Chapter 1
The four best friends were sitting on the dock, still drying off from an afternoon spent horsing around in the lake. They had spent many a happy time here together and now the final summer before their university years stretched ahead of them. They were enjoying their first beers as the sun set.
It was Tuesday night and they had already enjoyed 4 days up here at the cottage, spent rehashing and recovering from the past few weeks. Having been so busy throughout the month of June, the friends could now relax, pat themselves on the back for the work they've done getting their high school diplomas. To start off the summer, there was nothing to do but catch each other up on the many things that had happened to each of them during exams, graduation, prom, and afterwards.
As it turned out, all four of their respective girlfriends had just called it quits in the couple of weeks since prom. But this only served to hasten the inevitable break-ups come September; none of the ex-couples had been destined for the same city. None of the relationships had been serious enough to call for broken hearts over the split-ups but still, it stung a little. A couple of the relationships had been going on for half of Grade 12, which was a long time in high school.
"I mean, don't get me wrong, prom night was amazing!" enthused Jake. "It just feels a bit like she was saying 'hey thanks for that but now that I've had my cherry popped in a respectable way, I can move on to the joys of casual sex', am I right?!"
"Seriously!" agreed Nolan who had been in the exact same situation with his own girlfriend and prom date. "You gotta wonder if they like, planned it or something. Some chicks can be totally manipulative." He darted a look at Cam. "Uh, no offence."
"Jeez, none taken!" she waved off the apology with her beer bottle. "They can be! I don't know your exes super well, but based on what I do know, I'd say it's quite possible. You guys are such super nice guys and everyone knows it. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd picked you out specifically to lose their virginity to at prom. But hey, why not take it as a compliment?"
"Pfft!" Jake brushed off her comment. "Sometimes being known as a sweet and respectful guy sucks."
"Makes me glad I'm not in your guys' shoes! At least there were no virginity pressures with my prom date." Cole chimed in, relieved. "What about you, Cam? Did you expect the break up?"
"I don't think Lisa planned anything ahead of time... the breakup was pretty sudden. Could've been she wanted to retreat to the safe waters of heterosexuality after experimenting. Or maybe she feared falling in love with me over the summer and wanted to get out with her heart in one piece!" She produced this last theory with a cocky smile.
"Wouldn't be surprised!" laughed Cole. "With the 'fans' you've had all through high school."
"Agreed... you've dated more chicks than any one of us!" Nolan complained.
"Well now we are free for the summer! I propose we enjoy our summer to the fullest, especially now that we have zero chance of getting roped into anything serious." Cam said, raising her beer in salute. The guys toasted back in hearty agreement.
They continued their reminiscing over past girlfriends, a kind of recap of favourite high school moments. The foursome had been friends since Grade 7 and best friends since they'd ended up at the same high school to take advantage of a special program, leaving behind many of their peers at the main high school for their area. It was true they were known as "nice guys" who treated their girlfriends with respect and kindness. As such, they got their fair share of attention. Their good looks didn't hurt either!
Nolan was your classic Greek God type - blond hair and blue eyes, 5'10", with an impressive physique. But those who assumed he was a stuck-up jerk or dumb as a rock (or both) were proven wrong time and time again. He was actually super smart - a secret geek under the "pretty boy" exterior. And he was extremely down to earth, having experienced a lot of hardship in his family. His sweet nature was in part due to his role as the oldest in a family of 4 kids raised by a single disabled mom. His asshole dad had abandoned the family once she got sick and though everyone agreed that they were much better off without him, it was tough going for the first while. Now, Nolan was a great caretaker to his mom and sisters. He was sometimes shy, but wouldn't hesitate to stand up for anyone that needed it. Because of his looks, he was often chased by many of the high school girls, but had actually had the least experience in relationships of their group. He lacked the cockiness that other guys with his looks usually projected and instead had a quiet confidence - steadfast and sure, confident that he would eventually find what he needed out of life. The oldest of them all and the first one to have reached his 19th birthday this year, he projected both leadership qualities and a bit of wisdom and someone who was more comfortable in his skin than many other teens.
