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The huge, hulking monstrosity that sat in the Rockmore's driveway busily casting shadows across the freshly cut green lawn looked suspiciously like an automobile of some sort. It had wheels, six of them to be exact. It had windows, including a long one that curved its way across the vehicle's stocky front end exactly like a windshield would. And behind that clear front glass which eagerly reflected the sunlight onto the facing garage door in dancing pools of light lay a large circular steering wheel, which jutted out from a bright blue carpeted dashboard, exactly like you might find in a car owned by someone with really poor taste in both dashboards and carpets.
But that was where the similarities to other cars ended. Other cars weren't this big. Other cars weren't this tall. And, certainly no other car would ever have been this particularly unpleasant shade of green. That's because this was no ordinary car. In fact, this was no car at all. This was a recreational vehicle. Bigger than a van. Uglier than a semi. It looked more like a long, narrow aluminum house on wheels than it did an ordinary mode of transportation. A yellow racing stripe cut a path down the green metal side of the RV, in a desperate attempt to make the whole thing look sleeker and sportier than it was. It didn't work. In fact, it only seemed to point out the fact that this automobile was not attractive in any way at all.
"It's beautiful," Roger choked, dabbing a small tear of joy from his bulging eyes as he stared lovingly at the shiny metal behemoth on wheels that stood before him.
Kenan didn't seem quite so impressed. "Uh...yeah, Pop, that's really..." He racked his brain, struggling to find something complimentary to say about the hideous, motorized monstrosity that littered their driveway. "Big!" was what he settled on.
"Yes!" his father said proudly. "It is big!" He giggled gleefully to himself. "And everyone knows that bigger is better." His face beamed a wide smile, giddy with feelings of love, excitement, and the amazing pride of owning something so large and yet so motorized. His huge, imposing frame beneath his thick, bald head seemed filled with helium as he bounded around the vehicle, surveying all sides of his new purchase with sheer childlike joy.
Kenan stared at his father, desperately hoping against hope that somehow he, Kenan, was adopted. He shook his head softly, hanging his chin against his chest in defeat. Nope, no such luck, and he knew it. This man who was now stroking the sides of his new RV like a father patting the head of his newborn baby was really his dad, and there was no use denying it.
Kenan tried to muster some sign of excitement,for his dad's sake, but soon realizing that he just didn't have any to muster, he gave up. The truth was, he wasn't excited. Not about the motorized eyesore of a car that his dad had purchased and not about the trip that it so loomingly symbolized. After all, Kenan was sixteen and this was his summer vacation. That meant hanging out with his best friend Kel, meeting girls, and getting into trouble. That was what you did on a summer vacation. It was like an unspoken rule.
What you did not do on summer vacation was travel cross-country to Grandma's house in the biggest, ugliest, greenest car on the road. That, as a general rule, was not a good way to meet girls. But, as much as it pained Kenan to think about it, that's exactly what they were going to do.
To Kenan, his grandma's eightieth birthday party in Florida -- complete with a gaggle of elderly party guests who were sure to pinch his cheek, comment on how much he'd grown, and continually mispronounce his name as "Kevin" -- seemed like about as much fun as a small furry animal might have if a huge, heavy boulder happened to fall on it. Even the sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C., that his parents had planned for the ride down to Florida, wasn't enough to sweeten the deal to Kenan's liking.
In fact, the only thing that would have sweetened the trip to Kenan's liking was if his parents had let Kel join them. After all, Kel was Kenan's best friend and had been for years. Kenan and Kel had enjoyed plenty of crazy times together. Somehow everything was a little more fun with Kel around. Yep, Kel was just the person to turn this nightmare of a trip into something bearable. Unfortunately, Kenan's parents didn't seem to think that Kel joining them was a very good idea. In fact, they had said that they would rather have a large, heavy boulder fall from the sky and crush them than let Kel anywhere near their vacation. At least, Kenan thought, they know how I feel.
It wasn't that Kenan's parents didn't like Kel, exactly. It was more that they didn't like Kel around them. Kel seemed to have a knack for destroying things that the Rockmores held dear. Little things like their possessions, their happiness, and their sanity. Other than that, they liked him just fine.
"I've never been this happy in my entire life." Roger dropped to his knees and embraced the front grille of his new prized possession in his thick, meaty grasp.
Kenan snapped out of his own private thoughts like he had been popped with a rubber band. He looked up and fixed his dad with a quizzical stare. "The happiest day of your life?"
Roger caught his son's eyes. His face immediately flushed with the guilty expression of someone who realizes that they have just said aloud something only meant to be kept to themselves. "Oh, you know, except for the days that you and your sister were born. Oh, and when I married your mother, of course," he explained with a little less sincerity than he had intended.
Kenan smirked at his father's uneasiness. He didn't understand his dad's attraction to the green monster in the driveway, but he thought it was kind of cute in a parental sort of way.
"Whatever," he said with a grin. "I'm gonna go finish packing." And with that he trudged out of the looming shadow of the RV and into the pleasant two-story house that sat quietly at the end of the tree-lined driveway.
"Hey Rockmores!" Kel burst through the front door with his usual buoyant enthusiasm and his usual knack of not knocking, as if he were making his grand entrance upon a stage. Sheryl and Kyra looked up from behind the pleated folds of the laundry with two different, equally distinct expressions on their faces.
"Hi, Kel," Kyra said in a bubbly tone, batting her big twelve-year-old puppy-dog eyes as she gazed lovingly up at Kel.
"Hi, Kel," Sheryl said politely without bubbling or batting or gazing at anything. Kel bursting excitedly into their spacious and warmly decorated living room had become so commonplace over the years that Sheryl hardly even took notice of it anymore. Kel had become a fixture of their house, like the faucets on the sink.
"Hey, Kel, wanna hear a secret?" Kyra asked, skipping across the short length of room to where he stood.
Kel glanced down at Kenan's little sister, an uncertain look spread across his angular face. "Uh... okay!"
She motioned for him to lean down closer to her so she could whisper something in his ear. Something juicy and conspiratorial. As he did, she leaned in as if she were about to say something, then abruptly shifted directions and planted a big kiss on Kel's cheek.
Kel reeled back as if he had been slapped. He pawed at his face trying to rub the residue of the kiss away from his cheek.
"Kyra!" Sheryl scolded her daughter.
"But, Momma! " Kyra protested innocently. "He's so cute!"
"Eeeewwwwwww!" Kel yanked the widebrimmed hat off his head and proceeded to scrub away with it at any remnant of kiss that might have managed to remain on his face. Then he quickly yanked the hat back down over his head, straightened the T-shirt that he was wearing, shot one last disgusted look in Kyra's direction, then turned and stomped upstairs toward Kenan's room.
"'Bye Kel!" Kyra waved lovingly after him. Then she sighed as he disappeared up the stairs.
"Keeennnaaaann!" Kel loved to make an entrance. In one fluid motion he burst through the doorway to Kenan's room, slid across the carpeted floor, tumbled over a chair that usually wasn't sitting where it was today, let out a loud, surprised "Whooaaaa," and crashed to the floor, sending the neatly folded pile of clothes that Kenan had stacked next to his open suitcase scattering to the floor.
Kenan looked down at his fallen comrade from the closet as he emerged with another handful of clothes. He tossed the clothes on his bed and leaned down to give his friend a hand.
Kel grabbed Kenan's hand and pulled himself to his feet. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked around at Kenan's room. Something was different. His glance stole nervously from Kenan's desk on his far right, which was cluttered with papers and wellworn comic books, to Kenan's dresser at the opposite end of the room, which rested up against the heavily decorated wall, replete with posters of sports figures and musical groups and comic book heroes.
Still, Kel couldn't put his finger on it. He slumped down on Kenan's bed, directly into the warm patch of sunlight that struggled through the green leaves of the tree outside, and he thought.
Kenan eyed his friend with amazement. He had no idea what Kel was up to, but he couldn't wait to find out. Kel had a gift for always doing the unexpected, the bizarre, some would say the mindbendingly stupid. But not Kenan. He knew that although from time to time his friend did things that were less than smart, it was more out of youthful enthusiasm than actual lack of brains.
Kel's eyes finally came to rest on the half-full suitcase that was lying at his feet. His glance darted up to Kenan and followed him carefully as he grabbed a handful of clothes from the pile on the floor, refolded them, and gently stuffed them inside the large piece of luggage. Kel's eyes opened ever so slightly. His lips parted nervously, revealing the small gap between his front teeth. He had finally figured it out. He knew what was different. It was the suitcase and the clothes. Everything finally became clear to him.
"Aww no, Kenan, you're running away from home!" Kel leaped to his feet and clutched desperately at his friend's shirt. "Don't go, Kenan! Don't go! Whatever it is, we can work it out!" His voice was high and panicked. He buried his face in Kenan's shoulder as he continued to plead with him. "The streets are hard and cruel, Kenan. And what about me? You can't leave me!" A thought occurred to him suddenly and he pushed himself away from his friend, holding him at arm's length. "I'll go with you. If you're going, then so am I!" A curt nod of his head sealed the plan.
Kenan was right. He never in a million years would have guessed that Kel was going to say that. Once more Kel had come up with the unexpected. Kenan cocked his head to one side as a large smile burst out across his face.
"Kel! I am not running away from home! What are you talking about, nutty?" he asked, chuckling curiously.
Kel took a thoughtful step backward as this new information sank in. If Kenan wasn't running away from home, then why the suitcase? Why the clothes? Why the chair mysteriously placed in the middle of the room? Okay, so maybe the chair had nothing to do with his running away, but still, he should be more careful where he put it.
Several possible but amazingly improbable scenarios, half of which included a monkey, danced their way across Kel's brain only to be discounted one by one. He realized that there was only one true way to get to the bottom of this. He asked.
"Kenan, if you're not running away, then what's the suitcase for?"
"I'm packing," he explained slowly, in exactly the same patient tone of voice that he had used yesterday when Kel had asked him what the suitcase was for and the week before that when Kel had asked him why his mom had pulled all of their suitcases out of the closet, and even the week before that, when Kel had wondered what Kenan's plans for the summer were.
"Why are you packing?" Kel asked as if for the first time.
"Because we're going on vacation tomorrow. You know, to Washington, D.C., and then down to Florida for my grandma's eightieth birthday."
"Well that stinks!" Kel exclaimed.
Kenan nodded along, bobbing his round face up and down in agreement. "Tell me about it!"
"You should have told me, Kenan."
Kenan narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "I did tell you. In fact, you've known about it for three weeks." None of this seemed to sink in. Kenan rested a hand on Kel's shoulder. "Remember yesterday when I said, 'Hey, Kel, tomorrow I'm leaving on vacation to go and visit mv qrandma'?"
Kel thought about it, then slowly nodded his head. "Yeah." The puzzled expression stayed glued to his face.
Kenan let go of Kel's shoulder and shrugged, his hands out to his sides, palms up, as he waited for Kel to put everything together. "Well...," he said leadingly.
Kel's eyes lit up. "Ohhhh, that's today!"
Just as Kenan started to nod along proudly, Kel's face fell with concern. "Oh, no. I've gotta go pack. I've got so much to do! I gotta get my hair done. I mean, I can't let Grandma see me like this."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa there, sparky," Kenan interjected, snapping Kel out of his own personal ramblings. "What are you talking about?"
Kel frowned an impatient sort of frown, as if he really didn't have time to stop and explain something so obvious when he had so much packing to do. "I haven't packed yet, for the trip."
That's what Kenan thought he was talking about. "But you're not going on the trip."
Kel looked surprised, and then confused, and then nervous, and then somehow managed to look all three at once. "But you said it was a family vacation."
"It is. My family. Look, I wish you could go, too, but my parents won't let you."
Kel's nervous expression of confused surprise quickly shifted gears and became one of indignation.
"Fine," he spat out angrily. "Then maybe I won't go on vacation with you!" He stomped over to the door as he spoke. "What do you think of that?"
Kenan paused. He wasn't sure what he thought of that. In fact, he wasn't really sure what the heck Kel was talking about at all. He decided that it would be best just to agree.
"Okay." It was sort of a question, sort of a statement. Even Kenan wasn't really sure which.
"Fine!" Kel turned and stormed out the door slamming it behind him.
Kenan stood staring at the poster of Skunkator, the world's smelliest superhero, that stood taped to the door in exactly the spot Kel had occupied only a moment before. He arched his eyebrows in a silent question, but Skunkator, always the quietest of superheroes, did not answer. Kenan shook his head, baffled, and ran his hands through the short, stubby dreadlocks that stuck up off his head. Then, with a resigned sigh, he chased after his friend.
"Nah, Kel, you don't understand. I want you to go. Actually, I don't want to go at all, but since I have to go I want you to go with me." They were padding down the stairs side by side as Kenan pleaded his case. "My parents won't let you, that's all."
Kel stopped. Kenan, who wasn't expecting it, didn't, and bumped into his hat-wearing friend. "Really?" Kel asked, the anger fading from his voice.
"Of course, man. If there was a way to stow you away with us, I would do it," Kenan insisted.
A gap-toothed grin broke out across Kel's face. "Awww, thanks!" He spread his arms and locked them around Kenan in a big bear hug.
"All right! All right! Enough with the hugging," Kenan said as he winced.
"It's gone!" Roger burst into the living room just as Kenan and Kel hit the bottom of the stairs. His face was slack and nervous, and sweat was beading up on his forehead like he was collecting it. His whole body seemed tense.
Sheryl and Kyra rushed over to the door where he stood. "What's gone? What are you talking about, Roger?" Sheryl asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Yeah, what is it, Daddy?" Kyra added nervously.
Kenan and Kel froze where they were by the stairs. Kenan didn't know what was wrong. But the safe bet was that somehow it was Kel's fault. All eyes were trained on Roger, awaiting the horrible news.
He breathed in, deep, ragged gasps as if he was trying to catch his breath after being punched in the gut with a large brick. His eyes were wide and wild and his mouth hung open, like a door with a broken latch. He mopped at his brow with one of his hands and then, he spoke. "The RV! My baby! It's gone!"
Kyra and Sheryl stared in disbelief. Kenan stared in bewilderment. All were thinking the same thing. The RV? Who on earth would want to steal that ugly thing?
Kel smiled. "Awww, yeah, I meant to tell you -- "
Three heads snapped up in unison and locked onto Kel.
"See," he continued happily, "someone parked this big, ugly green thing in your driveway. But don't worry, because I called the towing company and had it towed away. Who's looking out for you? Eh? Eh?" He strolled over and patted Mr. Rockmore on the back, tipping a friendly smile in his direction.
Roger's mouth opened, then closed, then opened and closed again, but no sound came out.
"Uh...Kel." It was Kenan who spoke first.
"Yeah?"
"Run!" He grabbed Kel and pulled him toward the kitchen in a mad, scrambling dash just as Roger regained his senses and bolted furiously across the room after them.
Kenan shoved his friend through the swinging door to the kitchen, hurling himself in afterward. The kitchen door swung in as they entered, then just as Roger dashed toward it, it swung back out and smacked him in the face with a loud wooden whap!
Roger's eyes rolled up in his head; the mean, angry look that had taken control of his face relaxed. Then, as if recalling some happier time, he smiled, tipped backward and collapsed to the floor in a heap.
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