"My dad."
"What'd you do this time?"
"My report card. And he smelled alcohol on my breath last night."
"Not the first time." Trevor chuckled. "But you weren't drunk."
"Adam can get away with that. None of the rest of us can."
"Adam's not a drunk."
"You know what I mean." Jared glanced toward his house. "Let's go before my father comes out here and says I can't go."
Incredulous, Trevor exclaimed, "Seriously?"
"That's what he threatened last night."
"Say no more, buddy. Buckle up." Trevor accelerated, screeching away from the curb as they both laughed. "Lake Bantam here we come!"
* * *
The boys spent most of the trip to the lake on their phones or talking about random subjects that Adam's parents had little interest in. Jared dozed off at one point, using Conner's shoulder as a pillow. When they arrived at a grocery store, everyone emerged from the car, excited to begin their week at the lake.
The two-story cabin wasn't even a cabin at all. It was a dark-gray, three-bedroom box of a house situated on the edge of the lake with its own private beach. But private beach was a stretch of the imagination, as it was no more than a small patch of sand with restricted public access. There was, however, a ten-foot narrow, wooden dock that extended out into the lake. Although it was nearly noon, only a few boats floated on the calm water.
At first sight, Mrs. Wheeler was not pleased with the worn exterior of the house. But she relaxed once she discovered that the updated interior matched the online photos. "Oh, thank God," she said, entering the kitchen. "I would not be happy if we had to grill our food every day that we're here."
Mr. Wheeler directed the boys outside. "Let's unload the car."
Before the trip, they'd been informed that they'd share the two guest bedrooms, one with a queen-sized bed and the other with two twin beds. The guys had decided to sleep wherever there was an available spot at the end of each night. On that first day in the cabin, Conner and Jared carried their luggage to the room with the twin beds, intending to sleep there most nights.
Jared dropped his duffle bag onto the bed closest to the window. "I doubt we'll spend much time in here."
"Probably not." Conner pulled his tank top off and slung it onto the bed post. "Wanna jump into the water before lunch?"
"Sure." He slipped off his sneakers and unbuttoned his jeans. "I'll get changed and then let's go."
Two years prior, during a trip to another lake, Jared had swum too far out and suffered a cramp. He'd never been much of a good swimmer, and the cramp had only made the situation worse. As he was going under, Conner, Adam, and Trevor swam to his rescue. Each had claimed equal credit for rescuing their buddy. Ever since then, the memory surfaced whenever they went swimming.
Conner walked outside to the wrap-around deck and looked out to the lake. "It's pretty warm, but I bet the water's cold."
Jared called out, "It won't kill us."
The sliding glass door to the second guest room opened, and Adam bounded out, rushing toward Conner. He leaped onto Conner's back, sending them both to their knees. "This is gonna be great!"
"Why do you always jump on me like we're still in fourth grade?"
"Because you always let your guard down."
Trevor hurried out to the deck and collapsed onto his buddies.
Forced onto his stomach, Conner griped, "You're killing me."
Then Jared joined the heap of young flesh and muscle.
"Now you're definitely going to kill me," Conner huffed as he tried to heave himself from the deck floor. "Okay. I give in. Get off me."
Mrs. Wheeler yelled from the gravel driveway below. "Don't hurt each other. We don't even know where the closest hospital is."
The boys separated, then raced across the deck, down the wooden steps, and through the yard to the dock. One after the other, they dove into the chilly lake. Splashing, hollering, and boisterous frolicking commenced. Minutes later, they lay out on the deck to dry in the sun.
Trevor sighed with satisfaction. "One year left."
"Finally seniors," Adam said.
Jared placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "Then we got one last summer together before college."
"It'll be the best summer before college," Conner added.
Several moments passed, then Adam said, "It's gonna be weird when we're not together anymore."
"It'll be fine," Conner said. "We won't be too far from each other."
"You're going to UCONN," Jared said. "And Trevor's pretty much already in Princeton. I don't know where I'm going yet."
Adam propped himself up on his elbows. "Hopefully UCONN with me and Conner."
Trevor groaned. "Then I'll be all by myself."
"Go to UCONN with us," Adam said.
Laughing, Trevor replied, "My parents will kill me if I don't go to an Ivy school."
"I gotta improve my skills on the court," Adam said, "or I won't be going to any school."
Sitting upright, Conner brought his knees to his chest. He wiped the few remaining drops of water from his legs. "Let's not start the trip on a downer, guys. We're supposed to be having fun, not getting all depressed about splitting up for college."
"Yeah," Trevor agreed. "No whining until next summer."
"C'mon," Adam said. "Let's go see if lunch is ready."
Rushing to their feet, they headed back to the cabin.
* * *
They lounged around the cabin the following morning before deciding to venture out and explore around the lake. They didn't wander far, only making it a few blocks to an area known as Deer Island, a stretch of several roads with dozens of houses. But there was really nothing interesting to see.
Back at the house, they jumped into the lake and then spread out on oversize towels laid out on their private beach.
"Maybe your dad will let us take the car tonight," Jared said.
Trevor seconded the suggestion. "There's gotta be something to do around here. I mean, it's cool hanging, but we might be bored
