Road Trip

The Highway had become especially dusty now. And not to mention empty. There was now nothing to look at but blackness that seemed to last forever and ever. We’d been travelling for nearly 6 hours now without a stop or a break, and Max’s head had begun to drool along with his eyelids.

It was one of those horrible, sticky humid nights, where you crave something icy and cold to cool you down but you don’t have access to anything ‘cos it’s all melted. Luckily, we had cans of Coca-cola in the cooler to rest on our burning hot cheeks, but somehow it wasn’t enough. I wanted to live in a fridge freezer right now. That would be heaven. Max had even taken his jacket off and t-shirt and tied it around his head to keep his matted wet hair from his head. I made a point to do the same, since my hair was longer than his. And to some extent it did help, but it would have been much nicer to have a nice breeze gushing around my torso. We looked like Rambo clones, Max had pointed out earlier which made me laugh, so I got the infamous scene camera out to document that crazy look and resumed slouching in my seat again as if nothing ever happened. Oh, Max and I have our scene moments.

The leather seats didn’t seem much of a novelty now, not that it ever did in it’s state. But what was left of it was nice leather, but now it just stuck to your back and whenever you moved and it was pretty painful. And don’t even get me started on my legs, I tried not to think about them as they itched like crazy, I just wanted to rip them off. But then I might look more like George of the Jungle rather than Rambo.

I threw my head back, frustrated as hell, sighing as another bead of sweat trickled down my temple toward my cheek. I breathed in the humid night air, catching a whiff of the current stench of the car. I gagged.

“Max, we need to get a car freshener,” I covered my nose and mouth, protecting them from the overwhelming sense of man sweat and rotten vegetables. Mmm, Lovely.

“Max?” I asked, he hadn’t responded. I looked over at him, squinting into the dark. I saw his head had totally flopped and now it was leant against the wheel, lolling around lifelessly. Panicking, I slapped him.

“Wake up you fucking-Oh my god,” I sighed. He wasn’t waking, so leaning over, I took the wheel from him, shoving his head to the side and I parked the car on the side of the road. Suddenly, I heard him stir beside me.

“Dude, you stink.” Max murmured, yawning. I sat upright, staring at him.

“You fell asleep at the wheel you dick you could have had us killed!” I shouted, slapping him around the head. He looked at me, alarmed. Jumping up, he dove on me, ruffling my hair and slapping my head gratuitously. Playfully too, of course.

“AGHH! Get off, What are you- MAX!” I shouted, breathless as he crouched in front of me laughing, sweat rolling down his pale torso, which glistened in the moonlight.

“Sorry, Craigifer. I couldn’t resist,” he said through stifled chuckles.

“You’re the one who fell asleep driving, I should be the one slapping your head!” I exclaimed, pushing him off my lap causing him to fall back against his door.

“Yeah, was a nice nap too,” He grinned, tightening the grip of his t-shirt around his head.

“Anyway, you jerk we need to find a Motel or something so we can get some sleep. In a bed. I think you’re delirious or something,” I frowned, watching him go cross eyed as he watched some more sweat roll down the bridge of his nose. He sat at the wheel properly, drumming one set of fingers on the dashboard. He looked around him, as if he wasn’t sure what to do next. I watched him, one eyebrow raised.

“Right, that’s it Green. I’m driving” I said, leaning over to get into Max’s seat. He looked alarmed as he snapped to attention.

“What the fuck man it’s my turn to drive!” Max protested, wrestling the wheel from me. I sat on his knee, with a bit of force behind me causing him to yelp from under me.

“Mabbitt, it’s still my turn!” Max exclaimed, grabbing my hips and pushing me and my unpenetrated ass dangerously close to the gear stick. I paused.

“Actually, it’s 12:45 in the morning. So it’s my turn.” I grinned, knowing I’d won this time. I plonked myself down on his knees again, making him jerk underneath me, whimpering. He stopped trying to throw me off, defeated.

“Pffft, fine.” Max flicked his hair and t-shirt, and folded his arms in a diva-style strop sort of manor. I just laughed at him, re-starting the car and pulling back onto the road again.

I purposefully drove fast to try and get a breeze circulating, now my body was a little hotter and worn out from wrestling with Max.

“Can you watch out for some signs for Motels as I drive?” I asked, turning my head toward Max in the passenger seat. His body looked like it had been slung over the seat carelessly like some sort of blanket, as his limbs seemed to be strung out randomly in his half of the car. He didn’t look very comfortable. I looked closer, his eyes were shut, and his mouth hung open, revealing his off-white teeth and his slithery pink tongue hanging out of his mouth a little. I sighed, speeding up a little more ignoring the whines and complaints I received from the engine. I sighed again, I was on my own now, driving through the dark with just the 2 strong lamplights sending a beam out in front. I looked up, seeing a road sign out of the corner of my eye.

‘Motel Jersey, 2km’

I smiled, that wasn’t too far away. I checked my surroundings and pressed the gas pedal as far down as it would go, just as Max did at the start of the trip, so it hit the floor, sending me and a sleeping Max zooming down the strip like Ronnie was chasing us with a flamethrower.

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1:12am, Motel Jersey

“Max, we’re at the Motel now,” I said, parking outside a fairly decent looking white motel. Well, as far as motel’s went, I guess. This one had a bar, Max would be pleased to know. I just hoped there weren’t any weirdos in here. I prayed for just a load of truck drivers that kept themselves to themselves. Preferably not gay ones looking for fresh meat, either.

Max stirred, opening his eyes and closing his mouth. He looked around, appearing confused as he yawned, rubbing his eyes. My eyelids began to feel like lead, so I hoped this would be a quick check in. I opened the car door, my legs feeling incredible as they stretched out, and the blood rushed through them properly. I walked to Max’s side of the car, opening the door for him and yanking him out.

“Chill Mabbitt, I was following’ you,” Max stumbled, brushing the dust from his shorts and slamming his door. I suddenly felt bad.

“Dude, I’m sorry. I’m just cranky, I need sleep.” I apologised to my friend. I underestimated him sometimes, treated him like a performing monkey. When really, he was just being a guy. And he was always there for me when I needed him. He smiled at me

“S’ok,” Max said, patting my shoulder. That was one thing I admired about Max, he was so easy going, always in a good mood. Unless something was eating him. “I just hope there’s air con in this place,”

I pushed open the door of a small out house type building with a light on inside, which I guessed to be some sort of reception desk. An old looking man sat at a wooden desk, nothing fancy, wearing a faded read Chicago cubs baseball cap and drinking a cup of coffee out of a blue mug. I cleared my throat to make our presence known, as he didn’t seem to head us come in. He looked up, placing his cup down as we approached the desk.

“Hey, err can we hire a room for the night?” I asked, placing my hands on the desk.

“Sure,” The man said “It’s 20 bucks each a night,” Not bad, I thought. I made a face of approval, glancing at Max who was doing the same. We dug into pockets, handing over some crunched up green bills and the rather burly, wrinkly man stood up, and hobbled out the door toward the block of white, with several blue doors dotted all over it, which were the rooms. We followed the man until he stopped outside the second blue door we passed, and the man dropped the keys, which dropped with a jingle into my hand, after unlocking the room for us.

“There you go,” He smiled. “You and yer boyfriend have a good night, yeah?” he glanced at us both and hobbled away back to his cabin, grunting. I paused, until he was out of ear shot, and looked at Max, knowing we’d burst into uncontrollable laughter as soon as we caught each other’s eyes.