The Garber High Chronicles

Chapter 1
         


         "Thank you for calling Aamers & Lowell.  This is Natalia speaking.  How may I-"
         "Tally?"
         She jammed the mute button, but swore under her breath, anyway.  Where in the hell had he been she wondered crossly. She hadn't heard from him the better part of a few months. 
         "Tally...you there?"
         "Uh, yeah-"she stammered, scanning around the office.  Jefferson shot her yet another round of smug mug plastered across his pasty face, while deciding to take up residence near the brand new state-of-the-art watercooler.  Mr. Knulder refused to see the need to update the prehistoric fax machine, but went all out (and then some) on this contraption.  She wondered if he was even aware of the glaring fact that he along, with his unintended sidekick were the only ones who even bothered with it. 
         Upon finding Jefferson parked near the cooler with no signs of leaving, Bossman made a smooth about face back toward his office, the  huge red thermos attached to him at all times would continue bouncing too lightly in his hands for that stretch.  Surely, Mr. Knulder should have had a clue by now... 
         "Yo, Tally-"
         "Gibson, how many times must I remind you not to address me so informal during working hours." She rushed impatiently, rubbing her temple.
         "Gib, the name's Gib; I will continuously rage against the machine of conformity.  It's called individuality; ya should try it sometime."
         "Uh,it's called having a job?  You know, one of those places you should probably not be calling me from right now."
She smiled, despite herself.  He had a knack for doing that to her.  Vaguely, she registered The Rat making a beeline for her desk.  Talia guessed since his strategic positioning by the cooler was a humiliating bust, he was anxious to return the favor to any poor shmuck in the line of fire...
         Unfortunately, she was shaping up to be just one such poor shmuck.
         "Gib, you have t-minus ten seconds. Now, what do you want... and where've you stashed yourself for the past few months?"
         "I've been here and there," he said cryptically.
         "I'll bet."
         "What're you doin' this weekend?"
         "What?"
         "Just what I said."
         "This..weekend?"
         "I always thought Saturday and Sunday came right after Friday myself..."
         "Watch it."
         "Seriously, any plans?"
         "Plenty-"  Fortunately, Jefferson made a most welcome detour to the restroom.  Almost immediately, her shoulders relaxed and she sighed with relief.
         "Like what?  Some couch action with Darryl?  I'm surprised you're not in a self-induced coma ‘cause of that guy-"
         "Gib, do you have a point?  Because if not, I'm disconnecting the call-"
         "Okay, okay; I can't tell you anything else until I know you're free."
         "For what?"
         "Well, I'll catch you next month-same channel..." he trailed off, stalling for her to cave in. 
         Talia scratched her head, rolled her eyes and then said:  "Look; tell me now or don't bother calling back. Ever."
         "This is the deal; I found it-I actually found it!  Steve and Paul are gonna cream their shorts when I tell them-"
         "You found what?"
         "The Blue Suede Shoes map... to Graceland."
         At once, Talia put a hand to her chest and tears threatened to pour. 
         "Why were you joking earlier like that, you jerk?"           "I don't know.  Maybe ‘cause if I do...I'll forget this is Kegan's last road trip.  That's one of the places I stopped by while I was MIA, up in Rochester to see him.  He got worse the last few months, you know-"
         "I talked to him a few weeks ago and he said he was doing better."
         "Well, he lied."
         "Why?"
         "You know, he's always been uber overprotective of you..."
         "I'm not fragile, I don't need his protection.  I'm royally pissed at him for at him doing that!"
         "Well, you'll have plenty of time to share that with him if you're in on the trip."
         "You remembered?
         "Yeah I did.  I am capable of retaining some things, things that matter anyway.  You remember the day after high school graduation?  What we promised?"
         "As if it were yesterday; we swore that if Kegan was..."
         "Circling the drain-"
         "Shut up, Gibson!  That's not funny!"
         "Sorry, I'm trying-"
         "Try harder."
         She took a deep breath and closed her eyes in memory and continued, "We all promised to take him to Graceland... as a last hurrah."
         Silence reigned on both sides of the connection.
         All of a sudden, a shadow loomed over her desk.                     "You are aware of the ‘no personal calls' policy aren't you, Ms. Murdock?"