King Of the Road

by Jeff Baker

The two of them could hear the crickets from the darkened trailer and they grinned.

Harve and Lucas had been best friends since Grade School and had been camping out in Harvey’s family’s old trailer parked in the side yard against the house since they were in Jnr. High.

Now they were in their twenties and had become more than friends. When Harve had come back in town from College, he and Lucas had decided to camp out in the trailer overnight. They made sure they locked the door.

Lucas started singing that old song with the lyric about renting a trailer and the two of them busted out laughing. They were lounging on the pull-out bed which was just big enough for two people. They were only wearing shorts.

“Remember Junior year?” Harve said. “The first time we ever…you know, right here?”

“Oh yeah,” Lucas said. “I remember. I’m just glad we didn’t make a lot of noise. And that your folks were away for the weekend.”

“Yeah, my folks,” Harve said. “Look, if we’re going to move in together we’re going to have to tell them. You know, about us.”

“We won’t be obvious,” Lucas said. “I mean, I’m not out yet and you certainly aren’t.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to hide it from them,” Harve said, kissing Lucas. “Besides, they’ll find out eventually.”

“We don’t have to worry about that right now,” Lucas said, kissing Harve. “We’ll make it through this. We just have to…”

There was a banging on the side of the trailer.

“Guys, calm down,” came the voice. Harve’s Grandmother who was visiting his folks. “Everybody already knows and we’re fine with it.”

Harve and Lucas froze and gawked at each other.

“You need to close the side window of this trailer,” she said. “It’s up against the open window of the house and we can hear everything. Here.”

She tapped on the front door of the trailer.

“I got a bag of cookies for you, thought you’d be hungry. They’re safer than cigarettes.”

“Uh, thanks Grandma,” Harve said.

“Yeah, thanks,” Lucas said, trying not to laugh.

“Get ‘em before the dogs and raccoons do,” she said as she walked away.

“Oh,” she called back as she opened the kitchen door. “You two guys invite me to the wedding.”

Lucas stared at Harve for a moment. “I think we’re out,” he said.

“Yeah,” Harve said. “To the whole neighborhood.”

The two of them laughed as Harve went to get the cookies.

—end—