The Kings of Summer

three.

"Hey, Joe, do you know we've been walking for half a mile? I can tell by how much we've bonded." 

"Well, we're lost, and, um...you haven't said a word this entire time," Joe states, finding it completely ludicrous how they could've bonded if no one has said anything. 

 "How much longer?" Joe can sense the impatience in his voice. 

 "I have no idea, Biaggio. Let's just keep our wits, and we'll get out of here." All around the boys, insects buzz and trill making a cacophony of noise. They push through branches and leaves and knee-high weeds before they come to a clearly. It looked like something from a movie—the moon shone perfectly on the open field of grass. It was a land of promises...of freedom. 

 "Where are we?" Biaggio asks, his impatience tinged with curiosity. 

 "Someplace they won't find you," Joe whispers in reply. 

Joe sits on his bed, smiling at the thought. His devious idea was foolproof. He was going to live there with Patrick, Biaggio, and Charlie. Admittedly, he hadn't wanted Biaggio to come but he figured it would be the polite thing to do since they discovered it together. And he had never planned on inviting Charlie, but he hoped to God that she would say yes. 

 Beside him, his phone buzzes on the nightstand. He picks it up, studying the caller ID before hurriedly accepting the call. He stammers and clears his throat before saying, "Hello? Hi." He intended it to come out nonchalant, but, in reality, he just sounded desperate. There is a short pause before Charlie's voice fills his ear. 

 "Hi." Joe silently curses himself for being so awkward. "I just wanted to make sure that you didn't get shot last night." 

 "No. No, no, no. I survived. I, uh, wound up getting stuck with that kid Biaggio, though." 

 "Oh, yeah, I spoke to him once. He told me that his uncle died on the Challenger." Joe didn't really know how to reply to that so he attempts to come up with something cool. 

 "That's the price of space travel, right?" 

 Another silence. 

 "Uh...yeah, sure. Um, so get ready for this." Charlie pauses for dramatic effect. "Paul skedaddled on me last night." For a second, Joe freezes. He knows that the mysterious man across the lake had a gun. What if he were to come after one of them, and Charlie was alone? 

 "Uh, wow, that's...that's a dick move." He was getting ready to say something else when a loud bang resonated from his door. Another one. Another one. Then, his door came flying open. 

 "Tools...out of the driveway now," his father demanded. 

 "I'm on the phone," he replies, holding his hand over the mouthpiece so Charlie wouldn't hear. He was thankful she didn't just come over to his house instead. 

 "Oh," his father replies, an apologetic look coming across his face. But just as quickly as it came, it disappeared. "I don't give a shit. Right now." 

 "Is everything okay there?" Charlie asks. Frank Toy extends his arm quickly and snatches the phone out of his son's hand before Joe had any time to protest. He swiftly places the phone up to his ear. 

"Who is this? Patrick?" 

 "Charlie." 

 "Charlie?" 

 "Well, my actual name is Charlotte." Joe is surprised he can hear the conversation on both ends. 

"Charlie. A girl. Jesus, that's a pleasant surprise."