Operation Sal | Sally Face x Travis Phelps

38

     "Yeah," Larry's rough voice speaks into the receiver of his phone. His hands, broad and tanned, rest on the steering wheel as he drives. His cell phone is wedged between his shoulder and jaw.

  "Okay," he mumbles after a brief pause, "you're sure?" another moment of silence passes, "Okay. I will," and then he mumbles out an, "I love you," in a breathy chuckle and the call is over.

    Flipping his phone closed and setting it down in the cup holder, he lifts his head to look the blue-haired boy in the eye, "Spencer said he'll cover for you," he speaks evenly, "while you're gone."

Sal flashes turquoise eyes up at him in the mirror, "He doesn't have to do that."

"Dad probably won't even notice I'm gone," he doesn't add.

Travis glances at him. He wonders if his fatigue causes the horrid stress lines on his face look deeper than usual, "Cover?" he asks very quietly.

Larry hears him. "You know, like, he'll tell Henry that Sal's with him at his grandparents' house instead of two hours away in Kendstead."

Something about that shoots fear into Travis's chest. "Will he- will he be angry with you?" He asks his boyfriend, sounding somewhat insistent. He wasn't sure he could stomach the possibility of Henry being angry with Sal because of him.

"No," Sally says simply, not bothering to explain why.

It does nothing to settle the fear that circles him like a black vulture, but he trusts Sal, even after everything.

His stomach turns. The bologna. He doesn't allow himself to think about it. He does all he can to get the taste, something he'd openly loved, out of his mouth. He'd eaten people. Humans. He'd cannibalized people, and everyone closest to him knew it.

"Tell Spence I said thanks though," Sal adds, "that's sweet of him."

   Larry nods, "Yeah, sure, man," he says, "he's a sweet guy." His eyes resemble great big beetles with shiny backs. For a moment, Travis finds himself waiting for them to crawl right off his face, and then, with System of a Down's new demo tape playing, his attention wanes and he relaxes into the familiarity of the Johnson van.

     When they arrive in Kendstead, it's well after noon. The sun still hangs high between the clouds, but the evening hours are approaching.

To his own surprise, Travis feels well enough to walk around the downtown area. Sal stands at his side, frequently handing him Burger King fries, one by one. Despite the uneasy feeling in his stomach, Travis does his best to eat them, even if it's just to stop Sal from worrying so much.

It's a relatively okay day. The sun is shining on his cheek, on his arms, on his brown eye, it glows golden. Sure, he's just as tired as always, but his legs don't feel like they're going to give out. He's alright.

"I'll check these shops on the left," Larry says, looking over his shoulders, squinting his eyes to shield them from the blinding light, "this town is tiny, man. Someone's bound to know her."

Travis is embarrassingly surprised to have Larry actively helping him. He wonders what his motive is, and considers the possibility that he may have more reason to be doing this, outside of the desire to see Sal at ease.

"Yeah," Sally Face manages to chuckle, his eyes narrow and bright, "just another mystery, right? Piece of cake."

Travis can't help but smile, just a little, the edge of his mouth curling upward, "I'm not sure your ghost-nabbing skills are much good for finding living people," he jokes.