DISCLAIMER: I don't own Hole. Louis Sachar does. I just like to twist his works in my own morbid way. After all, everything is more fun when you toss in a couple of gay kids!

AUTHORS NOTE: You don't like slash? Don't read. Seriously. I LOVE slash. LOVE. So this story is going to get it pretty good. You know another thing I LOVE? Reviews. You read my story and liked it? Let me know! Something I should fix? You have suggestions? Drop them. I believe there's a little button down there that lets you do just that. Or, if you're feeling a bit chipper ( or I'm ALWAYS on AIM (xSandboxHeroinex)

DEDICATION: Anthony. You got me writing again. Don't let me stop. :-D

SUMMARY: The twisted before/during/after slash story of Squid. Features an array of random non-campers and a few of your favorite slash stars from my other stories. Should be finished up in 10 chapters, maybe a little bit less. Very fluffy and possible a bit graphic in ch. 2 and 3.

CHAPTER TITLE: The Sweetest Goodbye

"I love you."

The two boys sat in silence for a minute, the one on the floor staring longily into the eyes of the other. The one sitting on the the bed pushed his hair away from his caramel eyes and sighed.

"I love you more."

The one on the floor broke into a wide smile and pulled him onto the floor into a deep kiss.

"I love you Alan."

This time the boy didn't say anything. He looked down at the floor, at the open suitcase with an array of semi-clean clothes scattered around it.

"Saying that won't make this any easier you know."

"But I do."

"Look dude, I'm going to be gone for quite awhile. It's not that I don't love you back. I do... I just think it would be easier if we cut this off clean. I don't want to be around all these other guys missing you."

"Will you miss me?"

Alan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You were there for everything. You're the only reason I'm still here."

"Are you going to miss me or not?"

James,

I'm not sure what to do without you here. Settling in is hard, but things are getting easier. One of the guys gave me a bit of hell about the octopus but other than that they're pretty nice. There's a cute boy... you'd like him.

You're still my number one.

Love you,

Alan

The letter sounded fake, but Alan was so exhausted he could hardly hold the pencil up to write. He was dusty and tired and he couldn't stop thinking about James. Camp Green Lake wasn't a nice place to be.

"What you doin'?"

The boy Alan had written about in the note strode up, his heaight maximeized by the foot of frizzy dishwater hair sprouting from his head. He was dirty too, but he made it look good.

Alan snatched the letter from his bunk and crinkled it into a ball.

"Nothing."

"You writing letters home or something?"

"Mm. Yeah."

"Your mom and dad?"

"I guess."

There was an awkward moment of silence.

"Is that the thing X-Ray was talking about yesterday," asked the boy, pointing to the stuffed octopus perched proudly on Alans pillow, "That's sort of funny looking."

"Oh... yeah."

"It's a... squid?"

"Mmm."

Alan looked nervously around the tent. He wasn't sure if the boy was making fun of him or trying to be nice.

"Well... see ya around... Squid."

The boy left the tent.

"It's an octopus," Alan said softly to the boys retreating back.

Chapter Two up when I feel like it.