“Is there a reason you’re chewing like that?” Zach had already grown impatient with the brunette sitting across from him. He could see the little bits of food swishing around in her mouth, something he wouldn’t have noticed if it weren’t for the sound she was making. It could only be compared to the sound a goat would make walking on cobblestone.

The girl was caught off guard. He didn’t have to make the comment at all, let alone say it the way he did. Her mouth stopped moving and her grew wide and glossy like 2 emerald colored marbles. Zach couldn’t find much to like about the girl. She was far too skinny and she didn’t have much to say about anything. He hoped that she was focusing so hard on her food because she was trying to avoid how awkard the situation was, but he knew it was probably because the food wouldn’t make it to her mouth if she lost focus.

“Wait, where’s the kid?” Zach’s eyes darted all over the well lit kitchen. The obnoxious lighting combined with the porcelain white countertops created a blinding effect, making it hard to find the slender teenager even though he was wearing a black hoodie.

“What kid? I thought it was just you and the other guy.” She politely covered her mouth as she spoke.

“The fucking kid! He was sitting right next to you in the car!” Zach shot up out of his seat. It wasn’t worth interrupting Ken’s romp in the bedroom with the girl’s best friend. He just needed to avoid the embarrassment of losing Jay again, especially after the way he treat Ken when Jay wandered away at a rest stop near Jackson. “Help me find him!”

The girl, Karla, walked to the window overlooking downtown Dallas. The city’s lights assured that nothing would stay hidden for long. Sure enough, Jay’s puppet-like walk stuck out amoungst the hoard of people walking from bar to bar. She opened the window but refrained from yelling. There was no need. Maybe this night wasn’t a complete loss after all.

“I think I saw him walking down the street.” She said in a suspiciously calm voice. “We gotta go get him.”

“Shit! Why didn’t you call him?”

“I’m not good at yelling. Sorry.”

Zach silently fumed as he put on his gloves. The Dallas winters were always colder than he wanted to give them credit for. Karla buzzed as she put on her hot pink beanie. Zach noticed a certain charm in her smile and how excited she was to be going outside. He still did what he could to stay focused on the task at hand.

There were no more muted moans or nervous laughter coming from the bedroom. Zach thought it a good idea to let Ken know where he was going, but decided against it. No reason to kill the vibe in the bedroom.

The car was easily the best option. They’d never catch Jay on foot. There was something special about riding in the front seat of Zach’s car. Actually, Ken was the only person who could give a first hand account. Karla didn’t hesitate to set the radio to her favorite country music station in hopes of hearing a Gretchen Wilson song, any Gretchen Wilson song. It was a maneuver Ken wouldn’t never dreamed of attempting. Zach would allow it just this once.

“What does he like to do? Maybe that’ll help us find him.” She turned down the music ever so slightly so she wouldn’t have to yell.

“No idea.” Zach laughed. “Kid barely even fucking talks. I mean, he couldn’t have gotten far.”

The car cruised the city streets while Karla bobbed and mouthed the words to every single song that came on. She’d often close her eyes and sway to the beat. She never worked on a farm and she wasn’t much of a drinker. Cowboys weren’t attractive and Teslas were infinitely cooler than F-150s, but she still found the songs incredibly relatable. The radio host announced that it was Keith Urban’s birthday and he took the rest of the tine he had to play all of his best live performances. Guitar made much more sense than moonshine to her.

“Ooh i bet he was hungry and went down the street to get tacos.”

“He doesn’t have any fuckin money.”

“You curse so much! Jesus. You and your friend. I don’t know why Martina wanted to hang out with ya’ll.” She pouted.

“Ya’ll? Really? Do we need to change stations?”

“Shut up!” She slapped his arm. “I’m from Arkansas, you know.”

“Let me guess, you went to school just long enough to lose your accent but not long enough to put it on a job application?”

“Something like that. You don’t have to be mean. I know I’m southern but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid.” Her eyes got smaller. She was clearly upset. She folded her arms and her lips stayed tight even as she spoke.

“Look I’m from Durham. So i get it.” He refocused on the road ahead. He tried to pick out faces in the crowd but they all blended together. The music didn’t make it any easier to focus.

“That’s not the South!!” She screeched and broke out in laughter. “Jesus. Next you’re gonna tell me Baltimore is southern too!”

“It…” Zach could feel the big laugh coming and chose not to finish the statement. “Nevermind.”

She wiped the tears from her eyes. “So what brings you all the way to Dallas?”

“Nothing. Just another stop. We’re headed west.”

“To Nevada?! Please say you’re going to Nevada! I love the desert. Have you ever been?”

“A few years ago. It’s not bad. I think i like the city better, though.”

“The city’s ok. I love the open space out in the desert, though. I’ve only been once. It’s so beautiful. You can see for miles. And it’s so quiet. Oh, I love how quiet it is. Maybe I’d like the city more if I didn’t have to hear a car passing or a drunk guy yelling every 10 minutes.”

“Maybe you should go back. You know, after you get tired of being a sidekick.”

“God, you’re such an ass. Can’t you say 2 sentences without saying something mean?”

“It’s not mean, it’s true. You followed your friend to the bar after she talked you into it. Then you tagged along with me to look for Jay. Face it, you’re a sidekick.”

“Whatever.” She leaned her head against the window and pouted again.

The action on the sidewalks began to slow down. It was easier to tell people apart but there was still no sign of Jay.

“Look, I’m sorry I was mean.” It was a rare apology for Zach. He rarely felt the need to take back anything he said. It wasn’t a matter of principal. He would just never get around to it. There were plenty of times he wanted to say sorry, but he usually had a hard time putting the words together. “I appreciate you helping me out.”

“Why are you so worried about that boy anyway?”

“I don’t really know. I can’t explain it, but things are a little easier with him here. I think he complements Ken pretty well.”

“Oh just admit it, you like him! You think he’s a good person. He’s your friend. It’s ok to have friends other than that dopey guy you travel with , you know. Just say it. Call him your friend.”

“No. He’s easy to have around. That’s about it.”

They gave up on trying to find Jay walking in the streets. The next best option was to go back to Martina’s apartment and wait him out.

Ken, Martina, and Jay were sitting in the kichen, playing cards and eating cheese squares. Martina was tryung to hold in a laugh and Jay was holding a stack of Uno cards so large that he’d need nothing short of a miracle to win the game.

“Where the hell have you been?” Ken stood up and threw his arms up. Martina burst into laughter.

“Where the hell have YOU been?” Zach never took his eyes off of Jay.

“Dude, he never left!” Ken answered. “We were all watching a movie and he fell asleep.”

“You fuck! You did this on purpose. Is this about Jackson?”

“Kinda. Looks like it worked.” Ken leaned in to whisper in his ear. “I think she likes you, bro.”

Karla grabbed Zach’s arm and asked if they could watch a movie. She had almost no interest in watching a movie with Zach.

Martina suggested getting food. Jay rubbed his stomach in agreement.

“Yeah, I think I could put some food down.” Ken led the way as everyone put their clothes on.

“I think I heard about this really cool taco place down the street.” Ken said. Martina burst into laughter again.