"What?" Bastian questioned. He had been thinking of his seventh grade math teacher in her underwear in an attempt to diffuse the throbbing missile in his pants.
"Take your shirt off, Bastian," Atreyu suggested. "Enjoy the breeze, when there is one."
"I couldn't do that," Bastian stammered. "I burn really easily."
"No problem," Atreyu announced. "My mom keeps sun block with her. She's at the snow cone booth down this way."
Atreyu started off down the crowded aisle with Bastian chasing to keep up with him. They dodged in and out of groups of people until Atreyu suddenly stopped. Unfortunately, Bastian didn't notice that in time and plowed right into his new friend.
"Whoa there," Atreyu laughed. "I guess I need to get my brake lights fixed, huh?" Bastian was about to respond when a woman in a red food vendor t shirt logo like Atreyu's suddenly interrupted them.
"Hey Sweet Cheeks," she called. Atreyu blushed redder than the shirt he had been wearing.
"Mom, do you have to call me that in public?" he whined.
"Sorry baby boy," his mom replied which of course made him blush again. Bastian couldn't help giggling a bit.
"Mom, you're never going to believe this," Atreyu announced as he pulled Bastian around behind the counter with him. "Guess what his name is."
"I'm sure I have no idea, Sweet... I mean Atreyu," his mom answered.
"This is Bastian, Mom," Atreyu grinned. "Isn't that great?"
"That is so cute," his mom gushed and that time both boys blushed slightly.
"Bastian, what are you doing back there?" Bastian turned to see his own mother standing in front of the counter.
"Hi, Mom," he answered. "This is my new friend and his mother. His name is Atreyu."
Bastian's mother smiled at the two boys and then turned to see Atreyu's mother. Both women gasped at the same time. They stared at each other for a moment before either one of them could speak.
"Lindsay?" Bastian's mother asked finally. Atreyu's mom nodded and opened her arms to the other woman.
"Lesley," she said as she hugged Bastian's mother.
"Mom?" both boys asked at the same time.
"Lindsay and I were best friends in school," Bastian's mother explained.
"We were like sisters," Atreyu's mom added. "Right up until my family had to move when we were in junior high."
"We lost touch because a year after their move, my family moved as well," Bastian's mom explained. "Lindsay's address got lost in the shuffle of packing and unpacking," she continued sadly. "I cried for weeks."
"Oh Lesley," Atreyu's mom gushed. "I never knew what happened. My letters came back unopened, and I didn't know what to think."
Both women started crying and hugging again as the two boys rolled their eyes. Bastian and Atreyu both squirmed nervously, glancing around to see how many people were noticing the scene their mothers were making.
One customer walked up to the booth while the moms were still being emotional. Atreyu started to the counter, but suddenly stopped. He snatched his shirt from over his shoulder so he could put it back on. Unfortunately, it was soaking wet with his sweat. He got hopelessly tangled trying to get back into it.
Without a second thought, Bastian stepped up to the counter. "May I help you," he offered pleasantly.
By the time Atreyu had managed to wiggle his way back into the dripping sweaty t-shirt, Bastian was already putting the finishing touches on the first snow cone the customer had ordered. Atreyu and his mother both stared in surprise at Bastian as he quickly and flawlessly filled the rest of the customer's order.
After the woman and her children left, Bastian turned around and noticed everyone watching him. He blushed hotly and started stammering a response. "I worked the snow cone stand at the school picnic a few weeks ago," he said bashfully.
"You did that very well," Atreyu's mom told him. "Thank you."
"No problem," he responded. "It helped cool me off, actually."
"Have one for yourself if you'd like," she offered. "Your mom can have one too, if she'd like."
"I haven't had one of these things since I was their age," Bastian's mother laughed. "What flavor should I try Bastian?"
"How about Tiger's Blood?" Bastian asked with a grin. His mom paled and both boys laughed.
"I know which flavor she wants," Atreyu's mom spoke up. "Give her a fuzzy navel. Don't worry, Lesley, it's virgin."
"Who's a virgin?" Bastian asked somewhat defensively. He actually was one, but he certainly didn't want to be accused of it in front of Atreyu. Teenagers are very conscious of their reputations at all times.
"That just means there's no alcohol in it," his mom answered. She looked back at Atreyu's mom and said, "You remembered that?"
"Well, you don't meet that many people in life who dunk their peach slices in orange juice before eating them," Lindsay smiled.
"You mean she did that back then too?" Bastian asked.
"Do you still dip your french fries in your chocolate milkshakes?" Bastian's mom asked her friend.
"Yes, she does," Atreyu answered for his mother with a shudder. "It looks so gross."
"Don't knock it if you haven't tried it," both women said at the same time and then started giggling like school girls.
"Mom, I just had a great idea," Atreyu blurted excitedly. "You and Dad have been saying that we are still short-handed at the grill wagon since I can only work 5 hours a day. What if we hired Bastian? He and I could run this since it isn't open the whole day anyway. That way you could go back to work at the grill wagon full time."
"That sounds good, son, except for one thing," his mom answered. "Bastian might have other plans for the summer. Maybe his parents don't want him to spend the whole summer camping around the state at flea markets and county fairs."
"Oh, I guess you're right," Atreyu admitted with obvious disappointment. "I just thought it would be cool to have someone else my age around for the summer. We could stay in my tent so you and Dad could have the camper to yourselves."
"I'm not the one you should be trying to convince, Atreyu," his mom pointed out.
"What do you think, Bastian?" he asked the other boy. "You and me in a tent for the summer?"
"I meant you should ask his mom," Lindsay scolded gently.
"If Bastian is agreeable, I am ok with it," Lesley offered.
All eyes were now on Bastian. He could decide to stay home and suffer through the humiliation of his former friends calling him gay and worse, or he could escape to parts unknown to work a snow cone machine for the summer. That part of the equation was easy enough to decide, but there was another point to consider. Bastian had already had trouble controlling his thoughts around Atreyu. How much harder would it be when it was just the two of them in a small tent some hot summer night?