The Exchange Students - 7. Chapter 7

**

“We were born into this life, and when we reached maturity, we rejected it,” said Oscar. “I hope, in time, you will understand. Until then, we realize you might want nothing to do with us, and we will honor your wishes.”

Oscar looked at me, and a tear streaked down his cheek.

I had a lot to figure out. We all had a lot to figure out.

**

“We’re going to conceal the artifacts in the pond now,” said Frank. “We’ll drive you back to the city when we finish.”

“I need to talk with Emma, Brad, and Amy,” I said.

I was so confused. I needed to discuss things with my friends.

Frank said. “We’ll leave you alone to talk.”

The Norwegians walked down the path towards the SUV.

“What do you think we should do?” I asked.

“Help them,” said Brad.

“But they used to be Nazis,” said Amy.

“Were they?” asked Emma.

“I know Jakob best, and he was never a Nazi,” said Brad. “I don’t think any of them were. They’re just kids that have grown up.”

We sat in silence, each with our thoughts.

Brad, of all people, was offering the ‘voice of reason.’ My earlier panic from the revelations of the Norwegians' history had eased, and I was beginning to see them for what they were—my friends.

“After all, they are trying to take Ahnenerbe down,” said Emma.

“What do you think, Amy?” I asked.

“Despite the history, I like them. They didn’t ask for this.”

“OK, let’s help them hide the treasure. ‘X’ marks the spot,” I quipped.

Frank, Oscar, Jakob, and Carson emerged from the trees. I gasped, and I heard Emma and Amy inhale deeply.

The Norwegians were naked. We stood and gaped at the beautiful sight of four perfect teenage boys on full display. I thought, ‘They may not be Ubermensch, but they are close to the ideal, at least for me.’ I suspected Emma, Amy, and probably even Brad shared my opinion.

“We’ve talked it over and still want to help,” I said. “We know this isn’t easy for you.”

“We have goggles for you,” said Jakob. He walked up and handed each of us a pair.

“There are also flotation vests next to the wooden boxes. They’ll help you float in place more comfortably.”

Carson explained. “The cave is ten meters deep, or about thirty feet, and the water is clear. It will be a little darker at that depth, but you should be able to see us clearly from the surface. In case you need to find the artifacts without us, we’ll pile boulders in front of the cave as a marker.”

I stood with Emma, Amy, and Brad, holding the goggles as the Norwegians carried the boxed metal artifacts to the side of the pond in preparation for transporting them to the cave. They turned and looked at us with expectant expressions.

‘Did they expect us to get naked in front of them and each other?!’ I thought. After watching the Norwegian's naked parade, I was boned like never before.

Although the Norwegians and Brad had seen me naked in the sauna, it was still embarrassing, particularly in front of Emma and Amy. I decided the furthest I would strip was to my boxer briefs.

I turned my back to my friends, removed my shoes, shirt, and pants, and immediately entered the pond until I was waist-deep before turning to face them. They did the same, stripping to their underwear and entering the pond. I got the impression that Emma would have gone further with encouragement.

The Norwegians entered the water. Oscar led the way. Frank carried the box containing the Hallstatt gold caldron, Carson, the rings, and Jakob, “Arthur’s” crown.

Emma, Amy, Brad, and I donned goggles and vests and dog-paddled our way above them.

They made their way to the pond's center, with the four of us watching them from above. The journey must have taken the Norwegians four or five minutes. ‘How long can they hold their breath?’ I wondered.

Oscar disappeared into the shadows of the rocky pond bottom. ‘That must be the opening to the cave,’ I thought.

Frank handed Oscar the caldron and helped Carson and Jakob with their boxes. Oscar emerged, and the four Norwegians piled boulders before the cave entrance.

I was getting worried. They’d been underwater for over ten minutes, which was impossible for normal humans, and even the Norwegians must have limits.

Jakob, Carson, Frank, and Oscar all ascended together. They broke the surface a few feet in front of us.

“Do you think you can find the cave entrance if you need to?” asked Carson in a calm, measured voice.

They weren’t even out of breath. These guys are amazing.

“Would you like us to take you back to San Francisco?” Asked Oscar.

“No,” I said. “We want to camp out with you tonight”.

Oscar’s face illuminated with a big smile. All the Norwegians were happy we decided to stay.

“That’s fantastic!” said Jakob. “We brought traditional Norwegian camp food to prepare for dinner.”

It was late afternoon, and the Tahoe mountain temperatures started to dip. The Norwegians started a fire in the pit and prepared the meal.

We offered to help with the meal but were politely refused. Frank brought a cooler full of beers from the SUV. I was nervous and excited about staying in the tent tonight with Oscar, so I planned to limit myself to two pilsners.

We wrapped ourselves in cozy camp blankets as the food cooked and watched the sun set against the clear western sky. Despite the drama of earlier, I felt the peaceful glow of being with old and new friends.

For dinner, we ate pinnebrød, a quick bread toasted over the campfire.

Carson instructed us to break off a piece of dough about two inches round and roll it into a thin rope. Then, we twisted the dough around a tree branch, brushed it with garlic butter, and cooked it over the fire until it was brown on the outside and chewy on the inside. The bread was both fun to make and tasty to eat.

The main course was fårikål served in a cast iron pot buried in the fire. Jakob excitedly said, “It’s lamb and cabbage.”

“Guaranteed not to give you gas, Brad. After all, I have to share a tent with you!” Jakob laughed.

“Don’t underestimate me,” said Brad. “I don’t need cabbage to pass gas.”

I expected them to have a farting contest in their tent later that night.

The moon waxed gibbous that night, and the soft moonlight illuminated the campsite and pond. We sat tightly around the fire circle, enjoying the embers' peaceful glow and friends' companionship.

“I’m sleepy,” said Brad. “I’m heading to the tent.”

“Me too,” said Jakob.

The others wandered off over the next hour, so it was just Oscar and me.

“It is getting cold,” Oscar said.

I was so anxious I could hardly talk. “Yeah,” I said.

“The tent should be cozy. Care to join me,” he said.

We made our way to the tent. I entered first and sat down on my rolled-out sleeping bag. Oscar followed me and removed his sandals, shirt, and pants.

I was nearly breathless. I slowly removed my shoes and set them next to my bag.

“Matt, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Sure, ask me anything,” I said.

“I'm confused,” Oscar says. “When we saw you at the movies a couple of weeks ago, I thought you and Emma were dating. But then you both seem like just friends most of the time. Are you and Emma dating?”

“No,” I responded, feeling suddenly uneasy.

Oscar smiled and asked. “Would you mind if I ask her out?”

My mind raced, and I felt breathless and dizzy. This couldn’t be happening, I thought.

“Matt, are you OK?”

I took a few moments to pull myself together. “I’m fine,” I lied. “It’s just that Emma likes Frank.”

Oscar tilted his head and considered. “That’s not going to work out. Don’t you guys realize? Frank and Carson are a couple. It’s obvious to us, but I suppose it's tricky for outsiders.”

My perception shifted dramatically. Everything suddenly fell into place. Frank and Carson were always together, and Frank never pursued Emma. Frank and Carson shared a room in the Edgehill house and a tent at the campsite. They practically completed each other's thoughts. How could I have missed it?

“Matt, is it alright if I ask her out?”

I continued to process the revelations, and my head spun. “Emma might feel disappointed that it didn’t work with Frank, but she’ll probably be OK after the initial shock. I’ll talk to her.”

“Thanks, Matt.”

I numbly sat on my sleeping bag. I needed to get out of the tent.

“I’m going for a walk,” I said as I put on my shoes and reached for my jacket.

“Be careful of bears,” said Oscar. “Black Bears aren’t particularly aggressive this time of year, but don’t sneak up on them.”

I walked around to the other side of the pond and hiked about a mile to a promontory overlooking Lake Tahoe. I sat on a rock and observed the lonely moon reflecting off the lake. My life wasn’t anywhere close to perfect.

I stayed there all night. At some point, the eastern sky lightened, signaling the dawn of a new day. It was cold, and my body was stiff. I hadn’t slept all night. I slowly made my way back to camp and began preparing breakfast. I brought the leftover salmon, ratatouille, and spiced peach cake from our dinner in San Mateo. I stoked the fire pit and laid the foil-wrapped food on rocks to warm.

Oscar was the first to emerge from the tent. It was painful seeing him. He was a reminder of everything that can go wrong in this miserable world.

“Are you alright?” He asked. “I checked on you several times last night but decided to leave you alone.”

I loved Oscar, but I was angry at him. He’d crushed my dreams, but he didn’t even know it. It wasn’t his fault, but I didn’t want to be around him.

Frank and Carson were the next to emerge from their tent. I was jealous of them. They were the lucky ones able to find each other. I wanted that more than anything. I realized it wasn’t all about sex, not really.

Jakob, then Brad, Amy, and Emma joined us for breakfast.

It was early, so we decided on a leisurely hike before the drive back to San Francisco.

I lagged a few paces behind the group. After about a half hour, Emma dropped back to see how I was doing.

“You look exhausted!” she exclaimed. “Was it that good?”

After a pause, I answered, “No, it wasn’t good at all.”

She presented me with a sad expression. “What happened?”

“Nothing happened. Oscar is straight.”

“I’m so sorry; you must be disappointed.”

“I am disappointed. It will take some time to recover from this if I ever do,” I said.

“I have some bad news for you, Emma.”

“What?”

“I’m afraid it won’t work out for you and Frank either. He and Carson are a couple.”

“I guess I’m not surprised. I am sad about it, but I was beginning to think it wouldn’t happen. At least it’s not because he finds me repulsive,” Emma said.

“You’re taking it better than I am. I do have some better news for you. Oscar wants to ask you out.”

“Oscar?”

I could see her perk up, then suppress her emotions, probably to spare me.

“It’s OK,” I said. “Emma, it won’t work for Oscar and me, and it won’t work for you and Frank. Give it a shot. I want you and Oscar to be happy.”

She looked at me with a sober expression and said. “I couldn’t do that.”

“I want you to. Please.”