Abstinence x Grayson Dolan

ten

A B S T I N E N C E
T E N

TIME flew by without any warning that it would ever slow down. Though, it finally registered in Mabel's mind that time was her best friend in her hopes to bring people to God. At the beginning of Summer, Grayson couldn't keep his eyes off her or his hands. The only thing that fled his lips were slightly insulting and degrading dirty jokes, now, he wasn't perfect, but they weren't as frequent as they were. His touch no longer lingered on her skin unless he was provoking a smile to her lips.

He was a better Grayson than Mabel ever knew, and she didn't quite know how to interpret it.

Summer was coming to a close, the threat of school looming over their heads was enough to send Ethan, Grayson, Cameron, and Mabel all one last adventure before school and work hit them full time. They fled to Saranac, NY, where some of their cousin live and the most adventurous place the boys had ever been. Rentable dune buggies to completely trash the sand dunes, water skiing or tubing, and the boys went hiking once and waterfalls leading to rivers, perfect areas to cliff jump.

Ethan and Grayson were ecstatic the whole time they were driving up there. They took turns spewing off all of the things they could do, half of them being things that Mabel hadn't already done, but she was more than excited to try.

They reached their destination at noon after a day and a half of all taking turns driving. Their cousins welcomes them with open arms, leaving the two rooms in the basement for them to stay for as long as they wished to be their. Cameron and Mabel shared a room while Ethan and Grayson shared the other, but rather than unpacking their things for the three days they'd be there, they hopped right back in Ethan's truck to go to the dunes the boys raved about.

Buggies were an interesting thing to be put upon. Since Ethan and Grayson were the only two who already knew how to drive them, Cameron rode with Ethan and Mabel rode with Grayson. Though, she almost immediately regretted putting her life into his hands. Trepidation filled every part of her bone as Grayson jumped every hill and raced with Ethan to see who could go faster. But once she got used to Grayson's crazy antics, she finally let loose and screamed out of the adrenaline. She believed she swallowed a whole dune from how much sand got in her mouth, but she couldn't quite find it in her to be any sort of angry.

Grayson led the way to one of the waterfalls he found one summer him and Ethan cane up for a week. Mabel couldn't believe what she was actually seeing. Crystal clear water sprang from the ever flowing river and toppled down molten, raven rocks unevenly stacked to spray water at different elevation. A lake perhaps thirty feet straight down from the cliff was as blue as the sky above. Ethan didn't hesitate to rip his shirt and back flip into the water to which Grayson copied, but with a front flip.

Mabel and Cameron took their time stripping of their clothes and into their bathing suit. They weren't fearless as the twins but with the courage of each other, the two girls jumped in to together. The four stayed for an hour. Climbing the cliff and jumping in as though it were no big deal. Ethan managed to teach Mabel how to do a front flip and a backflip, and by the time they were meant to leave, Mabel was competing with the boys on who could do the better trick into the water.

Cameron, of course, ruled in Mabel's favor.

They made it back to their cousins house in one piece and stomachs aching for something to eat. Cheri, there cousin, easily invited them to as much lasagna and garlic bread as they pleased, then reminded them that Gerry, her husband, was taking the boat out and wondered if they'd like to join him.

Gerry loved taking them tubing just as much as they loved to do it. He'd whip them around until their hands bled from how tight they were holding on to the tube. Ethan captured amazing pictures of Grayson, Cameron, and Mabel flying through the air and smashing into the water. They'd laugh for days over them, but nobody would laugh harder about a photo than the ones they got of Ethan.

They were exhausted by the time they got back to the basement. They all took turns showering, then changing into their pajamas. Ethan passed out as soon as he hit the sheets while the rest when out to the back porch to watch the sun sink into the lake. It was the one of the best days of summer that went by too fast but they couldn't be saddened for too long, for they had two more days to do whatever their hearts desired.

Cameron called it a day once the bullfrogs down the bank started to sing their goodnight song. Grayson and Mabel stayed, enjoying the August warmth that kept them cozy.

"Would you journal with me?"

Mabel couldn't help the small smile piercing her lips, for she had prayed for this moment for as long as she could remember, "I'd love to."

Mabel listened as Grayson read a part of Romans, then together they discussed their favorite parts. Mabel didn't think she could be any prouder of someone than she was of Grayson then she was in that moment. He didn't quite comprehend the full magic of God, but he was only a few steps away from facing his true God. Mabel couldn't wait to witness such a magical thing, for she would do it an uncountable amount of times if people would let her.

They talked about their day, wondering how on Earth they could be so lucky to live this life. God is so forgiving of such sinful people and continues to give them more than they ever deserve. Mabel prayed that night with Grayson's hands in her own and thanked God for giving them each other, for Cameron and Ethan. Nobody knew where they'd be had God not put them where they were.

Grayson lightly pulls Mabel onto his lap and she settles there, running his hands through his hair as a soothing machinism for both. Her dainty hands lifted his face to hers and she kissed him, lightly and delicately, as though she were a bee polluting a blossoming flower.

"Hey Mabel?" Grayson spoke out into the silence of the ambient sounds, and Mabel hummed in response. "Do you think God will forgive me?"

"He already has," Mabel answers truthfully, looking towards the sky. "He forgives everyone, whether or not they ask for His forgiveness."

They could quite comprehend, for no one really could, how someone could be so forgiving, so loving, and so graceful to people who should've died on the cross instead of him.