Lost & Found

by Ashley John

“Sure,” Charlie smiled quickly, “c'mon, we better set off.”

  He grabbed his jacket and headed out of the bedroom, but Oliver led back on the garish floral print bedding and smiled wickedly to himself.

  I’m in.

  ***

  Charlie couldn't put his finger on why he'd decided to give Oliver another chance or even accepted the coffee from him. Part of him was intrigued with how hard he was trying, and part of him was amused by it. Maybe I'm suffering from heat stroke.

  As they walked through the picturesque streets of Surf Bay, Charlie wondered how a friendship with somebody who had so blatantly tried to get into his pants could ever work.

  “Why did you move to Surf Bay?” Oliver asked, “You never did say.”

  “Does it matter?” Charlie asked, sipping the last remains of the coffee.

  “Friends know things about each other,” Oliver smiled cheekily, flashing his pearly whites in Charlie's direction.

  There was something about that smile that made Charlie want to tell him more than he'd usually feel comfortable with giving away. He tried to summon the hate he'd felt for him, but it wasn't as strong as it had been. As they walked past the perfect white picket fences, he considered that the friendship could work after all.

  “It's my mom. She can't hold down a job and she has a habit of getting into trouble. I'm originally from Texas, but it's been so long since we've been there, I can't even remember what home looks like.”

  “Do you think you'll stay in Surf Bay?” Oliver asked softly.

  “I hope so,” Charlie said.

  “Me too,” Oliver said, flashing his trademark smile, “I need a friend.”

  Charlie felt himself smiling, and even though he tried to stop it spreading across his face, it still managed to break free. He didn't want to admit it, but he could feel himself liking Oliver without all of the sexual innuendo and flirting.

  “Tell me something about your life,” Charlie asked.

  Back in Alaska, Charlie had made a small group of friends, but none of them made him feel as strange as Oliver did. Despite the fact he'd wanted to punch him since he'd first met him, he found himself actually wanting to know things about Oliver.

  “There's not much to know,” Oliver smiled awkwardly.

  Charlie wanted to push the subject, but he could tell he'd hit a raw nerve.

  “Where do you live?”

  “Oh,” Oliver's eyes shifted uncomfortably, “it's a little bit out of the way.”

  Oliver threw his coffee cup in a trashcan and stuffed his hands deeply into his pockets only confirming to Charlie that he was keeping something big from him. Before Charlie could ask any more questions, the cellphone in Oliver's pocket started to ring and vibrate loudly.

  “Hello? Porter? Slow down. Yeh, that's fine. No problem. I hope she's okay. See you tomorrow.”

  “What is it?” Charlie asked, throwing his own coffee cup away.

  “It's Porter's kid, Emily. She's fallen down the stairs and he's taking her to the hospital. It's nothing serious I don't think, but he just wants to make sure everything is okay.”

  “That's terrible,” Charlie said.

  He tried to imagine Porter in the caring father role, but he found it difficult. To Charlie, he looked more like a surfer who was still stuck in his teenage years.

  “He said to just leave the Surf Club closed today. He has the keys,” Oliver said.

  “Oh,” Charlie mumbled, not knowing what it meant for him, “I guess I'll just go home then?”

  Oliver dropped his head, but when he slowly brought it back up to catch Charlie's eyes, the familiar wicked smile was spread across his lips, with one of his dark brows raised playfully.

  “We could always do something?” Oliver whispered.

  “I'm not sure...” Charlie said reluctantly.

  He could hear the safety of Aunt Evelyn's calling him back for a day at home. Perhaps they could bake a cake or clean out the attic like she'd asked him.

  “C'mon,” Oliver whispered even deeper, with the smile spreading further, “isn't that what friends do?”

  I'm going to regret this.

  Chapter 7

  “What is this place?” Charlie asked as they climbed over the rocks.

  “Pretty cool, right?” Oliver said sounding all too pleased with himself.

  Charlie jumped down from the rocks and landed on the golden sand below. Oliver had dragged him across the beach towards what Charlie thought was another cliff, but when Oliver showed him the way through the rocks, he was faced with a tiny secluded beach. A huge rock face sat up against the back of the beach, with the deep blue ocean lapping at the edges of the sand. It wasn't big, but it was beautiful.

  “How do you even know about this place?” Charlie said as he gazed up at the cliff side that loomed over them.

  “I found it when I was a kid,” Oliver said proudly, running his hand along the coarse rock wall, “hardly any people know about it. I like to come here sometimes and think about stuff.”

  Charlie had to admit, it was an impressive place. He felt like they were completely cut off from the locals and tourists who were starting to fill up the main beach on the other side of their stone fortress.

  Sitting on the warm and gritty sand, they both scanned the waves which lapped eagerly at the shore.

  “I love it here,” Oliver sighed softly as he pulled his knees up to his chest.

  “It's almost perfect,” Charlie said.

  “Almost,” Oliver laughed, pulling a cigarette from his pocket, “now let's get this party started.”

  Charlie examined the white stick in Oliver's hand and realized that it wasn't just any ordinary cigarette.

  “Is that a marijuana cigarette?” Charlie exclaimed, leaning away from Oliver as it he was contaminated.

  “What are you? 86?” Oliver laughed, “It's just a bit of grass.”

  He watched as Oliver lit the end of the chunky joint and the end flickered like a candle before settling down. The strong smell of the plant filled Charlie's nostrils. He'd smelt it before, but only because one of his mother's ex-boyfriends smoked the stuff like it was fresh air.

  “Oh that's good,” Oliver laughed, his voice suddenly taking on a new gruff quality, “want some?”

  “No!” Charlie said firmly, “I don't do drugs.”

  Oliver laughed deeply, taking another long deep drag, “Calm down grandma. It's just a joint.”

  Charlie watched as Oliver puffed out strong smelling, thick smoke.

  “I don't want to,” Charlie mumbled, turning to look back to sea, through the smoke cloud.

  “Just try some,” Oliver said.

  Frozen to the spot, Charlie stared down at the joint as if it were an explosive device. A small voice in the back of his head was telling him not to touch it, but the curiosity was overwhelming.

  Taking it from Oliver, he slowly brought it to his lips, taking in a deep drag. The thick smoke instantly coated his throat and lungs, making him cough and splutter, which only made Oliver laugh hysterically.

  “Take it slower,” Oliver laughed, “like this.”

  He grabbed the it back and puffed slowly on it, creating impressive rings that made Charlie think he smoked it all too often. Charlie's head lolled to the side as every bone in his body suddenly felt heavy as stone. His heart pounded in his chest, but his mind clouded over, making his eyes sting. After another drag, he didn't cough, but his hands started to feel like giant hams on the end of each arm.

  “I feel...heavy,” Charlie slurred in a voice that he didn't recognize.

  Oliver clearly found it hysterical because he crumbled over into the sand laughing uncontrollably. Swaying on the spot, Charlie felt exhausted.

  “Here, let me try something,” Oliver snatched it away from Charlie, who was all too happy to let go of it because his fingers were forgetting how to grip.

  Expertly, he puffed and puffed, without blowing anything out. His eyes met Oliver's, and Charlie could already see dark purpl
e bags appearing under his glossy brown eyes.

  Gently with his forefingers, Oliver placed them on Charlie's chin, drawing him in. His soft touch was like fire on Charlie's skin and it took him back to being in the cubicle. He could feel the blood pumping around his body as Oliver's face was suddenly directly in front of his. He noticed the dark stubble that lined his jaw and scattered his cheeks delicately.

  Just when he thought Oliver was going to try and kiss him, he opened his mouth and Charlie followed, but instead of his tongue, Charlie felt the big cloud of smoke that Oliver had been holding pass into his mouth. Still making eye contact, Oliver lent forward as he slowly let the cloud travel from him to Charlie. When their lips touched, Charlie felt the fire inside his stomach light up as they glared deeply into each other’s eyes.

  When all of the smoke had been passed, their lips were still touching. Charlie could feel the effects of the drugs washing over him, and his eyes lazily blinked. As if the spell was broken, Oliver pulled away and burst into another fit of laughter.

  Charlie tried to laugh along through the fuzzy haze that was taking over his burning eyes, but he couldn't ignore the pulses that were trying to happen through his jeans.

  It's just the weed Charlie. Nothing else.

  ***

  “You're taking it better than my first time,” Oliver laughed, laying back into the sand, letting the heavy feeling press against his chest.

  It was the total relaxation that made him ask his brother to get him bags of the stuff every so often.

  “I really feel strange,” Charlie mumbled, his head rolling lazily around his shoulders.

  “Lie down!” Oliver said, grabbing Charlie's shoulders and dragging him back.

  He fell back into the sand with no resistance, lying next to Oliver. Their shoulders were touching, which made Oliver's skin tingle. He wanted nothing more than to roll over and kiss Charlie properly. His lips were still tingling from the blow back and he knew that he'd hovered too long on Charlie's lips, but he didn't seem to protest.

  “It feels like...there's an elephant sat on me. Doesn't that make sense?” Charlie mumbled, “Is this normal?”

  “No Charlie,” Oliver said seriously, “I think you're going to die.”

  “Really?” Charlie cried.

  That was enough to set Oliver off giggling again, unable to control the laughter that had infected him.

  “I'm hungry,” Oliver said when the laughter finally died down.

  “I want pizza,” Charlie said quietly, “but my hands. My hands feel so heavy.”

  I want you.

  “We could go to mine if you want?” Oliver suggested

  His parents had gone on one of their extended business trips, so they'd be away indefinitely meaning there would be no interfering.

  “I don't think I can move,” Charlie gasped, “my body is frozen.”

  “We can wait a bit,” Oliver said, edging closer to Charlie so that their bodies were completely touching.

  Oliver had gone all the way with so many people, but just lying with Charlie in the sand was making the butterflies in his stomach cartwheel. The more he tried to ignore them, the more they bounced off the edges.

  You just want his virginity Oliver. Nothing more.

  “What aren't you telling me about your life?” Charlie sighed, lifting his hand slowly to scratch his cheek.

  Oliver didn't know how to tell Charlie that he lived in a mansion on the edge of town and that his parents were two of the biggest lawyers in California. He didn't know how to tell Oliver that he despised his life and his parents and how they expected him to follow in their footsteps.

  “I'm rich,” Oliver sighed, “like, really, really rich.”

  “Really?” Charlie gasped, propping himself up on one arm to look over Oliver.

  Oliver smiled when he noticed how Charlie's head wouldn't stay upright.

  “My parents are lawyers. They work with very rich people. Celebrities, business tycoons, those sorts of people.”

  “Well that's not so bad,” Charlie said, “I thought it would be something worse.”

  “Like what?”

  “Maybe you killed someone,” Charlie chuckled, “I'd love to be rich. It can't be that bad.”

  “Don't you understand? I don't want to be like them. They have everything money could buy, but they haven't slept in the same bedroom for over a year. My brother is over 30 and he's traveling the world sticking any drug he can find up his nose on my parents money, trying to run away from the fact he was raised by a nanny and not his own mother.”

  “Is it really that bad?” Charlie asked.

  “I don't touch their money. Even though I might live in their mansion, I work at the Surf Club and I support myself. I want to stand on my own two feet and work for what I have. They want me to go to Yale like they did, but that's the last thing I want to do.”

  “What do you want to do?” Charlie said, dropping back into the sand.

  “I want to stay here. I want to save up as much money as I can and get my own place. I don't want to live off my trust fund like my leech of a brother,” Oliver sighed.

  Oliver could have kicked himself for revealing so much to Charlie. He was always the popular rich boy in school that the girls wanted to love and the boys wanted to be, and occasionally he'd sleep with those boys and girls. He wasn't in the business of opening up to people he just wanted to fuck.

  “You're a good guy Oliver,” Charlie said, “I never thought so at first. I didn't really like you, but you're not so bad.”

  Oliver felt his heart smile. For the first time since he'd met Charlie, he wasn't thinking about peeling every item of his clothing off. Instead, he was happy to be spending time with him.

  “That really means a lot,” Oliver said, placing his hand softly on Charlie's arm, “thank you.”

  Lying next to Charlie in the sand with his shoulder pressed up against him, he could feel the electricity shooting down his arm every time Charlie moved. He had the strangest urge to hold him.

  You want his body, remember? Just his body...

  ***

  “So where is this mansion of yours?” Charlie asked as they walked back across the beach.

  Rubbing his eyes, he could still feel the effects weighing on his mind, but it was starting to lift. He put trying it down to peer pressure, but there was something about Oliver that excited him.

  He made him want to try new things.

  “It's on the other side of town,” Oliver said as they climbed up the ledge from the beach to the sidewalk.

  The afternoon sun hung high in the sky, making Charlie squint. Oliver's skin was glowing bronze in the light, making it look like it was twinkling in the heat.

  “Is it always this nice here?” Charlie asked as they headed into town passing the tourists milling around the shops.

  “Pretty much,” Oliver laughed, “It gets a bit chilly in the winter, but nothing compared to what you're used to in Alaska. It never snows.”

  As they passed the quiet diner, Charlie could see his mother leaning over the counter and from the back of the bald head, he was sure she was giggling with Finley again.

  “Oliver! How's it going?” a female voice tore Charlie from observing his mother.

  A tall and attractive woman marched down the street, surrounded by a group of shorter and less attractive girls. Curls hung way past her shoulders and they matched Oliver's own hair in color and tone. A low cut vest showed off her ample breasts, which Charlie knew were on display for a reason.

  “Claudia!” Oliver cried, pulling her in a tight embrace, “I haven't seen you since the graduate ball. How are things?”

  “Oh you know. Daddy is paying for me to set up my own business. I'm opening a doggy salon in the city! It's going to be perfect!” she exclaimed.

  “Awesome,” Oliver said.

  Charlie could tell he had little interest in her Daddy's money and he could tell that she was one of his 'trust fund friends' from school. He doubted they w
ent to a 'normal' high school, like the half a dozen Charlie attended.

  “We should hang out sometime,” she said, wrapping one of her glossy curls around her index finger, “I miss when we used to hang out.”

  It was the biting of her lip that made Charlie realize what kind of 'friends' they were in high school, and it didn’t surprise him.

  “Tomorrow?” Oliver suggested, “My parents are away for the week, so you could come around and we could watch a movie?”

  The flirtation in Oliver's voice made Charlie's stomach flip. He glanced at Oliver and he could see the seductive look he'd been giving him ever since they'd first met, but he was directing it at Claudia.

  “Sure,” she smiled, bowing her head slightly which only resulted in her perfect salon curls bouncing forwards, “we better go. We're going to find matching sunglasses.”

  Charlie's palms suddenly felt clammy as Claudia walked away, and a feeling in the pit of his stomach surprised him. It was a feeling he didn't, but he couldn't ignore the green eyed monster that was bubbling up inside him.

  “I need to go home,” Charlie mumbled, “I forgot. I need to do something?”

  “I thought we were going to mine?” Oliver said.

  Charlie couldn't ignore the disappointment in his voice.

  “Another time maybe,” Charlie said, dropping his eyes to the ground.

  “Is everything okay?” Oliver asked confused.

  “Yep,” Charlie smiled.

  As he tried to smile, he knew it looked as fake as it felt. Oliver's hazel eyes were searching his to try and find out the real reason behind Charlie's sudden change of heart, but he didn't want him to see it.

  He tore away from headed towards Aunt Evelyn's house, trying to ignore the feeling that was bubbling painfully inside.

  Why do I feel jealous of that girl?

  Chapter 8

  The next day at work started off awkwardly, as Charlie didn't want to talk to Oliver, despite their new friendship. The more Charlie tried to push Oliver away, the more he tried to talk to him, which only infuriated him further.