Disclaimer: Drake and Josh are owned by Viacomm and Dan Schneider, not me, and I am not attempting to make any kind of profit with this, only to provide some kind of closure...

Author: therubyone

A TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

Chapter Three - Saturday ("Howdy, Neighbor!")

In the morning, the boys were cramped after a night in the sleeping bag, so they got up without lingering in the tent and started to eat breakfast.

Josh observed, "It's been so dry up here, looks like the ground soaked up most of the rain. It's not extremely muddy. We got here too late yesterday to look around much. Why don't we take a walk and check the terrain? We could go for a dip in the lake."

Agreeing, Drake slurped at his cereal, saying "That sounds like a plan. This afternoon maybe we could go horseback riding. And we need to find out about getting a boat. We want to get in some fishing before we have to leave. We'd better find out where all the other campers are located, too."

When they returned, several hours later, to their dismay, they found another tent in the site right beside theirs -- even though there were only empty sites surrounding them as far as they could see in all directions. The offending occupants were none other than their neighbors from San Diego, the Carmichaels. After a brief exchange of greetings and half-hearted pleasantries, the boys learned that Megan had recommended this campground to the family, while she was babysitting Robbie, since the Carmichaels wanted to get away for the weekend, but their place in Fresno was being re-painted.

The boys ducked into their tent and peeled off their wet trunks. Drake kicked his into a corner, but Josh retrieved it and put both of the wet bathing suits into a plastic bag. Drake was livid, almost pacing in place, due to the space limitations of the tent. He clenched and unclenched his fists.

Josh tried to be helpful. "Look at you, getting yourself all worked up. Remember how you've always told me that things go better when you relax?"

Drake said, peevishly, "And it only took you a year or so to listen to me, right? I'd like to kill Megan. I feel like driving home right now and kicking the snot out of her."

"Then she'd win, wouldn't she?" inquired Josh.

Drake complained, "This isn't how I pictured it. I imagined us rolling around on a blanket under the stars, just the two of us and Mother Nature, not stuck in the tent, wondering if it's going to rain and having to look over our shoulders every minute. It's just not what I expected. The whole scene's a real mood-killer."

Josh didn't know what else to do, so he started drying Drake's hair with a towel, stooping a little to plaster Drake's shoulders with kisses, hoping to relieve his pique.

They were suddenly startled by sound and movement right outside their open tent 'window.' "Mom! Dad! Drake and Josh are naked in their tent!" sang out a child's voice.

Then they heard Mrs. Carmichael say "Robbie, come away from there. You know they have to change out of their swimsuits."

As one, the boys each turned to their separate piles of dry clothes and practically jumped into them.

Josh felt his own temper starting to flare. "That tears it. What do you think we should do? I got nothing." He had given up trying to paint a nice picture on the situation.

His mind working overtime, Drake said, "I've got it - why don't we drive up to Great Aunt Katherine's beach house? I think Laguna Niguel's only 80 or 90 miles away from here."

"We wouldn't be alone there, either." Josh reminded him.

Drake tried to put his plan across. "At night we would. Wait 'til you see - she has this insane antique four-poster bed in her guestroom, the kind with the canopy on top. We could spend the day at the beach, or whatever; she wouldn't be around us every moment. She's too old to do very much. And her hearing's not good at all."

Josh, not coming up with anything else, finally said, "Well, we both know that Robbie isn't going to let us alone for a minute. And it is supposed to rain intermittently – I used my phone to check the local forecast this morning." It was Josh's turn to complain, "But what a chore to strike camp after we just got set up. It's SO unfair. I'd like to strangle Megan sometimes." Regaining his composure after a moment he said, "Okay. Let's do it."

Drake felt better now that they had established a goal. He begged "Can we have lunch first?" Then he showed Josh his tummy.

Nudging Drake out of the tent and following him, Josh said, laughing, "Sure. I wouldn't want my Baby Bird to starve."

Continued in Chapter 4