Prayin to the Lord We stay together. Side by side on the Wagon Train.

 Randy was doing his best to be trusted. This was a new concept. He'd never thought about it much. After all, he had the mind of a seven-year-old. Maybe if he got tested again, it might be that of eight. He'd grown up a lot after being around Justin. Heck, for all he knew, maybe it was like being in the army. Oh, he laughed about it under covers at night. Giddy was one of his natural states. It was hard being calm, sometimes. But he wanted to be more like Justin. Who always remained calm. 

After all, he had a new haircut. New clothes. He felt he was part of a family. Justin was like a dad. He was always serious about what Randy was doing. Was he being careful? Was he remembering to know what carbs were and had he had protein today? It was a lot to get used to, but he remembered.

And then there was Cassie. When she said his name for the first time out in the hall as she was coming out of the elevator on her way to physical therapy, his eyes lit up and he couldn't resist smiling. Nobody said his name like she did with such happiness.

Of course, it was Justin who introduced him a week earlier. It was just in passing. He was nice to the neighbor. And he was certain he'd never see that girl again, trapped with braces on her legs and in a wheelchair.

She could walk, but after a morning of struggles, she was exhausted, so she stayed in her wheelchair.  Meanwhile, Randy kept annoying Justin about going to see her. Her mother said it was OK.

"But what if you get lost?" Justin told him it was best to stay home. But Randy kept asking, so they walked to her place a couple of times in the building. It felt like a million times to Randy, as it was a daily thing and finally, Justin let him go alone. Still, he had to report when he got there and when he was leaving. He managed to text.

However, there was more than just navigating to get to Cassie's and back. Justin made it his mantra, "It's OK not to kiss."

Randy said it day and night. He was under strict orders to stay his distance from Cassie. Justin said she might get sick. So he got his Covid and flu shot at the same time which was torture. 

"Well, why would I kiss her anyway," he'd begged then. His arm hurt so bad for the weekend. Just the thought of a shot made his arm hurt now. 

"You were going to get those shots, anyway." Justin and Carmen got shots at that time too. He'd thought they were going on a date, but he ended up with a Swishmello he wanted to give to Cassie. 

"Wagon train! Wagon train let you wonder! Wagon train, come with us for the ride. It's a ride for your lifetime! We will find your friends and you will make some new ones to go on the wagon train."

Cassie sang the song with such glee. It didn't matter that it wasn't the true theme song to Wagon Train. Randy loved listening to her sing it when it would come on at the end of the show. He'd never heard of the old black-and-white show until he met her. It was their hour together before Adam 12 came on. 

Naturally, he never followed much of the story, but he watched it like he might be tested. He'd capture glimpses of her and dream of her in black and white at night. Usually, it was just the two of them on the Wagon train, and his grandmother would show up. Of course, he was always riding a horse in the dream and sometimes, they rode together, but a good portion of the time Cassie was in the wagon. They ate Little Debbie Oatmeal pies in the wagon. 

But she would want him to sing with her, and he would try. He usually laughed too much. Oh, he did think of kissing her, but it was the way his grandmother always kissed him when he was a kid. Smack in the middle of his forehead.