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Karkat tapped his foot as he waited beside the large pile of crap that was his luggage. He checked his watch again.
Of course Dave was late.
Karkat groaned. Another five minutes out here and Kankri might try to come out and talk to him. He had already said his goodbyes, and Karkat did not want to go through that tear-fest again, especially not with his overbearing brother.
Thankfully, the bright red truck blasting awful country music pulled up just a minute later.
Dave didn't bother to turn the truck off as he stepped out to greet Karkat. “Sup, Karkat?” he asked, shutting the door behind him.
“What took you so long, Strider?” Karkat said with annoyance, starting to grab his things and loading them into the back of Dave's truck.
Dave grinned and started picking up bags as well. “I was washing the pimp-mobile. Gotta make it shine.”
“There is no way in hell that I am going to condone calling your crappy F-150 a pimp-mobile.” Karkat said.
“Hey man, don't hate.” replied Dave, shutting the back of the truck and patting the back fender affectionately. “I call it what it wants.”
“Trucks don't talk, idiot.”
Dave shrugged and opened the passenger side door, bowing slightly. “Hop in, princess.”
Karkat flicked Dave in the forehead. “I can open my own door, thanks.” He dropped his small backpack on the floor of the truck and then sat down, slamming the door behind him. “Lets get this freak show on the road, shall we?”
Dave slid into the drivers side and smirked, shutting the door and buckling in. He glanced out the window at Karkat's house. “Wanna take a last look?”
“Please, more of that place is the last thing I need.” Said Karkat, but glanced back at it anyways as they pulled away.
Karkat looked at the road as they drove out of his neighborhood. He watched as they passed their old high school, the old roller rink where the more innocent kids went ironically to chill out, and his favorite ice cream shop. “Wow...” he said. “We're really leaving, aren't we?” He turned to Dave.
“Hey, it's not like college was a surprise to anyone.” said Dave. “Pretty rad we both got into the same one though.”
Karkat rolled his eyes. “Yes, I will positively without a doubt enjoy having to suffer through your audacious personality for another 4 years at the very least.”
“Aww, well thanks, Karkat. I'm happy to be with you, too.”
Karkat rolled his eyes and turned on the radio. “Let's just get this stupid trip over with.”
“Are we there yet?” Dave asked for the fourth time this hour.
Karkat could hardly keep himself from strangling his friend as he slammed his book shut. “First of all, we established that we wouldn't stop at a motel until we crossed into New Mexico, which, as i've said multiple times, is eight hours from now! Second of all, YOU'RE THE ONE DRIVING.”
Dave hesitated. “Yeah okay, but are we there yet?”
“NO!” Karkat screamed.
Dave laughed as Karkat sat back and crossed his arms, breathing heavily through his nose.
Karkat glanced at the horizon and sighed. “Looks like we're coming up on a town. Wanna stop for lunch? I neglected to bring snacks and so I need some sustenance to shove into my pie-hole.”
Dave gave a low whistle as they approached the outer area of the town.
It was definitely a tiny place, with only a couple visible houses on large plots of land, and they all looked pretty old, too. Luckily, not only was there multiple gas stations to choose from, but many options for food as well.
“I'm voting for Taco Bell.” Dave said.
Karkat rolled his eyes and stretched himself as he looked at his surroundings. “You always vote for Taco Bell.” He paused as Dave turned into a Shell station to re-fill. “Though it's not like there's anything better to eat when all we have available is crappy fast food.”
Dave snorted from outside the car where he was filling it with gas.
“What is it now?” Karkat asked flatly.
Dave spoke in between mild giggles, “Dude. Dude. Guess how much the gas was?”
Karkat deeply inhaled and exhaled. “I refuse to answer that question.”
“Kay dude. It was 45 bucks...” Dave paused for dramatic effect, “and SIXTEY NINE CEEENNNTTTSS!” He looked at Karkat with the biggest grin on his face. “Yeah, okay i'm done now.” He finished the transaction and got back into the car.
“So, what's the final consensus on the chow?” Dave asked.
“Not Taco Bell.” Karkat replied.
“Fair enough, Whataburger it is.” Dave said, driving towards the restaurant across the street. “We gonna slide through the drive through so you better have something to order quick.”
“ I kind of intended to choose from the menu.” Karkat said.
Dave looked at him with a straight face. “What kind of sad human being needs to look at the menu to know what to get at a Whataburger?”
“Oh, gee, I don't know, possibly someone who doesn't go out to eat ever?” Karkat asked sarcastically. “Just pull over and let me see.” He said, leaning over to see out Dave's window.
“Oh no, man. I'm choosing for you.”
“What? No, let me choose for myself!”
“Listen, Karkat. This here is Whataburger. It is a palace of pure Texan beauty. I will not let its holy name be soiled by possible plebeian food choices.”
“Excuse me?”
“I'm gonna get you the good stuff 'cause I don't trust you to make this choice on your own.” Dave summed up.
“That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!”
“Hey, shut it, we're pulling up.” Dave leaned out the window.
“Welcome to Whataburger can I take your order?” said a voice coming from the speaker.
“Uh, yeah, yo. Can I get 2 Barbaque Chicken Strip Sandwiches and two like giant cokes?” Dave asked as he pushed Karkat into his seat with one hand.
“Would that be all for you, sir?”
“No, screw you!” Karkat said in protest.
“Excuse me?” asked the voice.
“Hey, sorry, my dude bro is bein kinda dickish, gimme a sec.” said Dave.
“Uh, no problem, sir.” replied the voice.
Dave turned to Karkat. “Hey. Karkat. Chill. I got this. Those sandwiches are a sweet deal. They're chicken strips. On toast. That's tight.”
Karkat stared him down. “Hey, usually i'm not too picky about what gets shoved down my shoutpole, but maybe when I haven't eaten in 6 hours and have been forced to endure your company for the entire duration if the trip, i'd like the freedom of one measly discussion before I sacrifice it to the american education system for another four years of my life!”
“Woah. Man.” Dave raised his eyebrows. “Now I think you kinda earned it.”
“I'm so glad I was able to monologue my way into being able to choose which arbitrary processed food imitation I can consume.” Karkat grumbled.
“So what do you want?” Dave asked. “Make it quick Karkat, i'm sitting here in anticipation. I gotta know.”
“Just...” Karkat glanced out the driver side window. “...get the the whatever chicken meal. I don't care.”
Dave smiled and Karkat shot him an annoyed glance.
“Alright, two Whatever Chicken Meals, comin' right up.”
When they had gotten back on the road, Karkat begrudingly ate his sandwich.
“Well?” asked Dave.
“Well what?” Karkat shot back.
“How's the sandwich?”
“Why in hell would you care?”
Dave turned to Karkat. “Karkat, that hurts me. My best bro's opinion on assorted fast foods is my top priority. Okay, it's like sixth, but it's still up there. Top tier. Like, next to Obama, but like, slightly below. It's understandable.” He said.
“Hey hey HEY EYES ON THE ROAD!” Karkat screamed.
Dave caught himself before he flung the both of them into an off-road ditch.
Karkat clung to his seat. “Are you TRYING to kill us? BECAUSE IT'S WORKING.”
Dave slowed and turned to Karkat again. “But how was the sandwich? This is important, Karkat. I have to know.”
Karkat flipped him off and took another bite of his sandwich.
After what felt to Karkat like days of bad jokes and suffering through Dave trying to sing along to George Strait, they finally arrived in New Mexico close to 11 pm.
They turned into the first motel they saw that didn't look like a death wish and finally crashed in the room. It only had a single bed so Karkat elected Dave to take the couch, which he agreed to with little argumentation.
Karkat rolled around in his bed, unable to sleep on the unfamiliar surface. He groaned and punched the mattress in frustration.
“Can't sleep either, huh?” asked Dave.
“Yeah, with our luck we'll probably just doze off in the car and die. Won't that be fun.” Karkat replied.
Dave laughed, but faltered. “Karkat?” He asked.
“What?” Karkat said, sitting up.
“Whaddya think college will be like?”
“I don't know. Like high school but bigger I guess.”
“Hm.” Dave paused. “Karkat, you're my friend and stuff, right?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course I am!” said Karkat.
“Right.” said Dave. “Even if we have different majors?”
“Our interests have never gotten in the way of our strange relationship, so, i'd say yes.” replied Karkat. “Where is all this coming from?” he asked.
Dave shrugged. “People move. Things change. People change.” he said.
“Do you think that I would be here on this four day trip of bullcrap if I didn't intend of staying your friend?” Karkat asked. “You know, for a long time you've been one of the only people on this planet that I can talk to. I'm not gonna leave you just because you want to study archeology. I'm happy for you. Either of us might make new friends, knowing me i'd say it's unlikely, but whatever. After all the things we've been through, trust me, i'll be here.”
Dave surged foreward and hugged Karkat.
To his surprise, Dave began to cry.
Karkat hadn't realized how heavily this weighted on his friend. He knew that Dave had a much harder life than he, with his abusive brother and previous lack of friends, besides his online ones of course. Though, Karkat realized, he had never seen him cry. He had probably been to afraid to.
He held his friend tightly.
Sometime after they both managed to fall asleep. The next morning was a quiet one, but it was peaceful.
Dave and Karkat re-checked their bags and the room.
“Ready to get going?” Karkat asked.
Dave took a deep breath. “Yeah. I am. Thanks.”
Karkat smiled at him, and held up his fist.
Dave smiled back and bumped it, and after a pause, he said, “Alright, day two. Now I break out the old Taylor Swift CD's.”
“Oh my god.” Karkat said, following Dave into the car.