Seeming to Go Nowhere

My head was swirling in the comforting noise of others enjoying their night. The house was bursting with talking and yelling and laughter and barking and quiet mutters. My brother ordered 3 pizzas and asked me to pick them up. Ben offered to walk with me, but Brendon didn't trust him just yet. After all, they were strangers and we're just being the warm welcoming committee of our town. So instead, I walked with Josh down to the pizza shop. I will admit, if it came down between Josh and Randy, Josh was my main man. He was the lesser of two evils, but not by much. He wasn't as loud and he did save me many times. Whenever I felt like leaving my only home, he'd talk me out of it.

Yes, the relationship between Brendon and I has never been as easy going as it is now. It was hard to let go of our loving parents. It was extremely hard to deal with the nosy and menacing kids at school, picking on me for not having a mother and father. I could never open up to Brendon. I saw the struggle he had already trying to figure out how to live with another body in his rented shack-of-a-house. It was Josh that offered to pay for rent. It was Josh that got Randy to join in. They've been his best friends since they were born. It only seemed right to Josh that he help out his best bud with his family problems. He had a kind soul for a dimwit and it went a long way.

"So, how 'bout them boys?" Josh smiled as we walked down the block.

"They seem genuine; very nice with their own kind of manners," I smiled back.

"Yeah, it's almost like you got a new dog though," Josh chuckled.

"Uhm, what's that suppose to mean, Josh?" I was utterly confused, no joking.

"Oh, just the way you hang on that Ben, guy. It's like you got a new dog. Ya know, how lil' girls are all 'I'm gonna feed him and bathe him and pick up his poop and hug and love him allllll the tiime…'" his impersonation of a little five year old is frightening and oddly exact.

"Shut up Josh," I muttered, "he's just interesting, that's all."

"Uh huh... Sure darlin'. I've seen that look before when you had a crush on Timmy Harper back in 6th grade."

"You leave Timmy outta this! He kissed me once and that was nothin' alright? I was stupid to like him. He-he had girls falling for him all the time!" I shot out, trying to hide the fact that I did fall for the school 'hottie' Timmy Harper.

"I hear he's doing good. He moved out to Oklahoma City, has a wife and a little boy, and a fine paying job. I'm just sayin' you missed out on a good opportunity Jules. You coulda been doing somethin' by now. "

"You don't really go anywhere in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, Josh," I sighed and agreed, "I'm glad he's doing well. He should come and visit his family. His mom has been bugging me lately and she needs to get some attention now and then. Mr. Harper is doing crap for her gossip time."

"That's why you should stick to hanging out with us at the gas station," he pulled me into a side hug as we walked, "we're more fun than some old hoot."

"Watch yourself, Joshua Parker or I'll tell your mother you've got a dirty mouth," I poked him in the side.

He jerked back, "Oh, Momma knows I've got a nasty habit of talkin' shit. I'm scared more of you than her. You'll give me... whatchamacallit.... corp'ral punishment, yeah?" he started laughing again.

"Yes, corporal punishment, Josh. I'm glad you remembered from the last time I threatened you."

"It's not really a threat when I don't know what you're talkin' about."

I opened the door to the pizza shop, “You should've learned it in history class, Josh..."

He snorted as the door closed behind us, "Did I learn anything in school? Heck no, it was all Brendon with the education. He taught me how to use a calculator and pencil. That's all I gotta do to work for my money."

Mr. Goodwin was already done with the pizzas as we got to the counter. He gave me a small hand salute as I smiled. Mr. Goodwin was in the Vietnam War and I did a report on him for school back in the day. You'd never think you could grow tight with your neighboring pizza man over the years.

"G'evenin' sir," I slipped him the twenty dollar bill, "How's business going?"

"Evening, Jules. Business is doing just fine. The Downings and Rickmans were just in to pick up some pizzas. I think it's been doin' great this week. How's the station?"

"We picked up a big one," Josh grinned as he lifter the pizzas up, "A tour bus loaded with some city boys on their way down to Dallas. They'd just passed though Oklahoma City and all of a sudden, it went kaplooey on 'em."

"Well, that's good and terrible at the same time."

"Always is, Mr. Goodwin," I smiled, "Seeya around, alright?"

"Take care, Jules," he waved us off as we headed back home.