Chapter 6: Ray's Major Setback

Ray sighed from defeat as he hung up his phone. "He's still not answering his home phone. Do you think he knows it's me?"

Robbie raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "He has Caller ID, doesn't he?"

Ray blew a piece of hair out of his face. Robbie shook his head quickly. "Or, he might not be home."

"Maybe I should call his cell phone." Ray said.

"Go ahead. No skin off my bones." Robbie answered, unenthusiastically. "I truly don't mind if Travis doesn't come to Mickey's with us; he need's time to rest his neck, you know, Ray?" He put the emphasis on "neck."

"Ray, look... It's no problem; Yes, I know you're sorry. No, no really... I'm fine, Ray." Travis was saying as he neared the airport-parking garage.

"Hey, Swami, where are you? You're breaking up," Ray said from his place at Mickey's later that day.

"Airport, long story... I'll be back later. Lily will be too." Travis said, hanging up quickly.

Ray picked up the hint immediately; odd, really. He jammed his cell phone in his pocket and stormed out the door. He motioned for Robbie to follow him into the car.

"Ray, where are you going? Hey, come on, man. Say something!" Robbie said, clueless as to what was going on.

"Lily... Travis... Airport... Bad news." Ray mumbled as the car's engine roared and he pushed down the gas.

"Lily, Hun, I'm going to take a trip to the restrooms. Do you need to go?"

Lily looked up at her mother and shook her head. "No, I'll wait here for the luggage."

Lily's father patted his daughter on he shoulder. "That's a good idea. I'm going to use the rest room. Be right back, Babes."

Lily smiled and turned around, walking toward the luggage conveyor belt. She stood, in her shorts and tank tops, watching all the people walk by in jeans and sweatshirts. The weather was obviously much different in Orlando. Her arms were folded across her chest in an attempt to keep warm in the poorly insulated terminal.

Travis smiled when he saw her there, her body tan, her hair pulled back in loose pigtails. He could see how cold she was. Taking off his brown suede jacket, Travis walked up behind her and draped it over her trembling shoulders.

She grabbed the edges of the jacket and pulled them closer together; making the jackets edges cover the entire top half of her body. She slowly turned around and let out her breath when she saw who was behind her.

Travis looked down at his feet, not able to think of anything to say. "So, Lily, what caused you to come home so early? I mean, not that I don't want you here, I was just wondering. You weren't supposed to be home for another three days."

Lily laid a finger on Travis's lips. "You talk too much, Travis. We had to come home early because there's a hurricane forming to the south of Florida. It would have hit by Tuesday, and we would have been stuck there even longer."

Travis grasped Lily's wrist and gently pulled it away from his face. "Can I talk now?"

Lily exhaled and smiled. She nodded. "How is your neck?" She asked, putting a hand on the back of his neck. "Does it hurt at all? Can you move it?"

"Yes, it's fine. Don't worry about it. Doctor Robbie took good care of me," Travis said, reassuring his friend. Lily smiled. Her hand was still behind his head. She looked at the ground, her smile fading.

Travis followed her gaze to the terminal floor. He knew what she was thinking. "He and Audrey haven't had any time to socialize. Robbie found out, about the same time Ray did, about what you asked me to do, and since then, he's been keeping an eye on Ray, too." Lily looked up, but Travis continued. "I know he's your best friend. I understand the sort of connection you two have."

Lily sighed. She sat down on the baggage conveyor belt. She read the sign next to her: PLEASE DO NOT SIT OR LEAN ON CONVEYOR BELT. Travis saw the sign too. Lily shook her head. "Nah, I'm sure they just mean when it's in motion. It's out of order anyway, see?" She pointed to a sign resting against the red light on top of the belt; the one that flashes when the belt is about to move: "out of order," someone had scribbled.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Lily wondered what was taking her parents so long to use the bathroom.

Then, a hoarse beeping rang throughout the terminal. The light on the belt next to Lily and Travis began flashing, like a police light. Soon, the conveyor belt below Lily began moving. "Ah!" She squealed as she jumped up. She grabbed Travis's shoulders and got as far away from the belt as possible. They both looked at the conveyor belt. "I guess the sign just meant that the light was out of order, huh?" Lily said looking back at Travis. She didn't realize how close they really were to each other. They just stood there, holding each other, for who knows how long. Neither of them noticed Ray walking up to them from the elevator. Robbie walked slowly behind him.

Ray stood behind Lily. Travis saw him, and opened his mouth to say something, but Ray cut him off. "You do know that if it wasn't for your damn neck, I'd..."

"Ray." Robbie said. The one word made Ray stop talking immediately. His angry, sad eyes still glared into Travis's face. Lily turned slowly. "Ray, what are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

"I could ask you the same thing." Ray replied, rocking back and forth on his heels, his hands in his pockets.

"Um, hurricane season; if we didn't..." Lily sighed, "Hurricane season is all." She looked at Robbie. "Hi Robbie," she said, her voice a whisper now.

She turned and went to sit on a bench across the lobby, when a hand grabbed her arm. She turned and looked at her friend with glassy eyes. Robbie noticed her sadness. "Lily, the peak of hurricane season just passed."

Lily's lower lip began to tremble. Robbie shook his head. "I know you too well for that. Something happened down there. What was it?"

Lily sat down on the bench, with Travis on her left and Robbie on her right. She rested her head on Travis's shoulder as a tear fell down her cheek. He put has hand on hers, and brushed his fingers through her hair. Robbie patted her on the shoulder. "Lily, its okay... Just tell us what happened."

Ray watched them from his spot next to the baggage claim... There was nothing he could do.