Graduation Trip

Matt and I glanced at each other. The guys knew that my reservation at Yellowstone was two days off. We had planned to stop and see Mount Rushmore and probably stay somewhere near there at least one night, but with the distance we had already covered we'd have plenty of time. I shrugged and Matt finally said, "I suppose unless you have a different idea we might as well stop for the night in a half hour or so. That should give us time for supper and still get a good night's sleep so we can get an early start. How's that sound?"

"It's fine with me," I replied.

"Sure," Tyler said. "Wouldn't want you tired out tomorrow." It was his idea of a joke, I guess, but coming after he had slept the whole afternoon it didn't seem that funny to us. That's what I mean about Tyler's remarks.

In another forty miles we saw a number of motel adds for an upcoming exit. One was a big Remada and Tyler suggested that. I probably would have picked one of the less expensive ones but I certainly wasn't going to say anything, especially on the first night out. We pulled in and all three of us headed to the desk. The guys were going to share a room but I got a single for myself. We took our things up to the third floor and put them in our rooms and then headed down to the restaurant for some supper,

The restaurant had a separate entrance so we went back outside and started walking the thirty feet over to it. Just as we went out a red Mercedes convertible, a little two seat sports job, pulled in and a tall blonde girl got out. She was probably five ten or eleven, long blonde hair well down to the middle of her back and a skirt well up past the middle of her thighs. She was about our age or maybe a year or two older and of course both guys stared at her. I had to admit that she was strikingly beautiful. However, while Matt gave her a good once over, Tyler glued his eyes to her and let his gaze follow her around the car and into the reception area as if he had her on a leash. I'm sure he would have liked that, but when the door closed behind her he slowly turned back and we trooped on into the restaurant.

They seated the three of us at a table by the windows and after looking over the menus we ordered meals. I was going to have to watch my expenses if we were going to be eating like this very often, but with lunch at a fast food place, it didn't average out too badly. After they had taken our orders and were just bringing our drinks, the girl from the Mercedes walked into the restaurant and stopped at the desk to wait to be seated. Just at that time there didn't happen to be anyone right there and I guess that was all Tyler needed to act impulsively. He suddenly stood up and went over and spoke to her. I couldn't hear anything he said, but I will admit that Tyler can be very engaging when he wants to be. Whatever it was there were a few comments back and forth. She didn't slap him and in fact smiled and laughed at something he said. Just then the receptionist returned and Tyler spoke to her before leading the girl over to our table.

"Guys, this is Alexis. This is my cousin, Lauren, and a friend of mine, Matt." He indicated the seat next to me and Alexis sat down as Tyler called the waiter back over. Everyone said hello and Alexis quickly looked at the menu and ordered.

When the waiter left Tyler said, "Alexis goes to Wellesley and I invited her so she wouldn't have to dine alone." Somehow I doubted that Alexis would ever have to dine alone unless she chose to. Actually she seemed nice enough and through out the meal we all go along well and the conversation flowed easily. I did get the impression that she was probably pretty well off both socially and financially. Well, if she went to Wellesley she must be, I suppose, but she carried herself like, as they say, "to the manor born". She was taking a trip out west sort of like we were although she didn't say just where she was heading now.

When we finished eating Matt and I got ready to leave, but Tyler said he was going to stay for another cup of coffee and Alexis said she'd join him. We agreed to meet Tyler back in the restaurant at seven thirty in the morning for breakfast and then said good night before heading up to our rooms.

The next morning I woke about six thirty which was usual for me. That gave me plenty of time for a shower and to get ready and about twenty after seven I took my case and headed downstairs. Matt had given each of us a key to the car so I took my bag on out and stowed it back in the trunk. I checked out of my room and headed into the restaurant to meet the others.

I quickly saw Matt sitting at a table by himself so I moved on over and sat down opposite him. Something about the way he was sitting had made me look closer as I approached and I had seen that he looked rather down. In fact, he looked downright depressed. As I sat he looked up and I could see a look of real anguish on his face. "Matt, is something the matter?" I quickly asked,.

He gave a sardonic smile and said, "You might say that. I'm sorry I'm so transparent."

"What's happened?" I asked.

"Just the end of the world." Then he shook his head and added, "Not really quite that bad but it seems like it. Lauren, I'm really sorry but I think we're going to have to cancel our trip and take you back home."

I was shocked. "What is it? Has something happened to Tyler?" He hadn't come in yet and I was wondering where he was.

"Yeah, something has happened to him, but not anything bad from his standpoint." The question must have been plain on my face because Matt reached in his shirt pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "I went to sleep shortly after we went up last night. I woke up once at about four and Tyler wasn't there yet, but I went back to sleep right away. Sometime a little later I came half way awake as he came into the room but drifted back off almost immediately. When I did wake up a half hour later I found this." He handed me the paper.

It read: "Matt. Alexis and I have hit it off really well. She is one really hot fox. She's headed to Vegas and then around some of the southwestern parks. I've decided to go with her so you and Lauren will have to carry on by yourselves. See you when you get back home."

I stared at the paper for half a minute. "You mean he just took off?" Somehow this didn't actually seem too unlike Tyler.

"Yeah. He took all his stuff and departed. I checked and her car is gone. I expect they're a hundred miles or more away by now." He looked directly at me for half a minute or more. "Lauren, I'm sorry but I don't think we can go on. Tyler was going to pay for lodging and I was going to supply car expenses. I hate to admit it but I don't have enough to cover places to stay and the car. Besides I'm not sure what your parents would say if we went on without your cousin. I guess we'll have to head back."

I hadn't even thought about what my parents would say. I doubt they would want me spending the next five weeks with a boy they didn't even know. My world began to crumble also and I felt as depressed as Matt looked. Then I though of all the times I had been the "good girl" and passed up on things I might have wanted. I began to feel that this was a totally unfair reward for being good and doing what I should. The expression "shit happens" flashed in my mind and I suddenly felt ready to scream at the total unfairness of it all. Then another saying came to me. "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

I slowly looked up at Matt. "Matt, the reservations I have at the parks are already paid for and I can't get the money back. I have enough to cover the other motel rooms I'll need and the camping fees for the rest of the time." I looked him right in the eyes and said, "We'd only need one campsite and there's no real difference in cost between a single and a double room."

The silence hung in the air for a long time. Then Matt asked, the disbelief apparent in his voice, "Are you saying we should share rooms and go on with the trip?"

"I smiled at him. "Yes. I'm tired of being the good girl who doesn't go anywhere except to heaven." I saw the look on his face and added, "We can share a room. We don't have to sleep together. Besides I don't snore."

His face twisted into a little grin and I could see some of the depression lift as he realized there was still a chance to make the trip. "Would your parents agree to that? You are planning on telling them, aren't you?"

I thought about his question for a few seconds. "Yes, I'm going to tell them." Then after another several seconds of silence I smiled and added, "But not until we're a bit further along."

Matt had come alive again. "You're sure about this."

And suddenly I was sure. I nodded strongly and said, "Yes. It's time I did some things on my own. You do want to do this, don't you?"

His smile was the warmest I had seen from him. "You know it! If you really mean it, I'll be happy to continue under those conditions."

I smiled back. "I mean it." Then in a mean little tease I added, "Roommate."

I could see his face grow slightly red but took away any embarrassment by laughing which he joined. Once again feeling hungry, we proceeded to order breakfast and by a quarter after eight we were on our way once more.

The country unfolded before us nearly unchanging as each minute moved us a little more than a mile closer to our destinations. Any way I looked the land was flat, stretching out to a distant horizon. Of course I knew the Great Plains lay around us but somehow I had never completely imagined the reality of them. The sky was a hard, clear blue and when we stopped for gas the outside air hit me like a furnace. I saw a thermometer on the station wall that read 97 degrees and I could easily believe it.

About noon the sky in the far distance ahead of us began to change. At first it looked just a little gray but soon began to darken until I could clearly see a dark mass of cloud building both in front of us and to our right. As the minutes passed it started to move closer and towering dark thunderheads were rising high up into the blue dome. As we watched the obvious storm get closer Matt commented, "Maybe it might be a good time to look for somewhere for lunch. What do you think?"

"I think you might be right." We began to watch for signs alongside the road and I played with the GPS looking for nearby restaurants. At last a sign appeared for an A&W some five miles ahead. I looked at the sign and then up at the darkening sky. "Maybe some root beer would be good."

Matt looked up at the sky, laughed and said, "What was it? Another four or five miles? I think we can maybe make it there before everything turns loose." In fact we were inside and seated for a good five minutes before the storm broke with a furry that was quite surprising. Thunder, lightning and driving rain and I think even a little hail. After a few minutes the wind slackened slightly but the rain continued to come down in torrents, making the view through the big windows look like the inside of a fish bowl.

I had at first started to ask for separate checks but then I thought about it. I decided that Matt was the kind of guy who would be more comfortable with a traditional role and let him answer "one check" when the waitress asked. After she had left I quietly said we could settle up later. Matt gave a slight nod and simply said, "We'll work something out."

We took our time with our burgers and fries and then ordered root beer floats for dessert. When we had finished these the rain had at least slowed to just a heavy drizzle and I thought I could once again see blue sky in the distance to the west. We paid for the meal and stopped just inside the front door. The rain was still coming down but not really too hard. Matt pulled the car key out of his pocket and as we raced out he clicked the remote to unlock the doors. Then he surprised me by still opening my door for me even though he had to stand in the rain for a little longer to do it.

The air had cooled and the temperature now felt like it had dropped to at least the low eighties if not more. Within twenty minutes the rain stopped altogether and the sky once again took on an unbroken blue, spreading to an horizon in front of us that looked like it must have been at least a thousand miles off. However, in another couple of hours we could again see some darker color along the boundary between earth and sky but as we continued on this darkening resolved itself into rises in the land itself. My first view of the western mountains! I knew from the map that these weren't really the Rockies but rather the Black Hills. Still they indicated a change in landscape. Once when I was thirteen we had made a trip to Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. In one of the visitor books a tourist from Wyoming had written, "You call these mountains?" But they were still mountains to me. Now I would get to compare the Rockies and see if he was just exaggerating.

The signs giving the distance to Rapid City were now down to double digits and before too long we were entering the edge of the city itself. We had a Triple A guide book with us and had looked for an inexpensive motel. We found one that wasn't too bad and had the AAA rating so it wouldn't be shabby or anything and pulled off. We both went into the lobby but I could see that Matt was a little hesitant. I suddenly guessed it was because I was going to pay for the room and he felt a little embarrassed so I quickly stepped forward to the desk. "Do you have a double for tonight?" I asked.

The clerk replied, "I'm sure we do. Just let me check." He typed something into the computer and looked back up. "Yes, we do. Would you prefer first or second floor?"

I glanced at Matt and he shrugged. I turned back and said, "Second, I guess. It doesn't really matter." He then handed me the registration card. I filled it out with my name and listed the number of persons as two. When I got to the space for the car information I turned and asked Matt, "Do you remember the license number?"

He nodded and told me what it was as I filled it in. Then I handed it and my credit card to the clerk. He ran it and handed us two keys. No questions at all.

We went back out and pulled the car around near a stairwell. Each of us took our small case and headed up as Matt pressed the lock button on the remote. The room was number 222, just one down from the stairs. Inside we found two queen sized beds and I noticed that Matt seemed to relax a little. Well, I'll admit I did also. I hadn't had nerve enough to ask for separate beds. I supposed I could have managed with only one but this would certainly be easier.

After we had placed our cases on the bed Matt said, "Want to go out and look at Rushmore tonight? We should still have plenty of time."

"Sure. We can probably even just get something to eat out there." We made our way back to the car and piled in once again. In just a short time we pulled into the large Rushmore parking lot. There were quite a few cars in the lot, but, then, this was major vacation time. A double row of flags led us towards the visitor center and coffee shop and on to view the huge monument high above.

We both stopped and stared like tourists. Well, what did we expect. Of course we'd seen pictures of this gigantic sculpture but the reality of it was far more than any photograph could convey. As we were looking Matt made the comment, "I once read that the man who planned this was told that granite would erode about an inch in fifty thousand years. He then added a foot to the length of Washington's nose."

"Really?"

"That's what I read. I guess he planned for it to last a long time."

I couldn't help but murmur, "Not like my cousin's commitments."

Matt laughed. "Tyler does not always stick to a long term goal." Then he moved slightly closer to me and said, "I really don't mind as long as you don't. Do you mind?"

I shook my head. "No, not really." Now that the decision had been made I was just as happy that I wouldn't have to put up with Tyler for the new few weeks.

Then Matt surprised my by placing his arm around my shoulders and saying, "I guess we can muddle through by ourselves."

The feel of his arm around me seemed welcome. I mean I had liked Matt from when I had first met him but there hadn't been any fireworks or flashing stars or tolling bells or anything. I did feel an attraction to him. After all, he was quite a hunk himself and he and I seemed to get along well together. I just hadn't thought of him in that light. Now at the touch of his arm, I began to see things a little differently and if anything I leaned a little more into him.

We stood like that for probably ten minutes, just looking at the monument. Then Matt finally said, "Want to see about some food?"

I smiled up at him and replied, "Sure. Let's see what they have here." He let his arm slide across my back and down my arm but, surprising myself, I caught his hand as it passed and held on. He smiled at me and gave it a squeeze and we walked hand in hand into the building.

By the time we had finished eating it had become dark. We went back out and spent another fifteen minutes looking at the floodlit faces on the mountain and finally headed back to the car for the ride to the motel.

Our cases were already inside so we just climbed the stairs. Matt used his key and unlocked the door and then held it for me to enter. One of the things I had quickly noticed about Matt, perhaps because it was so unusual, was his unfailing politeness. He always held doors for me, including the car doors. Given the chance he would carry my case. Unlike my cousin he never in any way acted as though I was even slightly inferior. In fact, quite the opposite.

Once we were inside, however, he seemed to get a little more nervous. Well, I'll admit I did also. I had never been away from home on my own so far or so long as this was going to be, much less shared a room with a guy. I wondered if Matt had ever done anything like this.

He suddenly picked up the ice bucket and said, "Lauren, I'm going to get something from the vending machines. Want anything?"

I thought for just a second and replied, "Sure. Maybe a diet coke or something like that."

He quickly turned and went back out. I moved over to my case, resting on what I assumed was going to be my bed, and started to get out the things I expected to need. Suddenly I realized I hadn't given any thought to what I would be wearing to sleep. I usually wore a short night shirt, sometimes with panties and sometimes without. Now I suddenly realized that this would show a lot of me even with the panties. Still, I hadn't brought anything else with me. After a few seconds I rationalized that I wouldn't be showing any more than when I was wearing a bathing suit, in fact rather less. This thought made me relax a little and I pulled the night shirt out along with the small case containing my hair and tooth brushes and so on. I closed the duffle and was holding up the shirt to look at it when Matt came back in the door. He saw what I had and for just a second he froze. Then I saw him relax with just the slightest of smiles. He might have been nervous but he was certainly able to handle it with no problem.

I dropped the shirt onto the bed and said, "I guess I'll use this bed if that's all right with you."

"Well, I'd planned on this one over here." Then he hesitated just a second and with a smile added, "But if you want to share ..." His smile and slight laugh made light of it but somehow I still felt a slight shiver up and down my spine.

We sat down to our drinks and a little more talk. We decided to make an early start the next day and Matt set the alarm for six. So about ten we got ready to call it a day. Matt let me use the bathroom first and I changed into the night shirt. I would definitely be leaving the panties on tonight. Before I went back out I studied myself in the mirror. Sure the shirt was short and you could clearly see the outline of my breasts and nipples if it pressed against me, but really, I was decently covered.