Quarter Mile

Breakthrough

TW// panic attack, mention of death

They had been talking for four hours. Their shoes had been ditched and they were lying on their backs, shielding their faces from the hot, sweltering sun.

Dakota learned that Beck had been friends with Parker since sixth grade. And that his favourite colour was yellow because his sister had a yellow bucket hat she would wear everywhere, even if it was raining. And that his sisters name was Alice, but Beck would call her Lou.

He spoke with such fondness about his sister, but something sat behind his eyes, threatening to escape whenever he mentioned her name. Why did he look so sad?

He learned that Beck was born in South Carolina, but moved to Arizona shortly after he was born because his mother had left him, his sister and his father. He told Beck of his own story, about how his father had cheated on his mother and then left without a trace.

He learned that Beck got his license when he turned sixteen, but for whatever reason, didn't start driving until he had just turned eighteen. And that his shoe size was ten. And that he preferred soft bristle toothbrushes over hard bristle ones. And that he developed a cold one day when he was eleven and spent two weeks in bed because he didn't want to go back to school once he was better. And how he hated the words 'edited' and 'credited' and 'exhibited' because they just didn't sound right.

"No way," Dakota said, a look of disbelief on his face as he shot upright. "Say that again."

Beck wheezed. "I'm being serious. I fully walked over to this other kids lemonade stand and flipped the table."

"All because he set up shop across the road from yours? You're a menace, Beck."

The blonde boy sat up and shrugged. His face grew serious. "I was angry at the world. I didn't understand why everyone else got a mum but I didn't. So, I took it out on other people. I wasn't a very nice person to be around." His voice grew hushed and he shuddered. "And believe me, my dad made damn sure I knew."

"What do you mean?" Dakota asked, grabbing Beck's hand and intertwining their fingers.

Beck smiled down at their hands, the light returning to his bright eyes. "Nothing, Dakota. Don't worry about it."

"Okay..." he trailed off. "One more question."

"Shoot."

"Do you believe in true love?"

Beck made a face like he was thinking really hard about what to say next.

"Not really," he said finally. "My parents sort of ruined that for me. Since something as simple as having a mum and a dad to raise me together as a happily married, in-love couple was stripped away from me at such a young age, I don't really see how I can believe in it."

Dakota nodded and looked down at his hands. Beck placed a hand on his cheek, bringing his gaze up to meet his again.

"In saying that, I really really really really like you, Dakota."

Before Dakota could reply, Beck stood, turned on his heel and started running towards the jetty, yelling over his shoulder, "race you to the water!"

Dakota raced after him but stopped abruptly with his mouth hanging open in an 'o' as Beck leaped in, fully clothed. He disappeared under the water for a minute, Dakota starting to worry if he was going to come back up, before he broke the surface again, a massive grin spread across his dripping face.

"C—come in!" Beck shouted, teeth chattering at an alarming rate. "Th—the water's g—great!"

"I can see you shivering."