Come And Get Your Love || Travis Maldonodo

Chapter Two: Love Won't Live Here Anymore

2013
I sat cross legged in the back of Joe Schreibvogel-- better known perhaps's as Joe Exotic's old beat up truck as we rode down the country road nearing the bus station where a bug had been put in my bosses ear about a young man in distress hanging outside the building for a considerable while. Recently, Joe'd been desiring extra hands at the park due to some required changes ever since Carole Baskin managed to get every mall and fair within a decent distance to turn on him.

In the passanger seat sat John Finaly, Joe's longtime boyfriend as well as someone who I'd consider one of my closest friends. In the year I'd been here, him and Joe were the ones I connected with most.

I swallowed hard before lighting up a cigerette, rolling down the window in order to discover an appropiate way to dispose of the smoke I blew out of my mouth. I took another long drag before I suddenly had to find my balance as Joe took a sharp turn into the parking lot.

"That must be him." Joe observed before putting his truck in park. "Sit tight. I'll be back."

"Kay." I answered. John unbuckled his seatbelt and turned around to face me. I looked out the window as Joe approached the young man. I passed John my cigerette and he grinned before taking a quick drag off of it.

"Thanks. I left mine at the park." He chuckled before going quiet suddenly.

"Is everything okay?" I cocked my eyebrow as I took my smoke back into my possesion.

"Just worried about Joe.." he admitted. "This whole Carole Baskin situation is really weighing on him.."

"I know." I sighed heavily before chuckling and shaking my head. "But is it so wrong to be so entertained by the back and fourth of two people who don't even live in the same fucking state?"

Before John could answer my question, the back door of the truck as well as the front driver door swung open. "John, Marissa, this is Travis. Travis, this is John and Marissa." Joe sat back down in the drivers seat before Travis did the same beside me and closed the back door behind him.

"Hey." Travis said in a manner that was the mixture of shy and estactic. He looked at me before blushing slightly and looking away pretty much the moment after we made eye contact.

Damn, he ain't hard on the eyes. "Nice to meet you." I polietly told him and held my hand out for him to shake, which he did before John Struck up a conversation with the newbie.

"So where ya from?" John asked as the truck pulled out of the parking space and we began to drive towards the road.

"Calafornia." Travis answered, resting his hand on his chin as he stared out the window.

"So how'd you end up all the way down here?" John further inquired.

"Long story." Travis tilted his head and let out a yawn before looking down at his phone, typing something and then putting it back in his sweater pocket.

----
"Here it is." I showed Travis to one of the trailers, leading him in and he sat down his backpack on the floor. "I know it's nothing fancy, but.." I trailed off as I shut the door behind me and sat down at the small kitchen table nearing the bed. "There's some old card games in here to keep you enteratined if you want."

"Thanks Marissa." He sat across from me, nervously playing with his fingers.

"Everything okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah yeah." He assured me and waved my concerns off. "I guess I'm just a little tired."

"Okay." I replied before standing up. "I guess I better let you get some rest then. I'm right next door on the right if you need anything, okay?'