10:16 AM Tristan was finally done enjoying his post-orgasm sleepy high and thinking about getting his day started. And anyway, it was getting hot in the tent. He reached up and unzipped the door the whole way and let in the breeze and the world around them. Kyle startled out of his sleepiness with, “Uhm, still naked, thanks. You too.” Tristan looked down at himself. “Oh.” He cupped off the condom and tossed it in the corner, found his balled up shorts and pulled them on,

10:07 AM Luke had stood there for maybe a minute staring at his sister and Kristi had given him his time. She wasn’t really sure what else he planned to do, but as his face seemed to show his thoughts coming back from wherever it was in his memories, his soul, he had gone to just now, she could see that he hadn’t really planned anything else. His eyes did that thing where they sort of noticed her, but didn’t acknowledge it. He was coming back to reality and feeling a bit u

10:01 AM “Again!” Ryan shouted and again they ascended the steps. But this time Ryan noticed the backpack of a freshman, which wasn’t even an army pack, but a Jansport, but worse was how lightly it bounced as he ran. Ryan reached over and grabbed the pack, nearly yanking the kid backwards down the steps and stopping the whole platoon halfway up the bleachers as he did. “What the fuck is this, Freshman?!” The pack was light as hell. Ryan unzipped it and pulled out a hoodie

9:59 AM Kristi placed the flowers on the altar table next to the framed photo of the 13-year-old girl who was smiling big in her braces. She looked back to Luke to see if he approved. He seemed to. He handed her a candle from the bag and took out the second one for himself. They each placed a candle near the photo and Luke struck a match and lit them both. “I think it’s nice,” said Kristi. Luke gave a smile so subtle and so imprisoned with pain that probably she only saw

9:57 AM Even the sun was becoming unbearable, even this early in the day, because they’d been at it so long. But still, Ryan shouted, “Again!” And his dead-tired, but loyal platoon of twenty-three ROTC students, weighted down with overstuffed backpacks, attacked the steps of the track stadium bleachers once more with what little was left to give of their quads, calves, hamstrings, glutes, and hearts. Ryan ran with them, of course, always. These were his cadets and he knew h

3 Days Earlier Tuesday October, 18th 9:46 AM Campus was a paradise. But lately some seemed intent on ruining that. Florida South Coast University was an oasis surrounded on most sides by thousands of square miles of the parks and preserves that make up what’s left of the Everglades, and on its southwestern border by Chokoloskee Bay, the Ten Thousand Islands, and the Gulf. The university was formed when its conglomerate of wealthy donors purchased Plantation Island and much

Friday October, 21st 2:16 AM Skin was the thing that owned us tonight. Demanded the full attention of our eyes. Rushed that merciless yearning to our groins. Young skin. Perfect skin. Skin warmed daily by the sun even in fall. Skin smooth and firm over muscles and the lowest of body fat worked out daily in the gym or at beach volleyball or ocean kayaking or on long campus runs. Guys in tank tops or with their shirts yanked off and tucked into the backs of their pants.

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