Beach Bums by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters. You have been warned.
Xavier popped his head up from bed. He yawned and stretched as the radio played from the front room. The sound of it reminded him his parents were home. As he got out of bed for another day, he heard an advertisement. The somewhat muffled sound of it talking something about a back-to-school sale. He was quickly reminded that summer was coming to an end. Looking at his calendar, it was now a mere week and a half before the new school year.
The chipmunk groaned as he got out of bed. His body was still stiff and he tried to shake it off. He could hear the advertisement wrapping up and the sound of it sent him into a sense of dread. School wasn't something he was super fond of. After the whole fallout with the school lacrosse team and the fact he was no longer popular, it was not something he was looking forward to. He slowly trudged his way out of the bedroom and into the living room.
His father was on the sofa as his mother was out and about. The older male looked back at him upon hearing his son's sigh when Xavier entered the room.
"What's wrong, champ?" The father patted the spot next to him.
Xavier sat down next to him. "It's just…school is in a few weeks. I don't want to go back."
"Why? You get to see your friends again. You get to learn new things. You get to meet new people." The man looked over at the boy sensing his anxiety over the issue.
The brown-furred cub looked down. "Everyone hates me now after everything that happened with the whole Lacrosse team thing."
"Xavier, we went over this. Those kids weren't your friends. You have to understand that. You are a friendly boy. Why not just make new friends?" The father touched the boy's shoulder to be sympathetic to his problem.
The chipmunk boy looked back at him. "Yeah…I guess. It's not just what, though…"
"What is it then? How is it more complicated?" Xavier's father listened intensely to understand the issue.
Xaver sighed. "It's just that…I don't want Pent to be lonely. He relies on me….a lot."
"Pent will probably be happy to hang out with whoever you want to. I think he just wants to be around you." The father reasoned with his son trying to persuade him.
The boy looked over at him. "You think so? He said he didn't need more friends but…I know that isn't true."
The man thought about it for a moment. "From what you told me he never had many friends. Maybe he just needs your help."
The cub nodded finally agreeing with him. "Yeah, you're right."
"Good. I'm glad you could see it my way. Grab some breakfast. Your mother and I are going to head to the beach. Would you like to come along?" The older male figured he'd like to get out of the house.
The rodent didn't hesitate to answer. "Yeah, sure. Can I bring Pent?"
"Sure, maybe he can invite his brother and one of his brother's friends along as well. I'm sure they are bored. Besides….summer is almost over and you cubs should enjoy yourselves." The man knew his wife wouldn't mind.
Xavier hugged his father. "Thanks, Dad. I feel a lot better."
"I'm glad champ. Now go eat breakfast before it gets cold. Then you can call your little boyfriend." The older male playfully punched his son.
The chipmunk boy got up from the chair and went to grab a bite to eat. He hadn't been to the beach in a while. After all, the beach was a good way away from their homes. Still, it was a good way to enjoy the summer warmth while it lasted. Xavier went about eating his breakfast. Toasting a bagel and spreading some jelly on it while snacking on an orange. While he was waiting, he texted the other cub to offer his family's invitation.
"Hey, Pent. Good morning. My family is going to go to the beach. Would you and your brother like to come along? He can bring a friend if he wants."
Xavier put away his phone, figuring that it would be a bit for an answer. He was pretty hungry so it didn't take him long to finish his meal. He heard the front door shut, assuming that his mother had come back from what she was doing. The chatter of her and his father could be heard, though the boy didn't but in. As the rodent finished off his breakfast, he felt the familiar buzz of his phone in his pocket. He picked it up and looked at it.
"Yeah, my brother and I would love to come. My brother will bring along his best friend. He just called him. What time should we be ready?"
The brown-furred boy cleaned up and made quick work of the scraps. Racing towards the living room he saw both of his parents there.
"What time should Pent and the others be ready?" He asked simply.
His mother responded with a smile. "In an hour. Go ahead and get ready."
Xavier nodded and shot a message back to the fox boy. He knew he didn't have a lot of time to get ready so he didn't bother waiting for a message back. He grabbed himself some sandals and changed into some swim trunks. He headed back into the living room to see if he could help his parents get ready. After all, he didn't have much to do and he wanted them to know he appreciated them letting the others come.
The rodent cub arrived in the living room to the sight of both of his parents getting stuff together. They were both frantically running around the house as they gathered things for their plans. A small cooler and a few beach towels were set up near the door with his father carrying two beach chairs.
"Do you guys need help?" He asked while looking around to see if anything else needed to be picked up,
His mother answered that she was making snacks. "You can grab the beach ball and toys. I'm sure the younger boys will appreciate the toys."
Xavier nodded and made his way back to the storage closet in the rear of the house. Rifling through it as he looked for the toys. The beach ball had been deflated for a while but a small inflator pump sat right by it. The cub worked on making it big again before digging through it again, finding some old pails and shovels. He hadn't used them in a while and he wasn't sure if Samaliel and his friend would like using them.
The rodent brought the stuff out of the closet before he went back in to inflate an inner tube as well as a volleyball. He had never played the game before but was certain there would be a net at the beach. Xavier placed all of it in a pile and looked one more time around the closet to see if anything else caught his eye. Once he was sure that was the case, he closed the door and started with bringing it back to the living room.
By this point, his parents had gathered together a small bag of things like sunscreen as well as some hats. A large umbrella was leaning against the wall along with the two chairs his parents had brought earlier. Xavier saw his parents weren't around so he assumed they probably went back to their room to get changed. The cub busied himself with moving the stuff he brought out to the front door.
It was a short while before everyone was ready. Xavier's parents had him help bring things to the car. Fortunately, the back trunk of the vehicle was large enough to fit everything snugly. Only the umbrella had to be collapsed into its two parts before putting it inside. It was a somewhat long process because of how much stuff they were bringing. With a bit of hard work, they were able to finish it in good time.
Xavier's parents filed into the front seat and the chipmunk boy moved into the back. They made their way toward the fox boy's apartment. Over at Pent, things weren't nearly as frantic. Samaliel had invited Nait over who had already arrived with a small backpack of his stuff. The young lion cub was already caked in sunscreen as his parents were overly worried about sunburn. He and the younger fox were busy playing games to pass the time.
Pent on the other hand was already ready to go. He had changed into his trunks and put on a T-shirt as well as a pair of sandals. The sandals were somewhat small on him as he hadn't worn them in some time. Still, they fit all the same so he figured he could make do with using them one last time. While waiting, he was lying down on the bottom bunk reading the book he'd bought the other day.
There was a knock at the door before long. Pent could hear it from where he was as he'd left his room door open. Quickly, he put the book down and sped towards the door. Going back into the living room he saw that Nait and Samaliel were still occupied with their game.
"Finish up. Xae and his parents are here." The older fox said as he answered the door.
Opening the door, Pent greeted and hugged the smaller boy. The two shared a soft moment before breaking the embrace. The white-furred boy looked back to make sure the younger boys were ready. Samaliel was already turning off the console and Nait padded his way towards the door and past the two older boys. The salt and pepper boy wasn't far behind after he turned off the television and slipped on his sandals.
Pent locked the door behind them once he was outside. He continued with Xavier close behind the back of the car. Samaliel and Nait were already hopping into the back seat.
"You want the end seat so you're not squashed, Xae?" The bigger boy assumed it would be a tight fit with all four of them sitting there.
The brown-furred cub shrugged. "Sure, I am fine with whatever."
The fox kit filed in first, right next to his brother before Xavier scooted in next to him. Closing the door behind him, all four boys just fit snugly into the seat. Had any of them been any bigger it might have been a problem. Xavier's father looked back at them to make sure all four of them had seat belts on. Of course, they had already done it.
"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Noyer for inviting us." Pent wanted to make sure he was appreciative.
The father nodded and smiled. "Of course. We want you boys to enjoy summer while it lasts."
The man soon started the vehicle as they began their trek towards the beach. They lived a bit away from the ocean so it was going
to be a bit of a haul. Samaliel hadn't brought any of his handhelds so instead he busied himself on his phone. Already he was playing a game with Nait. Neither Pent nor Xavier had brought anything to occupy themselves and they sat there idly a moment before one of them said anything.
"So, what do you wanna do to pass the time?" Xavier asked since he knew it would be a bit of a long car ride.
Samaliel looked over at them. "You wanna play games with us?"
The chipmunk looked over at Pent who seemed indifferent to the idea. After all, he'd played games with Samaliel plenty of times. It was better than just sitting there.
"Sure, Sama. What are we playing?" Pent asked since he didn't have any games on his phone.
The salt and pepper boy thought about it for a moment. "Since there are four of us…how about we play a board game like Monopoly or Sorry."
"How about Risk? Pent and I versus you and Nait." Xavier suggested upping the ante.
The smaller fox looked over at Nait who smiled at him. "You're on, chippy."
Pent, Samaliel, and Nait installed the game. Xavier hosted it and the game soon began. It was a game Xavier's father enjoyed playing with him due to his prior military service. The rodent set up the rules to be squared away under an Alliance with four players to be participating. He selected random placement on the map to make things go even quicker. The brown-furred cub then explained how the game worked.
Each cub was assigned a color with them being placed on real locations on a world map. The goal of which was simple; tactical world domination. Each piece was assigned a strength with very simple math dictating who won and who lost a battle. The strategy coming from deployment, re-deployment, and withdrawal. It was a much more intricate game than Xavier was making it out to be but the way he explained it was simple enough for the younger boys to understand.
The game started before long with each cub given equal troop strength. Distance of travel, terrain, and placement all mattered. But these were things none of them took into consideration. The game worked on simpler mechanics and Xavier had set it up that way since his father had taught him how. The game started with the younger boy's alliance with Samaliel leading an invasion from China to Russia. He figured the larger territory would give them an advantage.
Xavier reinforced Pent's troops on the Caucasian mountains where there was a short-lived but animated battle. The dual forces of the older boy came on top, leaving very little defense for the younger boys. Nait was left with reinforcing Samaliel's troops in China. Nait made the next move going a much closer route leading his troops from Peru to Ecuador. It was an easier maneuver as Xavier had very few troops there.
The chipmunk made the next move in an act of retaliation sending his troops from Brazil to Chile. He hoped to conquer the neighboring countries as his stacked army size was far greater than what the younger boys had. Pent followed up with his tactical maneuver from Mexico through to Canada. These two moves gave both of the older cubs a greater foothold in North and South America.
Samaliel retaliated with a similar move in Europe, using the strong British Navy to ravage the French and Spanish country lines. Only to be met with fierce resistance from the chipmunk who put up a stalwart defense in Germany. Nait followed up by doing much the same to conquer to Scandinavian coastline. The boys soon found themselves at a standstill when it came to the European front and had to focus on other theaters.
The game continued much the same way for the remainder of the ride. Occasionally the boys would whisper with their teammate, coming up with ways they thought would win territory. Little by little their originally large troop sizes dwindled. It was a game designed to last long and by the time they pulled into the parking lot of the beach, it still wasn't done.
"We're here, boys. Finish up and get ready to get out." Xavier's parents announced as they pulled into the lot.
Though neither team had won, the game calculated a victor all the same. Pent and Xavier had come out on top due to troop size and location. A fact which soured both the younger boys, who very much considered themselves gamers. Still, they hadn't lost and in their minds, they would hold onto that small bit of pride the rest of the day. Xavier's father pulled them into a parking spot and shut off the engine.
By this point, the four boys were all stiff from sitting for the last two hours. Each of them stretched as they got out of the car. Xavier's mother had already gotten the sunscreen and handed it to the boys who needed it as they got out. They were all old enough to apply it themselves so she waited patiently as the 3 other cubs put it on. Nait was still plastered with the stuff from earlier so he simply walked past her.
Pent and Samaliel helped each other with their backs with Xavier's mother doing his for him. Once they were done, the chipmunk's mother asked them to help get stuff out of the back of the car. Each of them took something with the bigger boys taking the larger items and the smaller ones taking the less heavy items. Whatever was left was picked up by Xavier's parents who followed them to the beach.
Just beyond them over a small bridge was the beach itself. Sandy ridges could be seen both to the left and right. A large expansive ocean curled back and forth as its suddy waves lapped to and fro against the shores. A large lifeguard hut sat dominating the beach with a few adults sprawled out underneath some umbrellas. Cubs of various ages were skittering about to and fro in every direction without a care in the world.
The six of them walked down the expanse of the beach until they found an open spot. Xavier's mother down the towels while his father squared away the umbrella. Each of the boys set down what they had brought and looked over at the adults to make sure everything was good. The two of them figured they could handle the rest of it. Shoeing off the boys with a gentle wave of their hands, letting cubs be cubs as they finished things up.
Xavier and Pent took their shirts and sandals off. It had been a while since they swam and both of them were eager to get into the ocean. Staring just for long enough to admire it before turning his gaze away. There was still something appealing to him about the way Xavier looked shirtless. The rodent couldn't help but smirk at him but playfully pushed the bigger boy to get him to move towards the ocean.
The fox and chipmunk ran towards the ocean at full speed. Within moments they crashed through the rippling waves as it pushed against their forward motion. Diving in, Pent carved his way through the wave sending his body through the impact of the water. Xavier waded in with his body standing upright, causing him to go a bit slower. Before long the white fox's head popped up, soaking wet from the water below.
"Come on, Xae. Just dive in. It's nice." The bigger boy said with a big grin on his face.
The rodent nodded and gave in, allowing himself to poke his head in through the waves. Both of them treaded water a bit since it was now too deep for them to stand. The steady current wasn't very strong but it carried them at a slow pace further down the shore. Pent and Xavier kept a watchful eye on it, remaining vigilant, and occasionally swam back against the current every so often.
Soon the two began splashing each other. Pent pushed his hand paws forward, jetting the water towards his boyfriend's face. The smaller boy spat out the salt water as it found its way to his mouth, only to return the playful act with a quick playful shove. They tussled in the water for a moment, neither boy having much of an upper hand over the other. The chipmunk tried to grab Pent but the fox was able to slip out of his grasp and dove underneath once again.
Dipping into the water, Xavier followed his boyfriend into the water. Both of them emerged before long since they couldn't see anything. Each of them with big smiles on their faces as they held each other in an affectionate embrace. Pent and Xavier stared into one another's gaze. The love and affection they felt for each other was all too real. Leaning in towards each other as their heads rested against one another.
Pent and Xavier continued roughhousing for a bit until they got a bit tired of having to fight against the ever-constant current. Swimming their way back to the shore to take a break and see what the younger boys were up to. Joining hands they walked over towards Samaliel and Nait who were still dry. The younger cubs were working on making a sand castle with the pail and shovel the family had brought along.
"You guys aren't going to swim?" Xavier couldn't help but ask as his fur dripped with salty water.
Samaliel looked up at them. "No, we're having. Fun. Do you want to make a sand castle with us?"
Xavier looked over at Pent who shrugged. They were tired of swimming for the time being so they decided to play along. The arctic fox cub and his boyfriend knelt together before breaking hands. The salt and pepper boy handed over the pail and shovel, allowing them to do their own thing with it.
"Shall I make a castle for my prince?" Pent gave a light smile as if flirting with Xavier a bit.
The smaller cub couldn't help but laugh. "Oh yes, Pent. Please make me a mighty fortress so that I might defend against my enemies."
Nait looked over at the older boys whose words caught him off guard. The lion hadn't seen them act like this before, even if he knew they were dating his friend. Not paying it much attention, he soon returned his attention to making the castle with Samaliel.
"Let's have a contest. Whoever loses has to do what the winner says." The lion suggested with a confident grin on his face.
The chipmunk looked up
with an arrogant smile. "You're on. Come on, Pent. We can beat them."
Pent was just as competitive as his boyfriend was and wasn't about to turn down a chance to beat his brother at something. Immediately the two older boys got to work as the younger ones already had a head start on them. Planning in his mind, the white-furred boy tried to think of the most grand and realistic thing they could create with sand alone.
"I'll be right back. We can use the water to shape the sand better." Pent said as he went to fetch some water with the pail.
He returned before long and saw that Xavier was already piling up the sand. It didn't seem like his boyfriend had much of a plan and was just going with the motions. Pent poured the water over the area, making the sand wet and soggy. Soon he kneeled back down alongside his boyfriend and joined in working alongside him. The two of them were now equally focused on the task at hand. They couldn't lose the younger boys…or so they told themselves.
Pent and Xavier continued to work on their castle alongside the younger boys for a while. Eventually, they crafted a concentric castle with three levels to it. The chipmunk dug out the moat around it and carved out the peepholes that would serve as windows. The fox shaped the outer walls and inner courtyard, going as far as to make little tips to serve as pikes of defense. Finishing it up, Xavier placed a small plank of driftwood as the drop bridge.
Xavier's father soon came to check on the boys. It had been a while since they'd checked in. Finding all four of them together was surprising, to say the least. Even more so when he found both Pent and Xavier playing along with the younger boy's castle game. Little did he know there was a competition going on.
The brown-furred cub looked up at his father. "Oh hey, Dad. We're competing with them in building a sand castle."
"I see. So is it older boys versus the younger ones? I can be a judge if you boys like." The older male suggested even if he had a slight bias.
All four of them looked up at him before the chipmunk boy responded. "Sure, mom can help too."
The boy's father went back to the area where his wife was relaxing. He urged her to follow him and both of them soon returned. Looking at the two castles, the younger boy's castle was much more crude and unrefined. A simple few clumps of sand and the shaping into a design that didn't resemble anything that existed in the past. The older cubs were a lot more ornate and had more detail in it.
Both the mother and father looked at the two groups of cubs. Xavier and Pent seemed mostly indifferent to it and were playing along. The look of pride on the younger boys was something both of the parents recognized. So despite all of the sense within them to go with the older boys they decided to not do so and avoid drama in the process. They whispered amongst themselves for a bit before looking back in front of them.
"We decided that Samaliel and his friend are the winners." The mother said while winking at the older cubs.
Xavier was upset at first but upon seeing his mother wink at him, he knew what was going on. The white fox shrugged it off as no big deal. After all, it was against his brother and he'd let the younger boy win plenty of times before.
"Very nice boys. We're going to have lunch now. Are you cubs ready for food?" The oldest male said.
All four of the cubs nodded with an eager look on their faces. Following along behind the two parents with the younger ones sprinting ahead. The mother and father had already set up a large picnic blanket with the cooler on the side of it. Pent and the other boys sat alongside each other, being closest to the ones whom they considered their friends. Xavier's mother and father joined them before starting to dish out the small meals they had prepared.
Each of the boys was given a sandwich and some chips. It was a simple meal with different varieties of food and condiments.
"Thanks again, Mr. and Mrs. Noyer. Samaliel, Nait, and I are very happy you invited us today." Pent said the same thing as earlier, briefly nudging his brother to the same.
Samaliel spoke with his mouth full. "Uh-huh. Yeah, thanks!"
The parents chuckled and the full group of them started to eat lunch. Samaliel and Nait were the only ones talking between bites. When everyone was done, the older cubs helped with cleaning things up. After all, they didn't want garbage flying everywhere. Meanwhile, the smaller boys went back to doing what they were doing. It didn't take Pent and Xavier very long to clean up since most of the stuff had been brought in baggies.
When they were done, Xavier looked over at Pent and considered what they could do. In the distance, he saw a slide that had been built on the edge of the beach. Only a couple of other cubs were climbing up the stairs leading up to it so he quickly got an idea.
"Want to go down the slide, Pent?" Xavier pointed at it in case his boyfriend hadn't seen it.
The bigger cub looked over towards it. "Yeah, sure. That sounds fun."
The two of them walked over to where the slide was. A small line filed out from it but was moving quickly. Nearby another lifeguard station was diligently watching in case any mischief occurred. Pent and Xavier waited their turn with each of them going individually. Sliding down the somewhat small slide that led toward the ocean. The cool water cooled them down a bit as they'd been out of the water for a short while now.
The chipmunk waited for the arctic fox cub to join him back in the water. Riding down in the same way, Pent plopped into the ocean with a muffled thud. They moved away from the trajectory of the slide as they didn't want to get hit. Making their way back to the shore as they intended to go down a second time. On their way back Pent saw two younger girls go down together.
"Hey, Xae…wanna go down together? The lifeguard didn't seem to mind that those girls did it." Pent made the suggestion as it seemed good to him.
Xavier smiled and nodded but didn't say anything as they continued back to the line behind the slide. Most of the same cubs were waiting again since it was the only slide on that side of the beach. When it was their turn again, The chipmunk went up first and waited up at the top for Pent to join him. The smaller cub had to anchor his paws against the plastic to gain traction but once his boyfriend was behind him, he let go and they were off again.
They slid down the slide at a quick pace. The short ride was exhilarating all the same. Both of them ended flat on their faces as the slide shot a little above the surface of the water. The sudden impact of the water didn't seem to bother them as they pushed their way past the exit of the slide again. Both of them had smiles on their faces as they made their way back to shore. They repeated one more time before getting tired of the slide.
The rodent saw some older kids playing volleyball at a net. Four of them on each side with neither side seeming to be that great at it. Just about every other volley back or forth ended up on the ground. He had already been wanting to play the sport before coming to the beach but now seeing it being played, made him even more interested. Xavier looked over towards Pent with a slight grin on his face.
"You want to play volleyball, Pent?" The brown-furred boy looked over towards him.
Pent nodded, agreeing simply because he wasn't sure what else to do. The two of them made their way over towards the net. The other furs playing volleyball were a bit older than they were. One of the teenagers, a burly squirrel boy looked over at them.
"You guys want to play?" He figured they wanted to join since they were looking from the sidelines.
The fox and chipmunk didn't wait to say yes, each of them filed onto opposing sides of the net. One of the girls took it upon herself to serve the ball. Throwing it into the air before attempting to spike it over the net. The squirrel boy on the other side was able to bop it back upwards as Xavier popped in to hit it forward. The thing hit the net before falling back to the ground.
"Nice try, cubby." One of the older teens said.
The chipmunk gave a thumbs-up and picked up the ball. He decided to try and serve it himself. His upper arm strength was pretty good from Lacrosse so he figured it would be a simple enough task. Xavier served up the ball using the palm of his hand, sending the ball hurling forward. Easily making it over the net and to the other side. The same girl who served it before lobbed it back to the other side.
This time they were able to pop it back over to Pent's side of the net. The fox reeled inward as it fell just short of his position. It landed with a muffled thud on the floor as the girl behind him gave him a playful pat on the back. She handed Pent the ball, giving him a chance to serve it too. The fox cub didn't spike it and instead sent a softer serve over to the other side. The five members of Xavier's team converged on the ball as they all splatted on the floor after running into each other.
They helped each other up as Xavier dusted himself off of the sand that had collected in his still somewhat damp fur. After apologizing to each other the squirrel teen served the ball back over and the game began again. Pent was able to pop it back over this time with one of the other members of Xavier's team sending it back over but going beyond the boundary lines. One of the other teens on Pent's team went to fetch the ball.
The two teams would continue much the same way, eventually getting the hang of things. When they did, it would go back and forth in opposing volleys. Each side meets the other with the very same competitive fervor. Each serve after that would end up being just as competitive with varying lengths of volleys. Neither side had much of an advantage over the other. At the
end of it, when they were all tired, they all joined in a high four.
The 10 of them disbanded soon after with Pent and Xavier rejoining at the sidelines. The ball had been left behind as it was public property, a fact that made the chipmunk feel silly about bringing his own. Still, it wasn't like he knew that. Both boys were sweating a bit as they stood there under the heat of the summer sun. Without a word, the smaller cub motioned for his boyfriend to follow him and they ran back towards the ocean.
They crashed back through the water again. The cool salty water against their fur and bodies was an instant sense of relief. Even the ever-so-constant waves that crashed against the shore didn't bother them. Pent and Xavier emerged from under the water and shook their fur, both of them glad to be rid of the sand that had accumulated on their fur. They joined hands again and began to stride through the more shallow area of the water.
It was getting a bit later now and Xavier's parents were now thinking about wrapping things up. None of the four boys were to be seen. Even Samaliel and Nait had gone to enjoy themselves in the ocean. The mother decided to go look for them and let them know it was almost time to leave and get ready to head back. It had been a long day and she had a bit of a sun tan underneath her summer coat of fur.
Over by an outcropping of rocks, she found Samaliel and Nait. The two younger cubs were busying themselves in small pools of water that had accumulated between some rock walls. Occasionally waves were crashing in and each time it did so, they laughed just as hard as the last.
"Boys get ready to head out. We want to leave before the sun sets, alright?" She said simply.
Nait and Samaliel nodded as both of them got up and followed her back to the area where everything had been set up before. Xavier's father waved them over to help with packing up. They soon joined him in beginning to take things back to the car. Now it was up to the chipmunk's mother to find the older boys. She figured they couldn't be far away and knew they would most definitely be together.
The sun was already beginning to drop on the horizon. The burnt sienna color of the horizon made it all too apparent it was getting later in the day. Pent and Xavier were lazing about on the shoreline with their legs in front of them. Each of them with their arms round one another. Watching the sunset as it steadily crept into the horizon. Still, they were holding their free hands as if they had been forever linked.
When Xavier's mother found them, she saw the silhouettes of the two cubs locked in a loving embrace. Pent and her sons lipped in a passionate show of love for one another. Her heart softened as she stood there watching for a moment. She wasn't going to spoil the moment, so she waited. They broke the embrace before long but still looked into one another's eyes. The chipmunk's mother approached them and spoke softly.
"Come on, boys. It's time to go home." She said nothing about catching their little moment of affection.
Pent and Xavier nodded as they both got up together. Followed her back to the same area where the younger boys were still busy helping pack things up. Already half the stuff was back in the car. The older cubs were tasked with throwing away any residual garbage as well as taking back the larger items. The chipmunk's parents hurried them along as they were already behind their original schedule.
After everything was all packed back up in the car, all four of them were given towels to sit on and filed into the back seat. Xavier's mother took over driving as she was to more aggressive driver of the two parents. His father looked back at the boys to make sure they were all buckled in. Samaliel and Nait were already starting up a new game but it looked like the older two boys were tired as they were leaning against one another.
The ride back towards the town where they lived was a bit longer than on the way out there. The traffic on the highway towards town was heavier but still didn't delay their travel much. Xavier's mother was able to weave in and out of traffic without much of an issue. Still, the fact she had to contend with more cars meant it was taking longer. Her stomach rumbling told her that it might be time for dinner soon and hoped the boys wouldn't mention it.
About an hour into the ride, Nait was the first one to bring it up. The chipmunk's parents hadn't planned on stopping for dinner. It was now dark out and later than they had anticipated it to be. They decided to stop a fast food joint. By this point, Pent and Xavier were fast asleep on each other. Xavier's mother pulled through the drive-through and got all of them a quick bite to eat. Samaliel had to wake up his brother who was still passed on Xavier's shoulder.
They soon pulled into the rest stop where the light ambience of the radio ordering system roused them enough to order. Each of them asked what they wanted from Xavier's mother who placed it and paid for it soon after. She did not stop for them to finish and she ended up eating while driving. The sound of all of them munching was the only thing heard for a short while. Pent and Xavier ate slower than the other boys as they were still groggy.
Despite being tired, Xavier and Pent were able to finish their meal. The two of them relaxed soon back after in one another. Their body and minds were eager for rest. Samaliel and Nait continued gaming for a bit but even they fell to the will of the dream world before long. The rodent's parents remained silent and Xavier's mother focused on the road as she wanted to get home.
The rest of the ride home was a quiet one. Xavier's mother didn't turn on the radio as she didn't want to interrupt the sleeping cubs. Little did she realize that all four of them were sleeping now. It wasn't until they arrived over at Pent's that they discovered it. Each of them had to be nudged upon arrival to get them to wake up. Xavier's parents had Nait give them his address as they didn't want to bother his parents.
Pent woke up and kissed Xavier's cheek, who was still asleep. The fox cub said nothing as he didn't want to disturb him and made his way out of the car. He thanked the chipmunk's parents once more who waved back at him and soon were gone. Slowly he and his brother made their way back to the apartment. It was pitch black out now and the only illumination was the one coming from street lamps and outdoor lights on homes.
The moment they were inside, both of them showered as they were equally tired. Only soon after did they retire to bed. Changing into their pajamas, they were still quiet. Samaliel climbed up top with his brother following him. Pent kissed his brother's forehead and covered him up in sheets and a blanket. Finally retiring under his sheets, not even bothering to look out the window as he often did. Both of their tired minds and bodies fell asleep before long.
As for Xavier, his parents would take Nait home before he finally got to go home himself. The chipmunk boy was roused by his father, who urged him to take a shower so he could go to bed. The rodent was quiet and simply nodded, doing his hygiene routine before finally retiring to his room. His eyes were heavy and his muscles were tired. Easing into bed, he didn't last long before falling into the realm of sleep and dreams.
Even his parents were exhausted by the ordeal, though they were happy they did it. After all, seeing their son happy was one of the most important things to them. It had been a long day for the extended family. A day of fun and excitement for the cubs and one of relaxation for the adults. It would be a day none of them would forget for some time. With the end of another day….a new school year was coming ever closer. Summer vacation would soon come to a close. The prospect of learning new things, making friends, and experiencing something different were all on the horizon.
