“Hey Tyler. I’m thinking maybe we do something different tonight,” Hanson said.
He looked out the side window of Tyler’s pickup, his chin resting on his arm like a child bored on a long family drive. His thin blond hair hung down over his eyes as his gaze followed two teenage girls from their car to the entrance of the Ivanhoe Diner. The sun had just set but still cast a warm glow across the parking lot, and a breeze blew through the truck, clearing the cab of the stale smell of cigarette butts, oil, and decay.
“Do you have a car?” Tyler asked.
“You know I don’t.”
“Then I’m thinking you should just shut up,” Tyler said. He looked at his reflection in the rearview mirror and combed his hair with his fingers. “I already told you we were going hunting.”
“Yeah. About that. We’ve been going out hunting just about every night for a month. Ever since summer started, Tyler. And it’s kind of getting monotonous,” Hanson said. “Like, I’m starting to have dreams where all I do is drive around.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you bored? ’Cause I can drop your ass off right here if you want me to,” Tyler said.
“Nah. I just don’t want to do this all summer. It’s my last one here,” Hanson said, still looking out the window. “Billy told me that Kendra Wilke is having a party tonight. She’s not much to look at, but she’s fun. I say we go over there.”
“I have the truck. I say what goes. That’s how it works,” Tyler said, then pointed down at the empty burger wrapper on Hanson’s lap. “Are you done with that?”
“Yeah, I’m done,” Hanson said, sulking.
Tyler felt a hollow, tight feeling spread from his stomach to his chest. He didn’t know what it was, but it seemed to come every day now. It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t sadness. It was something worse, and it made it hard to breathe. He had known Hanson his entire life, through all the changes and trauma and boredom of growing up in this stupid town, and the thought of him not being there felt worse than loss. Things were changing. People were leaving, and Tyler only saw a dark, empty expanse ahead.
“Listen. Let’s go out for an hour. If we don’t find anything, we head over to Kendra’s,” Tyler said. “Deal?”
“You mean it?” Hanson said, his eyes bright.
Tyler nodded reluctantly.
“Wa-woo woohoo!” Hanson let out a rebel yell and pounded the roof of Tyler’s truck.
“Geez, Hanson. You’re such a puppy dog.” Tyler couldn’t help but smile. “When Billy and Owen get here with the beer, we’ll take off.”
“I call front seat.” Hanson grinned from ear to ear.