Wordsmoker

The early morning sun rose behind our escape pod and chased us through the gauntlet of angry men standing alongside the desert road back home, waving greenbacks over their heads.

Why would Joshua trees do such a thing? You will see, if you follow along this path.

A quiet song played loudly on the radio in the breeze as we rode along in the desert.

Lorelei was smiling at me, long legs sticking out the passenger side window, feet bobbing to the beat, lit cigarette between her lips, and green eyes slit open just enough to let me know that she was still alive, or aware, or around.

Joey had his hands, fingers and tongue all over Nolei in the back seat. They made quite a pair: one was hard-punk in leather and the other was silky in his smoking jacket.

A trip back to the home planet in the hard sunlight will make you want to stop at a desert gas station and buy a pair of cheap sunglasses. Is it to hide from the brightness of the accusing Sun, or is it to hide your shame? Maybe it’s both.

Yeah, it was both.

The wind whipped through the little car, and it cooled our jets. The final vestiges of our “experience” left on a wing, to be gathered by crows along the highway. Crows gather things lost along the highway for a simple reason. They record our human experience. And you thought it was all road kill…

At a tiny gas station, we bought Elvis shades and sodas. We were quite thirsty. But no one wanted anything to eat.

Joey and Nolei laughed as they checked themselves in the small mirror atop the sunglass tree, but Lorelei only studied the desert-scape out the wide, dusty window, drinking in the dry sand dunes, the crisp blue sky, and the Sierras back there, capped with white.

She was packing away memories, which is always a good thing to do.

Monday was a thousand miles away, so we had a bit of a safe haven before the shit storm, the Sheitzensturm, as Lorelei had called it.

Now listen; not many recognized Lorelei at the Dance except for her German compatriots. Would you care to believe that not a single one of them would rat on her?

If someone did:

Would you think that it would be Ivan?

Would you think that it would be Lorelei, herself?

Or would it be someone else?

I had a lot to learn.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Look at those whom you have left behind, and what they are doing now.

Then look at those whom you have kept with you after all this time.

These people reveal who you are. These are your crew.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We climbed back in, and Lorelei handed me a lit cigarette.

I coughed, but tried to be cool about it.

It didn’t work.

The first stop back home was back in the parking lot of C.L. MicLane High, for Joey to get his ride.

I haven’t told you anything about Joey’s ride up ’til now, for a good reason. You will see.

Lorelei and I stepped out of my little Celica and Joey helped Nolei disembark from our space ship. He guided her out from behind, with two capable and friendly hands on her rear-side.

We looked around. The place was deserted except for a maroon-colored four door K-car. Yes, Joey was driving a Granny car. His mom sold it to him.

Yup, she sold it to her son, and this here fact tells you something about their relationship.

Joey would drop off Nolei to her own Exchanged Parents home, and thank Gawd for that. I had to do this for Lorelei, and that would be enough for me.

Good Luck with that, Little Lion Man. Good Luck to me as well.

Joey took me aside, as Nolei traded shades with Lorelei.

“Dude, what the fuck happened last night?” He stood there with his hands raised.

I was wondering the same thing myself. “Look at those two chicks. Ya think this is normal for them?”

Joey crossed his arms over his chest. “Maybe not, but if so, I’m moving there.” He chuckled. “I mean, holy fuck. I was all proposing marriage and shit to her. Thank Gawd she doesn’t remember.”

I just stared at him. “Dude. Women don’t forget things like that. Right?”

Joey got all worried looking, but then he composed himself.

“Yeah. Unless it don’t mean a thing.”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Joey closed Nolei’s door and when he came around the rear of his ride, he gave us a thumbs up and his cheese-dog grin. You should know that Joey would not be taking Nolei directly home. He had something to correct.

Lorelei looked at me when I laughed at Joey. “Vat iz so funny?”

I coughed and said, “Oh nothing. Joey and Nolei make a good couple.”

It was Lorelei’s turn to laugh. “Zen you should know zat Nolei vill be having ze sex mit Joey.”

“Sex Mitt? Is that some kind of perverted toy?” I folded my arms.

Lorelei punched my arm. “Whhy iss everything a joke mit you, Veeeee-ill?”

I pulled her to me and took her shades off. She squinted at me in the hot sunlight, but she did not look away. “Not everything is a joke, Lorelei.”

I felt her breasts against my chest, and her firm thigh against my wood.

“Would you care to take a drive before I bring you home?”

Hmmm…..