His mother had forced him to fit his entire wardrobe into just three suitcases, which was of course, impossible. He it up anyway and settled for packing a fourth of what he actually owned. By the time he was finished, his suitcases looked ready to pop with not an ounce of space to spare.

The airport was a nightmare. Security confiscated half of his toiletries and gave him a lecture about reading airline policy so he wouldn’t hold up the line next time. Then on the plane, he got stuck next to a toddler who screamed and cried the entire flight. He was also pretty sure that he’d been exposed to a zombie plague, because the lady behind him wouldn’t stop coughing and gurgling every two seconds. He expected her to turn rabid and start feasting upon her fellow passengers. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. To top it all off the food , he was cramped in his seat, it smelled like a dirty old school bus, and the bathroom was always occupied. Needless to say, by the time the plane landed Tao was ready to commit murder.

He waited outside of the airport for over an hour for his father to come pick him up, whom in the end, never showed. Tao leaned against the wall outside and continued to wait, taking the occasional sip of his sugar loaded latte, hoping that the accompanying sugar rush would remedy his sour attitude. Eventually, his phone vibrated in his pocket and he rolled his eyes.

“What?” he snapped into the speaker, jaw clenched tightly.

“Tao? Tao? Can you hear me?” asked a flustered voice.

“Yeah, Dad. I can hear you.” Tao prepared himself for immediate disappointment.

“I’m sorry. I got caught up at work.” The connection wasn’t all that great but the message came across just the same.

“And?” Tao pressed.

“You need to find another way home.”

“Isn’t there someone who can come and get me?”

“I asked around but couldn’t find anyone that was available. Do you have enough money for a cab?”

“ing figures,” Tao grumbled under his breath.

“What? Speak up! I can’t hear you!” shouted his dad over the static.

“I said sure... no problem.”

“Oh good! I’ll see you tonight when I get home! The key is under the flower pot on the front porch. Make yourself at home. And your room is located at the end of the hallway upstairs.”

“Great.” Tao didn’t wait for a reply before disconnecting their call. He ran a hand through his side-swooped bangs and sighed. Of course it was going to be this way. After five years, why should he expect anything different?

With great difficulty, he shuffled his suitcases to the curb and signaled for an available cab. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed people staring as they passed. Did he have something on his shirt? Tao looked down, assessed his appearance, and discovered everything looked more than just fine. Ripped, black denim jeans made an unspoken statement about his current attitude. A white v-neck shirt revealed just enough in his opinion, and a studded vest accentuated his edgy jewelry selection for the day. It wasn’t until he looked around and examined everyone else’s attire that he realized he stuck out like a designer suit in a rundown thrift shop.

Tao shrugged off the stares and concluded that they could all use a good dose of fashion sense. Just because they lived on an island didn’t mean they had to dress in garish floral patterns that clashed so fiercely they confused his vision-to-brain correlation. Blinking away the dreaded images, Tao boarded a cab. After telling the driver the address four times, only to get stuck on the outskirts of some festival for too damn long, Tao concluded that his life had turned into one big joke. One that he didn’t find funny, not even in the least bit.



-



Most people would consider their stay at a beach house the highlight of their vacation. But Tao was not one of those people. The mainland city didn’t have sand that invaded his socks and shoes or salty air that stuck to his hair and skin. It made him feel icky, and he didn’t like it.

The inside of the house was decent enough. Expansive windows revealed a sparkling view of the blue ocean while palm trees swayed in the languid ocean breeze. It was almost tempting--almost. Tao ripped his gaze from the distracting view to take in pristine, white walls decorated with various nautical trinkets, some obviously bought while others must have been collected from the beach.

He was relieved to find that his room was plain. He’d rather stare at barren walls and bland colors than painted sea shells interlaced in cheap, decorative nets. He didn’t like thinking about the ocean. It reminded him of earlier days filled with smiles, hugs, and promises. It reminded him of how things used to be with his dad.

His best discovery was the fully stocked refrigerator and pantry. At least his dad had done one thing right by making sure there was plenty of junk food to snack on. A growing boy needed his potato chips after all.

After snooping around the house for a bit and not finding anything blackmail worthy, Tao ventured up to his room and unpacked his things before stowing away his clothes in an antique dresser and tiny closet.

Evening rolled around sooner than expected. Tao was immersed in a historical drama on television when the front door opened. He didn’t turn his attention away from the television, nor did he turn when he heard the jingling of keys or the shuffling of feet.

“Tao? You’re still up?” asked his dad as he flopped onto the neighboring sofa. He was wearing khaki shorts and a wrinkled button-up top with the disturbing floral pattern Tao loathed with a passion.

“Of course I’m still up. I’m seventeen now. Not seven,” Tao replied, munching on yet another barbeque chip.

“Right. I keep forgetting you’re all grown up,” beamed his father.

“Yeah. Well... I keep forgetting you’re my dad so I guess we’re even.”

“Don’t talk to me like that. Regardless of what you say, I’m still your father. And while you’re in my house, I expect you to treat me with respect.” Wrinkles pulled downwards, giving his dad a worn appearance.

Tao noted how much the man had aged since the last time he'd seen him. Not that he cared or anything. It was just a little unexpected. Tao shrugged, shoved another chip in his mouth, and tossed the bag of chips onto the coffee table.

“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes, and despite his dad’s protests, left the living room and locked himself in his room upstairs. He spent the rest of the evening sprawled out across his bed, blasting his ears with pop music until he finally drifted off to sleep.



-

Much to Tao’s displeasure, his dad took the next couple of days off from work so they could have “father son time”. It was awkward, strained, and uncomfortable because it was far too difficult to be civil towards the father that had left when he was just a toddler. Tao had only seen his old man a handful of times, and quite honestly, he would've been content not having a dad in his life at all. Unfortunately, his mom had other plans.

She’d met a guy named Yunho who seemed decent enough. After two years of dating, they didn’t have to talk about marriage for Tao to know it wasn’t too far off. She’d pushed Tao onto his father for the summer so she and Yunho could skip off to Europe, stating that it would give Tao the opportunity to get to know his dad. Needless to say, she was on Tao’s list for the next ten thousand years. She just didn’t know it yet.

Tao and his dad visited the island’s aquarium, got ice cream at the local creamery, and went grocery shopping so Tao could pick out his own snacks. It would've been fine if it not for his dad's relentless scrutiny.

"Why are you wearing such fancy clothes?"

"Who are you trying to impress?"

"Have you filled out any college applications yet?"

"You should find a job while you’re here – make a little money and show some responsibility."

The list went on and on. Tao wanted to argue but didn’t. It was easier to go with the flow than it was to work against it. That much he was certain of.

His mom called to check up on him several times, and each time he lied and said that he was having a great time. As pissed off as he was, he couldn’t find the heart to burst her bubble. She’d been through a lot raising him by herself for the past several years. It was only fair that she got the opportunity to do something for herself. Plus he didn’t want her calling every five seconds to see how he was doing.

Before Tao knew it, two days had flown by and he still hadn’t been on the beach yet. He’d never been an outdoorsy person, but then again he hadn’t been on the beach since he was a kid either. Eventually curiosity won the battle and Tao found himself on the back deck late one afternoon.

He didn’t own any sandals and didn’t want to screw up his expensive sneakers, so he traded shoes for bare feet before taking a leap of faith off of the back deck. His first steps onto the sand had him skipping about like a lizard in the desert. If not for the scenery, he would have thought he’d stepped into lava.

He made a quick dash toward the shoreline and sighed when cool, foamy water finally washed over his sizzling toes. The gritty sand danced along his nerve endings in such a peculiar fashion that Tao couldn’t decide whether he liked it or not. But he was willing to give it some thought.

He walked along the beach and took in the sights and sounds. The sun was setting over the crashing waves, casting a magic, amber glow that lulled him into a state of relaxation. All of his agitation, worries, and doubts were washed away with the receding waves. And as the breeze ruffled his bangs, filling his lungs with crisp and salty air, Tao began to understand why people liked the beach so much.

He was so immersed in his mini revelation, that he neglected to see the approaching obstacle in his path and sunk face first into a warm tidal pool. When he resurfaced, kicking and sputtering and wheezing for air, the unmistakable sound of obnoxious laughter met his ears.

Sprawled out across the sand was a young man with dripping blonde hair, who was laughing so hard, that it looked as though he'd given himself a cramp in his side. Tao’s face heated and blood boiled to a temperature that rivaled that of the lava-like sand.

He dug his hand into the sopping wet sand, scooped up as much as he could hold in one go, and flung it with all of the power his muscles could muster. It hit its mark with a thwack, right on the side of a sickeningly perfect jawline and stuck. The stranger fell silent and stared at Tao with a bemused expression. A staring contest ensued between the two beach-goers until the stranger finally relented and brushed the slop off of his face.

"Okay. I probably deserved that," the young man admitted as he stood and walked over to Tao. He proffered a broad hand and smiled encouragingly.

Tao hesitated. He was still furious, but his foot was stuck in the suctioning sand beneath the water, so he accepted the man’s help and was quickly hoisted effortlessly from the water.

"Thanks," Tao murmured while wringing salt water out his designer clothes.

"You're not from around here I take it," stated the young man.

One fleeting glance of the guy was all it took to rattle Tao. His gaze followed water droplets as they traced defined collarbones, trickled down sun-kissed planes of a sculpted chest, and disappeared beneath black swim trunks that hung low on narrow hips. Tao tried not to be too obvious, but the person standing before him was beyond beautiful.

Said person cleared his throat, making Tao flush upon the realization that he’d been caught staring. Tao scraped up what remained of his dignity and took off in the direction he'd come from.

"Yup," the guy verified loudly enough for Tao to hear, "Definitely an out-of-towner."

Tao stopped in his tracks and whipped around. "Your point?" he snapped viciously.

"The point..." continued the other as he approached Tao with a mirthful grin, "Is that you're rude, pissy, way overdressed for this type of weather, and need to loosen up before the ocean gets tired of your bull and swallows you whole."

"Maybe the ocean would be doing me a ing favor! Ever think about that?"

Mystery guy’s challenging demeanor immediately faltered as he ran a hand through beach-matted hair and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry. I didn’t realize you were having a hard time."

Tao was caught off guard. The guy had accepted defeat so easily. And it bothered him that someone he'd just met could size him up in a matter of seconds. For whatever reason, he couldn't find the will to be angry anymore and sat on the sand with a huff. The stranger took a seat next to Tao and leaned back onto his forearms.

"So... where are you from?" He nudged Tao lightly.

"The mainland," replied Tao vaguely while trying to shroud his uneasiness.

"That explains a lot.”

Tao scowled at that response but let it slide. He’d done enough arguing over the past few days. He couldn't muster the energy to argue anymore.

"The name's Kris by the way."

"Tao."

"Right. Well, it's nice to meet you, Tao. For what it's worth, I hope your day gets better."

"Thanks, but I doubt that's going to happen. I got shoved off on my dad for the summer and we aren't exactly on the best of terms."

"Ah. So that's why you're in such a crabby mood."

Tao nodded, making sure to keep his gaze on the waves. Why he was dishing out his personal problems to a complete stranger?

"Listen... I was just about to snatch up my board and grab a bite to eat. Wanna come? It might do you some good to get out for a while," Kris asked hopefully.

Tao let out a tired sigh. Maybe it was the ocean breeze mixed with the faint smell of sunblock. Or maybe it was the hopeful smile hanging on Kris’ chapped lips. Either way, Tao soon found himself agreeing and watching Kris strap his surfboard to the top of an old white Jeep.

"Hop in, Taozi. I'll take you to the best seafood restaurant in town." Kris hoisted himself into the driver’s seat.

"Don't call me that," replied Tao. "And I don't even like seafood." He settled into the passenger seat, feeling wary when he discovered that the seat belt wasn’t working properly.

"You've never actually had seafood until you've eaten at this place. Trust me." Kris the key into the ignition. The Jeep roared to life as did the radio that blasted Tao’s ears with reggae music.

Trust. That was a hard thing for Tao to do. He never had been good at trusting people. But he didn’t exactly have much left to lose either. At least for the summer anyway.