Short Story

Travis and I took drives mainly just to pass the time. It was more about just being together than anything else. Travis just wanted to get away from schoolwork, his daily grind getting to him. My life was relatively ease, but I still needed to escape from my demanding parents.

He turned the dial on the stereo, just to add more noise. That’s how it was with Travis: always just more. Not to say Travis was greedy, he just had high expectations. More food, more clothing, more shifts, more money, more time. Travis judged everyone by intense standards, but no one as hard as himself. He felt he didn’t deserve much of what he had because, in the end, Travis never felt he tried hard enough. He wanted everything, but deserved nothing.
“Where we off to today?” I asked curiously. Travis remained silent for a moment, biting his light brown cheek as he made a decision.

“I was thinking maybe the lake. Really need to get away for a while.” Bitterness filled his voice.

“Was it really all that bad?” I inquired about his week.

“No, not any more so than usual. I’m just getting so sick of this shit.” Travis took the exit leading to the lake, our car headed quickly from the highway. I doubted anyone had gotten as many speeding tickets as Travis.

The music was only turned down ever so slightly when my phone rang, announcing it’s self with my favorite song. I watched the name on the screen for a moment, deciding if it would be appropriate to pick up or not. If I did, Travis would be upset, if I didn’t, Lance would think I was doing something inappropriate with Travis.

“Hey,” I said into the phone, faking my cheerfulness.

“Hi, Baby. What you up to?” Lance asked back thought the line, his deep voice still seducing with only a few words.

“Travis and I are just going up to the lake for a while. What about you?”

“I was hoping to spend some time with you today. You mind if I come out there to join you guys?” I looked at Travis, who glanced back, obviously wondering who I was speaking with.

“I don’t think that should be a problem,” I replied slowly, knowing Travis would not be happy with Lance’s addition to our company. “Just call me when you’re close. I’ll let you know where we are.”

“Okay, sweet. I love you,” Lance announced with sincerity. I swallowed uncomfortably.

“Love you, too.” As I feared Travis’s face darkened. I closed my cell phone, and Travis’s bitching began.

“Did you really invite him?” He demanded disgusted.

“Travis, he’ll only be there for a little bit. He just wants to see me.”

“I can’t believe you’re still dating that douche.” Travis turned the music up again. I reached for the dial and returned the volume to a lower level, not letting Travis get away with avoiding the conversation.

“I really don’t understand why you have such a big problem with him,” I said, staring straight at Travis.

“Lily, seriously? Do you not understand who we’re talking about?”

“There is nothing wrong with Lance!” I insisted, trying to defend my boyfriend. “Just because you guys can’t seem to get along, doesn’t make him a bad guy. You’re not the one going out with him, so you really shouldn’t worry so much.”

“Lily, I’m your best friend, and I just don’t want to see him mess with you. You know how he is.” I rolled my eyes. It was ridiculous that Travis felt it was his job to protect me from another guy.

“Yeah, he’s a nice guy, and treats me really well. What’s wrong with that?”

“All the trouble he’s gotten into!” Travis nearly yelled.

“Oh, like you’ve never gotten in trouble!” I snapped back. Travis did have a colorful childhood, filled with suspension, arrests, and probation.

Travis shook his head, having nothing to say back at me. He looked out to the west where some very dark clouds were beginning to take form, the wind moving them in our direction. “Doesn’t look like we’re gonna be at the lake very long any way.”

“That’s alright,” I replied, allowing him to change the subject. “It’ll be fun no matter what.”

We navigated the twisting back roads for nearly a half hour before the blue-green lake came to sight. The glimmering water was almost too inviting, especially with the sun’s crewel rays abusing us through the windows of the truck. Travis’s air conditioning had never worked right no matter how many times he tried to get it fixed, and even with the window’s rolled down, the sweltering humid air hung around us as an unwelcome guest.

“It’s fucking hot!” Travis declared as we got closer and closer to the edge of the water. The anticipation seemed to be too much for him.

“I know,” I whined. “And we still have to change.”

“Fuck that,” Travis stated, slowing the car in a spot in the shade of the thick New York forest.

We climbed swiftly out of the car, and I watched Travis for direction. He began to strip his clothing off his lanky body, pulling his white t-shirt over his head of black hair. He watched me with his dark brown eyes as he folded his shirt and lay it on the hood of his car.

Although Travis had a number of scars scattered around his body, I had to admit that he was an attractive guy. It was no surprise of course, his mother a beautiful woman from Ecuador, and his father a handsome man of Spanish decent. From them, Travis had his high cheekbones, heart-shaped face, muscular build, and perfectly tanned brown skin

Travis undid his belt, and bent down to remove his shoes and pants. He stood in his boxers by the car for a moment to put his clothes inside, before jogging swiftly down to the lake. “You coming?” He asked once he was waist deep in the cool water. I looked down at the blue bikini I clutched in my left hand, before moving to put it on the hood and taking off my own shirt and shorts.

Travis watched me walk down the grassy edge to the lake in my plain white bra and pink underwear, pulling my long chocolate hair back into a loose bun as I went. My hazel eyes met the brown of Travis’s for a moment before I took two long steps into the lake, and dove. The water was shockingly icy for a moment, cooling every inch of my body in less than a second. I surfaced, the hot air that encountered my face confirming how good the cool of the lake felt. Travis came up for a breath next to me, relief covering every inch of his face. After a few moment’s of relaxation, Travis became bored. “You want to take a swim out to the island?”
I took a standing position on the soft muddy bottom, and looked out to the small landmass nearly half a mile from our position. Hardly able to produce even the slightest bit of vegetation, the island didn’t look like much, but for some reason every time we came to the lake, it was necessary to visit it. Today was no exception.

I nodded to answer Travis’s question, and began the short swim, alternating between breaststroke and free style every few strokes. We moved a leisurely pace, neither of us in much of a hurry to be anywhere but precisely where we where in that moment.

I took a quick break diving down a few feet to listen to the pressing silence of the water. It’s green tint gave the rocks a few feet below a beautiful color as streams of sun beams gave each it’s own spotlight. A few small fish flicked in and out of sight, their simmering silver bodies also catching the light. For a moment more I enjoyed the clarity of the fresh water, before returning to the land of oxygen.

Travis was now a few feet ahead of me, turning the situation immediately into a competition. I swam faster, catching Travis, and then continued to add speed to my stroke as he took up the challenge. We arrived on the grassy ledge laughing even as we gasped for breath. The spell dissolved and we took seats on the small shore, looking back at the car on the mainland. I collapsed to lay on my back and study the sky, noticing that the storm clouds were now very close. I watched them as the sun quickly dried my body

Travis sighed deeply, and I gazed towards him just in time to see his head turn from looking at me back to the shore. “Are you okay? You seem really off today?” Travis shrugged.

“I donno,” He stated shortly pulling his feet out of the water.

“What do you mean? What happened?” I inquired, sitting up to better show him I was listening. Travis looked at me and grimaced slightly.

“I broke up with Brooke.”

“Why?” I asked, slightly relived it wasn’t something more serious.

“I just- I really didn’t want to be with her any more.”

“Any specific reason why?” Travis shook his head.

“No. Well, not one that she could fix.”

“What do you mean?” I questioned confused.

“I just figured out that I had feelings for someone else, and it just wasn’t worth it with her.” I smiled and nudged Travis playfully.

“Oh, so who’s the lucky lady?” I joked.

“I ain’t telling you,” Travis laughed back. It was always a pleasure to see Travis smiling as it was usually a rare occurrence.

“Come on! You have to tell me.” Travis studied my face for a moment.

“No I don’t.”

“Well, fine,” I said with fake anger, following my words with a grin. Travis smiled back.

“Maybe later.”

We talked for a while longer, deciding to swim back only when the rain truly began to threaten our outing. Our journey back was at least two times longer than the one out as we splashed each other, and lost much of our energy to laughing. By the time we arrived at the shore, lightning had began to flash close by, thunder rumbling through the dense forest. Travis and I ran to the truck and made it into the cab just as the downpour began. We watched the storm over the lake as we dried our bodies with the towel Travis kept in his truck for exactly that type of situation.
As I dried my hair with the towel, Travis looked at me sideways, a mischievous spark in his eye. It was the same look he had given me since the third grade, a sign that he wanted something. I laughed. Travis’s face morphed into a crooked smile. “What?” He asked at my giggles.

“You just really haven’t changed at all.” This was a truth. Travis had always been the way he was. The first time we met he may have been much smaller, much less mature, and only eight, but in all reality, Travis was the same person: same likes and dislikes, same stubborn attitude, same set of expectations. “I mean,” I began, trying to explain myself to the perplexed look on his face. “You’re different, but you’re really the same goofy kid I met in the third grade.”
“Yeah, well, luckily, you haven’t changed much either.” I continued to smile for him, Travis watching me for a moment, before reaching for the stereo again. Ironically the next song his iPod choose for us to listen to happened to be what we had dubbed our song. MC Lyte sure did have a way of making Travis and I immediately happier with her funky eighties rap. As soon as the instrumental intro finished and the lyrics began, we sang along, making it through the chorus once before having fits of such uncontrollable laughter, neither of us could breathe for a straight minute.

“Do you remember the night we decided this was our song?” I asked once I regained my ability to speak. “That was crazy!” I continued to chuckle.

“No joke. We were both so fucked though.” I nodded, the memory’s details beginning to play in my head.

“Oh yeah, I’m surprised we didn’t have to go to the hospital.”

“Whatever, we had it under control.” I shook my head, doubting his words as I knew each of the images that came to mind were of a world spinning in an unreal fashion around me.

“I think my favorite part was in the park. You know, right before I went home.”

“Yeah,” Travis laughed again. “We sat on that bench for so long. Remember?” Our excited reminiscing immediately turned to a strained silence.

Of course I remembered the bench. The alcohol in my system elevating emotions, I had cried on Travis’s shoulder for almost fifteen minutes. As I was still torn up about the end of my last relationship, Travis allowed me to use him as an outlet for venting. I cried and cried, all the while Travis assuring me that everything was all right. He told me how great I was, and how my ex must have been out of his mind for letting me go. He told me he loved me, if it counted for anything. I loved him too. Travis had cracked a joke about how bad of a kisser my old boyfriend must have been. I had told him he was right, Travis succeeding to place a smile back on my face. Smoothly, Travis had announced that he was certain he was better at locking lips than the other man.

Travis hadn’t been lying. As soon as I told him he needed to prove it, Travis leaned in, placing his lips masterfully on my own. It was my first proper kiss, Travis doing his very best, cupping my face lightly in his hands as he conveyed his love through his lips. Our first kiss lasted only a few short moments, but as soon as he pulled away, I drew him back.
We were interrupted by a phone call, a few minutes into our passionate connection, Travis had no choice but to pick up for his mother, the only person he ever spoke Spanish to. As he spoke with her, I looked down at my own phone. A large number of missed calls appeared, all of the friends we had left behind obviously worried about our wellbeing.
Travis hung up his phone, apologizing as he told me he had to go meet up with his mother. She was angry. With that, Travis sprinted from me, leaving me alone in the dark to call my other friends.

The next day, Travis and I didn’t speak about it at all. He never allowed it to be mentioned. Not until now, two years later.

Travis looked bitterly at the stereo in our silence, before reaching forward to turn it off. Travis wanted more of my attention. “I was serious when I said I loved you, Lily.” I looked down at my hands and back at Travis’s unsmiling face.

“I was too,” I murmured. Travis looked incredibly torn between two options.

A loud honking from behind our car brought the silence to an end. I looked out the back of the truck to see Lance pulling up in his parent’s suburban. I grinned at him, sliding my shirt on as Lance parked and exited his car. I also climbed out of my vehicle, the rain having subsided, running into Lance’s arms as soon as I could. He placed a strong kiss on my lips, one I returned with all my heart. Lance held me for an extra heavenly second. “Nice outfit,” Lance laughed, noticing my lack of pants. “You two getting it on in there or something?” I looked over at Travis who now had his pants on again, and was pulling his shirt over his head.

“I couldn’t do that to you,” I assured Lance, pecking his lips again. I looked up into Lance’s handsome face, scanning his sandy brown hair, blue eyes, and beautiful bone structure a few inches above me. Lance was not necessarily a traditionally attractive man, but he had certain quirks about him that made me swoon every time I saw him, even though we had been dating a year now.

“Well, you wanna get our of the rain?” Lance asked, jerking his head towards the car he had arrived in. I shrugged.

“You mind if we head back, Travis?” Travis gave me a hard look.

“No, I mean, I was hoping to stay longer, but the weather sucks. Get back in. I’ll give you a ride home.”

“I was thinking she could come back with me,” Lance said, though he sounded rather decided for only just thinking up this plan.

“I drove her out here, I’m gonna bring her back.” The two men exchanged glares. “You’re gonna come with me, right, Lily?” I looked at Travis and then Lance.

“Well, Travis, I was hoping to spend some time with Lance. We can hang out afterwards though.”

“Seriously?” Travis spat.

“Travis, I just spent all morning with you!” Travis shook his head, gave me an ugly look and climbed into his truck. “One second, Lance,” I sighed before hastening over to the truck before Travis could get away. “Travis, please calm down,” I said after opening the door on the passenger’s side.

“Lily, you’re choosing that bitch over me?”

“What the hell Travis? Why do you have such a big problem with him?”

“He’s gonna do the same thing he did last time! It’s gonna end up the same way!”

“Travis, why would you say that?” My eyes began to sting, the painful memories cutting their way through me.

“I don’t want to see you get hurt like that again. I love you too much to let that happen. You really think that he changed? He doesn’t give a fuck about you!”

“Go to hell!” I yelled back, angry tears now sliding down my cheeks. I grabbed my pants and shoes out of his truck, and slammed the door shut. I pushed past Lance to get in his car as Travis’s truck roared and sped off down the road. Confused, Lance climbed into the driver’s seat after standing still for a moment, watching me cry in his car.

“What did he say?” Lance asked carefully.

“Nothing,” I insisted, attempting to dry my face with my shorts.

“No, seriously, Lily, what happened?”

“Lance, I don’t want to talk about it.”