On The Other Side

Chapter 29 - Our Spot

GEORGE
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"Follow me," Clay says, then heads to the left.

Nick turns around, rolling his eyes. "Come on, we need to get there as quickly as we can."

"Just come," he insists, waving his hand in a beckoning gesture.

When we woke up, we started walking, and we've been on the road for roughly an hour now. With some luck, we might reach the railway tracks by dawn.

We're walking near a forest, not too far from the highway, and the sun is blazing hot. Nick has a shirt wrapped around his head to stay cool, while Clay pours water over himself every so often to beat the heat.

We both trail behind Clay as he ventures into the forest. It might sound silly, but I have a vague sense of déjà vu as if I've been here before.

"What's he doing?" Nick asks, clearly irritated because Clay's decision to take a different path is only making our journey longer.

"Just follow me and shut up," Clay replies, and although I want to chuckle, the sweltering heat quashes any amusement.

We continue walking for roughly ten minutes until a sinking feeling hits my heart.

I know where we are.

"Are we going to the lake?" I inquire, and Clay glances back at me, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously.

I smile.

The lake is our spot. When we were little and Clay's parents were fighting, my dad would take me and him here. He built a small shore on the lake that we used to jump off and play on.

I wonder if it's still standing.

Arriving at the lake, a flood of memories rushes over me, and I can't help but tear up as I think of my dad. Since Clay's parents fought frequently, we visited this place nearly every other day back then.

The shore still stands, but it's smaller than I remember. I stop as soon as I spot it, letting out a deep exhale while memories of my dad flood my thoughts.

Maybe it's for the best he's not here anymore, because if he were, he wouldn't survive hearing about what Pablo did to me and my friends.

It's fucked up how everything has changed since the last time we were here. We used to be so happy together, always lost in our little imaginary world.

Suddenly, my thoughts are interrupted when Nick dashes past us in nothing but his underwear and throws himself into the lake.

I glance at Clay, and he nods at me with a smile. Without hesitation, we both drop our backpacks and sprint into the water together.

Laughter fills the air, and Nick begins splashing us with water.

Even though everything's falling apart, I'm so happy with them. I've never had someone like them.

I watch Nick's laughter and the playful splashing, including Clay's attempts to dunk him underwater. At that moment, I realise that two boys that I met not so long ago became my life.

I feel so loved by them.

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