Only What the Moon Sees - 1. Chapter 1

Gabriel jogged over to the last ball. Retrieved, he hustled back over to the rest of the team so that Coach X could give his pep talk.

“Thanks, Gabe,” Coach said evenly. “Now, tomorrow make sure you show up right after sixth period to start warming up. The Bulldogs will beat us last time, so we need to make sure we’re locked in tomorrow. I’d be happy with a one-one record.” He looked down at the clipboard in front of him.

"Coach, quick question,” Justin, Gabriel’s double partner began. “If we win tomorrow, you gonna take us out to eat or what?”

The team cheered in support of Justin’s question. It wasn’t uncommon for Coach X to buy the team dinner when they won and even sometimes when they lost, but it had been a couple of weeks since the last time it happened.

“Well,” Coach sighed, rubbing a hand through his short hair. “I guess if you guys kick their asses tomorrow, then yeah I’ll buy dinner!”

“Oh, hell yeah,” Gabe exclaimed.

Another teammate, Charlie, said, “Hooters!”

The team roared in agreement.

Coach X said, “Guys, be for real.” He flipped through a couple of papers on his clipboard before continuing. “All right, let’s go over the line up really quick and then get you guys out of here.” The team settled down, even though they knew the line up already. “We’ll have Brian, Trent, and Greg for singles. One doubles will be Gabe and Justin, two doubles is Jared and Aron, and three doubles is Luis and Olin.”

“Coach, I forgot to tell you,” Luis began, “I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. How many hours do we need to be in school in order to play?”

“More than what you will have,” Coach said. “So, we’ll put in Drew instead.” Coach made the adjustment on his sheet, then asked, “Anything else? If not, I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Don't forget to be in your uniform or team shirts!”

The boys grabbed their gear and each headed off the court in their own direction. Justin and Gabe lingered around, talking by the parking lot.

“Ready for tomorrow?” Justin asked passively, staring down at his phone.

Gabe grunted. “Ready to get our ass kicked? They beat us last time, remember?”

“Please,” Justin scoffed, putting his phone back in his pocket. “They beat us by two points and that was the day Brian messed his ankle up. I think we’re good tomorrow.”

Gabe and Justin had been friends for many years now. They remained close throughout their middle school years, and even jointly decided to try out for the tennis team their freshmen year in high school. Neither thought they’d actually make it, but now they were the best doubles on the team. They boosted each other, cheered each other on.

“That’s right. I forgot about Brian’s injury. Maybe we do have a shot.”

Justin threw an arm over Gabe’s shoulders, sending warmth through his body. Having his best friend touch him was thrilling enough, but then the scent of Justin’s cologne invaded his nose and he gently shivered with excitement.

“That’s the spirit, partner!” A moment later, Justin’s mom pulled up.

“Hey, Marie,” Gabe called out. “Dude, where’s your car?”

“I thought I mentioned it. Dad took it today to get new tires. No biggie.” He dabbed his friend, then sank into the car.

Gabe strode to his ‘93 Toyota pickup. His dad purchased it from a coworker as a 16th birthday present. To say Gabe was excited would be an understatement. Although the pickup only comfortably sat one passenger, it did boast four-wheel drive. That was important to the high schooler, as many of his friends often went offroading in the nearby mountains or traveled out to the high desert for a day of trailblazing.

The truck rumbled to life as he turned the key, but he suddenly remembered he had to get gas before going home. After a day of school and a two hour practice, the only thing Gabe wanted to do was take a steaming shower and pass out.

There was a gas station on the way home that was decently priced, but he figured if he had to get gas he might as well grab his favorite taffy as well—only sold at one gas station in the entire city; an old station at the base of Little Bear Mountain. It was outdated and overpriced, but damn if they didn’t have the best snacks of any convenience store.

It took him only 10 minutes to get to the gas station, but in that time the sun had completely sunk below the horizon. The sky was darkening, only lit by the remaining light in the west.

Gabe parked at one of the few pumps the station had and shut off his truck. As he was about to hop out, he glanced inside the store and saw two men. The clerk was behind the counter, shifting on his feet nervously. The other man was speaking to him from the other side of the counter and he didn’t seem as nervous. He seemed like the aggressor. Gabe wondered what was going on, but he needed to fill up and get home. There wasn’t time to really analyze the scenario.

Taking a deep breath, he got out of the pickup and walked over to the store’s entrance.