The Bob Duncan Experience

part 7

bob parks the van in the walmart parking lot.

"okay so we should probably get supplies that we will need for the rest of the road trip" dan tells everyone. they all nod in agreement.

"gerard can you rob the arby's?" bob asks. gerard nods.

"okay take all their money" bob adds. gerard nods and slides out of the van and takes out his gun. they watch him walk into the arby's.

"okay let's grab some shit from walmart and hit the road again" dan says. they all get out of the van and walk into the walmart. they split up in pairs to take on different items.

bob and pete are doing the fresh foods.

dan and evan are doing the junk foods.

charlyze and gordon are doing the clothes and toiletries.

"so tell me about yourself pete" bob says. he was looking around the fresh foods with pete and it was becoming awkward very fast. bob and pete had never talked much when with the whole group, let alone just the 2 of them.

"you first" pete smirks. bob huffs.

"well i had a bitch ass wife, hope she dies. i have 4 kids, pyjamas, ted, grape and carlie. oh wait shit, i forgot i had a baby son too! i think his name is tubby or something dumb like that. i hated my life so I went on christian mingle and met dan. now we're gonna married in vegas. your turn" bob says. pete scowls.

"there's not much to tell. i don't talk to my family and im single. i only have 1 friend, evan, who i have known since about age 5. we both decided that we weren't happy with our lives and wanted to hit the road and that's how we met up with you guys" pete explains. bob sadly smiles at him. why was pete so depressing.

"well you've got 1 think wrong son" bob says. pete gives him a confused look.

"you actually have 6 friends you dipshit in a fedora" bob elaborates. pete smiles at that. he actually smiled. this was probably the most intimate moment bob and pete will ever have. this seems as though they are finally friends.

they keep looking through the fresh foods in a comfortable silence.

"so dan" evan starts "what happens after vegas?"

"what do you mean?" dan questions. dan and evan had been looking through all the junk food making occasional small talk.

"once you and bob are married, what happens to us, as a group?" evan asks.

"i-i haven't really thought about that bubba" dan frowns.

"so far this trip has been the best experience of my life. and petes" evan opens up.

"to tell you the truth, i have never had this much fun, ever. i really don't want this to end" dan confesses. evan nods in understanding and agreement.

"let's just wait until after vegas. whatever happens, happens" dan shrugs. evan nods. dan feels as though he is closer with evan now. he really does consider all of them his friends, maybe even family.

"so gordon, have you ever deep fried a banana?" charlyze asks.

"um no, i uh, actually haven't" gordon says, uncomfortable with how close charlyze was. truth is, she just didn't know what personal space was.

"its cool to know an actual chef" charlyze suddenly says. gordon smiles.

"you're actually a pretty cool dude too, and your kitchen stories? amazing" she adds. gordon thanks her. he almost never gets compliments and he definitely didn't mind it. maybe charlyze isn't so bad after all.

after about 20 minutes of shopping, they all meet up near the cash.

"we all ready to go?" bob asks. everyone nods. they get in the 8 items or less line. they have 23 items. right when they're next for checkout, gerard comes up to them.

"you finished robbing them?" evan asks. gerard nods. the cashier coughs to grab their attention.

"what do you want paige?" pete asks, reading her name tag.

"this is the 8 items or less checkout, you gave 23 items, you have to go to a regular one" she says, irritated.

"why thank you, this is a new shirt" bob grins, not paying attention to the shit that comes out of her mouth. the cashier lady gives him a look.

"you have to change lines, sorry" she says. gerard scoffs at this. he reaches over and grabs the old lady behind them's egg carton. he takes one egg out and gives it back. he then proceeds to smash the egg on her head.

"egghead" charlyze laughs. paige gasps.

"check. us. out. now" gerard menacingly says. she gulps and does as told.

"that'll be $78.67" she quietly says. gerard glares at her.

"i mean it's on the house have a nice day" she squeaks. gerard nods in approval. they all walk out of the store.

"you're definitely going to come in handy" bob says to gerard. gerard smiles and nods. gerard had never had friends and it felt good to be appreciated.

they all got in the van and took off once more.

"can we put on some music?" evan asks. bob nods and flips on the radio. hips don't lie by shakira starts sounding throughout the van.

as bob looked around his van, seeing it almost filled to the brim with people he actually cared for, having fun shouting out the lyrics to a shakira song, he felt an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time.

happiness.

bob had hope. hope for the life he longed for, with a loving partner, friends and maybe even a kid he wouldn't regret. so as bob drove along the highway, he felt good. he felt like his life meant something again. he had a purpose.

he smiled.

and for once in his life, he didn't look like a mean, ugly, fat, old man who hated everything.

he just looked like a man full of love, happiness and hope. and a lot of gas.

hours 'till vegas: 5