It was commonly known to all that the town he lived in, in sunny California is–unfortunately–a hole. A hole that contains all three seasons, summer, fall, and spring. Winter is out of the question.
Michael Hayes didn't mind, however. His favorite season was fall. The only thing that bothered him was the sweltering heat.
Sitting in a hut named Splash & Treasures, he spun around in his chair, propping his legs up on the wooden desk. Running the gift shop was easy–apart from the occasional kid stealing a pool noodle or a keychain. When it happened, he let them off the hook. The items had no value to him, and they certainly didn't have a value to the waterpark he was currently working at. He was getting paid 30 dollars an hour to do absolutely nothing.
Nothing but reading, of course. He had a stack of books next to him, and each of them had a bookmark. Every day, he'd read a few pages, especially on the lazy days where no one had bothered to search it. He cherished those days.
But now, all he could do was entertain himself, slipping obscure CDs he'd found around the park into the boombox.
He cranked up the stereo, greeted by the music of The Beach Boys, and sat back. This was something he was used to–not the strange, distorted remixes he was forced to listen to on the regular.
As they'd reached the chorus, the bell rang. It was a familiar sound; an indication that someone was coming in. He quickly straightened up and clasped his hands together, waiting patiently.
The door opened with a sharp bang. A blurred figure ran inside, shutting it just as soon as it opened.
Michael raised an eyebrow. "Hello? Welcome to–"
"Shh!"
A male voice.
Abruptly and obediently, he cut himself off. He leaned in closer and squinted , attempting to get a better look at them. Was it a parent?
"Welcome to Splash & Treasures," he tried once more. "How can I—"
"Michael!" It snapped.
He recognized that voice.
Michael squinted a little bit more. He recognized the loose red shorts, the white shirt to match.
A toned, lean figure. Damp, messy blonde hair.
Elliot.
"You have to hide me!" He exclaimed, pressing his back against the door.
"What?" Michael spat, and it only took a second for him to spring up. "Are you in trouble?"
He nodded frantically. "He's after me."
"Who's after you? What's wrong?" He pressed, stepping through the counter door. "Need me to call the police?"
Elliot paused for a long time. He stared at the door in horror, then back at Michael.
"It's too late," he whispered, his voice dripping with resignation. "He's here."
Michael's heart dropped. He made his way to the door, but suddenly without warning, it burst open.
Before either of them could react, a blur of motion swept into the room, tackling Elliot with an energy that nearly knocked them both to the ground.
The next part left him baffled.
Elliot's laughter echoed through the shop as he was swept off his feet, spun around in a dizzying circle by none other than a face Michael had grown accustomed to seeing more often.
Cole Kalawai'a.
Full name: Nicholas Kalawai'a. Like the rest of them, he was seventeen. And the perfect match for Elliot.
YOU ARE READING
PROPINQUITY | mlm
Teen FictionHe rose his paper high in the sky, watching the light bounce off of it. And he cracked a smile, wiped a tear away with his thumb. "Here's to senior year," He announced. "The best, and the worse year of my life." ~ This year is supposed to be perfec...
