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Rock Paper Water

by Julie Bozza

Daniel and Aron are both 17 and go to the same school in Canberra. There the similarities end. But when their families meet at the Yadboro campsite, the two young men are expected to hang out together. They still don’t have much in common, but their differences might be more interesting than either had anticipated…

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  • 5 To Be Read lists
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Published:
Publisher: LIBRAtiger
Genres:
Contemporary, Holiday, Young Adult

Tags:
format - free, format - short story <15K, what - holiday - christmas, what - topic - friendship, when - season - summer, where - country - australia, where - general - campground, who - description - bad boy, who - description - geeks, who - description - teenager, who - nationality - australian, who - religion - jewish

Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 1
Romantic Content: 1
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Gay, Pansexual
Protagonist 1 Age: Under 18
Protagonist 2 Age: Under 18
Word Count: 3600
Setting: Australia, NSW, Yadboro
Languages Available: English
Excerpt:

My parents obviously could not remember being teenagers. I often felt sure they must have popped into existence as fully formed adults about twenty years ago, though I knew well enough that wasn’t the case. It just felt like that sometimes. Such as today.

It was Christmas Eve, and by rights we should be the only people camping here by the river at Yadboro. Most people didn’t start showing up until Boxing Day or after, having spent Christmas itself at home. But no, there was another family there who’d just finished setting up their tent when we arrived that afternoon. And as luck would have it, they lived in the same suburb as us in Canberra. And their son was the same age as me – 17 – and he’d also been in Year 11 this year, in the same school. Therefore, according to Parent Logic, if we hung out together for more than five minutes, we’d automatically become best mates.

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“Danny,” my Mum said to me, “why don’t you make yourself useful, and collect some wood for our campfire tonight? I’m sure Aron would help you. Many hands make light work,” she added with a laugh.

“Oh, I was just going to walk up to the waterfall,” Aron quickly protested. Even as he said it, he realised his mistake and his face fell.

“Take Danny with you, then,” his Mum told him. “Have you see the waterfall, Danny? Not many people even know it’s there.”

COLLAPSE

Written for the Rainbow Advent Calendar 2019, with thanks to Alex Jane.

About the Author

Ordinary people are extraordinary. We can all aspire to decency, generosity, respect, honesty – and the power of love (all kinds of love!) can help us grow into our best selves.

I write stories about ‘ordinary’ people finding their answers in themselves and each other. I write about friends and lovers, and the families we create for ourselves. I explore the depth and the meaning, the fun and the possibilities, in ‘everyday’ experiences and relationships. I believe that embodying these things is how we can live our lives more fully.

Creative works help us each find our own clarity and our own joy. Readers bring their hearts and souls to reading, just as authors bring their hearts and souls to writing – and together we make a whole.

Julie Bozza. Quirky. Queer. Sincere.