7. Kyle
CHAPTER SEVEN
KYLE
A fter a pretty uncomfortable walk back to the RV, I’m ready to get out of these clothes. I didn’t fall down that many times, not like Ren, but I can still feel sand everywhere .
“Man, hurry up!” I shout, banging on the one and only bathroom door. “It feels like I have sand in my ass crack,” I whine, shuffling on my feet as I pop open a can of Coke, hoping to distract myself from the chafing.
“Same!” Ren hollers from inside the tiny shower stall. “So, you gotta wait your turn!”
The overpowering need to get clean chips away at my patience, and I wish he’d just hurry up.
“ Ahhh! ” Ren shouts, his screams muffled by the running water.
“What?!” Worry flashes through me. “ What is it? ”
Did he hurt himself when he fell on the dunes?
I saw a few pretty bad wipeouts.
“Got sand in my pee hole too!” he hollers.
Jesus Christ.
I snort and roll my eyes, shaking my head. “TMI, Ren!”
He cackles as he likely uses all the hot water cleaning the sand out of his various crevices.
“Just hurry up, seriously!” I guzzle more Coke, letting the fizzy bubbles burn on the way down.
A few minutes later, the shower finally cuts off. The door opens and a cloud of steam billows out.
Yep. No hot water for me.
A bath towel is wrapped low around Warren’s waist, but I glance away, finishing my drink and grabbing my pile for the shower. I lock the door behind me and drop my towel and pajamas to the ground, turning the shower back on and hoping it’ll heat up enough so that this isn’t miserable.
I step into the lukewarm water, grabbing the body wash and my loofah and quickly washing up, paying special attention to my own crevices.
Sand swirls in circles at the bottom of the tub before disappearing down the drain. Once I’m clean, I quickly shampoo my hair and step out before the water goes completely cold.
I dry off and change into a comfy pair of gray sweats and my favorite T-shirt. It has a few holes in the soft blue fabric, but there’s just something about it. My mom likes to tease me that it’ll be a pile of strings the next time I pull it out of the dryer.
When I step out of the bathroom, I leave the door open, allowing all of the moisture from two back-to-back showers to air out.
Warren is at the table with all the fixings for sandwiches laid out: bologna, American cheese, bread, mayo, and mustard. It’s not the most gourmet, but it looks good to me.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving since we kinda skipped lunch. I couldn’t wait for dinner,” he says around a mouthful. His long hair is wet and dripping down his bare back.
We were out on the dunes for most of the afternoon, only eating power bars and drinking water, but the sun still hasn’t set, so I guess this is lunch, not dinner.
“Yeah, I’m starving too.” I slip into the booth-style seat in front of him.
The TV is on, quietly playing The Goonies . We don’t have internet in this old RV, just our phones and a DVD player, so I was sure to pack a few of our favorite old movies.
I reach for the loaf of bread, but Ren stops me. “Oh, here. I made you one. Mustard instead of mayo, just how you like it.” He hands me a plate with a sandwich cut down the middle.
“Thanks, Ren.” I smile crookedly and sprinkle some salt and vinegar chips on the side.
We dig in, both of us refueling in silence. It was a fun day, but my legs and back are definitely feeling it. Especially after sleeping on that shitty sofa bed last night.
Fuck, I’m not looking forward to that again.
After we finish eating and put the food away, we continue lounging around and move to the couch to watch the rest of the movie. It’s been one of our favorites since we were little, and now it sort of feels like we’re finally on our own adventure. Just the two of us.
“We need to move Carmen to the campsite before it gets dark. The sun’s starting to set,” Ren whispers as he gently shakes my arm.
“Hmm?” I lift my head off his bare shoulder, realizing I must have fallen asleep.
I sit up straight, stretching my arms and arching my back until it pops.
Warren chuckles. “Nice nap?”
I feel the heat in my cheeks, but I smile and nod.
The credits are rolling, so Ren shuts the TV off. “Let’s sit up front. We gotta drive to the campsite.”
“Are we staying inside the National Park?” I ask, crawling through to the passenger seat as best I can with my large body.
Ren starts the engine. “Yeah, we’re only driving a couple miles down that way.” He points off into the distance and I hum, buckling my seatbelt.
We pull up to the campsite just as the sun is starting to set. Streaks of orange, red, and pink spill over the dunes like an abstract work of art.
“Spectacular, isn’t it?” Ren asks softly, and I realize we’ve already parked, and the engine is off. Glancing around, I see a few other small campers and RVs spread out, but it’s entirely private and secluded.
“Grab a hoodie and meet me outside,” Ren says excitedly, hopping up from the driver’s seat and rummaging around in his luggage.
We really need to unpack.
I do the same, slipping a hoodie on and quickly using the restroom.
When I step outside, Warren’s already out here watching the sunset, with a reusable grocery bag in his hand and what looks like a folded blanket.
Everything is bathed in shades of gold and pink.
“Come here,” Ren whispers, leading me around the RV and up the ladder on the back, taking us to the roof. I haven’t been up here yet, and I smile as he lays the blanket out and sets the bag down in the middle.
He settles on one side, smiling up at me and chewing on that damn tongue ring.
Why is my heart racing, and my stomach doing somersaults?
“This is awesome,” I whisper, ignoring the strange feelings and smiling kindly instead.
I settle next to him on the blanket, stretching my legs out and wondering what he brought in the grocery bag.
The crisp sound of a beer tab opening gets my attention, and I grab the can from Ren’s outstretched hand, taking a healthy swallow.
He opens his own beer, and we just sit in silence, side by side, watching the beautiful colors erupt across the horizon.
“It’s like an oil painting achieved only by layers and layers of color blended together. It’s so rich and vibrant. Unbelievable that nature can create something so beautiful.”
I turn to stare at him as he stares at the view—entranced by the setting sun and enamored by its beauty—he doesn’t even notice me watching.
Ren slips his Polaroid out, aiming it at the dunes and taking a picture. His eyes are sparkling, excitement rolling through him as he uses his phone next, snapping a few digital photos before turning to me.
“Smile!” Ren says, and it doesn’t take much.
I’m happy right now. This place is stunning and unique.
Kind of like my best friend.
“Can you take some of me?” he asks, handing his phone over.
I snap a few photos and grab the Polaroid camera to get one of those too, telling him to act natural, like he’s just up here watching the sunset by himself.
“So, are you doing the blog?” I don’t mean to push, I just really think he’d be great at it.
“I still don’t know yet. Undecided seems to be the theme of my life,” he chuckles. “But you’re right, I want to capture this journey whether I end up sharing it with the world or not.”
“Of course.” I give him a small smile that he returns easily.
His sharp bone structure is illuminated by the sun, and his raven hair is half up, the rest of it cascading over his shoulders and blowing in the wind. He looks like a male model and has the body of one too.
Why do I seem to have a problem with checking him out?
It’s creepy.
I really need to stop.
I snap a few more photos of him, and then we lean back on the blanket, sipping our beers and watching as day slowly becomes night out on the dunes.
Warren rummages through the grocery bag like he’s Mary Poppins and pulls out an electric lantern, switching it on and setting it between us.
Next, he pulls out two pizza Lunchables—extra cheese—and sets them on the blanket. “Your mom packed these. Did you see ’em?”
My eyes widen in excitement, mirroring his, and a slow smile curls my lips. “No, I did not.”
Mom and Dad must have spent three hundred dollars on all of this. I can’t thank them enough.
We assemble our portable, cold pizzas and eat them in silence.
When we’re done, Ren stuffs everything into a trash bag and switches off the lantern, bathing us in a sea of darkness.
We get lost in the relaxing atmosphere, losing track of time, until suddenly the inky sky is filled with stars.
I have no idea what time it is, but it doesn’t even matter. We have no school, no work, and no girlfriends to worry about.
It’s just the two of us and this RV on an epic fucking road trip.
“This is some top-tier stargazing.” Ren’s smooth voice pulls me out of my buzz.
I take another swig of beer, leaning back on my elbows. “Low humidity, a cloudless night, and absolutely no light pollution,” I say, thinking back to my meteorology class senior year in high school.
Ren grins at me. “It’s perfect,” he whispers.
Billions of tiny lights twinkle above us, and there seems to be so many more than I’ve ever noticed before.
“Out here, there’s nothing obscuring our view. The stars have nowhere to hide,” Ren murmurs, and I turn my head to find him staring at me. “Everything’s exposed.”
I don’t blink until he gazes at the sky once again, and I follow suit, letting his words sink in.
Everything’s exposed.