Camp Pookah [Day 21: Water]
It was with some reluctance that Jake agreed to go to Camp Pookah with his bro Matty the summer before sophomore year. He was certainly looking forward to spending time with the boy he’d considered his best friend since second grade, but camping wasn’t his thing. It’s not that he wasn’t athletic, or that he was high maintenance or anything. He just didn’t really find it enjoyable. When he told this to Matty, it was challenge accepted. Jake had to help him counsel children, and if by the end of camp he was miserable, then Matty owed him a new Xbox.
It ended up not being that bad. Jake was great with the kids and he got along really well with the other counselors. There wasn’t a lot of down time, but they got to work together sometimes which often ended up being a hilariously awful idea. One of these instances culminated in Matty’s hand glued to a table and Jake sneezing glitter for days. The director just shook his head and walked away, musing about how the counselors could be worse than some of the campers.
They learned a lot about each other in eight weeks. Jake is scared of horses. Matty does not do spiders. Jake has a good sense of direction. Matty has a deep knowledge of what’s poisonous in the forest around them. Jake’s good at arts and Matty’s good at crafts. They both suck at archery. Jake doesn’t feel happy in his relationship with Lyssa. Matty’s self-conscious about dating because his parents are really judgmental.
A week before they’re free for the summer, Jake can’t sleep. He gets his campers to bed then sits on the cabin porch studying the night sky. He stays there for a good forty-five minutes, pondering something one of the kids said in passing. “I don’t like when Angelique helps with arts and crafts,” the boy said mid-macaroni portrait in the obliviously honest way kids often did. “I like it better when your boyfriend’s here.” He went back to his project as if he’d said nothing out of the ordinary, but Jake just stared at him, unable to think of a response.
What would make him think that Matty and he were anything more than friends? Was this just wishful thinking on the kid’s part, or did other people think this? Were people talking about them behind their backs? Does he seem gay or something?
“How are you not beat right now, dude?” a familiar voice calls, walking towards him from the next cabin over.
“Hey Matty.”
“What’s wrong? Mad I beat your undefeated volleyball record today?”
Jake manages a smile at that. “You cheated.”
“Did not!”
“Did too!”
“Whatever you say, man.” Silence overtakes them, but it’s not like their usually comfortable silences. Jake feels the urge to fill this one, for some reason. It might have something to do with how close Matty is sitting next to him.
“Wanna go for a swim?”
“Right now? It’s like, 10 o’clock at night.”
“C’mon, man, there’s only a week left to something stupid and ridiculous. Let’s go!” Jake takes off towards the lake, Matty chasing close behind. At its shore, they start stripping as they run, jumping into the frigid water in just their underwear.
“Holy fuck it’s cold!” Matty chatters.
“Yeah, maybe this wasn’t my best idea!”
“I warned you,” Matty says with a judgmental smirk.
“Yeah, and you followed me!” Matty splashes him and they begin to roughhouse in the water. Somewhere in this process, Jake pantses Matty and the battle for control of Matty’s underwear brings them in very close proximity.
“Got ‘em!” Matty beams triumphantly, face inches from Jake’s. Jake tests a theory.
“Dude, did you just try to kiss me?”
“What? N- no. Lost my footing,” he lies. He quickly gets out of the water and scrambles to get his clothes before running back to his cabin, Matty calling after him in bewilderment.
They haven’t spoken for a week since the lake. It’s the counselor’s thank you party, and neither Jake nor Matty are sober or talking. Jake sees Matty joking with some of the other counselors, then look at him with an odd expression on his face. Jake suddenly doesn’t want to be there. He’s outside the janitor’s closet when Matty catches up to him.
“Jake! Can we talk about this?”
“No thanks.”
Matty opens the closet door. “Please?” Reluctantly Jake follows him in. As soon as the door is shut behind him, Matty’s mouth is on his and he’s pushed against the door by the arms he’d forgotten were so strong. Jake whimpers in surprise. He manages to push Matty off of him enough to see the mischief in his eyes. “Still wanna talk?”
Jake doesn’t.
They continue making out passionately against the doorframe, Matty’s legs slotted between Jake’s before they decide to make a makeshift love nest out of the closet. Clothes come off without hesitation and they resume exploring each other’s bodies. Matty straddles Jake and runs his hands along nervous skin, eliciting muffled moans from his best friend. Jake grabs Matty’s ass and pushes the boy’s cock back and forth against his own.
“Shit, that’s hot,” Matty whispers against his neck. When it gets too much for him, Matty pushes off to find the condom in his pants and some lube. He gets Jake nice and ready before thrusting himself in, pain and pleasure warring for attention in Jake’s crumbling mind.
When Matty has spent himself inside Jake and Jake has milked the last from his own orgasm, they get dressed, exit the closet, and never speak of it again. Well, not until they have sex again a week later.