Fishing

The morning sun hung low over the horizon, the golden light shimmering on the gentle waves as the boys gathered on the beach. 

It wasn't the most inspiring scene, considering the grim faces of the teachers standing before them. Lucas stood at the back of the group, hands in his pockets, fighting the urge to yawn.

"Alright, boys, listen up!" Mr. Rowe, the agriculture teacher, announced, holding up a fishing net like it was a trophy. "Our rations won't last forever, and we've got to start taking matters into our own hands. These nets were salvaged from the ferry, and while they're not perfect, they're all we've got. The waters around the island are salty but full of fish, so we're going to use these rafts to catch enough to supplement what we have."

Lucas exchanged a skeptical glance with Leo. 

"Full of fish? Where's he getting this intel?" Leo whispered.

"Probably from his best buddy, Captain Optimism," Lucas replied with a smirk.

"Shush back there!" barked Mr. Grant, the math teacher, glaring at them. Lucas straightened, trying to look innocent, while Leo stifled a chuckle.

"Here's how it's going to work," Mr. Rowe continued, unbothered. "You'll head out in groups of four on the rafts. One person will steer, and the rest will cast the nets and haul in the catch. It's hard work, but it's necessary. Let's get to it."

The boys were quickly split into groups, Lucas and Leo paired with Ryan and Caleb. As they were handed their net, Ryan groaned, already looking defeated. "This thing smells like seaweed and regret."

"It's vintage shipwreck chic," Lucas said, trying to inject some levity. "Very trendy."

"Yeah, well, it better catch something," Caleb muttered, glancing nervously at the orange emergency rafts beached nearby. "Those things don't look seaworthy anymore."

"They'll hold," Mr. Rowe assured, though his tone suggested he was convincing himself as much as the boys.

With a mix of determination and reluctance, the boys dragged their raft into the surf. The cold water seeped into Lucas's shoes, making him wince. "Wet socks... The worst torture known to mankind," he muttered.

"Quit whining and help push!" Leo snapped, nudging Lucas with his shoulder.

Once afloat, the boys clambered into the raft, which wobbled alarmingly as they settled into place. "If this thing tips, I'm blaming all of you," Ryan grumbled.

"Noted," Lucas said dryly, gripping the edge of the raft as they paddled toward deeper water.

The island slowly receded behind them, the sounds of the camp fading into the distance. Lucas tried to keep his focus on the task at hand, but the vastness of the ocean made his stomach churn. 

He shook off the unease, glancing at Leo, who was unfolding the net.

"Alright," Leo said. "Here's the plan: Caleb and I will cast the net while Lucas and Ryan keep the raft steady."

"Works for me," Lucas said quickly, happy to avoid leaning over the side.

Caleb shot him a look. "Convenient."

"It's called delegation," Lucas quipped. "Look it up."

With some awkward coordination, Caleb and Leo managed to cast the net into the water. 

It sank below the surface, its weighted edges dragging it down. The four boys sat in silence, watching the ripples spread across the water.

"Now what?" Ryan asked, his tone laced with skepticism.

"Now we wait," Leo replied.

Minutes passed, the quiet broken only by the gentle lapping of the waves. Lucas leaned back, staring up at the sky. 

His thoughts drifted to his family… everything was fucked up...

"Got something!" Caleb's shout snapped Lucas back to reality.

The net tugged against the water, the weights shifting as something wriggled inside. The boys scrambled to pull it back, their movements clumsy but frantic.

"Don't drop it!" Leo yelled, his hands gripping the net tightly.

With a final heave, they hauled the net onto the raft. Inside, five wriggling fish flopped against the mesh, their silvery scales glinting in the sunlight.

"Yes!" Lucas shouted, grinning from ear to ear.

"Five fish!" Ryan exclaimed, his earlier pessimism replaced with excitement. "We actually caught something!"

The boys cheered, their energy renewed. Leo quickly reset the net, casting it out again with Caleb's help.

The second haul came quickly, even larger than the first. When they pulled the net back in, it was brimming with ten fish, their movements creating a chaotic dance of flopping fins.

"This is insane!" Caleb said, laughing. "We're like pros!"

"Don't get cocky," Leo warned, though he was grinning too.

They worked steadily, casting and retrieving the net with growing confidence. Each haul brought in more fish, and by the time they decided to head back, the raft was nearly overflowing.

"We're going to be heroes," Ryan said, leaning back with a satisfied sigh.

"Heroes of the food chain," Lucas agreed.

The trip back to shore felt lighter, the boys buoyed by their success. 

The boys' raft bumped against the shore, and Lucas immediately leapt out, nearly toppling over into the shallow surf. 

He steadied himself and reached for the edge of the raft, pulling it closer to the beach while Leo, Caleb, and Ryan climbed out with their cargo.

"Careful with the fish!" Leo barked, glancing at Ryan, who was dragging the net as if it weighed nothing.

"Relax, I've got it," Ryan shot back, though he was clearly struggling to keep the wriggling fish from escaping.

Lucas waved over a group of students nearby, mostly girls, who were sitting in the shade of a palm tree. "Hey, stop lounging around! Give us a hand, will you?"

"Since when are you the boss?" one of the girls, Nina, teased as she got up. Despite her sarcasm, she and a few others came over, wide-eyed as they saw the haul.

"Oh my god, look at all of them!" Sophia exclaimed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she crouched beside the net. "You actually caught this many?"

"Yep," Lucas said, puffing out his chest. "Turns out I'm a master fisherman. Who knew?"

Sophia rolled her eyes but smiled. "You're lucky, that's all."

"Luck, skill, call it what you want," Lucas said, grinning. "Point is, dinner's on us."

As more students gathered to marvel at the catch, Mr. Rowe and Mr. Grant approached, carrying a large empty barrel between them. "Good work, boys," Mr. Rowe said, nodding approvingly. "Let's get these fish into the barrel before they start flopping away."

With everyone pitching in, they carefully transferred the fish from the net into the barrel. The slippery creatures wriggled and flopped as they were deposited, their scales catching the sunlight. 

Lucas winced as one nearly slipped through his fingers, sending a spray of cold water onto his shirt.