Page 107 of Envious Of Fire
It isn’t long before even Drake’s sense of urgency increases, as he peels off his denim jacket, tosses it at a large nearby stone, and continues digging in just his sleeveless white shirt. Kyle’s body is drenched in sweat. Mikey even reluctantly pitches in, scooping away the broken dirt that’s already been dug up to make room for more digging, though his efforts are slowest.
“Really, guys, what am I supposed to do all day? Just sit out here and wait?” Mikey’s voice is weary and out of breath. “No way. I’ve gotta get to that Nowhere town. Where even is it? Do I go that way? Or that way? What if I get turned around?”
“It’s southwest from here,” answers Drake simply.
“And where the hell is southwest? I’m not a compass.”
Drake, halfway submerged in the hole as he digs, patiently points at the horizon like he has hours of time to spare. His voice shifts to that of a schoolteacher. “See where thesunmakes its daily debut? That iseast. Suns tend to rise in theeast.” Drake smiles, satisfied with his lesson. “Easy for you to find the right way, if you’re really that desperate to get in your cardio.”
“I … But I … I can’t …” Mikey’s hands go to his collar, as if reminded it’s there. “I can’t just walk into some random town all alone looking like this. I look like I … like I wandered there from some kind of kinky sex party.”
Drake squints at him. “Isn’t that …preciselywhat you did?”
Mikey opens his mouth to protest, stops. Then his voice is a whimper. “I’m gonna turn into bacon out here, sitting in the sun for thirteen straight hours. You got any idea how hot it gets during the day, man? I’m fucking dead.”
“There’s a teensy chance of rain,” says Drake as he calmly slides back into the hole, digging. “As you may notice, the sky isn’t totally clear. Besides, seeing as you stayed up all night …” He throws another fist into the ground, cracking more earth. “… and you really don’t look in the best condition, and we still have all this distance left to go, I’d recommend getting your rest.Also, we’ll be returning to Nowhere at night when people are less likely to see you and gawk. Hey, you can even use my jacket as a blanket. See how generous I am? I really am a good guy,” he then adds for Kyle’s benefit, turning to him at once, his eyes innocent and soft. “I’m so good. Like, the goodest.”
“Keep digging,” grunts Kyle, annoyed. Drake smiles, obliges.
Mikey pouts down at the ground like he wants to cry.
In about four and a half more minutes: “That should do it,” announces Drake, sitting back on his heels. “You wanna slide in first? Or shall I?”
“Wait a sec,” blurts Mikey. “You guys … reallyaregonna do this? You’re gonna bury yourself until it’s night again?”
“Of course,” sings Drake lightly, “and you have the power to dig us right up at any time. So we’re trusting you. Isn’t this amazing? So early in our friendship, and we’re already playing trust games. If you wouldn’t mind resting directly on top of us, that would be lovely.”
“We need to dig some more,” Kyle insists. “This hole is … is too tight. We’re gonna be squeezed against each other.”
“It’s perfect.” Drake meets his eyes. “Cuties first.”
Kyle is about to protest again, but the light is beginning to surge behind the mountainous horizon. It’s reminding him far too much of another cruel morning not too long ago when he voluntarily welcomed the sunrise upon his exposed body.
Without another word, Kyle slides down into the deep and narrow pit, standing at the bottom with his back flat against the wall, then peers up. Drake pulls a few wide, flat stones to the edge of the pit, like a lid, then dangles his legs. “Will you do us the honor of sliding these sick puppies over the opening when I’m snug inside?” he asks Mikey, before he spreads his legs slightly, minding Kyle, then begins to lower himself into the hole.
It is an act that, with Kyle in the way, proves to not be easy.
Kyle suspects it wasn’t meant to be.
At first, just Drake’s legs slide into the pit. Then comes the crotch of his jeans, pressing rather deliberately against Kyle’s face and seeming to hang there. “Hey, help pull me down a bit more,” says Drake, “unless you’re, um, enjoying the view.”
Kyle grabs hold of the bottom of Drake’s legs as best as he can and helps tug him downward. Overhead, the sky is growing dangerously brighter. Soon, it’s Drake’s stomach against Kyle’s face, then his chest, then their faces are in front of each other.
A grunt is heard overhead before the light is slowly eclipsed as the wide, flat stones are slid over the opening above, like the lid to a vertical coffin sliding shut. Three stones is all it takes until every trace of light is gone. Kyle’s eyes adjust, making out the side of Drake’s face, chin resting on Kyle’s shoulder, arms by each other’s side. For some reason, Kyle hadn’t anticipated how intimate this situation would feel. Maybe the urgency of the sun rising caused him to neglect certain considerations, including whether or not he might start to feel claustrophobic.
“You okay?” whispers Drake, the soft words nearly tickling Kyle’s ear.
“Far from,” answers Kyle.
“I know,” he says. “This is a less than ideal circumstance. I doubt I’m at the top of your list of guys you’d love to be buried pressed up against. Assuming you carry such a list. Do you carry such a list? Forget I asked, stupid question.”
The two remain in silence a moment.
From above comes a muffled voice. “You guys okay? You dead down there? Can you breathe?”
“We’re fine,” Kyle calls out.
“Dandy,” answers Drake. “Get some rest. Take care of my jacket. Don’t you dare run off with it, it’s a one-of-a-kind!”
