Life in the Eyes of an Artist

Chapter 10- Meet the Jocks

It's Saturday morning and my phone has not beeped or alerted me in some way that someone had messaged me. I expected to hear from Amber the second she got back from her date but she has not texted anything.

So I wait. I spend my time painting the beach scene that I began the night before. My muscles are now sore from sleeping in an uncomfortable position for several hours and it's making my arms stiff.

About an hour after I wake up, I put the paintbrush down after finishing the details of the sea which now looks dark and dangerous. Exactly what you would expect in the middle of a storm.

I stretch and look at my watch, which reads 9:00 AM. I hear my stomach growl and I begin to make my way down to the kitchen.

As I pass the living room, I hear the sound of morning cartoons blaring from the TV. I peak in and see Becca, with a bowl of cereal balanced on her lap, completely immersed in the cartoon. I smile to myself and continue walking to the kitchen.

I pour myself a bowl of cereal and I'm about to join Becca on the couch when my phone rings. The sound of it echoes through the house as I scramble to grab the phone and answer the call.

"Hello?" I say, I didn't even bother looking at caller ID

"Hey" it's Travis on the other end. I can tell from his voice.

"Oh hey" I reply, suddenly more cheerful.

"So I was wondering if you wanted to hang out. Some of my friends and I are going to go ride four wheelers and I wondered if you wanted to go."

"Yeah! That sounds like so much fun. Just let me clear it with my parents."

I walk out of the kitchen towards my parents room. My moms there sitting on the couch. My dad had left earlier that morning to run a few errands.

"Is it ok if I hang out with Travis today?"

My mom looks up and me and nods.

"Yeah, it's fine" I say, bringing the phone back up to my ear.

"Alright, I'll come over in about fifteen minutes"

"Ok" I hang up and stare at the phone. A smile across my face.

I eat my cereal and get dressed in about ten minutes. The other five are spent watching Tv with Becca and looking out the window for a car.

I hear the sound of an engine pull in front of our house and look out to see a four door truck pulling a trailer with three four wheelers crammed onto it.

"See you later!" I tell Becca as I jump off the couch and make my way to the front door.

Before Travis can get out of the truck, I run across the front lawn to them.I see two of Travis's friends in the back and Travis is driving. I see that they have left the shotgun seat open for me.

I open the door and slide into the seat. Travis looks a little surprised at how quickly I arrived.

"Hey Riley. These are my two friends." Travis twist in the seat and points to the backseat.

"That's Jake" he says pointing to a blond haired jock.

"Hey" Jake says, flashing me a smile.

"And that's Chris"

Travis points to a guy whose a little skinnier than Jake but it's obvious he still is a jock. I recognize both of them from the football team.

"Hi" I say to both of them.

"Your gonna need this" Chris says handing me a helmet that has mud covering it.

"Thanks" I say as I put the helmet down in my lap.

We drive out of town and start to drive into the country. Soon we are completely surround by hills, rocks and canyons without a single building in sight.

"Ok turn here" Jake says to Travis. He's unbuckled his seatbelt and it leaning forward in his seat. Gesturing with his hand towards a dirt road.

Travis turns and we start to rumble down the road, dust clouding up the windows. About a mile down the road, Jake instructs Travis to turn again into the entrance to some land

A red gate is in front of us. I see a few cows beyond the gate which tells me that the gate not only keeps people out but keeps animals in.

"I'll get the gate" Chris says. He jumps out of the car and jogs towards it. He swings open the gate and waits until Travis drives through.

We wait for Chris as he closes the gate and jogs towards as. As soon as he slams the door, we start driving.

Branches scrape the side of the truck as we continue down the road. Travis winces as the branches scratch the car. Finally, we reach a clearing and Travis puts the car in park and then turns it off.

The boys jump out and I quickly follow, the helmet in my hands.

Chris begins laying out the ramps while Travis and Jake unhook the four wheelers.

One by one, they roll the four wheelers down the ramps and start them up.

They roll the last one off and then the guys each grab their own helmet out of the truck. Jake and Chris slide theirs on with ease and then go sit on their own four wheeler.

"Do you need help?" Travis shouts over the roar of the engines. His helmet is already on.

"Yeah" I shout back. I had the helmet on but my fingers fumbled with the strap under my chin. He quickly secures it.

"I hope you don't mind riding with me" Travis shouts as he mounts his four wheeler.

"I figured I would be" I shout back as I climb on behind him. I wrap my arms around Travis's waist. He looks back and smiles and then shifts into gear and we lurch forward.