Divorcing The Earth chapter 3

Chapter Three

Kevin peered out the passenger window of Ty’s car. He tried to choreograph his thoughts with the visual ballet of passing scenery. It was whimsically satisfying when mental, emotional and physical occasionally synched up to create a strangely - abstract rhythm.
“What’s up with you man?,” Ty said with an exasperation that had obviously been building. “You haven’t hardly said shit sense I picked you up.”
Kevin could feel Ty’s gaze before he even turned from the window. A sudden rush of guilt flushed his cheeks. It had been nearly twenty minutes since their last exchange. They had made up quickly as they always did, but he couldn’t help sinking back into his reflective doldrums.
“Hey if it’s about what I said earlier..” Ty started. “I didn’t mean to..”
“Nah, nah it’s alright. That’s my bad. You were just trying to be cool. I’ve just been feeling weird today - you know - like….I don’t know.”
“Yeah well,” Ty said. “You’re about to feel real weird when I drop your ass off on the side of the road. It’s a long way to Isaac and Tamara’s house and I ain’t running no taxi service!”
“Whatever!” Kevin said, letting that one word stand as his defense and his apology.
Ty was a cool guy even if he was a little high strung at times. They had known each other since their freshman year of college. He had always had a smartass - I don’t care what you think - type of attitude; which was good for comic relief, but without an audience he tended to get unbearably self-conscious.
“Besides, we’re almost there. I promise I’ll lighten up.. I’m just a little tired right now.”
“Well you better pep up buddy, cause I just may have a little surprise for you,” Ty said in a coy tone just brewing with mischief. He straightened up in his seat and turned his gaze back to the road with pursed lips, like the cat that ate the canary, and planned on going back for seconds.
“Ahh hell, you know I’ve never liked your surprises.”
“Bullshit!” Ty said indignantly. “I can think of a few of my surprises you enjoyed just fine.”
“Oh lemme guess…a big bag of weed right?”
“Well shit, that’s a given man.”
“Then what? It better not be cola. You know I don’t do that anymore and I thought you…”
“Nah, nah, nah. It’s not cocaine,“ Ty mused.
When they both met in college, they not only experimented with every drug under the sun, they had made a science of getting fucked up. It’s a wonder they both weren’t as fried as some of the road kill they had passed on the highway. Fortunately, they wised up and returned to the world of non-zombies. Some of the other people they had known…well, they were a different story. Nowadays they mostly confined themselves to the occasional blunt and weekend alcohol binge.
“Well what then!?” Kevin was quickly losing his patience with the guessing game. “Dude, seriously I’m about to kick your ass. What did you do?”
“Ahh that’s my little fightin’ cream puff. See, you’re more energetic already.”
Kevin’s eyes smiled with embarrassment but his body language smoldered with exasperation.
“Ok fine. I was gonna tell you alright?”
Ty finally admitted that he had been talking to Tamara. They had both met Tamara in college, a little after they had met each other. They were now going to her and her husband Isaac’s house to meet some more friends of theirs: Ryan and Jenna. They were all going to meet up and caravan to Broken Bow from there. They had been planning this trip to Oklahoma for a couple of months. They were renting a nice cabin up in the hill country for a few days. It was the end of November just after Thanksgiving. The weather was cold, the air was crisp, and it was perfect for a nice secluded getaway in the outdoors.
Apparently Tamara was just as worried about Kevin as Ty was. She’d known him for a long time and knew, that even after two years, Kevin hadn’t completely recovered from the shock of Nikki’s death. He’d gotten on with his life for the most part. It hit him really hard in the beginning, as it did everyone, but he was a strong guy and eventually got back on track. But maybe that’s what worried her. He was a little too composed about the situation. She didn’t feel he had allowed himself to grieve properly, and more and more lately it was beginning to show. The two year anniversary of that horrible day had recently passed. He never spoke much about it, but everyone that knew him before, knew he was just a shell of his former self. She knew, he loved her very much, and she had never seen him so alive and as comfortable with himself than when they were together: that short period of time that they were together.