Page 174 of Pride High 3: Yellow

“Does that mean Anthony didn’t have to carry you on the way here?” Diego teased.

Ricky managed a laugh. “He offered, but I refused.”

As they made their way down the trail, he found himself wishing that Anthony was still nearby. Maybe he had remained parked next to Frankenstein and had slept there overnight, like a concerned big brother. But when they reached the clearing, only the Trans Am was there. After loading it up, they got inside.

“Next stop, El Paso!” Diego said when turning the ignition. He grinned at Ricky. “You ready?”

“Can we stop by my house for more clothes?” he asked. “I only packed an extra outfit.” And he was wearing it. “I could sneak in. And get some other stuff too.”

“Not worth the risk,” Diego said. “I’ll buy you whatever you need.”

An entire wardrobe? And what about his favorite pillow? He never slept as well without it. He thought then of his childhood stuffed animal, a plush lion named Rory whose fur was threadbare from so much love. Ricky would never see it again. Not until he was a legal adult. Three short years, he tried to tell himself as they drove down a dirt road.

“What’s El Paso like?” he asked.

“Nothing like Kansas,” Diego said vaguely. He glanced over and must have noticed Ricky’s worry, because he added more details. “They’ve got mountains. Not like what you’re probably used to from Colorado. We won’t be skiing, but the Rio Grande is nearby, so there’s some green.”

“Only some?” Ricky asked. “Is it in the desert or something?”

“Yeah,” Diego said as they turned onto a paved road, “so there won’t be many trees to scare you there. El Paso is pretty laid back. And cheap. Feels kind of like someone took a Mexican town and dropped it in Texas. I don’t speak much Spanish, but I always leave there knowing more.”

Ricky tried to imagine it all and couldn’t. He found the prospect intimidating. But at least they wouldn’t be completely on their own. “What’s your grandma’s house like?” he asked.

Diego laughed. “It’s like a one-bedroom apartment.”

“That’s it?” Ricky cried. Which of course made him sound like a spoiled rich kid. “I mean, will there be room for us?”

“Yeah. Her couch is a foldout bed. I’ve crashed on it plenty of times. We’ll be fine.”

Would they though? Ricky thought of the chess dream again and decided to confront it. The car was a rook that could move across the board as far as it needed to. They'd make it down to Texas and then…

“Does you grandma know that we’re coming?”

“She’ll be cool with it. I just show up sometimes.”

“But not with me. Will she be okay with that?”

“Stop worrying,” Diego replied. “You’re gonna love her.”

Okay, so assuming all of that went as planned, they would live with his grandma. He imagined castling, a chess move where the king was placed safely behind a row of pawns capped off by a rook. “How long will we be there, do you think?”

“Until we get our own place maybe?” Diego shrugged. “I have enough to put first and last month’s rent on somewhere cheap.”

“Don’t you have to be eighteen?”

“I don’t know,” Diego replied, starting to sound grumpy. “But not everyone is obsessed with rules. I’ll find somewhere that’ll take us.”

Even if he did, what sort of place would that be? The kind that took in drifters and junkies? Last night he had imagined them living in a humble downtown apartment next to railroad tracks. Now he was picturing a sunbaked motel out in the desert. Although maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. As long as they were together, they could make anything nice. Like a cave. Which had been a much more romantic notion before he’d actually spent an entire night in one. But they had to start somewhere, and assuming all of that went well…

“How old do you have to be to start your own business?” he asked.

“I’m not getting into bed with a bank, if that’s what you’re asking.” Diego took the on-ramp that led to the highway. “I’ll work for someone else until we’re on our feet.”

“I still want to graduate high school,” Ricky said.

“That’s fine. Like I said, I’ll take care of you.”

He imagined the king leaving the safety of the castle as it went to work each day. Ricky felt small like a pawn and pictured himself venturing out into the board all alone. He would have to start at a new school. Make new friends. And no matter how that went, he wouldn’t be able to go home each day to the comfort of his bedroom and all his familiar things. Like his computer. It would be a long time before they could afford a new one.