2
ROAD TRIP
Derek’s Perspective


A while later I call Jesse over so we could discuss Carter’s situation.
Jesse is quite attractive; she has ocean-blue eyes and long, flowy, bleached blonde hair, and looks much like a Barbie. However, she can be very fickle, so if I use the correct wording I could be able to keep Carter. But if she’s in one of her “moods” there’s no way on Earth that I’ll be able to keep him.
I hear a pounding hard knocking on my door.
Great… I think. She’s in a “mood”. I hurtle towards the door to keep her from waiting. She grimaces at Carter once she sees him hobbling after me. I’ve never really known why she despises him.
“Why is Butt Mutt still here, babe?” she asks, not really caring if Carter could understand her or not.
“Don’t call him that, please,” I say for the millionth time.
"Whatever. Just get rid of that thing as soon as possible. Preferably today. If not by tomorrow, we're over," she replied manipulatively.
“Fine. How about we go right now? I figured out a place that I can drop him off at. It’s called the Sonaran Desert or something like that.”
“First of all, there’s NO way I’m getting in your wimpy little truck with that… thing. Second of all, I believe it is the Sonoran Desert,” she replies arrogantly.
“Okay, then. I’ll be back in an hour or so,” I reply. “Stay safe.”
“Whatever…” she retorts blandly.
Sometimes I wonder if she really does love me… Anyone could easily see that I love Carter, and no matter what they think they would make sure I was happy… Maybe she’s just using me for the little money that I make that she always gets a handle of to buy a new pair of shoes. Why do I even doubt myself? Of course she loves me. It wouldn’t make sense; she had been dealing with me for a whole year now. I haven’t known anyone else that has stayed in a relationship that long and tolerated me. She’s a keeper. I just know it in my heart. I whistle to Carter twice, signaling it was time to leave the house. He hurriedly runs out the front door and approaches my truck. I will be the first to admit, it isn’t the best truck. Its cherry-red paint is chipping, and the engine is pretty rusty. However, it works just fine for its old age of 21. It’s an old GMC. For some reason, Jess really hates it and is horrified by the idea of being trapped in the old thing with sweet ol’ Carter. I open the door, motioning for Carter to jump in.
He tries to jump in at first, but then I realize that it is way too high for him to reach. I gingerly lift him up into his seat and then switch sides to hop into mine.
I put the key in and listen to the old thing rev up. Luckily, she seemed to be cooperating today and was running nicely.
I pull out of my driveway but pause to look at the front of my house. It most definitely doesn’t have the best curb appeal on the block, that’s for sure. It clearly hasn’t been painted in at least two decades, and what used to be glorious white paint is now tinted yellow. The only plant life I have is dead leaves from my neighbors’ trees, dead grass, and a whole bunch of weeds. The only way I manage to escape the griping of my neighbors is by weekly spray-painting my grass a nice shade of green and buying fake flowers and burying them into the dry dirt.
I pull away from my shameful house and out of the neighborhood full of horrifyingly perfect front yards with flowers, trees, garden gnomes, and perfectly painted houses.
I look over at Carter and see that his tail is wagging. I instantly feel twice as guilty. I have to. I think, I need Jesse in my life. She’s the best girlfriend I’ve ever had. There’s gonna be some way that’s he’s gonna make that place his home… Sadly, he probably thinks we’re going to somewhere fun… I just feel so malicious doing this to him!
We drove for an hour or so as we finally approached the road that enters the desert, and I turn onto it. Carter looked around and started whimpering in the softest tone I had ever heard. It was one of those moments that made me regret leaving him in this desert. After all, I hadn’t done a whole lot of research on this place. For all I know, Big Foot, the Abdominal Snow Monster, and the Boogie Man might live there! It’s a pretty low probability level, but… it could be possible.
The silence was just too awkward for me. I decided to turn on the radio so it doesn’t seem so awkward. All of the sudden Drive By by Train comes on and makes me feel twice as guilty because it’s about someone telling the other person that they’ll never leave them .
Therefore, I switch the channel, and I Won’t Give Up by Jason Mraz came on, a song about someone who loves the other person so much that they won’t leave them. I switch the channel again, and Somebody That I Used to Know by Goyte comes on. I decide to turn the radio off as every song was too awkward, even more awkward than the silence .
I look over at Carter, who seems thoroughly confused by all the changing of music and silence. I could’ve sworn that he had shifted his head to his side, and he had a glint in his eye that seemed like he was thinking, “What was that for, man? Those were my JAMS!” I chuckle to myself. You’re going crazy, I tell myself. You’re just hallucinating.
We drive for about 30 minutes along the straight road into the desert, not turning once (I figured I would get lost) before I found a good spot. In the distance, you could see a pack of coyotes, so I figured it was the PERFECT place to drop him off.
I open my door, counting on him jumping out over my lap as usual. He succeeds in jumping straight over my lap and out the door. I quickly slam the door closed, pull the truck into reverse, switch into drive, and slam the pedal so I wouldn’t have to look at his face, which was most likely not the most happy or trusting face that I would ever see. The only thing I could think as I was speeding away was, Don’t feel guilty… It’s for the better.