Pollen crusts the window like a strange frost, I trace the outlines with my finger. A pillow smashes into my head and my idle spoon clatters to the floor. 

“Boys!” Mom shouts at us. She shoots a glare at Colton and then begins to lecture. Mom’s favorite thing to do is lecture. She could probably be a pretty successful lecturer on some college campus somewhere if they had a class devoted to household chores.

Today’s lecture involves the merits of eating breakfast. It’s almost humorous, since I’ve never known anyone in our household to skip breakfast. She begins listing the negative effects a person will experience if they skip breakfast, not excluding the normal reaction of hunger but also including drowsiness, grumpiness, and lack of focus…I could go on.

Colton’s groaning beside me but I give Mom my best smile.

“Sorry I was just distracted. I’ve got to leave early because I’m giving a friend a ride.” Mom nods and heaps more bacon on to mine and Colton’s plates. Colton’s giving me an intense stare. He kind of looks like he has to go to the bathroom. I hope he realizes that.

“You’ve been acting weirder than usual Shroom…and that’s gotta be a record.” Mom turns and slaps him with the spatula.

“Now what have I said about that nickname. I don’t like that it makes your brother sound like a—”

“It’s alright mom. I’m going to take this to go.” I stand and shove my food into a cup to make it easier to carry. A few stray eggs fall to the floor and Elf Cup, our fat wiener dog, shoots out from under the table to inhale them before they can be swept up, her tail wagging. Mom sighs, giving me a look and pushes me from the kitchen.

“We’re going to have to put Elf Cup on a diet if you keep dropping scraps for her.”

“Eh she’s not that big.” Mom tilts her head to the side and arches a brow.

“She weighs 15 pounds Aether.” She’s about to go into a lecture about Elf Cup’s weight, I can just tell, so I begin to make my exit, mouthing sorry to Colton, because I’m sure her lecture will be towards him next.

A quick kiss on the cheek, barely escaping mom trying to ruffle my hair and a brotherly pat and a grunt from Colton. The grunt is his way of saying he loves me. “I’ll see y’all in two weeks!” I yell as I rush out. Mom follows me to the door and is yelling safety tips over Colton’s comments about practicing safe sex. Good thing Dad’s already left for work or he’d have stopped me to give me the birds and bees talk for the twentieth time. Not that I mind. I couldn’t have asked for a better family, but now’s definitely not the time, and I’m already late.

The weeks preparing for the trip have been just building my excitement, and now it’s reached the boiling point, all that’s left is to get Raylen and drive up the mountain.

After reaching Raylen’s street I see she’s standing at the end right next to the turn. I’d offered to go to her house but she mumbled something about serial killers and refused to give me her address. I jump out to help her with her luggage, and she passes the four bags to me with a look that dares me to comment about the massive suitcases.

“Music?” Raylen says as soon as she sits in the seat, eyeing the leather like it might come to life and bite her. I almost mention that it’s fake just in case that kind of thing bugs her but decide she could probably figure it out.

“Well since we are driving up into the mountains the radio won’t really work but do you have any cds?” I turn in my seat to look at her as I fasten my seatbelt. She shakes her head and lets loose a long sigh. “I have a few!” I put in one of my favorites before starting the car.

We’ve just exited Raylen’s neighborhood when she turns the CD player off. “You have terrible taste in music. You really have a Backstreet Boys CD from the 90s?”

“But it’s their debut album…ummm we can still talk though! Or I have some other CDs as well if that doesn’t pique your interest.”

“Let’s just be quiet,” Raylen replies. She crosses her arms and sinks back into her seat with a long sigh. After a few minutes I can’t resist regaling her with stories of my favorite mushrooms. I might not be that comfortable with the silence…it’s a little stifling.

“Let me see the CDs.” Raylen says as I’m telling her about the Indigo Milkcap that got it’s name because it oozes a blue substance whenever it’s cut or broken. I just point to the center console compartment.

She looks at the collection in silence and then starts laughing. It’s a startled laugh, as if I’ve surprised her somehow.

“You are seriously twisted. Do you really have a CD of nearly ever genre?”

“I like options,” She picks one of my other favorites, Sam’s Town by The Killers . Things are quiet for a bit but when the song “Read My Mind” comes on I can’t resist singing and Raylen cranks the volume up to drown me out, but I don’t let that stop me from singing.