By the time we crossed the Texas border into New Mexico I knew Steve had just about had it with Lincoln. He chewed more than a cow and hadn't stopped rambling for nearly five hundred miles.

"In my day we didn't just go wandering half-way across the country searching for… whatever it is you kids are after," he said jamming another pinch of dip between his bottom lip and rotting teeth. "Y'all don't need none of this free love bullshit. What you need is Jesus."

I let my head rest on the back of the seat wish I could tune him out long enough to fall asleep. We'd just about driven through the night, except for a few quick stops in Texas. If Lincoln wasn't driving us nearly half-way to California I'd have been inclined to be more irritated than I was.

Beside me I could actually feel Steve getting more and more edgy. At the last stop he'd nearly bolted out from the cab before it had come to a stop.

"You gotta take it easy Stevie," I'd laughed, following him into the rest station. "He's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" Steve had cried forcing some change desperately into the cigarette machine near the restroom. He'd gone through a whole pack since we'd left Tulsa. "His teeth are brighter than he is."

Of course I'd agreed with him, but I hadn't let him know that. If Steve had any idea that I was just as sick of Lincoln as he was, he wouldn't hesitate to go off on him.

"There ain't nothing in Cali but a bunch of John-a-dreams," Lincoln started up again, just as I was getting close to passing out. "They're not even has-beens, just a whole mess of never-was."

Steve lit up his third cigarette in fifteen minutes. I hoped he didn't make himself sick. I didn't think I could stand five hundred more miles sandwiched between the Skoal King and a pile of puke.

"You boys are gonna be mighty disappointed when you get all the way out there and realize that it don't matter where you go," Lincoln enlightened us between spitting, "you'll still make the same mistakes, regardless of where you're at."

"If you want to know about mistakes," Steve muttered just loud enough to be heard, "ask your mother."

Lincoln about swerved off the road, narrowly missing a passing station wagon.

"What was that boy?" he demanded, his knuckles turning white from gripping the steering wheel so hard.

I looked sideways at Steve. Didn't he understand that this guy was in a position to dump us in the middle of nowhere? His eyes met mine and I knew we were done for.

···

After Steve and Lincoln got into it, he dumped us on the side of the highway. The sun had just started showing along the horizon and I still hadn't gotten any sleep.

"Let's go," Steve grumbled, heaving his duffle from off the dusty shoulder of the highway.

"Go?" I sighed. "Go where? We're in the middle of goddamn nowhere Steve."

"We keep walking," he snapped. "There's got to be a rest stop or something around here somewhere."

I grinned at how quickly he got agitated. Ever since we were kids Steve had been flying off the handle at nearly everything. I let him take a few steps before I flopped down on the side of the road with my duffle under my head and closed my eyes. As much as I wished Steve had just kept his mouth shut until Albuquerque, I had to admit it was nice to be able to close my eyes without Lincoln's voice in my ear.

Steve stopped when he realized I wasn't following him and spun around. He had a look on his face that, had it been directed at anyone else but me, would have meant he was ready start swinging.

"What the hell are you doing Curtis?"

I just smiled up at him, knowing that he'd calm himself down soon enough.

"I'm taking a rest," I announced with an exhausted chuckle. "California will still be there no matter when we start walking."

Steve clenched his jaw for a split second. That was the closest he really got to being aggressive towards me.

"We can't just sleep on the side of the road," he huffed. "We can't just stay here. We have to get moving. He have to--"

"Steve!" I yelled above him, unable to hold my laugher inside anymore. He looked at me like I was crazy. "Don't you get it man?"

Steve kicked at the dirt, dropping his duffle by his side. "Get what?"

"At this point, we don't have to do anything," I reminded him.

I hated looking at his fighting face, so I let my eyes close again knowing that he'd soon be lying beside me. With a defeated sigh, Steve shuffled around, then dropped down beside me.

"Unbelievable," he muttered.

I cracked an eye, chuckling to myself as he bit back a smirk and elbowed me in the ribs. Steve was, well, predictable. I closed my eyes again, eager to get some sleep; feeling safe with my buddy, even on the side of the road.

California would still be there.