Isaac spun the wheel, turning the car onto a new patch of road. “And that is the last turn for the next 257 miles,” he said.
“And I can’t see anything but dirt for miles and miles in every direction,” Florence said, sitting to the right of him.
From the back seat Faye piped up, “Yeah, but it is some pretty dirt!”
In the back next to her Keenan replied, “Faye, you’ve gotta be the only person who thinks dirt is pretty.”
“Yeah, well…” Faye began, though she struggled to find a good comeback. Finally, she caved. “SPRING BREAK!” she yelled.
“SPRING BREAK!” they all yelled in unison. Yelling “SPRING BREAK” was how most conversations had ended the past few hours.
The four friends drove down the highway—if you could even call it that—slowly making their way towards their Spring Break destination. Above them, the two kayaks gently rattled against the roof of Isaac’s beat up Subaru.
“I still can’t believe we’re going to the Grand Canyon,” Keenan said.
“I still can’t believe you haven’t been, being that we’ve lived so close to it for all these years,” Isaac replied. He looked at Keenan’s face in the rear view mirror before returning his focus to the road. Though, there wasn’t much to focus on. He could probably have closed his eyes for the next 50 miles and still have been in the lane when he opened them.
“You know, Computer Science is not a degree that pairs well with weekend excursions to the Grand Canyon,” Keenan said. “These past four years, the grandest canyon I’ve seen is the ditch outside the COMP building.”
“I’m telling you, you have to get a life!” Faye said, nudging him with her shoulder. “Who moves all the way from Atlanta to Colorado and doesn’t go outside once?”
“Someone who actually hopes to get a job,” Keenan replied. Faye frowned and stuck her tongue out at him.
From the front, Florence jumped in to defend Keenan. “He did go outside with us once. Remember when we spent the weekend in Colorado Springs? Climbed Pikes Peak?”
“Pikes Peak! Now that was a great trip,” Isaac said.
“God Flo, I think that was when we were freshmen,” Faye replied. “Keenan, tell me you’ve been outside at least once since then.”
“I go outside!” Keenan said. “Everyday when I walk from the dorm to class!” Faye rolled her eyes dramatically while Isaac and Florence chuckled.
“Well,” Isaac began, “the Grand Canyon is definitely a step up from the ditch outside COMP. It’s massive. Remember when we went there on that field trip?”
“Which one, the fifth grade one or the eighth grade one?” Florence asked.
“Eighth.”
“Oh I remember that one,” Faye said. “You mean the one where you spent the entire trip trying to get Cindy to make out with you?”
“Fuck off!” Isaac said while the three others laughed. Eventually, Isaac began to chuckle as well. “I can’t help it,” he said. “She was cute okay…”
“You’ve always had a thing for girls with glasses,” Faye said cheekily, poking him through the seat. Isaac’s hands tensed around the steering wheel as Florence adjusted her glasses next to him.
“You guys are pretty lucky to have known each other since birth,” Keenan replied.
“Only Isaac and Flo have known each other since birth,” Faye said, returning her hands to her lap. “I only moved to Boulder in the third grade.”
“Close enough,” Keenan said. “It’s nice to have friends like that. Neighbors to grow up with.”
“We might have been neighbors, but Isaac wouldn’t even talk to me until we were 8,” Florence said. “No matter how many dinner parties our parents had.”
Isaac relaxed his grip on the wheel. “I couldn’t!” he exclaimed.
“Why’s that?” Florence said.
“It’s simple really,” Isaac said before taking a brief pause. “COOTIES!”
The four laughed. “Still must have been nice,” Keenan mused, looking out the window. “A nice way to grow up.” A gentle silence filled the car, almost threatening to lengthen into an awkward one. Around them was still nothing but dirt.
“Isaac, how could you possibly have talked us into using your car,” Faye said. “No bluetooth, AUX, or radio? You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
“Ashamed?” Isaac said in a faux-mocking manner. “You know it was the only one that would fit the kayaks.” He reached behind to lightly flick her on the knee. “Besides, we’ve already made it more than halfway.”
“Yeah, but I was practically asleep the whole time!” Faye said.
“Faye does love her beauty sleep,” Florence said. Once again Faye stuck out her tongue, though from the front Florence couldn’t see.
“There is one thing I know though,” Isaac said. “One very important thing.”
“What’s that?” Keenan asked.
Isaac grinned—eyes still on the road—and whispered, “Spring Break.”
“SPRING BREAK!” the four of them yelled before collapsing into laughter. Seven hours in and the joke still hadn’t grown old.
“What about you Florence,” Keenan said. “Have you heard back from any med schools yet?”
“A few. My MCAT scores were high enough that I ought to be able to go anywhere.”
“But aren’t you going to stay in Colorado?” Keenan asked.
Florence briefly glanced at Isaac before responding. “Honestly, I’m not sure anymore. At first I wanted to… But it’s a wide world out there you know.” Isaac tensed his grip on the steering wheel again, though no one else seemed to notice.
“What about you Isaac?” Keenan said. “Still want to stay in CO?”
“Keenan Keenan Keenan,” Isaac began, wagging his finger in the air. “There are only so many things a Physics degree can get you. I’ll be lucky if I can find a job as a high school PE teacher.”
“There’s always custodian,” Faye said.
Isaac reached back and gently flicked her on the knee again. “Oh fuck off. Me, a custodian? You’re the one in Environmental Studies. You know, custodian might actually suit you. What’s more environmental than cleaning up other people’s shit?”
Faye crossed her arms and kicked the back of his seat, causing Isaac to curse again. Florence decided to chime in. “Have you thought about it though, Faye?” she said. “What you’re going to do in two months?”
Faye sat back in her seat, her arms still crossed. “Ugh. Don’t make me think about that right now Flo. We don’t all have the next 10 years of our lives mapped out in a color-coded planner.”
Florence briefly looked over her shoulder to give Faye a side-eye glare. “I’ll have you know, highlighters are quite useful.” Only Isaac gave a brief chuckle.
Silence returned to the car for a few moments, and the four turned their attention back to the outside world. Most of it was just dirt, with patches of low shrubs. Far off into the distance, you could just barely make out a few rock formations. It had been a while since any of them had seen another vehicle, coming or going.
Faye fidgeted in her seat. “Um… guys, you’re going to hate me, but I kind of need to pee again.” The three others let out a collective groan. Faye always needed to pee.
“Why didn’t you go when we were at the last gas station?” Florence demanded.
“I didn’t have to go then!”
“Well Faye,” Isaac said, “I hate to break it to you but we’re about 150 miles away from the next one.”
“Well…” Faye began, but was unsure how to continue. “Well, shit.”
Silence returned to the car again, though only briefly. “Okay, I actually need to go pretty bad,” Faye said, squirming in her seat.
Isaac lifted a hand up from the steering wheel. “What do you want me to do Faye? Just pull over so you can piss on the side of the road?”
“Well…” Faye began. The three others groaned again. Keenan covered his eyes. “What?” Faye continued, “We haven’t seen a car for miles. It would take like 30 seconds tops.”
“You really want me to stop right now so you can pee on the side of the road?”
“Would you rather I pee on your backseat?” Faye snapped back.
“Alright, we’re pulling over!” Isaac said, beginning to slow the car down to a stop.
“Spring Break!” Faye said.
“Spring Break…” the three others returned halfheartedly.
Isaac guided the car to a stop right off the side of the road and cut the engine. Faye unbuckled, opened the back left door, and raced around to the back right side, positioning herself so that the car would cover her in case another vehicle passed by.
“JUST GIVE ME A SEC!” Faye yelled from outside. “I’M GOING TO GIVE IT A SQUAT. KEENAN, I SWEAR TO GOD YOU BETTER NOT LOOK!”
Keenan now fully covered his entire face with his hands. “What the fuck are you doing Faye,” he mumbled. In the front, Isaac sat back in his seat, taking the moment to stretch his hands. Next to him, Florence rested her head on her arm.
“OKAY, PANTS ARE DOWN. KEENAN, EYES CLOSED!”
“FAYE, YOU DON’T HAVE TO FUCKING NARRATE IT!” Keenan yelled. Isaac and Florence chuckled.
“I can’t believe you dated her,” Florence said.
“Yeah well, I can’t believe I did either,” Keenan said, head still in his hands. “What was I thinking…”
“I CAN HEAR YOU!” Faye yelled from outside. Keenan groaned and lowered his head all the way into his lap. “ALRIGHT, ALMOST DONE! PANTS ARE ABOUT TO COME BACK UP!”
“THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW!” Isaac yelled, before lowering his voice. “I’m just glad you two could stay friends.”
Keenan lifted himself back up. “It was important to Faye that we did,” he said softly. “She didn’t want to ruin the group.” Isaac tensed up again.
“PANTS ARE BACK UP!” Faye yelled, before running back around and opening the door. “See, I told you it wouldn’t take long.”
“Faye, you’re gross,” Keenan said.
“What, just because I can’t pee on whatever tree I find doesn’t mean I can’t go outside!” Faye retorted.
“Alright alright, settle down,” Isaac said. He gave his hands one last flex before reaching for the keys. “Time to hit the road again. I want to make it there before sunset.”
Isaac twisted the keys and the car revved, then stopped. He mumbled under his breath and tried it again, twisting the keys. Again the car revved, then stopped. “Fuck,” Isaac said. He tried a third time, but with the same results. Four times. Five times. Six times.
“Um, Isaac, what’s going on?” Florence said.
“Nothing! Nothing. Don’t worry about it,” Isaac said. He tried again. Seven times. Eight times. Nine times. But the car wouldn’t catch.
“Why isn’t the car starting?” Keenan said from the back.
Isaac continued trying to start the car, but nothing was working. In frustration, he hit the steering wheel, causing it to honk.
“Isaac!” Florence yelled.
Isaac crashed back into his seat. “Fucking hell. Well… fuck.”
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