We're Almost There

4. Baywatch? You're Watching Baywatch?

Four

Kyle

"KYLE! WAKE UP!" Chance shouted.

Kyle sat up in his bed, eyes still closed. "I'm up, I'm up," he promised groggily.

"Breakfast in twenty!" Kyle's twelve year old brother shouted back through the door. A few seconds later, Kyle heard Chance bounding down the stairs.

Kyle rubbed his eyes. "At least it's Thursday," he mumbled to himself. Thursday's were the best day of the week because he preformed with his band at Amber Red at 7:00.

Kyle stretched his arms over his head, then let them go limp and fall at his sides. He swung his feet onto the soft carpet and stood.

Twenty minutes later Kyle was downstairs in the kitchen, showered, dressed, and dreading school. Sure, he was a smart kid, a straight A student, actually, but Kyle hated school with a passion just as much as a lot of the other kids.

Suddenly Kyle felt something wet on his cheek. "Seriously, Chance?" He groaned at his little brother, wiping a soggy Cheerio from his face.

"Just trying to see if you were awake, man," Chance said with laughter.

Kyle rolled his grey eyes at the twelve year old. "Grow up," Kyle murmured.

Chance blinked, then looked back at his cereal, shaggy black hair falling into the young boy's face.

Kyle cracked his knuckles and rose. He put his empty bowl in the dishwasher before hurrying upstairs to brush his teeth. Soon he grabbed his backpack and jacket. Kyle slipped on his worn out Toms and walked out the front door. Kyle loved living outside of town in the country. It was nice, quiet, and had the best view of the sunrise.

Kyle groaned, struggling to open his truck door. His dad got it for him. The piece of junk was at least twenty. Finally the door opened and Kyle slid into the driver's seat. He started the truck and an annoying noise echoed from the engine. Imagine a 500 year old elephant trying to swallow a fire breathing dragon twice its size while a bag of cats was being swung against a wall somewhere in the distance. That's what Kyle's truck sounded like.

Pulling out of the driveway, Kyle turned on the radio. Through the static he heard Anaconda by Nicki Minaj and physically shuddered. Kyle quickly changed it and felt relief when All Summer Long by Kid Rock started playing.

"She was seventeen and she was far from in between, it was summer time in northern Michigan," Kyle sang softly.

Reluctantly, Kyle arrived at school. He smiled when he noticed Kenzie Coleman, the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. He'd had a crush on her for about half a year, although Kyle was positive she hadn't ever noticed him.

The new blonde girl, Erin White, was with her. Kyle had met her and the other new kid the other day when he picked up Chance from his friend's house.

He wanted to go up to Kenzie, to introduce himself, then he thought better, knowing he shouldn't.

He shook his head. "Dammit, Kyle. Don't do this to yourself."

Sighing, he walked to science.

"Kyle. Are you even awake?" Carson asked, annoyed.

"Yeah, yeah," Kyle promised, pulling himself out of his daydream.

"Seriously, you almost dropped that blue crap all over me," Carson complained, wrinkling his nose.

Carson was Kyle's best friend, and bass guitarist in their band Never The Less. Yet the guy was a serious pessimist.

"Were you thinking about your girlfriend again?" Carson teased, his blue eyes twinkling.