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Crash Course

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Chapter 7

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The air was crisp and cold as they started out, the only sign of the previous rain the wet leaves they tramped through. They travelled back up the hill they had come down to find the cabin, silent all the while. Each was caught up in his own thoughts. As they neared closer to where the accident site was, AJ broke the silence.

"Do you think we're gonna find anyone to help us?"

Howie glanced at him as they trudged through the leaves. "Yeah." He paused.

"I don't hear any cars."

"We're not close enough to the road," Howie answered.

"Oh." AJ paused a moment. "Are you just trying to make me feel better?"

Howie smiled a little. "No, Aje, we'll find someone. Even if we have to walk awhile."

"Okay. Thanks, D."

"No problem." As they came closer to where the overturned bus would be, both silently turned and headed a little out of the way so they wouldn't have to view the damage. "One thing though," Howie said. "I'm not getting in any truck, ok?"

"Me either." AJ smiled. "Too many horror stories . . ."

"Yeah, I know."

They started to climb the hill that would take them to the road.

- - -

"Can we do something?"

"Like what, Nick?" Brian looked up from the Gameboy he had taken when the younger had tired of it.

"I don't know. Anything."

"Such as . . .?"

"Anything!"

"You bored, Nick?" Kevin said sarcastically from the other couch.

"No, I like sitting here doing nothing." Nick rolled his eyes. "I wish everyday was like today, don't you, Kevin?"

Brian sighed. "Nick."

"Come on, Nicky." Kevin looked at him patiently.

"No really, Kevin, it's just so much damn fun."

"Watch it, Nick," Kevin warned. He stared at him a second, expression softening. "How's the leg?" Nick shrugged. "Good, bad, worse, better?"

"Bad."

Brian frowned. "Poor Frack," he said. Kevin sighed.

"How long has it been since AJ and D left?" Nick asked.

"Fifteen minutes . . ."

Nick groaned.

- - -

"Maybe we should split up."

"I don't think that would be a good idea." Howie shook his head.

"It could work."

"No way AJ. I'm not losing you, ok? Do you really wanna spend a night in the woods alone?"

"Well, no."

The way they had started for the road was too steep an incline to travel on foot, so the boys were forced into finding a more suitable way to go. A longer way it turned out to be, of course.

"Wait a second."

"What?" AJ frowned.

"Did you hear that?"

The younger man shook his head. "No."

Howie smiled. "I think I heard a car."

- - -

 

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Chapter 8

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"Is it a place?" Nick tried.

"Nope." Brian shook his head.

"A thing?" Kevin asked.

"Nopers." Brian grinned at them. "You're really bad at this game!"

"We just started," Nick defended. "So be quiet." He was sitting up on the couch, legs stretched out in front of him. He tried to move as little as possible. Kevin sat across from him in an armchair, and Brian sat on the floor in indian style, a blanket around his shoulders.

"Fine," Brian answered, still smiling. "What's your question, Nicky-boy?"

"Is it . . . a person?"

"Well . . ." Brian paused. "Uh, maybe."

"You have to say yes or no!" Nick objected. He looked at Kevin. "Tell him he has to!"

"Brian, say yes or no, cuz." Kevin shook his head about how worked up they could get over a game. He was just glad they had found something to pass the time, even if it was Twenty Questions. Brian seemed to be thinking about it. "Come on, Rok."

"It's negotiable," Brian stalled. He saw their looks and grinned. "Okay, no."

"Was that so hard?" Nick rolled his eyes.

"Yes, it was."

"Anyway," Kevin interrupted with a smile. "Is it . . . an animal?"

"Yup."

"Is it a dog?"

"No, Nick."

"Well, I thought it could be like Goofy. He's a person and a dog, so when you said it was negotiable . . ."

"Don't think too much there, little guy," Kevin teased. Nick grinned.

"It could work!"

"It's not a dog," Brian repeated. "Kev?"

"Okay . . . is it a brown animal?"

"Nope, nope, nope."

"Is it . . . a pet animal?" Nick asked.

There was a long pause. "Well . . ."

"Not again. . ." Nick groaned.

"It depends," Brian started. "Now I'm sure some people-"

"Brian, come on." Kevin nudged him with his foot. "Hurry up."

"It's not like we're going anywhere," Brian objected. "I pretty much have all day, don't I?"

"No!" Nick whined. "Kevin, kick him 'cause I can't." Kevin laughed as Brian scooted out of his reach.

"Okay, the answer is no."

"Okay, good. Does the animal live in the forest?" Kevin asked.

"Mmm.. not usually."

"Yes or no!" Nick interrupted.

"No."

"Um . . . Does it . . ." Nick trailed off.

"Come on, Nick, we don't have all day," Brian mocked good-naturedly.

"Fly?" Nick finished with a smile.

"Yes," Brian said, frowning. "Oh no, you can't guess it!"

"Is it a bird?"

"Duh, Kev," Nick objected. "What else does? An elephant?"

"Yes it's a bird," Brian answered as Kevin rolled his eyes.

"It's a duck!" Nick exclaimed. "Right?"

"Someone give the boy a cookie," Brian replied. He sighed. "I thought that would be hard. You weren't supposed to get it." Nick just smiled.

"It was easy." He paused for a second. "A person- like Donald Duck!"

Brian groaned.

- - -

"I'm not so sure about hitch-hiking," AJ started slowly.

Howie glanced at him. "Why not? It was your idea." They were walking along the side of the road and had been for the past fifteen minutes. The car they had first heard while in the woods had long passed before they had reached the roadside.

"Well . . . I don't know. I guess it's okay." AJ shrugged.

"Just don't worry about it," Howie advised.

"I can't believe you of all people are saying that, D." Howie just shrugged and they walked in silence for a minute. He stopped walking suddenly and AJ pulled up beside him. In front of them on the side of a road was a old blue sedan with an open hood. They could see the figure of a man near the trunk, reaching in for tools.

"Here goes nothing," AJ whispered, drawing closer to his older friend.

"Sir?" Howie was the first to speak up. "Excuse me, sir?"

The man turned and looked at them, not hiding his surprise. "Why hello there, boys . . ." he started. "Can I help you?"

"How far's the nearest town?" AJ asked, gaining courage at the man's kind features. He seemed in his late forties, with graying hair and twinkling blue eyes. Pretty harmless, AJ told himself.

"Well, son, it's a good ten miles. You planning on walking?"

"I guess so." AJ shrugged.

"Well, if ya'll wait just a moment, I could give you a lift," he offered. "Don't wanna hear anything bad happening on the news about two nice boys like you."

"We'd really appreciate it," Howie said. "Thank you."

"No problem. The name's Joe."

"I'm Howie and this is AJ. Nice to meet you."

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Chapter 9

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The sky outside was darkening slowly, spilling a shadow over the view outside the window. Brian shuddered just looking at the scene, pulling the blanket tighter over his shoulders. He glanced at Nick, whose face was quiet and relaxed in sleep. He was tired out from just the few games of Twenty Questions that they had played and he looked pale. Brian's heart sank.

"He lost a lot of blood," Kevin remarked, following Brian's gaze. Brian nodded slowly, frowning.

"But he'll be okay," he started, voice breaking. "Right?"

"Of course, buddy." Kevin pulled him into an embrace. There was a moment of silence. "He just needs to rest up," he said before releasing his younger cousin. Brian seemed slightly relieved and a smile played on his lips.

"Good."

There was a moment of silence between them. Kevin shut his eyes momentarily and Brian stared out the window, chewing his nails absently.

"What time is it, Brian?" Kevin asked suddenly. Brian glanced at his wrist.

"It's been over an hour," he answered. "So they found someone . . ." He trailed off. "Or-"

"Hey, shush," Kevin said sharply. He didn't even want to think of the other possibilities that could have happened. Nor did he want his cousin to either.

"Do you think they'll be back tonight, Kev?" Brian's voice was hopeful.

"Maybe tomorrow," he answered slowly. Brian nodded. Kevin watched as his cousin's eyes drifted toward the fireplace in the head of the room. "Was there wood outside, Rok?"

Brian shrugged. "I'm not sure . . . Could we just ignite the table?"

Kevin laughed. "Um, sure." He watched amusedly as Brian got up from the floor and walked to the wood table, pretending he was going to kick it down. "C'mere, bro," Kevin called. Brian turned back to him, a goofy smile on his face. "Go check outside and see if there's wood or something and we'll put the fireplace to use."

"I'm not going out there alone!" Brian crossed his arms. "Who knows what's lurking out there - . . . bears, snakes, other . . . things."

"Don't be a baby." Kevin watched amusedly as Brian stuck out his lower lip. "It'll only take a sec, just go check and then I help you carry it in, ok?"

"It's cold."

"Go."

Letting out a sigh of resignation, Brian set out the door, mumbling something of how family just didn't care anymore. Kevin smiled and waited.

- - -

"So where're you boys from?" Joe asked, turning up the heat in the car as he glanced in the mirror at the backseat. The younger boy with the sunglasses, AJ, was already sound asleep on the other's shoulder.

"Florida," Howie answered, rubbing his hands together as he felt the heat blowing. He hadn't realized how cold it was outside until he felt the heat in the car. He sighed, thinking of Kev, Nick, and Brian in the cabin. Kev would take care of everything, he assured himself. He always did.

"Long way from home," the older man remarked, running a hand through his grey hair. "Vacation?"

"Sort of," Howie said slowly. He paused. "We were on a . . . family trip."

"Oh yeah? That's nice . . ." Joe didn't say anything for a few minutes and Howie glanced out the window at the darkening scenery going by. He thought of something. How were they going to get help? He definitely wasn't about to ask this man to drive them back tomorrow to pick up the other guys.

"Joe? Is there a police station in town or something that me and AJ can get to?"

"Well, son, there's one in the next town beyond mine . . . But it'll be closed by the time we get there. These are only small towns we're going through." Joe scratched his beard thoughtfully. "But you boys are welcome to spend the night at my cottage. My wife would be glad to have you. And the next day I could drive you out to the station."

Howie frowned. "But you've done so much already," he objected. "We-"

"Don't worry about it," Joe interrupted with a smile. "Your friend would be better off sleeping in a bed, and so would you. My wife loves company."

"Well, if it's no trouble . . ." Howie couldn't help but smile.

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