sound is yet
another reminder of Liam. Why didn’t I return his calls? I
must be crazy—my inaction this summer with regard to Liam just
doesn’t make sense. After one of the best weekends of my life,
where I turned a major corner and began to recover from emotional
devastation, I literally ignored the person who gave me this peace
of mind. “Not a good idea, BJ. I don’t think kidnapping him would
be much of a thank you.”
“Here.” He hands me another shot. “Down the
hatch, dude.”
And this is how I end up getting drunk. Just
talking nonsense with BJ, sucking down shots in between lines of
meaningless dialogue. Within an hour I’m following BJ out the
doorway of our dorm room, on our way to the first of three keg
parties.
***
By the time we hit the third party all I
want is to be is asleep in my bed. And for the room not to be
spinning. Maybe not in that order.
“Dude—I found myself a pretty friend to keep
me company tonight!” BJ is all over this cute little red-haired
girl. He already has the top button of her jeans undone from what I
can see. “Listen, Tripp, me and Dacia need the room… so you gotta
find yourself another place to crash tonight.” He looks down at his
tiny, carrot-haired conquest. “We’re gonna be real busy….”
“Hey… wait up, BJ! I… I got nowhere to go….”
I’m drunk and exhausted and about to vomit into the plant pot.
“Hit up those freshman girls in the
basement. They’ll let yah sleep on their floor… B-12. It’s room
B-12….” BJ is every bit as drunk as I am but he’s motivated by
what’s lurking beneath Dacia’s tight jeans. “Good luck with it,
dude!”
I vomit in the plant pot. This is going to
be a long night.
***
It’s two in the morning, and for all intents
and purposes, I’m homeless.
“Hey, kid, you’ve gotta vacate the premises,
in other words—take a hike. My room ain’t a bed and breakfast.” I
recognize the voice. It’s the same hipster senior who told me
sarcastically, if I remember correctly, that he had no clue where
Liam is living this year.
All I can do is moan. I’m literally sick and
tired.
“Hey, Liam, do you know this kid? He was
here looking for you last week but I had no frigging idea where you
lived… in fact, I still don’t, so send me an email with your
addie.” Hipster-guy laughs. “It’s late and I want the kid to get
the hell outta here. He already barfed in my plant pot.”
“ Liam?” It’s the only word he said
that made sense. “Liam….”
And then Liam is beside me, lifting me,
holding me beneath my shoulders. “Jason… which dorm room is
yours?”
I don’t answer. I can’t. But I can barf….
I’ve had to face that I’m the kind of guy who barfs too easily.
Always have been. Whatever…. I try desperately to avoid hurling on
his cool brown boots. I’m reasonably successful.
“Get him the hell out of here before he
hurls again!” Hipster-guy yells and Liam leads me down the hall and
toward the stairs.
“ Your dorm room, Jason? What room is
yours?” Liam is impatient. I get the sense he wants to cut and run
but is too honorable to dump me in a stairwell.
“Can’t go to my room. BJ is getting a B.J.”
This hits me as inexplicably funny and I start to giggle.
“Your roommate has a girl in there?”
“He sure does.”
“Lucky me.” He doesn’t sound too happy about
it.
“Nope. Wrong! Lucky him!”
“Well, I guess you’re gonna have to come
home with me.” I wish he sounded more enthusiastic. “No barfing in
my car tonight.” But on a positive note, he doesn’t sound as mad as
I expect, just kind of resigned to saving my ass for the fourth or
the fifth—I lost track—time.
***
“You can sleep in my bed. I’ll take the
futon.” Liam’s bed is actually made up, all nice and neat and
inviting. I wonder if he was hoping to get lucky tonight with some
cute girl like tiny orange-haired Dacia, and instead all he got is
me.
“Nah… I’ll take
another reminder of Liam. Why didn’t I return his calls? I
must be crazy—my inaction this summer with regard to Liam just
doesn’t make sense. After one of the best weekends of my life,
where I turned a major corner and began to recover from emotional
devastation, I literally ignored the person who gave me this peace
of mind. “Not a good idea, BJ. I don’t think kidnapping him would
be much of a thank you.”
“Here.” He hands me another shot. “Down the
hatch, dude.”
And this is how I end up getting drunk. Just
talking nonsense with BJ, sucking down shots in between lines of
meaningless dialogue. Within an hour I’m following BJ out the
doorway of our dorm room, on our way to the first of three keg
parties.
***
By the time we hit the third party all I
want is to be is asleep in my bed. And for the room not to be
spinning. Maybe not in that order.
“Dude—I found myself a pretty friend to keep
me company tonight!” BJ is all over this cute little red-haired
girl. He already has the top button of her jeans undone from what I
can see. “Listen, Tripp, me and Dacia need the room… so you gotta
find yourself another place to crash tonight.” He looks down at his
tiny, carrot-haired conquest. “We’re gonna be real busy….”
“Hey… wait up, BJ! I… I got nowhere to go….”
I’m drunk and exhausted and about to vomit into the plant pot.
“Hit up those freshman girls in the
basement. They’ll let yah sleep on their floor… B-12. It’s room
B-12….” BJ is every bit as drunk as I am but he’s motivated by
what’s lurking beneath Dacia’s tight jeans. “Good luck with it,
dude!”
I vomit in the plant pot. This is going to
be a long night.
***
It’s two in the morning, and for all intents
and purposes, I’m homeless.
“Hey, kid, you’ve gotta vacate the premises,
in other words—take a hike. My room ain’t a bed and breakfast.” I
recognize the voice. It’s the same hipster senior who told me
sarcastically, if I remember correctly, that he had no clue where
Liam is living this year.
All I can do is moan. I’m literally sick and
tired.
“Hey, Liam, do you know this kid? He was
here looking for you last week but I had no frigging idea where you
lived… in fact, I still don’t, so send me an email with your
addie.” Hipster-guy laughs. “It’s late and I want the kid to get
the hell outta here. He already barfed in my plant pot.”
“ Liam?” It’s the only word he said
that made sense. “Liam….”
And then Liam is beside me, lifting me,
holding me beneath my shoulders. “Jason… which dorm room is
yours?”
I don’t answer. I can’t. But I can barf….
I’ve had to face that I’m the kind of guy who barfs too easily.
Always have been. Whatever…. I try desperately to avoid hurling on
his cool brown boots. I’m reasonably successful.
“Get him the hell out of here before he
hurls again!” Hipster-guy yells and Liam leads me down the hall and
toward the stairs.
“ Your dorm room, Jason? What room is
yours?” Liam is impatient. I get the sense he wants to cut and run
but is too honorable to dump me in a stairwell.
“Can’t go to my room. BJ is getting a B.J.”
This hits me as inexplicably funny and I start to giggle.
“Your roommate has a girl in there?”
“He sure does.”
“Lucky me.” He doesn’t sound too happy about
it.
“Nope. Wrong! Lucky him!”
“Well, I guess you’re gonna have to come
home with me.” I wish he sounded more enthusiastic. “No barfing in
my car tonight.” But on a positive note, he doesn’t sound as mad as
I expect, just kind of resigned to saving my ass for the fourth or
the fifth—I lost track—time.
***
“You can sleep in my bed. I’ll take the
futon.” Liam’s bed is actually made up, all nice and neat and
inviting. I wonder if he was hoping to get lucky tonight with some
cute girl like tiny orange-haired Dacia, and instead all he got is
me.
“Nah… I’ll take
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