Texas (Wendell)
#19 of First Steps
"Crap!" I say as I realize something.
"What is it?" Todd asks.
"Our phones! We left them behind in the wreckage!"
"It's ok."
"No it isn't."
"Yes it is." Todd reaches in his pocket and he pulls out our phones. How the hell did he do that? Before I can ask, he answers that for me. "When we got our clothes back on, I snuck our phones into my pocket because I realized that the wind was picking up and a tornado was probably going to happen."
"Did you remember to get our chargers?" I ask.
"No. That slipped my mind." Todd puts his ears down like he's ashamed. I turn on my phone to see how much battery is left.
"That's ok. I have a full battery. And LA is only a one day drive away from here. As long as I don't keep it on 24/7, we'll be ok. We'll just get new cords there."
"And hopefully a new car."
"I'll worry about that once we get there." I open my GPS app. Looks like it'll only be a two and a half hour drive through this state. However, we're pretty much halfway through our crazy adventure across the country. But, we still have about another 1,000 miles to go through.
"So, can I ask you two something?" Dexter asks.
"What?" I say.
"What's the real reason you two went on a 'revenge night'?"
"Because Angie called me and I told her that we both have been kicked out of our houses. Then, she says that if we can get over to California, we can go live with her and her roommate, Janelle."
"Oh, the bear?" the tiger says.
"Yes." I say.
"Is it true that she's bipolar?" Todd asks.
"Yeah, but she doesn't like to talk about it." Dexter says. "But, I think that it's cool that Angie would offer you guys a place to stay. But, why are you guys driving there? Why not just take a plane?"
Do I have to explain this every time? "Because, I did not want to leave my car in my parent's garage since they gave it to me." I explain.
"I guess that makes sense."
"So, what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Tell us something about you."
"Like what?"
"Like, how long have you been driving a truck for a living?" I ask.
"I've had this job for about three years. Ever since my 21st birthday."
"So, you're 24?" Todd asks.
"Yep. I'm turning 25 next April." Dexter says.
"How long have you known my cousin?" Angie never did tell me how she and this tiger met. All I know is that she just starting mentioning his name all of a sudden one day.
"I've known Angie for about two years. We met through that Big Brother Big Sister program."
"She wanted an older brother?" I ask.
"Yep. After we met, we just kept hanging out." I'll have to ask her about that since she never once mentioned this to me. I always thought she wanted a younger brother. After all, she is very close to me. But, then again, I too have always wondered what it's like to have an older sibling. Todd has always been like my younger brother. Well, before we became boyfriends. Now, I just love the boy so much.
After that, we just sit in silence. I'm just hoping this trip ends soon. There's only so much more I can take of this whole "Life on the Road" shit. When an hour passes, I get on my phone and play some of the apps again. I can't help but play Fruit Ninja. I think I have an addiction to it or something. I score 457, then 532 in another game, then put down my phone. I look over at Todd, who's clearly taking a nap (I can hear a light snore coming from the fox). I try to stay awake for the rest of the time of this state. I'll consider going to sleep when we get to Arizona, but, I probably am not going to sleep until I can see Angie. After all, we're so close to getting there.
"So, how long have you two been going out?" Dexter asks.
"About a week and a half. But, we've known each other for seven years. And to think, we met because we both were admiring some stupid computer speaker at a yard sale." I said.
"So, who ended up getting it?"
"Neither of us. But, I did buy Todd a propeller hat that he loved so much."
"Does he still have it?"
"He does. But, I don't know if he has it with us right now. It'd be sad if he did. He looked so cute in that hat." I don't know why I'm talking about my boyfriend like this, after all, I still don't exactly trust this tiger just yet. "So, what about you?"
"What about me?" he asks.
"Tell me about your relationships, since you're oh-so interested in mine."
"Well, I've honestly never had a serious relationship before. I mean, I do have friends who are just girls, but I never really had it any further than just friends."
"What about other guys?" I was just curious as to what his orientation was. That's the only reason I asked that.
"I'm not gay. I'm straight. But, I do have one gay friend. He's a leopard named Kyle. Although, sometimes he does flirt with me every now and then. Even though I told him I'm not into other guys, he still does it." Dexter says.
"Does it bother you?" I ask.
"No. It's kind of nice, but he understands that I'm straight. Plus, he never tries to kiss me or anything like that. But, I do admit that he loves to cuddle with me whenever he gets the chance."
"Well, me and Todd's story is kind of different. Two weeks ago, he come out of the closet to me and I told him that I was kinda curious about the gay lifestyle. After a while, I knew I loved him with a growing passion and wanted to be with him forever."
"That's sweet. So, you were once bi-curious or something?"
"Yes. But, now I know for sure that I'm bisexual, because in a way, I had a little bit of a crush on Todd since we were freshman."
"I don't really have my eyes on anyone right now. But, I do have to admit, I kind of like this girl, Tiffany, who lives in Los Angeles."
"What kind of fur is she?" I was just wondering.
"She's a black cat." For someone I'm not sure I can trust just yet, he does know how to make great conversation. All of a sudden, I feel a weight on my shoulder. I look over and see Todd leaning up against me, continuing his slumber. He's so cute when he's asleep. I pet his head a little bit and he smiles.
"Aww, you guys are so cute." Dexter says.
"Thanks. Sometimes I wonder if he's not really sleeping and he just wants to cuddle up to me. But, you can still hear his snoring." I put an arms around him and pull him close.
"Can I ask you something?"
"That's pretty much what you've been doing." What? I don't care if it's rude, all he's been doing is asking questions.
"Well, I'm just wondering, what's with his rainbow tail?"
"Oh, that. He kind of wanted to do that for a while. His stomach is kind of the same way." I lift his shirt to show him the rainbow fur on him. He briefly glances at him and then puts his eyes back on the road.
"Wow. He must've really wanted it that bad, huh?" Dexter says.
"Yep. He dragged me to that dollar store to get the dye."
"Hey! Put my shirt back down!" Todd woke up and must've noticed what I did.
"Sorry, Todd." I cover his stomach back up, "Dexter just wanted to know why you had colored fur on you."
"Oh." Todd rests his head back on my lap. I kiss him on the forehead and wrap my arm around him. He turns to look up at me, then goes back to sleep.
"How long until we pass into the next state?" Dexter asks.
"A few minutes." A look of the GPS shows that the border isn't far from here. Probably a few miles. There it is, the welcome sign reflects the light from headlights.
WELCOME TO NEW MEXICO: THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT
As we cross into the next state, I just look at Todd and watch him sleep.
DISTANCE TO LA: 1,002 Mi.
CURRENT TIME: 12:02 A.M.