‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
117
“How didn’t I see you in Chicago?” Taylor frowned.
“There were a few hundred people there and I was toward the back. Most of the kids thought I was someone’s father,” Nate mused, “I liked the speech you gave. It was very inspiring.”
Taylor closed his eyes sleepily, wondering how long he could keep the banter up. Nate had never opened up to him so much and he knew he needed to take advantage. He just needed to stay conscious.
“Thank you,” he said softly, “we put a lot of work into them.”
“I know. I think The Walk album was my favourite, too. Not that the last one wasn’t good, it was just a bit too… jolly.”
Taylor looked confused, but decided to brush it off.
“You bought the albums?” he tried to keep the conversation going.
“Of course. All of them. And the DVDs.”
“Just to keep tabs on us?” Taylor’s brow furrowed.
“Just to keep up with you,” Nate shrugged.
Taylor could feel his eyes starting to well up again and stubbornly wiped the moisture away.
“Have I upset you?” Nate frowned.
“No, no,” Taylor lied, now more worried than ever before of saying the wrong thing, “I ah… I appreciate it. You were trying to watch out for me. Right?”
“Right,” Nate smiled, leaning back into the chair.
When Taylor closed his eyes again he realised his adrenaline was now pumping too much to let him sleep. Taking a deep breath he opened his eyes again when he heard Nate shift.
“Have you thought any more about your press statement?”
“My what?” Taylor had honestly forgotten.
“Your statement. About choosing to come and live with me.”
“No, I’m sorry,” Taylor admitted, diverting his eyes.
“That’s okay. There’s plenty of time. You should get some sleep.”
Taylor just nodded and closed his eyes, wondering if he’d ever actually sleep again.
*
“Do you think he’s still in Tampico?” Zac’s eyebrows rose.
“I don’t know,” Isaac looked worried as he watched the road, “I’m more worried about Nate being unaccounted for.”
“You think he knows what happened?”
“I think anything’s possible at this point,” Isaac shrugged, “Tay could be with the Mexican woman, he could be with Nate, he could be freaking anywhere.”
“Obviously somewhere he can’t leave or we would have heard something by now.”
Isaac looked down as his cell phone started ringing. When the car kit picked up, he noticed Zac frown at the name on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Isaac? It’s Carlson.”
“Davison’s trying to call too,” Zac whispered as he watched the phone go berserk.
“Where are you?” Carlson sounded like he was running.
“We’re just passing through Dallas on our way back to Tulsa, why?” Isaac frowned.
“Turn around,” Carlson responded immediately, “Taylor’s in Reynosa.”
“There were a few hundred people there and I was toward the back. Most of the kids thought I was someone’s father,” Nate mused, “I liked the speech you gave. It was very inspiring.”
Taylor closed his eyes sleepily, wondering how long he could keep the banter up. Nate had never opened up to him so much and he knew he needed to take advantage. He just needed to stay conscious.
“Thank you,” he said softly, “we put a lot of work into them.”
“I know. I think The Walk album was my favourite, too. Not that the last one wasn’t good, it was just a bit too… jolly.”
Taylor looked confused, but decided to brush it off.
“You bought the albums?” he tried to keep the conversation going.
“Of course. All of them. And the DVDs.”
“Just to keep tabs on us?” Taylor’s brow furrowed.
“Just to keep up with you,” Nate shrugged.
Taylor could feel his eyes starting to well up again and stubbornly wiped the moisture away.
“Have I upset you?” Nate frowned.
“No, no,” Taylor lied, now more worried than ever before of saying the wrong thing, “I ah… I appreciate it. You were trying to watch out for me. Right?”
“Right,” Nate smiled, leaning back into the chair.
When Taylor closed his eyes again he realised his adrenaline was now pumping too much to let him sleep. Taking a deep breath he opened his eyes again when he heard Nate shift.
“Have you thought any more about your press statement?”
“My what?” Taylor had honestly forgotten.
“Your statement. About choosing to come and live with me.”
“No, I’m sorry,” Taylor admitted, diverting his eyes.
“That’s okay. There’s plenty of time. You should get some sleep.”
Taylor just nodded and closed his eyes, wondering if he’d ever actually sleep again.
*
“Do you think he’s still in Tampico?” Zac’s eyebrows rose.
“I don’t know,” Isaac looked worried as he watched the road, “I’m more worried about Nate being unaccounted for.”
“You think he knows what happened?”
“I think anything’s possible at this point,” Isaac shrugged, “Tay could be with the Mexican woman, he could be with Nate, he could be freaking anywhere.”
“Obviously somewhere he can’t leave or we would have heard something by now.”
Isaac looked down as his cell phone started ringing. When the car kit picked up, he noticed Zac frown at the name on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Isaac? It’s Carlson.”
“Davison’s trying to call too,” Zac whispered as he watched the phone go berserk.
“Where are you?” Carlson sounded like he was running.
“We’re just passing through Dallas on our way back to Tulsa, why?” Isaac frowned.
“Turn around,” Carlson responded immediately, “Taylor’s in Reynosa.”