Part 15
As I followed Jake and Parker over the rocks and logs of the river my mind started to flood with a sea of emotions, I thought to myself, I really liked Sarah I mean I was into Sarah, but now this thing with Ethan. I couldn't figure out how my mind was working. How could I be turned on by both a woman and a man. It just didn't make sense. What Jake and I did was us just being silly and acting up, but with Ethan, I thought I felt something. Jake keen as always looks over to me snaps his fingers, "Hey Daniel, bro you okay, you look lost?" I come out of my daze enough to say "I'm fine Jake, promise". Which was a lie and I think he knew it. We come to a spot in the river that's deep enough to wade into and almost swim. Parker decides we need to take a swim. Now to remind everyone it's fall and the water isn't exactly warm. So I'm not too convinced of this adventure. Jake and Parker take off there shoes and socks then their pants. Both stand there in their plaid boxers. Jake already getting cold. That man had little to no body fat. Parker wades in first acting like it's no big deal, Jake feels pressured and joins him. Looking over at Ethan we both decide we can't be the only ones not going in. So we strip down to our boxers. Thinking to myself I just saw Ethans a little bit ago. "Come on in ladies!" Parker yells I made my way in. It wasn't as cold as I had imagined but in no way was it warm. Ethan goes in next With a lot of hesitation I make my way into the water. "Yep, it's cold!" I stand back up. Water clinging to my boxers I didn't realize that it would stick to my body and therefore my schlong. Parker comments, "looks like Daniel's found an eel!" I slip out of the water back to shore. I can see that Jake doesn't really like that Parker picks on me so much. "dude you're just jealous Parker" Jake quipped back. I try to dry off my boxers as the other three walked around in the shallow part. I sat on a rock and eventually the others came back. "it's time for some grub!" Parker says. We get our clothes back on and head back to camp. It wasn't that far away. On the way back Jake walks alongside me "bro you okay?" "yeah man, I'm fine." we get back to our campsite lunch was going to be PB&J some chips and pretzels we brought. Phillip and Peter returned and we made our sandwiches passed around the bag of chips and pretzels among the group. Phillip asked how was the river. "Daniel caught and eel!" Parker said. "An eel?" Peter asks. "Yeah in his boxers!" Phillip laughed. In my head I was equal parts super angry to be the butt end of all these jokes and equally proud and felt important. We finished our sandwiches and I walk over to sit on Jake's tailgate. After some time Jake walks over "Daniel, hey man what's up?" Knowing he wasn't going to let it go I just say "dude why am I always a joke?" Jake replied feeling genuinely sorry "you know Daniel, there's always gonna be people out there who are gonna tear you down, man just know in here (as he points to my heart) is all that really matters, and bro you've got that!" almost tearing up "Thanks Jake, I appreciate that. I just want feel like I belong and I don't think I ever will". "Naw man you will, you're a special person and most people don't know how to deal with that. They take something like your big schlong and use that to tear you down. They're jealous man!" I wanted to believe Jake I really did, but my mind couldn't seem to process that he was right. I almost said I love you Jake, but instead I just put my hand on his knee and said "Thanks Jake, you're a real friend to me!" Feeling like I could now get my head together I head back with Jake. I look over and see Ethan chatting it up with Philip and Parker. I think to myself "what am I gonna do about Ethan?" It started to get closer to evening, Peter and Phillip got the fire going again. Earlier in the day they found some logs that could act as chairs. I shared one with Ethan. Jake was on my other side. We ate the same thing we had for lunch as we say around the fire. I sat back and looked at the stars. the previous night was somewhat overcast but tonight you could see everyone of them "wow, there's so many stars out tonight, it's crazy! I go on to say that living in the city we don't see the stars at least not like this. Jake says "I bet you can name half of them?" Jake always overestimated my science knowledge. "well not half, not even a dozen!" I just take it all in Phillip and Peter are on the other side of the fire chatting about hunting or fishing, it was all the same to me. Jake yawns, I yawn. "Okay fellas, I'm hitting the sack" Jake says as he stretched. Yawning again, I said "me too" Ethan chimes in well I guess me too, huh roomie?" Ethan and I walk back to our tent. we leave our boots outside the tend and crawl in one at a time. Ethan goes first. I see him patting my sleeping bag. I take my flannel off, my pants. I was trying to find my shorts but I figured I wouldn't see them in the dark. So I zip up my bag. Ethan scoots over to me in his bag. "hey man, I hope we're still cool, like you're not mad are you?" he whispered. "well not at you Ethan" "oh good... um cuz I thought this morning was kind of fun and I didn't want you to be like upset or something about it." Not really know what to say "Ethan, umm...yeah me too". "cool, well night Daniel, and if you have your tent pole out again tonight I don't mind". "wait what, did you feel that?" "yeah man, but it's totally cool with me". Now feeling self conscience I roll over the other way. "night Ethan", "night Daniel"