After finishing breakfast, the boys got ready to head out. Jake grabbed his backpack, stuffing in his wallet, phone, and a bottle of water. Alex did the same, making sure they had everything they needed for the day.
"Alright, Mom, we're heading to the arcade," Jake called as he slung his bag over his shoulder.
Mrs. Faulkner walked over, handing them both a little extra cash. "Have fun, and be safe. Check in with me if you go anywhere else."
"Thanks, Mrs. Faulkner!" Alex said with a grin as they stepped outside.
The walk to the arcade was short, and the boys wasted no time diving into their favorite games. They started with the racing games, each trying to outdo the other, laughing and nudging each other when one crashed. Then they moved on to the shooting games, working together to take down waves of enemies.
After a couple of hours, they cashed in their tickets and picked out some prizes. Jake chose a small action figure, while Alex grabbed a pack of candy.
"Wanna hit the park for a bit?" Jake asked as they stepped out of the arcade.
"Yeah, sounds good," Alex replied. "We can chill before heading back."
They made their way to the nearby park, where they sat on the swings, enjoying the fresh air. Alex finally decided to bring up what had been on his mind since last night.
"Hey, Jake?"
"Yeah?" Jake turned to him, idly kicking at the dirt.
"I, uh... I kinda saw something in your closet yesterday when I was grabbing a controller."
Jake's stomach dropped. "Oh... uh, what do you mean?"
Alex hesitated, then gave a small smile. "I saw the Goodnites."
Jake felt his face heat up. "Oh." He looked down, unsure of what to say.
Alex shrugged. "It's cool, dude. I mean, you know I have to wear at night too. I just... didn't know you did."
Jake exhaled slowly, feeling a small weight lift. "Yeah... my parents never really potty-trained me all the way. I can use the bathroom, but I still need them at night."
Jake then backtracked a bit and said to Alex, "Wait, what do you mean you have to wear at night?"
Alex looked at him for a moment before sighing. "Yeah... I have to wear tape-ons. I don't really talk about it much."
Jake nodded, understanding the hesitation. "Well... I guess we're kinda in the same boat, huh?"
Alex chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so."
They sat in silence for a moment before Alex smirked. "Wanna race to the jungle gym?"
Jake grinned. "Oh, you're on."
With that, they both took off running, laughter echoing through the park. For the first time in a while, Jake felt completely at ease.
After two hours, Jake's phone buzzed.
Text from Mom: Hey, can you boys come back? I got called into work.
Text to Mom: Yeah, sure. On our way.