Rick and Ren's Goodbye

Kieren and Rick stumbled their way towards the cave where they spent so much of their time. Rick's arm was slung over the shorter boy's shoulder and they leaned on each other to stop themselves from falling. In Kieren's hand was a half drunk bottle of white lightning.

Rick ducked slightly as he entered the cave and they made their way along a tunnel giggling like school girls.

"And you remember the time when Lippy fancied this girl at primary school and he spent all morning picking flowers to make this bouquet thing but then she-"

"Oh is this the girl who received flowers from Lippy but passed them on to you?" Kieren interrupted.

Rick let out a roar of laughter and tripped onto the cave floor. Kieren burst out laughing but reached down a hand to help him up. Rick took it but instead of helping himself up he pulled Kieren down next to him. The pair lay there chuckling.

"That was awful." said Kieren thoughtfully. "Phillip's poor face when he found out what she'd done!"

"I didn't know what to do with them. I didn't want Phillip to see me with them, but I didn't want to imagine how that girl would feel if I'd had thrown them in a bin."

"What was that girl's name?"

"Can't remember" replied Rick. "I think she moved a few months after that."

Kieren re-opened the bottle and took a swig. The cider left a strange aftertaste in his mouth. Rick took the bottle and drank some.

"So what do you think art school's gonna be like?" asked Rick.

Kieren grinned. The drinks had made him forget that the college he had hoped to get into had accepted him.

"It'll be great. New people, new place."

"They'll be no time for us country-folk where you're going eh?" he nudged the boy lying next to him. Kieren nudged him back.

"Absolutely not. It's the rich and famous from here on out. Very soon all you'll have left of me will be a salvaged autograph and a rubbish painting."

As he said the words Kieren felt a twang of guilt. He'd meant it as a joke, but he knew he'd really miss Rick.

"But really, mate, you could come and stay with me. Anytime. All the time if you wanted. It would be okay."

Rick smiled. "How do you know I'm not doing anything? I might have something big planned too you know!"

Kieren turned his body to face him. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

Rick was evasive. "Oh I dunno. Join the circus? Enrol in the Army? Run away to sea and become a sailor?"

"Ooh the first one. You could do a juggling act."

"I can't juggle."

"You're not going to be much good then!"

They both started giggling but were cut off when Kieren hiccuped.

"Sorry" he said with a smile.

"Really though" said Rick turning towards the shorter boy "I listened to what you said about the army. I've joined up. I'm not just going to sit in this village forever."

Kieren felt a slight worry. "You'll keep yourself safe though, won't you?"

Rick laughed. "I might not always have much choice, Ren!"

"When are you leaving?" asked Kieren.

Rick looked like he was going to say something for a moment, but it passed.

"Dunno yet. I'll tell you before I go."

Kieren looked at the other boy's face. He didn't know if it was the drink, but he'd never seen Rick looking more beautiful. He craned his neck and kissed him softly. Rick smiled and returned the kiss. The cave was silent for a few moments.

Rick pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit some of the candles which lay on the ground from their previous visits to the cave. The walls lit up as he did. Kieren moved himself to sit with his back against one of the walls. He opened the bottle again and Rick joined him.

The taller boy reached into the pocket of his brown leather jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He offered one to Kieren who took it and popped it into his mouth. Rick lit it using his lighter and lit one for himself.

After a few minutes Rick spoke.

"I'll make it all right. With my Dad. I'll tell him."

"You don't have to do that" said Kieren, but he smiled anyway.

"I do. It's not fair on you. He just needs to realise that I'm not some saint. I'm as human as anyone else."

Kieren nodded.

"Do you have that knife on you?"

Kieren nodded again and took the swiss army knife that his dad had given him out of his pocket.

"You shouldn't carry that around, Ren. Someone'll get hurt."

Kieren laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on going around stabbing people!"

Rick returned the grin. "Pass it here"

Kieren handed him the knife.

"Do you mind if I use it to..." He mimed carving into the cave wall.

The shorter boy shook his head. "Go ahead. I'm not going to use it for anything else."

Rick began to carve away at the cave wall. His cigarette dangled from his lip as he carved. After a while Kieren began to see the letters "RE" He assumed they would be forming the word 'REN'. A few minutes later the words "REN + RICK 4EVER" were carved into the wall. Kieren smiled. "It should be you going to art school, not me!" He laughed. "When you sober up and come back here you'll be embarrassed at how cheesy that is!"

Rick shook his head and grinned drunkenly. "No, Ren, it's true! We'll always be together."

Kieren prodded him in the stomach. "Come 'ere"

The taller boy moved back across the cave and put his arm around Kieren. He pulled him tight to him and Kieren put his arm around Rick's waist.

"Are you done with that?" asked Kieren, pointing to Rick's cigarette. Rick nodded and handed it over. Kieren stubbed it out and then did the same with his own.

"Do you think we will though?" asked Kieren. "Always be together?"

Rick laughed. "Course! You're not getting away to art school that easily."

"I mean, even if we're not... 'together' together, we'll still be friends right?"

Rick nodded. "Write to me. Let me know how you're doing. I'll come and... bunk on your floor every now and then, yeah?"

"Yeah. You might even get the end of my bed if you're good."

"Oh, lucky me!"

Kieren's head felt fuzzy from the drink. Rick leaned down and landed a kiss on the other boy's forehead.

"I'll miss you, Ren."

"I'll miss you too"

They kissed again. Longer this time, and deeper. Rick put his hand on Kieren's cheek and the shorter boy held it.

When they broke the kiss they were both red in the face. Kieren checked his watch but was too drunk to see what it said.

"I should be getting back. My parents will be wondering where I am."

"Do you want me to walk you back?" asked Rick.

" No, you should probably wait here until you sober up a bit. You don't want your dad seeing you like this."

Rick brushed this away. " It'll be fine. I'll tell him I've been away with some girls at a nightclub or something."

Kieren chuckled. "You can stay at mine tonight if you want. My mum loves it when you come over and my dad's fine with it all."

"How did you manage that, Ren? How did you get your dad to be okay with... who you are?"

Kieren shrugged. "I don't know. We've never had to talk about anything. It's always just been... fine."

Rick smiled. "Thanks for the offer. I can't though, I'm doing something tomorrow."

"Oh right? Anything interesting?"

"Nah. Still, I have to go home."

Kieren nodded. "Okay."

He used Rick's shoulder to push himself up. When on his feet he swayed slightly.

"Bye, Rick." He leaned down and kissed Rick on the cheek.

"All right, see you tomorrow." smiled Rick.

If Kieren had been sober he would have seen that something about the smile didn't quite meet the eye. As it was, he didn't notice.

Kieren turned and stumbled out of the cave, hands in pockets.

Author's Note: Let me know what you thought :)