Tainted

Chapter 37: No Definitely Thomas Jefferson's Head

"You know I wonder how long it took to hollow out his nose?" I ask while staring at the four giant heads in front of us.
"Dude, what if Mount Rushmore is actually a secret base for the US government and where the president's brains should be is actually where the president makes the most important decisions," John gawks as if it were true.
"You do realize South Dakota and Washington DC are on two opposite sides of the country right?" Naomi points out.
"Exactly! No one would see it coming!" he cheers.
"Yeah except idiots like you, therefore it's not a full proof plan," Naomi smirks at her best friend as his face forms a frown.

"Or there could be a nuclear bomb just waiting to explode out of George Washington's head!" Chris cheers and I realize I'm the only one who isn't either dating or best friend's with an idiot.
"No I think that it would be Thomas Jefferson's head," Jesse nods and I mentally face palm myself.
"How about your head, maybe it is useful after all," I tease and he tries to suppress the smile that nearly forms on his lips at my snarky comment.

"I wish we would've brought Harvey," Chris sighs from next to me with a slight pout on his lips, we haven't even been gone a whole day yet and he already misses our dog, great.
"You really think it'd be a good idea bringing a giant dog the size of a bear on a three week road trip with us?" I ask and glance up at him, "I mean we already have John we don't need any more smelly, loud, slobbery, hungry, beasts in the car," I remark.
"You do realize I'm standing five feet away from you right?" John questions with a neutral face.
"Good boy! You're actually listening now!" I tease and giggle as I watch a frown deepen on his face and soon he's marching towards me.

I let out a wail as he lifts me off the ground and holds me above it while I scream getting the attention of almost everyone in the park, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't shove you into one of their ears and force you to live there?" John asks while hoisting me up more in his arms. I stare at the mountains for a minute longer as my brows furrow together.
"Maybe because they don't have ears?" I ask and John's head whips around in confusion at the mountains.
"What the hell?" he breathes, "How are they going to talk to each other when everyone leaves?"

"Remind me to sign him up for kindergarten again," Naomi mutters and soon my feet are on solid ground again.
"Picture time!" Katie shouts as she pulls out her polaroid.
"Naomi and John, then Kira and Jesse and lastly Chris and I!" Katie instructs as she begins to take photos of the pairs. Naomi and John's picture takes forever because first they start to argue about what pose to do but Katie had already taken the photo so she had to take another one but John wanted to wait to see what the picture looked like in case he wanted to take another one, in which he waited about two minutes of staring at the picture for him to finally mumble, "I guess it's alright."

Katie then instructs Jesse and I where to go and Jesse's arm weasels it's way around my waist, pulling me close to him as I rest my head on his chest. I then repeat the same process with Katie and Chris and soon we're finally done with pictures.
"You know I actually want another picture," John frowns as he stares at the polaroid.

"John you look fine," Naomi comments.
"I look as white as a ghost and you look like a fresh mocha!" he exclaims pointing to the picture.
"You do know I'm Filipino right?" Naomi questions and John's face lights up as if he's just had a revelation. Naomi mutters something along the lines of, "Twenty six years of friendship and I get this," before making her way back to the van.

After a few more presidential puns Jesse and I begin to follow her to our vintage van that looks much larger on the outside than inside. Crawling in the back I take a seat on one of the cushioned chairs that we put in and begin to set up a game of solitaire as John, Katie, and Chris hop in the car.

"I wish I was a slave to an age-old trade," the strum of a guitar meets our ears as Chris sits across from us and his fingers lightly graze the guitar's strings, "Like riding around on railcars and working long days," Katie's voice melts into his as they continue the song that I've heard Chris play a few times.