On the Strawberry Moon - 2. Chapter 2

It was mid-November and the sixteen-year-olds had decided that, with this cold wet horrible month, it would be a great time to go camping.

‘What if it snows?’ Oscar wrinkled her nose.

Kalum silently agreed.

‘Snow angels?’ Sammy put her hand on her hip. ‘You walked right into that one, didn’t ya.’

As the gang laughed, Kalum glanced over at Robert. He just smiled and gave nothing else away.

***

So, the gang settled on a date, Tom’s brother would drive and drop them all off; he had his dad’s large jeep to fit everyone in.

Tom had to wear large shades throughout the journey. Kalum expected nothing less from him really. Tom wasn’t good at travelling so the glasses helped him. Plus, he always looked good in them.

They got to the camp site. It was their usual site; it was only a forty-minute drive away to some open camp site fields. Flat grass marks and flicks of mud where other campers had been before. Where the gang had also been before as well.

Trees curved over in an almost open field. The was a lake nearby, of course and small woods to the side of the field. They all got out of the jeep with their camping bags.

‘Remember when Ronny cried when he belly-flopped in the water?’ grinned Billy as he nudged Ronny.

Ronny stuck his tongue out and he ran past everyone to set his tent up. The rest of them waved Tom’s brother good bye.

They came here every year. Usually in the summer though. But recently, the gang liked to be spontaneous.

It smelt like wet wood. Kalum glanced up at the grey darkening sky.

It was going to be a hard weekend, alright.

Jasper saw what Kalum was doing and Kalum immediately stopped. Jasper stared hard. Kalum was holding his bag with his left hand. Jasper was holding his on the right. Straight away, Kalum switched his bags to the correct hands to match his brother.

Absolutely identical madness.
***

Later on, the guys decided to get wood branches for a fire. But they needed someone to look after everyone’s tents.

‘Let’s leave Robert and Kalum,’ volunteered Billy, shrugging with confidence.

Jasper immediately said, ‘I could stay with Kalum, the Whiteson twins on guard!’

Kalum had to back up his brother, ‘Always on guard!’

‘Nah,’ Billy was never fazed by Jasper. ‘We’re mixing it up, remember? One twin will guard and the other twin picks firewood.’

Jasper tried to protest but Billy had waved his hand away as if there was nothing more to be said.

Kalum knew that would have burnt Jasper up inside. He tried to mimic the same frown as his brother.

Kalum could feel Robert beaming beside him and he couldn’t deny that it felt great.

As the guys went, Kalum got up and shifted the bags around before sitting back next to Robert.

It then turned into an hour, then another hour and then it got really dark. All the two boys had were the flash lights on their phone.

‘It’s freezing!’ exclaimed Robert and Kalum laughed, nodding with him.

Learning down, Robert got his scarf and wrapped it around himself.

‘You’ll have fun soon,’ Kalum grinned reaching over and giving him a soft elbow to his arm. ‘Once you are back home, right?’

‘You must be loving this, you love horrors, right,’ he grinned back at Kalum.

Kalum’s grin must have stilted a bit because Robert cleared his throat, and asked, ‘What was your favourite film, again?’

‘Scream 1,’ Kalum said, his voice suddenly soft.

‘Which is your favourite scene?’

‘The beginning with the phones scene.’

‘Right, right,’ Robert paused. ‘How come?’

Why did he always ask that?

‘I just, um, just like it.’

‘Anything in particular?’

‘Um, it’s just good,’ Kalum must have given him a weird look because Robert sat a little closer. ‘Why you ask?’

‘Oh, it’s just usually people are more passionate about their favourite scene from their favourite film.’

Yeah. He had a point. He actually smelt good too, like fresh apples. As if he had showered just before coming and wasn’t drenched in anxiety sweat like Kalum was.

Robert knew. Kalum could tell Robert just knew something wasn’t right. Kalum didn’t want to let his guard down but he could feel Robert next to him, just staring at him, confused.

Looking away from Robet, the words flew out of Kalum’s mouth, in a quick rush, ‘Okay, don’t tell anyone, but The Office is just, it’s okay, it’s not bad.’

‘But it’s not your favourite show.’

‘…No.’

It felt dangerous to let this slip. But it also felt so freeing to admit.

‘I also like orange,’ Kalum mumbled to himself. ‘I don’t think it’s a terrible colour.’

‘Would it be a bad thing to have a different opinion to your brother?’

Robert had absolutely no idea.

‘That’s twins for you,’ Kalum grinned, rolling his sleeves up a bit before placing his hand close to Roberts.

They laughed a little then it went quiet.

Out of nowhere something overcame Kalum. A flash of weird confidence, something he didn’t understand. As if he wasn’t always digging a hole for his future self anyway.

There was a feeling he had that was very loud.

Before he could even stop himself, he said, ‘You’re different. Aren’t you.’

Robert looked down.

It was quiet.

Why did Kalum say that? Who says stuff like that? No wonder Jasper does the talking for both of them.

But Robert cleared his throat and then retorted right back, ‘Well. So are you.’

He then put his hand on top of Kalum’s. Holding his hand tight, he brushing his thumb slightly against Kalum’s knuckles.

Kalum had never really thought about that sort of thing before. He had never let himself think about it. He had to be whatever Jasper wanted them to be.

Kalum smiled. He was enjoying the feeling of Robert’s hand, ‘Does anyone else know you’re different?’

Robert paused, ‘Back home, some people.’

‘Good way or bad?’

‘Bad. Not like anything physically bad happened,’ he gave a sad laugh.

‘I’m sorry,’ Kalum really meant it.

‘What about you?’

‘Nah. Not really. I’m an identical twin. No one really notices me personally.’

‘I noticed you.’

Before Kalum could reply, the boys heard the almighty shrieks of Sammy and Daz as they ran through the woods. Instantly, Robert and Kalum stood up, getting their phones lights ready, only to be reassured with the hysterical laughing of Billy and Ronny.

As the boys’ phone lights shone out in awkward places, it instantly shone onto Kalum’s bare arm.
He tried to hide it but Robert saw. The burnt red marks Kalum had been able to hide all day.

Robert clawed at his arm before Kalum could pull away. Quickly, Kalum rolled his sleeve back down.

‘It’ll heal soon,’ was all Kalum could say as he smiled back, aware the gang were coming back to them through the trees.

Robert just looked unconvinced but he nodded.