stormed angrily away. Even the damn fish were against my being straight!
Damn nature.

The night was calm. Less than a day. Twelve hours. Less than twelve hours. I sat back, lost in my own pathetic, homo-horny state, my mind just pulling in to Imagination Station. This was my stop.

The festival's amazing, blah blah blah, I'm leaning in towards Joe- I mean, Maria... and she closes her eyes and we kiss long and passionately and I can feel his lips and I'm totally blushing... Wait... his? Oh dammit. Ok fine! It's my imagination- I'll do what I want.

Joe and I rolled in the fucking sand all night and you know what? I loved it. That is until the first firework started up and looked like an erection. The firework erection slammed into the moon, which cascaded into the sun, which blew fiery hot lava all over me and I ran around with people screaming "Flaming homo".

DAMN IMAGINATION!

I sighed and collapsed onto my back. The sky was pretty despite thoughts of an oncoming Armageddon. I rolled onto my side and screamed.

"Wha-! Oh- I uh... sorry Ray!"

My heart broke into a billion and one pieces and scattered into the sky, becoming tiny stars, then crashing down to earth and landing in her smooth ringlets, her galaxy eyes. Those exact features that Joe held so dear.

Joe.

Katie and Joe.

They were behind the tree that I had lay dreaming in front of in my stupor. They had lay together, arms around each other. And I had discovered them, lips parted and met.

If my heart just hadn't broken, I'm sure it'd break again.

Joe was smiling, Katie had her hand on Joe's chest. Her smooth manicured nails, eyes on mine but soft lips tasting only of Joe.

If my heart wasn't shattered, I'm sure it would shatter once more.

"No... I-" I stood slowly, eyes locked on his. Russet met cobalt, his brown against my blue. Happy versus sad. Straight paralleling my own unsure self...

Whole against broken. Which would you choose?

"I..."

"Are you ok, Ray?" He chuckled softly, but now his eyes matched mine, not in color but in expression. Shocked confusion... reveling in their own misery.

I ran. I leapt across the world, feeling the earth beneath my thin soles.

"I'm not going to the festival and I'm not leaving your room!" I had barricaded myself in Eve's room. I hadn't the faintest idea why. It was past midnight, the bar was closed today, and I had simply flown past Eve and locked myself into her room. I know... the entire thing's unfair. Joe and Katie, Eve and her room. I grimaced, remembering our expedition into Eve's va-

"C'mon! Ray!" Her voice was pleading as she pounded against the door with flying fists. "You don't understand- you have to get out!"

That's when I heard it. A slight shuffle, a low breath against the wind. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I was laying on the bed, face down, but it was the first time I had realized-there's someone in this room. And whoever... whatever- it is... is underneath the covers... and underneath me!

I cried out, sitting up so suddenly my foot got caught. I flew backwards, falling sideways off the bed, my back hitting the floor.

"RAY GET OUT NOW!" That's starting to sound like a really good idea! That's when I saw it. The covers, fallen to the floor and twisted around my ankle, revealed a man wearing nothing but a red bandana.

"YAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! Dan's eyes shot open and he reached frantically for a pillow, finding one, and firmly pressing it against himself. "WHAT THE HELL?" He sat fully up and I screamed, covering my eyes. "YOU'RE NOT EVE!" No shit! In my mad sprint, I had forgotten the blankets around my ankle. Lunging forward, my head collided with the door.

"OOOF!" I turned to see Dan raising slowly up onto his knees, hand outstretched, worried look in his eyes. "AAAAH! GET AWAAAAY!" I stumbled but managed to get to my knees as I tugged open the door.

"RAY YOU DUMBASS!" A swift kick.

"Wooooo stars..."

"You think he saw-"

"HE WASN'T TALKING ABOUT THAT DAN!"

"Pwetty..." I was reaching toward imaginary fireflies, a dull ache pulsating throughout my upper thigh area. That's going to seriously hurt later. "Ooooh hooo hoo..."

"GET A FUCKIN' GRIP AND GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" Eve kicked sharply and I rolled out the door happily exclaiming "It burns!" and waving good bye.

The next day was Festival day. I sat next to Eve in the shallow darkness of the Café, an icepack laying over my lap.

"You suck." Why the hell was she laughing? I saw her butt-naked boyfriend sleeping on the bed, got my balls kicked (and if my balls had balls, they would've been kicked too), and had run head-long into a door. "Shut up!"

"I'm s-sorry... it's just s-so funny!" She covered her mouth as her small frame shook with laughter. I placed my chin on the heel of my hand, stewing in absolute depression. "Ok..." composing herself, she turned toward me, her hilarity fighting her straight face. "No seriously. I'm cool. What'd you come to tell me?" She stared at me through innocent eyes.

As if.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself for the story of discovering Joe and Katie entwined as lovers. Her eyes widened as I told my heart wrenching tale. Of course, the moment was destroyed as hilarity won and she burst into a fit of laughter.

"You bitch!" She continued to laugh. I crossed my arms in a pout, brow furrowing down on itself.

"O-ok I'm-" She sucked in a deep breath. "I'm better." She let out a quiet chuckle before falling silent. A moment of silence passed between us. Then, she spoke. "So you want to hear about how some crazed maniac ran into my room as I was taking a bathroom break from my sweet hot romp with Dan? Or would you prefer to hear about how Dan won't come back to the Café because he's afraid of said maniac?" Ouch. I smiled nervously before slowly getting up (taking care of my painful package) and slowly sliding out the door. She glared at me before I reddened, then ducked my head out of the door, shutting it firmly behind me. Ok, so I had messed up big time.

Oops?

Anyway, there was about four hours until the festival, and I hadn't seen hide nor hair of Maria or Joe. The Festival.

What would I wear?