Page 3 of The Long Lost Omega

Hours passed as we explored more of the forest. They showed me how to spot certain animal tracks, which plants had edible berries, and which to avoid. We then got caught up in playing a game where the boys pretended to be knights, using sticks as swords while protecting me, the princess. I couldn't help but feel like I belonged with them. I’d never really had male friends before, but this was so fun that I wanted to hang out with them every day. During it all, they kept me feeling safe and included. In the late afternoon, we finally rested in a shaded area on patches of soft grass.

“Hey, are there deer in this forest too?” I asked after seeing more animal tracks in the mud.

“Yeah, we saw some once.” Kaden said as he looked around. “We come up here a lot. But you’re one of the first people we’ve seen out here all summer.” He mentioned while poking at a snail on the side of a tree. “We can try to see if there’s some deer around.”

“But first, let’s go somewhere to eat. I’m starving!” Tony added, right as his stomach growled. I laughed and nodded. They werebig guys, they probably needed to fuel up. “The closest place is probably the diner. It’s a long hike, but so it! Have you been?” he asked as we started to get up and dust ourselves off.

“No, I’m not sure what diner you’re talking about. We can probably get food faster at the campground.” Surely my family had brought some extra snacks for these guys, but I also didn’t want Lisa and Ralph to tell them no and embarrass me. “But the diner sounds better.” I quickly added.

“Great, we know the shortcut!” Kaden sang out as we headed toward an area past the creek. Once we were in the thick pine trees, we hiked through the forest, getting in a solid workout. I still didn’t see any trails, but the boys led me through the brush in a way that told me they’d been here plenty of times. It still took me longer to go downhill though. We had to climb down several steep areas, even crawling down the jagged, rocky face of the hill at one point, with all three of them waiting to catch me if I fell. Soon enough the land evened out, and I was starting to feel fatigued. The boys sensed it.

“We can give you a piggyback if you need to rest.” Jax said, his face serious. I looked down, not wanting to be a burden.

“I’ll be all right. I can make it.” I said as I avoided eye contact, huffing and puffing through the brush.

“Tell you what, if I can carry you to the diner, I win.” he said as he crouched over. “Come on, I’m strong!” I sighed and rolled my eyes.

“What do I win if you can't make it all the way?” I said, laughing as I climbed on.

“I guess we’ll never know, since I’m not putting you down until we get there!” He said before starting to jog through the forest. The other guys whooped as they followed us, and I couldn’t help but laugh as he showed off, carrying me like I weighed nothing. I hadn’t had this much fun in ages. I wrapped my arms around him, and marveled at just how good he smelled, despite us being out in the forest sweating for hours. He had the peculiar scent of Oak. I chalked it up to him being in the woods all day.

Soon the trees cleared, and we came upon a road. I was in the back of Lisa and Ralph’s car on the drive up, so I didn’t recognize anything. We walked along the road until we passed a convenience store and a few other shops, finally reaching an old-school diner. I was shocked. I’d never seen it before, but then again, I’d never been out to eat much. Stepping up to the front of the restaurant, Jax finally let me off his back and turned to look at me proudly.

“See? I told you I could do it!” He crowed, and the other two stood next to him, the three of them looking like they’d won a prize. Kaden finally stepped forward and opened the door.

“Ladies first!” He said, and I bashfully stepped inside. The cool air felt incredible, and we quickly took a seat at the diner on several barstool chairs, with two of the guys sitting on either side of me. One of the servers immediately put out several glasses of iced water for each of us. We gulped them down, and it was the first time we’d been quiet for more than a minute since we met. Jax grabbed a menu and read it thoroughly.

“Now, as for what I win, I think I will take… a shake and fries for each of us!” He exclaimed as he waved the server over. I felt a rush of anxiety wash over me.

“No, wait, I don’t have any money on me-” I started to explain, but Tony shushed me.

“Our treat, Safira.” His voice was so soothing that I just nodded. Each of them ordered a chocolate shake, but I got a strawberry one. I’d never tried that flavor before. When they arrived with our fresh fries, I watched the guys dip them into their shake as they ate and tried it as well.

“So Safira, what’s your family like?” Kaden asked, his mouth practically full. I sipped my shake for a moment before answering.

“I actually live with my mom’s relatives. My parents passed away a few years ago.” My throat tightened as I spoke. It was one of the first times I’d actually acknowledged it out loud to anyone besides my immediate family. I felt my eyes well up, and the boys quickly surrounded me, murmuring words of sympathy and encouragement.

“We’re sorry Safira, we didn’t know!” Tony said, his eyes anguished.

“It’s okay, I just miss them a lot.” I said as I tried not to cry. Someone rested their hand on my shoulder, and I felt so cared for that I wanted to cry from that too.

“Well, if you need to talk about it, you have us now.” Jax said gently.

“Yeah, if you ever feel lonely, let us know and we’ll take you out for as many shakes as you want!” Kaden said, pushing the rest of his chocolate shake toward me. Their comfort meant everything to me at that moment. They weren’t scared off by my tears, they weren’t pushy, they only listened and wanted to make me feel better. Something about them all felt so right. Like how it felt when I was home with my real parents, back before everything had changed. I sniffled and nodded as they made a circle around me.

“I’m sorry. I had to start a new school, and it's just been hard. Especially making new friends.” I said as I tried not to draw too much attention to myself. The boys continued to comfort me despite my sniffling.

“That’s okay. We think you’re really cool. And we’re your friends now.” Jax said with a calm, comforting tone. “Anytime you need us, we will be here for you.” I looked up at his words, and he nodded at me, his dark eyes wise despite his age. Just then, the diner door opened, and a woman called out to us.

“Aha, there you are. I got a call that three wayward boys were spotted at the diner.” A woman chided as she walked up to us, although she had an amused look on her face as she winked at the server behind the counter.

“Mom!” Kaden said as the blood drained from his face. “We were just having fun!” he said as she joined us, looking at mecuriously. I gave her a smile, hoping she couldn't tell I was sad earlier.

“Well, considering you left the park you were supposed to be in and have been ignoring your fathers’ calls, I’d say you’re in quite a bit of trouble when you get home.” she said, raising her eyebrow at the three of them. “But first, who are you, sweetheart?” She leaned over, her smile kind as she looked at me. I stepped out from the boys and held my hand out.

“I’m Safira.” I said shyly as she took my hand.

“Well Safira, hopefully these boys have been behaving like gentlemen?” She asked, and I nodded.

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