Shift (The Neturu Chronicles)

by Sarah Kay Carter

Damien says, “I will. Bye, hon.”

  She hangs up the phone and looks at Jackson. “I really do hope we stop soon. I’m starving.”

  He gives her a perplexed look. “We just stopped. Why didn’t we get something to eat?”

  “I don’t know. I was talking on the phone.”

  “You are such a girl!”

  “Of course I’m a girl.” Kayla laughs. “But that doesn’t mean anything!”

  Jackson looks at her. “Yes, it does. You make no sense.”

  “I make perfect sense,” she snaps in return. “You’re just stupid.”

  “I’m smarter than you.”

  Pointing her finger at him, Kayla snips, “Not according to our essay grades.”

  He stares out the window, smirking. “I was just teasing. You were too preoccupied with your boyfriend to realize that you were hungry.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend!”

  “Yes, he is,” Jackson replies. “Puleeze, what else is he?”

  Kayla glares at Jackson. “I am not ready for that yet. I’m going to stop seeing him if people don’t stop teasing me about it.”

  “That’s what it’s going to take? Damien is your boyfriend. You’re going to get married and have lots of baaaaabiieeesss. You’re going to love him forever. I can start singing a song about you guys kissing.”

  “Shut up.” Kayla laughs. “Stop calling him my boyfriend. I’m not ready for it, all right?”

  Jackson puts his hands up. “All right, no more boyfriend talk. What are you in the mood to eat?”

  “Tacos.”

  “Yeah, okay, let’s find a Mexican restaurant,” Jackson sarcastically groans. “That’s something pretty frequent.”

  She gives him a look. “You asked what I wanted.”

  “That’s true, but I was thinking more along the lines of fast food or an actual sit down restaurant.”

  “Why didn’t you ask that then?” Kayla snaps, trying not to smile. “I would rather sit down. Shouldn’t we charge the car anyway?”

  With a nod, Jackson says, “Yeah.”

  “How do we charge it? Just go up to an outlet and plug it in?” Kayla asks.

  “Someone has to let us,” Jackson replies.

  “And how are we going to convince people to do that?” Kayla asks. “Do you think a gas station will just charge your credit card?”

  Jackson reaches into his back pocket. “No, I think the restaurant manager will let us.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  He pulls out a stack of one hundred dollar bills. “We make it worth his while.”

  “Where did you get those from?” Kayla exclaims.

  “Damien had them delivered this morning. I didn’t want your parents knowing we were traveling with a few grand in cash.”

  Bewildered, Kayla says, “Forget charging the car. Let’s go find a mall.”

  “Kayla,” Jackson scolds. “That’s not what the money is for.”

  “Okay, let me explain something. Maybe you were brought up being able to shop whenever you wanted for whatever you wanted, but I wasn’t. So if I see a wad of cash like that, I want to go clothes shopping.”

  Looking at her, Jackson says, “You seriously want to go shopping?”

  “Hell, yeah,” Kayla squeals. “I mean, what else do you use that much money for?”

  “Okay, I’ll make you a deal. We will use this money for the trip, but I promise we will go to a mall. When we get to San Diego, I’ll make Damien take us shopping. He’ll buy you whatever you want, and if he doesn’t, I will.”

  She shakes her head vigorously. “I would never let you do that. That would be wrong.”

  “Why? Damien can buy you stuff, but I can’t?”

  Kayla mutters, “Everyone is going to think I’m after your guys’ money.”

  “But you’re not, so who cares?” Jackson argues.

  Kayla looks at him. “Maybe.” Her eyes flicker to the right. “Oh!” she yells, slamming her hands against the dashboard.

  “What?”

  “A Mexican restaurant!” Kayla exclaims. “The next exit.”

  “Damn it,” Jackson yells, grabbing his chest. “You scared me!”

  Giggling, Kayla says, “Don’t be such a girl.”

  They exit the freeway and arrive at the restaurant. The manager does let them charge the car for a mere $400, so Kayla and Jackson take their time eating and talking. After they eat, they go for a walk. Kayla eats a lot of brownies for dessert. She knows she needs them, but she is starting to get sick of them. After a couple more hours, they are back on the road.

  “That wasn’t so bad,” Kayla declares. “Now we can drive for another 200 miles.”

  “Yeah, that will take us to the campground I found. It won’t cost that much, and I don’t think they’ll ask for IDs.”

  “You can always bribe them with money,” Kayla notes.

  Jackson nods. “Yes, we can.”

  “Time for some more music,” Kayla states, bending over and pressing play.

  Come nightfall, Kayla has her window down and she’s staring up at the sky. “It’s so nice and beautiful out.”

  “It is,” Jackson replies. “Much warmer weather.”

  “Maybe we won’t need sleeping bags,” Kayla says, looking at the stars.

  “No, we need the sleeping bags. It’s the pajamas that we may not need.”

  She turns and looks at him. “If I’m covered by a sleeping bag, why does it matter if I’m naked?”

  “You won’t be covered with a sleeping bag then,” Jackson mutters underneath his breath.

  “I heard that.” Kayla laughs.

  “Heard what?” Jackson retorts, acting totally confused. He points to the left. “There’s the campground.”

  Kayla sits up straight in her seat. “We have to act like mature adults.”

  “You must have some pretty good acting skills,” Jackson says.

  “Shut up!” Kayla giggles. “Jerk.”

  They pull up to a little building and a guy comes out. “Can I help you?”

  “We’re here for a campsite. The name is Blakely,” Jackson replies.

  The guy looks down at his clipboard. “’One site for a night. That’s forty-two dollars.”

  Jackson pulls out a hundred and hands it to the guy. “Keep the change.”

  The attendant takes the bill and stares at Jackson. “Hey, how old are you guys?”

  “Eighteen,” Jackson says. “We’re driving to Vegas to get married.”

  “I’m pregnant with his baby,” Kayla adds. “We hope it’s a little boy.”

  Jackson and the guard look at her with bewilderment. “Okay, I need some ID, though.”

  “How about this,” Jackson retorts, handing over two hundred more dollars. “Does that work?”

  “Sure,” the guy replies quickly. “You’ll be on spot thirty-one. It’s straight ahead and to your left.”

  Smiling, Jackson says, “Thank you,” and drives toward the campsite. “Well, bribing worked.”

  “That it did.” Kayla laughs. “So have you ever put up a tent before?”

  He gives her a look. “Yes, miss smarty pants, I have. Have you?”

  “Um, I’ve never gone camping, so no. I can help, though.”

  “Mmhmm, we’ll see how far that goes,” Jackson mutters. “Here we go, site thirty-one. Okay, hot stuff, you can get out.”

  Kayla hops out of the car and looks straight up at the sky. “It’s gorgeous. Just look at it!”

  Laughing, Jackson opens the trunk. “How about we put up the tent and then enjoy the view?”

  “I want to put on pants,” Kayla says. “It’s getting cool.”

  “Are you doing that out here?” Jackson asks. “Where everyone can see?”

  “No, weirdo,” Kayla snickers, walking over to him. “I’ll change in the car.”

  A mischievous smile passes over Jackson’s face. “Oh, so only I can see.”

  “You already saw my underwear today.” Kayla sig
hs and grabs pants out of her bag. “You only get that view once.”

  “Where in the world is the fun of a road trip with a girl if I don’t get a free show along the way?”

  She turns and glares at him. “I take it off, you take it off.”

  “Fine,” Jackson says, undoing his belt.

  “No!” Kayla yells, grabbing his hands. Spinning out of her grasp, he turns his back to her. Laughing, she exclaims, “Jackson, don’t you dare!”

  He kicks off his shoes. “Nope, you said so. I expect you to pay up.” Then his pants drop.

  Kayla squeals. “Put those back on!”

  Jackson pulls them off and turns around. “I have my boxers on, gosh.”

  Covering her eyes, Kayla giggles. “Put your pants back on.”

  “Nope, I’m sleeping in my boxers tonight. I’m setting the tent up in them too.”

  “Jackson!” Kayla yells. “Please! Put them back on.”

  “Oh, here goes the shirt!”

  Kayla stomps her foot. “I really can’t uncover my eyes now.”

  “What’s the difference between this and seeing me in swim trunks?” Jackson asks. She senses him pull the tent out of the trunk of the car and walk away.

  His retreat leaves her alone in silence. Kayla moves her foot forward and feels his clothes still on the ground. “Jackson,” she whines. “Please, put your clothes back on.”

  “Are you going to help me with the tent?” he inquires from a distance.

  “Do you have pants on?” Kayla asks hotly.

  “Nope, took the boxers off too.”

  Spinning around, Kayla uncovers her eyes and screams, “WHAT!”

  Jackson pulls the tent out of the bag. “Made ya look.”

  “You’re a punk!”

  “I can’t believe you looked. What would Damien say?” Jackson chuckles. “I can do this naked if you want.”

  With a scowl, Kayla playfully says, “Shut your face.”

  “Are you going to help put this up?” Jackson asks with a grin.

  Kayla walks over to him. “Yeah, tell me what to do.” Jackson pulls the poles and stakes out of the bag. They laugh through most of the setup since Kayla really doesn’t know how to do anything and Jackson proves not to be the greatest teacher. He remarks about how it is probably taking them twice the amount of time than it should. Finally, the tent is up. Kayla throws her hands into the air. “Score!”

  “Okay, now you can put pants on in the tent,” Jackson says.

  “What if I want to sleep in my underwear too?” Kayla teases.

  With a smirk, Jackson replies, “You do whatever you want. I won’t mind.”

  “Yeah right, you wish.”

  “I won’t lie, yes I do.” Jackson laughs as he walks to the car.

  Kayla groans as she follows him. She hears her phone ring and takes it out of her pocket to answer it. “Hello?”

  “Are you guys going to sleep yet?” Damien asks.

  “Soon. We just got the tent up,” Kayla replies. “I’m kind of tired.”

  “So you’re choosing not to run around in the desert?” Damien asks, sounding hopeful.

  Finding herself checking out Jackson while his back is turned, Kayla quietly says, “Not sure yet.”

  “What?”

  Snapping out of her stupor, she shakes her head. “Sorry, we haven’t really talked about it yet.”

  “Sleeping will also even you out,” Damien states. “So I vote for sleeping.”

  “We’ll see. I’m awfully tired, but the sky is so beautiful here. There aren’t really any lights, and you can see the Milky Way.”

  “I wish I was there with you.”

  “It would be cool.”

  Damien says, “We should go on a camping trip of our own.”

  “That sounds good to me. So how’s Victoria?”

  “Good, I can hear her calling for me. I promised to read some of her book tonight. She’s a big reader.”

  Kayla snaps her attention away from Jackson to totally focus on Damien. “You’re such a great brother.”

  “My family is a little ridiculous.” Damien chuckles. “Hold on a second.” There is a pause and then he says distantly, “Victoria, I said give me five minutes. I’m saying good night to Kayla.”

  “I want to say hello!” Victoria’s voice carries through the phone to Kayla.

  “Uh-oh, Victoria wants to talk to you.” Damien laughs.

  “That’s fine,” Kayla replies, smiling.

  A giggly voice comes onto the line. “Hi, Kayla!”

  “Hello, Victoria, how are you feeling?”

  “Actually horrible,” Victoria whines. “My ribs hurt so bad and everything is bruised. Damien is taking good care of me, though. He is the best brother ever!”

  Kayla laughs. “That’s good to know.”

  “Since you’re Damien’s girlfriend, does that make you like a sister to me?”

  Not sure what to say, Kayla says, “Umm, I guess.”

  A voice in the background says, “Victoria, you shouldn’t say that to her.”

  “What…she’s your girlfriend. I can ask whatever I want.”

  “She isn’t my girlfriend.” Damien sighs. “Give me back the phone.”

  “No,” Victoria states. “Go away.”

  Laughing, Kayla urges her on. “Don’t give him the phone back. You can be my sister. I don’t have any.”

  “See, Damien. She’s my sister now, so there! So what are we going to do when you get here, Kayla?”

  “Well, you can’t go anywhere. What would you like to do?”

  “I want to play board games. Damien played Yahtzee with me all day.”

  Kayla smiles. “I know. I heard, and I would be happy to play games with you.”

  “She’s coming to see me, you know,” Damien says to his sister.

  “No, she’s coming to see me now,” Victoria counters. “It’s going to be Kayla, Courtney, and me.”

  “Tell him he can cook for us.” Kayla snickers.

  “Yeah! Kayla says you can make us food,” Victoria states matter-of-factly.

  Damien chuckles. “She did, huh? Then I guess that’s what I’ll do.”

  “Grilled cheese with tomatoes,” Victoria says. “And chocolate peanut butter cookies.”

  “Ooh, I like the sound of that,” Kayla agrees. “Can I talk to your brother now?”

  A long, “I guuuueessssss,” comes from Victoria. “Talk to you later!”

  “Okay, sweetie,” Kayla replies.

  Damien comes back on the phone. “So you’re ditching me?”

  “Yup,” Kayla answers back. “We’re going to have girl time.”

  “I guess I will have girl time somewhere else,” Damien retorts, obviously trying to get to Kayla.

  Not finding it funny, Kayla says, “Go right ahead. Go find some other girl. I do have Jackson with me. We’re going to be alone in a tent together. I bet we could get into trouble.”

  Jackson snaps his head up from the trunk. “What did you just say?”

  “We’re going to make wild passionate love in the tent,” Kayla replies.

  His eyebrows go up and then he shrugs. “Okay.”

  “Hey now!” Damien yells. “There will be none of that!

  “Weren’t you just the one talking about going to greener pastures? Jackson wouldn’t mind plowing my fields.”

  “I was joking, Kayla,” Damien says seriously. “That isn’t funny.”

  Kayla rolls her eyes. “It was only a comeback. There won’t be any sex between me and Jackson.”

  “Good to hear.”

  “I already have my clothes off,” Jackson murmurs next to her. “There isn’t much more to disappear.”

  Glaring at him, Kayla mouths, “Shut up!” Speaking back into the phone, she says, “Well, if we want to get up early in the morning, then I had better get to bed.”

  “Okay, will you call me when you leave in the morning?” Damien inquires.

  “Of course. I still have t
o call my parents and tell them I’m okay. My mom has been texting me all day. It’s ridiculous.”

  Damien chuckles. “They’re your parents. It’s their job to worry, especially your mom’s.”

  “I know. Have a good night, okay? Don’t get into any trouble.”

  “I think you’re the one who needs to stay out of trouble,” Damien points out. “I’m with my family. You’re alone, camping with another boy. I’m more worried about you.”

  “There’s nothing to be worried about. I’m going to sleep.”

  “Good. Have a good night, beautiful. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

  “Sleep well,” Kayla says.

  “You too, bye, sweetie.” And Damien hangs up.

  She grins and puts the phone away. “So,” Jackson says. “How is lover boy?”

  “Stop.” Kayla laughs. “Don’t pick on him.”

  “Um, it’s my job to pick on him. That won’t ever change.”

  Kayla smiles. “I’m going to call my parents now.” She turns and dials their number. The conversation is long. Her mom keeps asking if she’s safe. She shakes her head at her mom’s obsessive worrying.

  Finally, everything is set up and Kayla is finished with her phone calls. Jackson put his clothes back on while she talked to her parents. She walks into the tent and slides into her pajamas. “Okay, I’m ready,” she says after a few minutes.

  Jackson enters the tent. “All right, time to sleep.”

  “I’m tired,” Kayla says, crawling into her sleeping bag. She lies down. “I’m glad you’re picky about pillows, because we would be really uncomfortable right now without them.”

  “I take my pillows on every trip,” Jackson states. “I’m creeped out by hotel room stuff.”

  Kayla giggles. “I’m always thinking about what’s probably happened in that bed.”

  “Me too,” Jackson says, lying down next to her. “It’s gross.”

  They lie there for a little while gazing up at the sky. “It’s so beautiful,” Kayla whispers.

  “I agree.”

  “Have you ever tried to paint the stars?”

  “Yeah, I can paint other stuff. People are just my thing.”

  Kayla turns her head to look at him. “I wish I had talent like that. It’s so powerful.”

  “It’s my…escape,” Jackson murmurs.

  “What do you mean?” Kayla inquires, pulling her sleeping bag tighter around her.

  “Painting is almost spiritual. I may be successful academically, but painting is part of who I am. I connect in a place deeper than myself, and I allow myself to feel everything I don’t permit myself to feel the rest of the time.”