-- Chapter 16 --

After leaving the milk bar, Levi and Jimmy crossed Main Street, then followed a well-worn path through the dunes and onto Main Beach.

The late afternoon sun was still warm. Waves rolled gently onto the shore, and the ocean stretched out forever, glittering under the clear sky. Both boys kicked off their shoes and socks, and walked along the water’s edge, in the direction of Lighthouse Point, letting the cool waves wash over their feet as they went. For the first time all day, Levi’s shoulders started to relax.

‘So, what did you think of your first day?’ Jimmy asked, as he stepped over a bluebottle that had been washed up on the sand. ‘Was it much different to your old school?’

‘It’s not as big,’ Levi replied. ‘But the kids are still the same.’

‘Huh?’

‘Same smart mouths. Same making fun of people. I hate that.’

‘Yeah, I guess you’re right there.’

As they walked, Levi glanced across at his new friend a few times, studying him. Jimmy was one of those average-looking kids, with nothing that you could say was unique about him to the eye. He was a little shorter than Levi was, a little skinnier, but with the same dark hair. His skin was also paler. Levi found himself liking what he was seeing, but then thought how weird that sounded, even if it had only been a random thought in his own head.

What was with that?

After they had been walking for about five minutes, Levi noticed a group of older boys further down the beach, waiting for another who was exiting the water. This guy stood out immediately.

The boy was tall and lean, with sun-bleached, blond, collar-length hair. His skin was deeply tanned, and he carried himself with an easy confidence as he jogged out of the water towards the others, while carrying a surfboard under one arm. Water droplets ran down his bare chest and shoulders. Even from a distance, Levi could tell he was a little older than he was. He could also tell that guy was strikingly good-looking.

And there go those weird thoughts again!

The boy spotted Levi and Jimmy, waved to the others he had been about to join, and then changed direction, walking straight toward them, with a friendly grin.

‘Oh, great. Here comes trouble,’ Levi heard Jimmy whisper beside him.

‘What do you mean?’ Levi asked, but before Jimmy could answer him, the newcomer came to a stop in front of them.

‘Hey,’ he said, while shaking water from his hair. ‘You’re the newbie, right? Saw you at school last week, and again today, but only from a distance.’

Levi nodded, suddenly self-conscious. ‘Yeah. First day.’

‘I’m Casey. Casey Thompson.’ He stuck out a hand, his grip firm and warm. Up close, his eyes were a bright, piercing blue. ‘You’re the kid living at the ga... the house on Beachside Lane, with the guy from the auto store, yeah?’

Levi stiffened slightly at how quickly the information had spread. ‘Yeah . . . that’s my dad. I’m Levi.’

Casey’s smile widened, easy and charming. ‘Cool. Thompsonville’s a small town. Everyone knows everyone’s business pretty fast.’ He tilted his head toward the surfboard. ‘You surf?’

Levi shook his head. ‘Never tried it. Grew up inland.’

‘Shame. It’s the best feeling in the world.’ Casey looked him up and down, his gaze lingering just a second longer than necessary. ‘Reckon you’ve got the build for it though. Lean. Bet you’d be good on a board.’

Levi felt heat rise in his face. There was something in Casey’s tone – something playful and flirty – and it made his stomach do a strange flip. He didn’t know whether to feel uncomfortable or flattered.

‘Oh, I don’t know about that,’ Levi mumbled.

Casey laughed, a warm, confident sound. ‘Tell you what, you want to give it a try, I’ll teach you sometime. No pressure. Just a few basics.’ He ran a hand through his wet hair, pushing it back from his face, before casting a glance towards Jimmy. ‘You seem pretty chill. We should hang out some time. I’ll show you around properly. The good spots, not just the tourist crap.’

Jimmy shifted uncomfortably, but stayed quiet.

Levi hesitated. Part of him wanted to say yes – Casey seemed confident and exciting, everything Levi wasn’t. But another part, the louder part shaped by years of sermons and his mother’s voice, along with that whispered warning from Jimmy as Casey had approached them, urged caution.

‘Maybe,’ Levi said carefully.

Casey’s smile didn’t falter. ‘No worries. I’ll see you at school some time.’ He gave Levi a playful nudge on the arm. ‘Nice to meet you, Levi. Welcome to Thompsonville.’

As Casey jogged back to his friends, Levi stood frozen in the sand, watching the way the sunlight caught on his wet shoulders.

‘Well, at least he didn’t call me Churchie,’ he said to Jimmy, finally.

‘Yet,’ Jimmy replied. ‘C’mon, let’s head back over to the street.’

Levi’s heart was beating faster than the walk could explain. He told himself it was just the newness of everything. The beach. The attention. The change.

But deep down, he knew it was more than that. For the first time in his life, he felt something dangerously close to attraction – and that simply terrified him.

‘So, what did you mean when you said here comes trouble?’ as they crossed the dune, but before Jimmy could respond, Levi’s phone buzzed. Matt was calling to say he was finished at work and ready to pick him up.

‘Sorry, I’ve gotta go,’ Levi said, as he glanced at the screen. ‘That’s dad.’

‘No worries.’

‘So, what did you mean?’

Jimmy sighed. ‘He’s a Thompson. Trust me – stay away from him. Stay away from all of them. You should ask your dad about the Thompsons tonight. He’ll know what I mean.’

Levi frowned but nodded. ‘I will. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

‘For sure,’ Jimmy replied, as they bumped fists and separated to go their different ways.

***

That night at dinner, the table was full, with Matt, Luke, Tim and Guy all there. The conversation was light, and the usual banter between the guys amused Levi. He was starting to get used to this whole environment, but for some reason, a shiver still went down his spine every time he noticed Tim and Guy touch.

At least they weren’t being obvious, and doing stuff like kissing. Maybe Luke had asked them to tone it down a bit.

He knew, of course, that he didn’t have any right to have anyone ask them to be less obvious . . . after all, it was their home, just as much as it was Matt and Luke’s . . . but he was still coming to terms with everything that was happening around him.

The guys all asked him about school, and whether he had made any potential friends, and he told them about Jimmy being asked to show him around, and that they were getting on really well, to the point that they had spent some time on the beach that afternoon.

‘Yeah, then we bumped into Jimmy at The Parthenon after school,’ Matt said. ‘Seems like a good kid.’

‘He said to say thanks for the milkshake,’ Levi said.

‘What’s that? Bribing the local teens with milkshakes now?’ Tim joked. ‘I’ve heard about guys like you!’

Even Levi had a chuckle at that, which was something that not so long ago he never would have thought he would do.

At one point, during a lull in the conversation he said, ‘Can I ask you guys something?’

‘Of course,’ Luke answered.

‘What should I know about the Thompson family? Jimmy said I should ask.’

The mood at the table shifted instantly. Matt glanced at Luke, then set his fork down.

‘Why are you asking?’

‘We met this kid today. His name is Casey Thompson. He’s that guy we saw on the field as we were leaving the school last week.’

Matt nodded, remembering the encounter.

‘Jimmy said something about here comes trouble as he was coming towards us, but didn’t get to finish. He said I should ask you guys about the family.’

Luke and Matt exchanged looks again, before Luke then answered. Between the four of them, they gave Levi the full history – the ruthless founding of the town by Henry Thompson and his sons, the violence, the power plays, the dark rumours that had followed the family for generations. Assaults, shady dealings, disappearances, and a lingering sense of entitlement that some of the younger Thompsons still carried – and acted upon, if the rumours were true.

Levi was shocked.

‘I know of Casey, and he’s one of the smoother ones,’ Tim added. ‘I don’t know if he’s got up to any mischief himself, Levi, but that family has a long history of trouble. So please be careful. Very careful.’

Levi felt like his brain was going to explode. The charming, good-looking boy on the beach suddenly carried a much heavier shadow.

Matt’s expression grew serious. ‘We’re not saying you can’t have friends, but please keep your distance from Casey . . . for now . . . or anyone with the surname of Thompson. At least until you get your bearings.’

Levi nodded. ‘I will. Thanks.’

Later that night, lying in bed, Levi tried to push Casey out of his mind. But when sleep finally came, his dreams betrayed him. In them, Casey was smiling, leaning in close, tanned skin, blond hair brushing Levi’s face. The dream shifted, became heated. Levi woke in the middle of the night, breathing hard, his sheets sticky again, with the evidence of his body’s betrayal.

Shame flooded him immediately. He cleaned up quietly, then lay awake staring at the ceiling, whispering desperate prayers for strength.

***

The next day at school was easier than the first, but still overwhelming – the stares, the occasional gay house kid whispers, the occasional use of Churchie, the unfamiliar rhythm of it all. At least Jimmy made it bearable. And his red-headed, freckle-faced mate, Dan, seemed okay.

Levi tried to avoid Casey. He kept his head down between classes and stuck close to Jimmy and Dan.

Dan was polite at first, but Levi noticed the jealous edge in his tone as the day wore on, especially whenever Jimmy would laugh at something Levi said.

‘New best mate already?’ Dan muttered at one point, only half-joking, but Levi still heard it, and the barb still stung.

During lunch, Jimmy asked, ‘Did you talk to your dad about the Thompsons?’

‘Yeah,’ Levi said quietly. ‘I did.’

‘And?’

Levi hesitated. ‘They told me enough of the history. I’m going to steer clear.’

Jimmy nodded, looking relieved. ‘Smart move.’

Later that afternoon, on the way out of school, Matt was waiting for him, to give him a lift home, which they had arranged after the discussion about the Thompsons. As they drove home, Matt turned to him.

‘I’ve been thinking . . . if you think you can be careful about these Thompsons, if you wanted to start riding your bike to school, I can’t see any reason why you shouldn’t. I mean, it’s not that far, and it might give you a bit more freedom. But you can always call me if you need picking up at any time.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah. Provided you promise to be careful. What do you reckon? Deal, or no deal?’

Levi managed a small smile. ‘Definitely a deal.’

He knew that he should have felt excited about the new freedom. Instead, it felt like something else.

A test, perhaps? A challenge?

Yet all he could think about was the blond boy with the easy smile, warm hand and a dangerous last name.

Stay away, he told himself firmly.

But, even as he made the vow, Levi already suspected it was going to be much harder to keep to than it sounded.

Matt pulled into the driveway and came to as stop.

‘You going to be okay?’ he asked. ‘I should be home about six-thirty, the others shouldn’t be far away by then either. This sounds weird, me asking this, but do you have any homework?’

Levi grinned. ‘I have to start reading Lord of the Flies.’

‘Damn. I remember having to read that. Left me shaking at the knees, as I recall.’

‘Was that a good thing, or a bad thing?’

‘Still trying to make my mind up about that one,’ Matt chuckled. ‘Ask Luke what he thought of it. He was always smarter with that shit than I was.’

Levi’s mouth twitched. At least his dad was being honest.

‘Thanks, dad. I’ll do that,’ he said, as he reached for the door handle, but before he could open the door a hand landed on his shoulder.

Levi’s head snapped back towards Matt.

‘What the . . .’ he began to say, but before he could finish, he was pulled into a tight hug.

It didn’t last long, and when Matt finally let him go and sat back, Levi was left staring at him, unsure quite what to say.

‘I’m sorry . . .’ Matt said after a few moments.

‘Th . . . that’s okay. But what was that for?’

‘Do I really need a reason?’

‘Well, I guess not.’

‘It was for what you said. What you called me . . . I know you’ve mentioned the dad word a couple of times, but you had never actually called me that. That was the first time, and I guess it just got me! Sorry.’

‘What for? You are my dad, and I know it hasn’t been long, and that we’re still getting to know each other, but . . . but now I can’t imagine not having you around . . . and that goes for Luke as well. I’m still trying hard to get my head around everything, but the one thing I do know, is that you’re there for me . . . you both are . . . and I can never thank you enough for that . . .’

Matt stared at his son for a moment, as he tried to gather his thoughts.

‘I . . . I never knew having a son would be like this . . . would make me feel like this . . .’

‘And I never really knew what having a father might be like,’ Levi said. ‘Because I never had one . . . other than pop. I used to think that one day my father might show up, and he might take me fishing, or to a football game, or teach me to ride a bike . . . or something . . . but he never did. Guess I gave up wishing after a while.’

‘And now?’

‘I guess my wish came true,’ Levi replied. And then he hugged Matt back.

To be continued . . .