Seperation and Reclaimation

“You could help you know,” Ryan grumbled to me as he loaded another cooler filled with what I could only assume was more alcohol into his RV.

 I looked up at him from my cushy lawn chair, parked in Ryan's rather spacious front yard and took another sip of my drink.

“With what?” I asked, unable to keep the smirk from creeping onto my face.

“Oh that’s cute Brad,” he said, wiping the sweat from his face as he went to grab another cooler from the seemingly endless supply of coolers that were stacked in the driveway. “You’re just gonna sit here on my lawn, drink my booze, and watch me bust my ass packing in the burning sun? That’s harsh my friend, real harsh”

“I guess it is, yes. But then how would you learn not to pack so much crap?”

“I am a slow learner, that's true,” he grinned. “I can't really blame you though, seeing as how you’re going to be here all by yourself working like a dog, while we are going to be having the whole lake as our own personal playground.” 

“Not just the lake,” Jennifer said, skipping out of the house with her suitcase dragging behind her. It was the first real piece of luggage I had seen go into the RV since I got here. “ This is a whole cross country road trip and I can’t believe you’re going to miss it.”

I sighed, her reminder hardly necessary. “It’s not like I didn’t try to get the time off Jen, seriously, but this summer is looking pretty busy.”

“You should just quit,” Ryan quipped.

“I don’t have loaded parents or a trust fund to pay for my degree, so no sorry man but I can’t just quit. Landscaping is good money.”

“You mean the degree you’ve been working on for the last like what...six years? Seriously by the time you get it you’re going to be going through a mid life crisis.”

“Don’t you have another cooler to load up jackass?”

Ryan laughed and went back to it; while Jen gave me the look she gives all of us when she wants to get her way. It works more often than not too, but unfortunately this was one of those ‘not’ times.

“For the last time, I can’t go,” I said, cutting off the puppy-dog eyes before they really got going.

“Fine,” she huffed. “We’ll send you pictures everywhere we go, just so you can see how much fun you’re missing.”

“Oh good,” I groaned. “Please do that. So where are the others?”

“They went to the store,” Ryan said, “They should be coming back soon though, they left just before you got here.”

“The store? Because you guys need more alcohol and Twinkies?”

“Brad Brad Brad, you’ve forgotten how to party.”

“Whatever,” I sighed and went back to my drink.

Jen and Ryan had been two of my closest friends since high school, which for us was about six years ago now. Along with Sarah, her boyfriend Tristan, and Dana, all of whom were at the store buying more junk apparently, the six of us had been pretty much inseparable. Ryan was kind of the ringleader, always making the plans and making sure everyone had a good time, but otherwise we were just happy to enjoy each other’s company.

This summer was a big deal for everyone though, and so Ryan had really outdone himself planning this trip. Jen had just finished a degree in education, and was likely going to be leaving for a teaching position next year, so this was our last big blowout together.

And I was stuck working.

“Hey,” Jen said, dropping down on the lawn beside me and helping herself to my drink. “Have you patched things up with Dana yet?”

I groaned. That was the other reason why I was in a bad mood today. “No, not yet.”

“Kind of cutting it a little close don’t you think?” She asked. “Once we leave it’s going to be tough to keep in touch.”

“I know I know,” I sighed. “I’ll talk to her when she gets here, I promise.”

Jen smiled. She and Dana had been best friends for a year or so now. An interesting development since they had met by getting into a brawl and trashing a houseparty but sometimes things work themselves out in strange ways. Jen had been pushing for us to get together for a while now, and while I had always been all for it, Dana was a more complicated matter, and this fight we had the other night had only made things between us more difficult.  

I thought about what I would say to her for a little while longer while Jen and Ryan loaded up the last of their luggage. Not long after I saw the others coming on their way back, their arms loaded with yet more food and booze.

“Brad!” Tristan shouted,  quickly dropping his stuff in the RV and pulling me out of my chair. “What the hell man? Work? This is it, this is the biggest thing we’ve ever done, and you’re at work?”

I smiled despite myself. With the exception of Dana, Tristan was the newcomer, so to speak. We were already pretty established when he started dating Sarah three years ago, but he had just fit right in. More mellow than Ryan, more spontaneous than me, he had a balancing effect on the group, as well as a way of speaking that made everything seem way better than it was. Except for my situation, it would seem.

“Sorry Tristan, you’re just going to have to drink my share.”

He sighed, then pulled me close. “I'll do my best, but listen, remember what we talked about the other day?”

I nodded; it wasn’t a conversation I was going to forget anytime soon.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, which looked like it must have cost a fair bit considering how fancy it was.

“I’ve decided I’m going to go for it,” he said with a grin. “I’m going to propose on this trip. No one else knows but hopefully when we get back, we’ll be engaged.”

“That’s awesome Tristan,” I said, trying to hide my smile from the others.

“Hey,” he said, suddenly serious. “Thanks a lot for helping me figure this out. I probably wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”

“Of course you would,” I replied quickly. “ But you’re welcome. I know she’ll say yes, I’m really happy for you.”

“Say yes to what?”

Tristan froze, and jammed the little box back into his pocket faster than I could blink.

“Say yes to what?” Sarah asked again, all smiles and energy, as always. Sarah was our cheerleader, so to speak. Always making people feel good and keeping things upbeat. It was something she did very well.

“Tristan was gonna ask you if he could listen to your IPod on the trip,” I said, letting him catch his breath. “He forgot his.”

“Aw of course, actually I just put the latest Sebastian Jericho album on there,  and wow it is so good you guys...”

A collective groan from both of us cut her off, and she responded with a none too appropriate gesture of her own.

Nothing divided the group like Sebastian Jericho. The men hated him, the women loved him, and the battles were cruel and unforgiving. 

Tristan had recovered from his near heart attack as Sarah dragged him to the van to help with her luggage, chattering on about her new album.

“Brad, do you have a sec?”

I turned, and my heart fell. Dana. I was going to miss her most, and this was my last chance to make sure we parted on good terms.

“I realize everyone else has probably made you feel bad enough about not coming, but I really wish you’d reconsider.”

“Yeah?” I asked, surprised. “Even after the other night?”

She bristled at that. “I’m sorry I flipped on you,” she said. “I know things have been kind of weird between us lately and I guess I just got fed up with it.”

“I’m sorry too,” I said, taking her hands in mine. “You know you’re more to me than just some girl that needs fixing. I’ve never thought of you that way, it’s just...you’re right, things have been weird lately, and I guess I got a little fed up as well.”

She smiled at that. “It’s okay.”

I sighed, one weight lifted off my shoulders at least.

“So are you sure you can’t come with us?” She asked, already knowing the answer

“I’m sorry Dana,” I said. Saying no to her was always so much harder than the others.
    
“Always the responsible one,” she said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Well, I’ll send you lots of pictures, and when I get back...” She trailed off, then said, “When I get back I want to talk to you, I want to finish the conversation we were having the other night, just without the yelling this time, so...”
    
I smiled, though I’m sure mine didn’t reach my eyes either. “I’m looking forward to it, I’ll be waiting right here,” I said.
    
“Good, I’ll hurry back.”
    
She leaned in gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. Innocent enough but it still made my heart skip a beat.
    
“Hurry up Dana!” Ryan called, breaking us out of our little world. “We’re all packed, and there’s even room for people in here!”
    
I laughed and we walked to the RV. I took a good look at the group I would be doing without for the next month or so for the first time in six years.
    
“Hey,” I found myself calling. “Let me get a picture of all you guys first.”
    
They laughed and obliged me, shuffling into some sort of pose in front of the RV and I held up my phone. Everyone’s personality was shining through; everything I loved about each of them had never been more obvious as I took that picture.    

We all said one last good bye as I watched them pile into the RV.
  
I watched them drive away, and despite the pit that was forming in my stomach, I kept telling myself that it was only a month.    

I really believed that. I had no idea at the time how long I would be without them.
   
I had no idea what I would have to go through to get them back.