[The following story, characters, and events are a work of fiction. All characters portrayed in this work - both directly and indirectly in both sexual and non-sexual contexts - are of the ages eighteen and above.]
-S.A-
The sound of the radio blasting out hits from the Top 40 charts drowned out the weird clacking noise from the engine that I first noticed two weeks ago...
Driving down broken roads and dingy paths past empty fields of dirt and hay, old worn-down homes dotting about every mile or so on my drive. The low fuel light blinking unceasingly in the corner of my dashboard, I kept my eyes focused on the road ahead, as if ignoring it would make it go away. Though it was largely quiet and barren this far out in the boonies, there were known to be rabbits and stray dogs crossing these roads.
Tractors too. But those were more obvious to spot.
When I first told my dormmates that I was merely heading home for Spring Break instead of Puerto Vallarta like they all were, they attempted their best to cheer me up. After all, who could complain about having to go home to sunny Southern California?
Well, they had forgot that California was a big place. And I had the unfortunate pleasure of not living anywhere near Los Angeles, San Diego, or any of the other bustling metropolises or attractions that most people think of when they think of SoCal.
Turning up the radio even louder to further drown out the increasing racket of what I was sure was going to be a four-thousand-dollar problem, my eyes found themselves increasingly drawn to the dark storm clouds gathering at the horizon. Slowly moving their way across the valleys and plains, bringing showers and lightning along with it.
Knowing that there was no way I would be able to traverse muddy paths in my old jalopy, I put some pressure on the gas and ventured further down bumpy roads.
I really couldn't complain about being back home. As much as warm beaches and hot bods appealed to me, there was nothing that could beat Mom's albondigas on a rainy day. Plus, ever since my aunt had gotten really sick, she and Dad have been spending increasingly more time down in Mexico to help take care of her.
It would be good to spend some time with them in-person for a change, rather than over a phone or webcam.
Parking my car on the far side of the road, I prayed to God that I wouldn't explode as I took the key out of the ignition. The clacking of the engine finally dissipating as I grabbed my bag of spare clothes and toiletries and stepped out of the car. Crossing the street and walking onto the property, trudging over dead grass as sprinkles of rain dripped on my head and onto the cracked pavement.
The smell of fresh ground beef, garlic, and cumin guiding my path towards the front door. My mouth watered at the smells alone, my stomach growling in agreement.
But as I was about to step onto the front porch, a flash of color caught the corner of my eye.
Deviating off the pathway towards the front porch of the house, the most extravagant red lured me towards the driveway where a gorgeous Ford Mustang sat, "Holy shit!" The words slipped out of my mouth effortlessly as I circled around the muscle car.
Without a single visible blemish or flaw, as though it drove off the front page of a magazine onto our driveway. My stunned reaction broadcast straight back to me in its polished reflections as I gazed upon its sporty rims and the gorgeous leather interior. I was scared to even breathe too close to the luxurious ride, for fear that merely getting my breath on it would drastically lower its resale value.
"Hey, Marcos!" My heart jumped at the sound of my name being called from inside the house, "Don't be touching my stuff!"
The sound of the screen door crashing open as I caught a glimpse of Joaquin walking around the corner with a big smile across his face, "Sup' bro?" He greeted me, wrapping me in a hug.
My bones felt crushed in his vise grip, the air escaping my lungs as he squeezed his massive arms around me. I could finally breathe again as he loosened his grip and took a step back.
Now I wasn't sure what I was more shocked about--the thirty-thousand-dollar car sitting in our driveway. Or that the pudgy acne-ridden twenty-one-year-old I had left behind was now absolutely jacked!
"Holy shit!" The words slipped out of my mouth again for the second time, but it was an appropriate reaction, "Joaquin! What happened to you!"
His only response was a hearty laugh as I compared his bulging biceps with mine. While I was no slouch--my weekends comprising of running and biking, and I was certainly no stranger to the gym--his massive guns made me look scrawny in comparison!
How did this gamer geek transform into a muscled Adonis?
His face clean and clear from acne, his jawline chiseled and no longer obscured under a double chin. Dressed in a tight-fitting tanktop to showcase his broad chest and bowling ball-sized shoulders. While I still had the height advantage over him, I wasn't so sure I could beat his ass like I used to do so easily when we were little kids.
"Wait," The realization settled in as I exchanged glances between Joaquin and the magnificent car, "This isn't...No way...Is this...?"
"Hell yeah, dude!" Joaquin laughed, as though he didn't believe it himself, "Working on Tio Humberto's farm all this time did some good for me! That work will put some hair on that chest, boy!"
His clenched fist firmly socking my arm, putting all his weight behind the hefty punch. I bit my tongue as to not showcase my reaction to the dull pain erupting from the whack, as though I were just hit by a freight train.
"Here, lemme help you with that!" Joaquin graciously offered to carry my bag as he escorted me to the front door, "I missed you man! Things are boring around here without you around. Oscar is here, but...
ya' know how he can be sometimes
..."
"Yeah, dude. I missed you too." I reciprocated, still in disbelief that the muscled and tanned beast in front of me was actually my little brother.
Rubbing my achy arm as I stepped onto the front porch, Joaquin held the screen door open for me, "Wait until I tell you what I heard!" He laughed as I crossed the threshold inside the house, "You remember Mrs. Johansson? The English teacher with the huge rack? Oscar swears he totally found her OnlyFans and we need a third party to confirm if it's really her or not."
"I did not!" Oscar's whiny voice called out from the kitchen, "I-It was an accident!"
"How do you find someone's OnlyFans by accident?" Joaquin followed-up, "And then text me the link?"
The wooden floors creaking underneath my weight as I walked into the living room, the smell of freshly cooked albondigas serving as the red carpet for my visit. Walking past the tables and fireplace adorned with the candles of various saints, thick layers of dust coating school portraits and family pictures, I made my way into the kitchen where I saw Oscar in the middle of preparing dough.
His hands caked in flour and dough, using his wrists to push his glasses up his face, he simply leaned his lanky body into mine as I ruffled his hair, "How's it going, Senior boy?" I teased the freshly minted eighteen-year-old, "Excited about graduating in a few months?"
"Ask him if he's gotten any of that cheerleader poon yet!" Joaquin called out from my bedroom where he was placing my bag down, "Or that football player dick! Either or!"
