4. Kyle
CHAPTER FOUR
KYLE
A s I step into the open garage at Moretti’s Auto Shop, I spot Ren’s black Converse sticking out from under the giant RV. I haven’t seen him much this past week, he’s been working tirelessly to repair whatever’s wrong with the engine, and I’ve been studying for exams.
I whistle under my breath, admiring the vehicle soon to be our home for a couple weeks. “Wow, she’s a beaut.” I was imagining a small pop-up camper that we’d pull with his truck. I didn’t know we’d have a full-size motorhome. “Are you sure we can even drive this big-ass thing?”
Warren rolls out from underneath the RV, climbing to his feet. “You don’t need a special license to drive her. You just need to know what you’re doing. I’ll teach you.”
I nod, continuing to examine the shining white exterior with an ugly-ass swoosh, beige trim, and oversized tires. I’m amazed that we’re going on a road trip in this, even though it’s probably older than we are.
“Check out the inside,” Ren encourages with an excited smile, proud to show off the rest of his hard work. I step into the clean and roomy RV, gazing around and taking it all in.
To my right are two worn but comfortable looking brown leather seats, and straight in front of me is some sort of built-in sofa bench. To my left, there’s a decent sized flat screen TV on the wall and a dining table in front of it. Past that is the kitchen, with the bathroom enclosed on the other side. And down a short hallway is the bedroom with one large bed. A king-size if I had to guess. Or whatever the RV equivalent is. Overall, it’s really nice, and I’m super fucking impressed with Warren.
“What do you think?” Ren says from behind me, leaning against the kitchen counter, wiping his hands on a grease rag.
“It’s nice. Like really nice. I can’t believe you did all this. I’m fucking pumped for the summer, man.” Any lingering thoughts about Marissa seem to evaporate from my mind when I’m on this RV.
I’m ready to get on the road and leave everything behind for a while.
Ren’s smile grows, stretching into a full-blown Cheshire grin that always gets him in trouble. “Me too. I’ve got some fun things planned for us.”
I told him I don’t care where we stop along the way, as long as we end up in California so I can dip my toes into the Pacific. Neither of us have seen the ocean, and it’s something I’ve always dreamed of.
Ren’s usually the one to fly by the seat of his pants, and I’m the one who prefers a schedule, but this trip was his idea, and I’m going to let him run with it.
“As long as there’s no kidnapping, maiming, or death involved. You know my mom would be pissed,” I joke.
Ren chuckles sinisterly. “As with life, there might be an occasional possibility for injury.” His full lips quirk with his usual brand of mischief.
He’s the problem child, not me.
Always has been.
I narrow my eyes on him, wondering what he’s got up his sleeve. This trip should be interesting to say the least, and we only have one more week of school until we leave. That means two exams for me and one for Ren.
“I think she needs a name,” Ren blurts out, effectively changing the subject from his dangerous ideas. He smacks the RV wall with a sly smile. “I know I said no girls, but I thought we could make an exception since we’re sharing her for three months.” Warren winks at me, chewing on his tongue ring while he tries to think of a good name. “Hmm . . .”
I agree, the RV does deserve a name, and it seems like she might keep us on our toes. “Um . . . How about Carmen?” I suggest. “Remember your first girlfriend when we were thirteen? She was so fucking bossy. Hated me, too. I think she was just jealous of my best friend status,” I chuckle.
Warren throws his head back, laughing loudly. “It’s perfect. I completely forgot about Carmen. I had my first date with her too.”
I remember.
It was the first time I was ever upset about Warren canceling on me for a girl. Even if I had no right to be.
“So, we went to the movies, but I never told you this next part because I was so embarrassed.” He pauses for a moment, as if reliving it all over again. “Her mom sat between us the whole fucking time and covered our eyes during the intimate scenes. I think it traumatized me from ever dating again,” he says with a shudder.
“Maybe we should name the RV after you, Ren, because that was a pretty fucking dramatic excuse as to why you’ve never had a real girlfriend,” I deadpan, making him erupt into more raucous laughter.
I join in, unable to keep a serious face any longer.
I love to hear him laugh, and I love it even more when I’m the one that makes him.
“What the hell is this monstrosity?” The sound of my older brother’s voice grates on my nerves, interrupting our laughter and disrespecting Ren’s hard work. My brother is a dick sometimes, and I swear he gets off on it.
“Are you stalking me again, Nelson?” I spin around and stare him down, not amused in the slightest. His blond hair is freshly cut—short on top with the sides shaved close—and he’s wearing a pair of really annoying mirrored Aviators, hiding his eyes and showing me my own reflection instead.
“Mom told me Marissa dumped you?—”
“Go the fuck away,” Warren growls, just as irritated by my brother’s sudden appearance as me.
“Warren, hello, nice to see you,” Nelson says unceremoniously before addressing me once again. “Mom’s worried and asked me to check on you. Stop dodging her at home and ignoring her texts, Kyle. It’s been a week.” An uncomfortable silence follows his words, allowing the emotions inside me to begin to stew.
There’s a reason I’ve been avoiding my mom. She makes me talk about my feelings, and I can’t handle that right now. When I think about losing Marissa and losing the future I had planned with her, I start to panic a little.
My throat is clogged, the words stuck, so Warren speaks for me like my very own pillar of strength. “He’s fine. You don’t need to worry about shit, Nelson. We’re going on a road trip, and we’re gonna have the time of our fucking lives. You can see yourself out the door you trespassed from,” Ren sneers, and I funnel all of my energy into not laughing in Nelson’s face.
I really, really needed that.
My brother’s cheeks turn bright pink. He has no comeback.
“ Bye, Nelson, ” I say rudely, adding insult to injury.
“Just make sure you both say bye to Mom before you leave. I don’t wanna listen to her bitch about you two while you’re off galivanting.”
Nelson storms from the RV and the garage, hopping into his SUV and peeling away down the long driveway. A cloud of dirt billows in his wake as he tears up the gravel like a jerk.
“He’s just jealous because he’s stuck in Haven Creek all summer, and we’re actually going to see the world,” Warren murmurs, completely unperturbed.
A small smile twists my lips. We may not be traveling outside the country or anything fancy, but we’re driving to places we’ve never been before.
Isn’t that seeing the world?
Whatever it is, I’m thankful to have a friend like Ren to always push my boundaries and sometimes my buttons, but more than anything, I’m grateful to explore a little piece of the world with him.