Rock All Night

50




Things weren’t morose for long. We walked back to where we’d parked the car and found a Greek place with gyros.

“For old times’ sake,” Derek said, and winked.

The sun was getting low in the sky when we climbed back in the car and headed south for San Diego.

We got into the city limits just as the sun was setting. The sky was on fire with gorgeous oranges and reds, and I snuggled next to Derek as he drove along the freeway.

Somehow we missed our exit. We had to stop for directions (at my insistence – like most men, Derek couldn’t admit when he was lost, and did NOT want to ask anybody else), but we finally figured out how to get to San Diego University.

After the truck stop clerk drew us a map, Derek got a mischievous look on his face. First he bought a San Diego Padres ballcap, two red bandanas, and a flannel shirt. Then he motioned me over to a payphone and dumped in a whole bunch of quarters.

I could hear Ryan answer on the other end. “Damn it, Derek, where the hell are you?! The opening band goes on in fifteen minutes!”

“Ry, if I’m not there, I want you to go up onstage, okay?”

“What do you MEAN ‘if you’re not there’?! You PROMISED me you’d be here! I bought a 95,000 dollar car for you JUST SO YOU’D BE HERE ON TIME!”

“Just go up on stage on time, okay? Just do it.”

“DEREK – ”

“Talk to you later, man!” Derek said happily, and slammed down the receiver.

“What are you doing?” I asked, worried beyond belief. In my mind’s eye, I could see Miles getting that shovel out of his car and starting to dig a hole by the side of a lonely desert highway.

“Trust me,” Derek said, and lifted up his sunglasses long enough for me to see the twinkle in his eye.