I Am Not Uptight!

The House part 10

When Daniel said to Josh on their way back to the house that they were going on a “trip" the next day, he failed to specify where and what time. It also didn’t come up during dinner, as the topic on the table that night was about Wells—who messaged their group chat at the last minute that he wouldn’t be able to make it, by replying a simple “Can’t go tonight” to Gary's cheerful text informing everyone that Josh would begin cooking meals for everyone. 

The topic went from Wells being “so cool" to “probably being a robot trying to pass as a person, tasked to end humanity,” that the thought of asking Daniel about their trip completely flew off Josh's mind. He became too engrossed in observing the peculiarity of his housemates—at one point, the conversation became so absurd that he began to consider the possibility that he was being Punk’d. 

So, when Saturday morning rolled in, he was caught off-guard when there was suddenly a loud banging on his door. He sat up straight—his sleep-addled brain jolted awake—then opened his door to see Dustin on the other side. 

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” the college kid said with a flat expression, his eyes on his phone. He was already fully dressed—which basically meant some kind of sports team shirt, baggy jeans, and a jacket.

A confused Josh checked the time. If his memory served him right, the people in that house woke up at almost lunchtime in the weekends—except Daniel who slept and woke at random hours  

“It’s not yet time for me to cook breakfast, is it?” 

Dustin let out a sigh and finally looked up from his phone. “Did Daniel not tell you? We’re grabbing breakfast there.”

“No one told me anything,” Josh admitted. “Where exactly are we headed today?”

“Just go get dressed and come down,” Dustin tiredly replied. “Jane's worried that if we take too long, Wells is going to back out.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll be out in ten.” With that, Josh closed the door and grabbed a clean towel from the drawer. He stopped on his way to the bathroom and curiously looked back at the door, realizing that Dustin had knocked and waited for him to open the door. It was such a little thing, but it was an improvement. 

“Huh,” Josh let out, admittedly a bit impressed. “They do learn.”

The sight downstairs was not what Josh expected. The people who had always been pretty lazy in his eyes were suddenly full of energy so early in the day. The front door was wide open and there was Daniel and Dustin carrying a keyboard and its stand out of the house, while he could hear Gary outside, telling the other two to be more careful and hurry up at the same time. 

Josh walked out of the house, now dressed in a nice shirt and a long coat, to see the three loading up a large black van.

“Morning, Joshy!” Gary exclaimed in a rush as he shut the back door and slid the passenger side's open. “Okay, everyone in the van, we have no time to waste!”

Dustin rolled his eyes and hopped in shotgun. Josh entered at the back, asking, “You have a van?” to Gary who was holding the door open to usher him in.

“Of course. I can’t go around lugging all of my equipment in a sedan,” Gary replied, before shouting at Daniel who was locking the front door. “Pick up the pace, Daniel! We’ll be late for the early dolphin show!”

“I'm coming!”

Gary ran to the driver’s seat and turned the engine on. Josh, who was already seated in the middle passenger seat, couldn’t help but lean forward and ask, “Dolphin?” He was unsure if he heard the man correctly.

“You can’t expect to go to the zoo and not see a dolphin,” Gary replied, as if it was such a ridiculous idea. Meanwhile, Daniel climbed into the vehicle and sat beside Josh, sliding the door closed after him.

“The zoo?” Josh asked in the same tone.

Gary slightly turned his head towards him just to give him an odd look while he put on his sentient. “Such a curious boy so early in the morning, Joshy boy,” he said, then he grabbed two bottles from the glove compartment—accidentally hitting Dustin's knees in the process and earning him a dirty look—and handed them to Josh. “That reminds me, put sunscreen on your face generously, then the mosquito repellant after it’s dried. I know the zoo and some corners are just a mosquito-fest!”

To Dustin, he said, “Put on your seat belt, kid, or I'm going to put on for you.”

Josh sat back and placed the bottles on his lap, then he turned to Daniel who was looking worriedly at his phone. “We’re going to the zoo?” he asked in a whisper.

Daniel turned off his screen and put his device back into his coat pocket. “Didn't I tell you yesterday?” he frowned, genuinely curious. “Ah, of course I didn't, or else you would have remembered. Still, it’s the zoo. Fun, right?” 

When he said that, the vehicle began to back out into the driveway and on Gary drove. 

“What exactly are we going to do there?” Josh asked.

The question was meant for Daniel, but it was Gary who answered. “You mean aside from seeing animals big and small? Appreciating the beauty of the creatures under the sun?” he replied, making it sound like the place was the most wonderful thing in the world.

“Don't mind him,” Daniel told Josh. “He’s just excited because he loves the zoo and Jane also works there.”

“Two birds, one stone!” he cheered on, sounding the horn needlessly before glancing at Josh through the rear view mirror. “Not literally, of course.”

“We’re just going to hang out,” Daniel simply stated. “The zoo is the perfect place to get you started on your journey to become a… much freer person.”

Josh highly doubted that. “I don’t see how that could possibly be true.”

Daniel let out a light chuckle at that, sounding slightly condescending. “Have you been to one?”

“Once when I was in third grade, so I don't remember it well,” Josh answered, failing to see how that was relevant.

The corner of Daniel’s lips turned up ever so slightly, looking almost mischievous. “Then, you'll see.”