Page 9 of Finding a Melody
“It looks like you’re about to kidnap someone,” Bryan finally said.
“What?” I looked back down again. “My survival kit?”
“Is that what they’re calling it these days?” Seth asked, chuckling.
Toby reached down and grabbed my thick rope and gaffer tape. “Not kidnapping anyone, huh? Rope and duct tape scream kidnapping. And the tarp. The tarp screams dead body.”
“That isn’t duct tape, that’s gaffer tape. In case I need it for one of my gigs. And everyone should have rope in their car just in case. If I buy something big, at least I know I have something to tie it down with. My car is small. And that isn’t a tarp, it’s a car cover. There’s a difference.”
“Right,” Bryan said and pointed at the small shovel. The handle part extended so that it became longer. “And that?”
I put my hand on my hip, now feeling super offended. “If I ever get stuck in a snowbank or mud, I can dig myself out.”
Before anyone could open their mouths, I continued on, “And the flashlight is in case I get stuck on the side of the road and it’s nighttime. I think the rest is self-explanatory. This is my survival kit.” There was a medkit and even tucked away, in a small cubby was a knife.
“I mean...” Seth ran a hand over his hair. “It isn’t a bad idea. Just surprised me.” He lifted my duffel bag and put it in the trunk. Toby put back the items he’d grabbed, his body shaking as he fought to keep his laughter to himself.
“Why would it be a surprise?”
“You didn’t even bother with security for your house,” Bryan said.
Seth elbowed him hard, and he grimaced, rubbing at the spot. “What? I didn’t lie.”
“Enough. How are we doing this?” Seth asked.
“Where’s Justin?” I asked.
“Talking with Aunt Laura.” Seth jerked his head toward his house. Justin was pacing the yard, Bebe following, jumping around his feet.
“Is he okay?”
“Yeah, he’s just reassuring her that we won’t get into any trouble. She was supposed to come too, but she ended up having to cover someone else’s shift.”
As Justin talked, Bebe jumped up, getting head rubs from him.
“Who’s taking care of Bebe while you’re away?” I asked.
Seth smiled. “My aunt. Once she wakes up, she’ll come by and pick him up and keep him for the weekend.”
“Your aunt.”
“My aunt. I still have some family around. She’s my dad’s younger sister. She’s a bit of a troublemaker, but a really good mentor.”
“Don’t worry, Bebe isn’t being left alone,” Toby said. “Now, can we get this show on the road? I’m riding with Cadence.”
Toby made sure to herd us around so we could get going, barely even giving me enough time to finish my burrito. He was probably the most excited about the trip. Justin ended up riding with me too while Bryan went with Seth. The moment we were on the road, Toby took over control of the music and somehow, the entire morning passed by quickly as music consumed our conversations.
I almost felt bad for Justin as he just napped in the back seat, but he didn’t seem to mind. Frankly, I was jealous. I wanted to go back to sleep too. My mind stayed a bit fuzzy until we stopped and got some iced coffee. For some reason, I was feeling a bit more sluggish than usual.
“...so I told her no.”
“Wait. Back up,” I said, realizing I was missing a piece of this story. I backed up on everything he said. “She wanted you to teach her Spanish?”
Toby grinned. “Yes.”
I frowned, trying to remember what classes he had mentioned taking. “But didn’t you take French?”
“Yes.”