There was something about Grayson that said everything and nothing. His very spirit spoke to Arthur like a saving grace from the clouds above the sandy shores outside of Bourbon University. How could this man appear right when Arthur needed him? It gave him hope that the world didn't always bend towards hell and instead it might bend towards paradise for him. They had spent the entire afternoon together on the beach, even when the golden sunset had blossomed into deep velvets and burnt orange. They were laying among the pebbles and sand not caring about how the threads of their sweaters caught on the jagged edges, nor how they were poked by them. Grayson was a remedy and a distraction from the parasite that was feasting on his fears. This afternoon there was no appearances from Ghoul and it had made Arthur wonder if had all been a hideous spectral of his own imagination provoked by a traumatic unraveling of events that kept Arthur worrying about his innocence. "I got expelled from Bourbon in my last year." Grayson admitted as he moved onto his side to look at Arthur. It was hopeless. Grayson could tell Arthur just about anything and he smiled at each undulation of the others tongue. "Expelled? Tell me more." Arthur requested between the beats of their ongoing back and forth. The chemistry was inexorable between these two youths caught up by sea breeze and laughing whispers. Shouting blushes scattered their cheeks telling on how they were anxious, yet invigorated by one another. "I'd like to think that there is two kinds of people. The ones who need someone to tell them how to navigate this world and the ones who do it themselves. I do it myself." Grayson casted a smirk across his face almost feeling like a confident imposter in front of Arthur. 

The two paused and joy overcame the pair through laughter. "Very edgy." Arthur held his stomach from how hard he was laughing and Grayson shook his head. "I know it sounds stupid, but its true. I mean, I am not the one skipping class to find something in the world. Whatever you're looking for it's not in there, not at Bourbon at least." He responded to Arthur's laughing and would get to his feet, pebbles that stuck to his clothes fell and scattered over the ground. He reached his hand down to help Arthur up, "Can I show you something?" Grayson asked and Arthur's doe brown eyes never left that eye contact made between them. The brushing of their palms together sending a cacophony of pleasant hormones throughout their warmed bodies. "What is it?" Arthur prompted as he was led by the hand down the shore line and under the dock that stretched out further over the water. Grayson didn't respond to the other's question and instead weaved him through the support beams holding up the dock. The underside was decorated with carvings by young lovers with their names adding together inside a heart and there was impish inscriptions of phallus' next to gossip. One read, "Charlie is GAY" and another, "Dr. Fleming's is kinda bad." Arthur prayed this wasn't the special thing that Grayson was showing him and he'd be right. They continued out from the other side of the beach. It was place he never really had went to because it was inconvenient, it had more rocks and pebbles than sand. 

Through the other side, there was a building where a lifeguard would be stationed during the summer months. However, it seemed that there hadn't been anyone working there in some time. The evidence of its abandonment was clear by how the base of the building had eroded with vegetation climbing up the sides. There were white stains all over the roof from birds droppings. Keep up with Grayson as they went up the rickety old ramp, the pair were panting as a strong gust of wind struck their backs from the ocean. It was like it was lulling them inside and Grayson had faced Arthur with his hand behind his back holding the door knob that had years of rust caked on it. "Ready for your mind to be blown?" Grayson rose a brow as he asked Arthur that simple question. Though, it wasn't simple by any means. This moment marked the beginning of their friendship. Together they would share their secret worlds with one another. Arthur nodded and Grayson gave a cheesy smile, opening the door to the old beach shack. 

As the door opened, Arthur's eyes caught glimpses of magazine cut-outs pinned to the walls and two weathered chairs around a little fire pit. Off to the right side of the shack was a sleeping bag and a stack of books. His eyes read over the titles to see The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Coraline, Wonderland, among other fantastical stories. Grayson didn't look it, but he was a person who seemed to love adventure. Arthur wanted to know so much more about him. "Here it is! Do you like it, beach boy?" Grayson teased, pulling one of the chairs up for Arthur and taking a seat himself. Arthur tilted his head, "Do you...live here?" asked Arthur with a hint of judgement laced in his voice. The two were silent for a moment and Grayson heaved a sigh, "It's home, but I don't live here." He framed his answer as though he wanted to reveal more about his living situation, and yet he didn't. Arthur nodded and set his backpack down to look over at the busted window of the shack, the sound of seagulls was distant and dying down as the sun was getting ready to go to sleep and let the moon take over. 

"So Arthur, I think we should make a fire. Definitely wouldn't want to see you grumpy when it gets cold." Grayson skillfully shifted the conversation back into the light-hearted vibes they had previously maintained. When Grayson had spoke, Arthur was lost in thought. He didn't notice all of the details of the shack the first go around, his eyes wandering over the walls that were peeling. A string of photos were hanging to the right of the shattered window. Smiling faces by a fire, images of youths blowing out smoke, and all of them had a sense of childhood joy to them. The snapping of fingers made Arthur come to. "Oh sorry! What did you say?" Arthur shook his head as if he had to physically bring himself to reality. "Where did you go?" asked Grayson, who started to lean forward in his own chair. His forearms hanging over his knees and his eyes studying the other. "The pictures. Your friends look like a lot of fun. You don't think they'll be mad you invited an outsider?" Arthur said as he grabbed the side of his glasses to readjust them. Grayson chuckled, "I am the leader of the pack and you're the new acolyte. How does that sound?" He smiled. Grayson had a lot of happiness in his voice, whether it was genuine or a mask, Arthur couldn't tell the difference. 

Grayson stood up to then squat by the firepit and picked up two rocks, looking up to Arthur from the ground. "Can you grab me some newspapers, there's some behind you on the filing cabinet." He requested and Arthur saw it through. He stood and grabbed the newspapers, holding them up and reading over some of the headlines. Most of them were boring like reports of high tides, or traffic jams. There was also a whole page dedicated to the birth of children born on New Years. However, what struck his attention was one paper that had the image of a student from Bourbon University in black and white. It was a boy named Miles Wright who disappeared in the year 2013. "Woah, I thought Bourbon was a sleepy town. Look at this." Arthur said and handed the paper to Grayson after tossing the rest in the firepit. Grayson read over it and blew a raspberry, "Kids go missing all the time, even here." Grayson shook his head and went to throw the newspaper into the pit, only for Arthur to snatch it. "No way! He deserves to be remembered. He can be a honorary member of the..." Arthur thought to himself for a moment, "The Beach Boys Club." He stated confidently and Grayson rolled his eyes with a smile, "Alright alright. You win, but hurry up I'm getting cold." The other stated and held the rocks together, watching Arthur pin up the newspaper of Miles Wright up on the wall. 

"There. Now he's one of us." said Arthur who would go to squat next to Grayson who was impressed by the other's sense of quiet justice for those who were strangers. It was admirable. "Okay, do you know how to start a fire? Or do you only know how to turn a page in a book?" Grayson pried and Arthur shook his head quickly. That is when Grayson would strike the rocks against one another to create a spark. Arthur thought of those two rocks mingling together to be like himself and Grayson. He mused at the other's outdoorsmanship. "And that's how its done, beach boy. Blow on the flame to get it going, but be careful not to do it too hard." Grayson instructed and Arthur bent forward, "Right away, comrade." He smirked and would start to blow on the pitiful flame that was latching onto the newspapers, growing bigger and bigger. 

However, as Arthur did the final blows to make a steady flame it had burst into a large gust. Arthur felt the tips of his hair get singed briefly as he fell back, and in the flames the face of Ghoul appeared to be lurching out at him. Teeth like sharp daggers and envious eyes, "Artie, are you having fun without me?" said Ghoul. Unfortunately, that had triggered a frantic response from Arthur. He had scrambled back causing the bin to fall over in sparkly chaos. Arthur hastily got to his feet and rushed out the door, hyperventilating with Grayson yelling out, "Hey! Are you trying to set the place on fire?!" He exclaimed, yet had seen Arthur already out the door in a panic. 

The panicking Arthur had reached the edge of the water by the rocky shore. One hand on his knee, the other clutching his chest. Eyes smashed closed and his teeth gritted. He was having a full on panic attack from how frightened he was by the sudden appearances of Ghoul. He had believed for a moment that his nightmare was over and that he had imagine all of it. The shack door opened again as Grayson ran out to check on his new friend. His eyes flashed to the other collapsing at the shore and he wasted no time to vault over the fence of the ramp rather than going down it. Like an everyday hero, he rushed to Arthur's side and placed his hand on the other's shoulders. "Hey hey hey...you okay beach boy? I didn't know you were scared of fire." Grayson forced a gently laugh and helped Arthur to his knees, the both of them low on the ground. Arthur was still hyperventilating with tears rolling down his cheeks in rivers. 

"He...He won't...go...away." Arthur explained through his sharp gasps and Grayson couldn't fully understand what his friend meant by that. "Who won't go away? Where is he, I'll teach him not to mess with the beach boys, right?" Grayson was mostly trying to help Arthur calm down from the panic attack, though he knew it would be a difficult task. It took a minute of sitting there in silence before Arthur was able to get a grip on his breathing. There was still silence that followed, Grayson was nervous to ask again as he didn't want to overwhelm Arthur again. "I'm so sorry. I know we were having such a great time, the best I've had in months." Arthur shakily said and Grayson immediately squashed the notion that Arthur ruined anything. 

"You're one crazy kid, Art. But you didn't ruin anything. You're apart of club now, we got each other's back. Alright?" Grayson reassured and Arthur was able to give a weak smile. 

"We've got each other's back." Arthur repeated and Grayson helped him to his feet.