When Bart arrived, it was just a little after two. Arnie looked down at Bart's sandalled feet, while Bart studied Arnie's filthy toenails. Either they were too embarrassed to look each other in the eye after last night, or neither had the strength to lift their heads. I opted for the ever-popular third choice: All of the Above.
Soon after Bart got there, Arnie again retired to the bathroom, "to study the damage in there." Bart and I took the chance to sit on a freshly vaccuumed couch and catch up since yesterday.
When I heard snoring from Bart's end of the couch, I decided to speak.
"Some party," I ventured.
"You're telling me," Bart responded.
"Kris didn't show," I offered.
"Nope. Karen did, though."
Karen was Steve's love interest for the last few months. I say 'love interest,' rather than love, because of the unrequited nature of the exchange.
"How'd that go?" I asked.
Steve had invited Karen to the graduation party to again try to win her love.
"Steve saw Karen kissing someone else."
"Oh," I said.
"Someone really attractive. In a miniskirt."
"How'd Steve take it?"
"Not too bad," Bart said, "Of course, John..." He struggled to remember the details.
I arched an eyebrow or two. "Story?"
"Sort of..."
Seems that after retiring to the bathroom for a time with Steve, John drank more than any medically imbalanced guy should. He dashed out of the bathroom, near naked, came right up to Karen, said, "I'll show you who's the bigger man!" and took Karen's necklace and ran.
A chill ran to my spine.
"Reactions?" I asked.
"Lessee," Bart mused, "Karen ran after John, Steve ran after Karen, and Karen's girlfriend, ran after them all in these... stilleto heels."
"Nice image," I grimaced.
"Yeah. Sure wish I could remember it."
I was being facetious, of course. I didn't know about her friend, but Karen was a member of the Police State, a gang organized in the high school we'd so recently graduated. I'd had a lot of experience with the Police State in my day, and I knew they were a bunch you didn't want to get on your bad side.
John had just harrassed one of their number.
The chill jogged up to my neck, nestling there for what I presumed was to be a long stay.
The next few hours left me, Bart and Arnie alternating loafing off, while we made the house presentable enough not for Arn's parents not to kick him out when they got back home. Serves them right for bailing out on his high school graduation, I say.
Bart and Arnie got into a really good groove, vaccuuming under furniture and the like, so I took the chance to search out our friends. I called John's and Steve's houses, each twice, but there were no answers. Well, no appropriate answers. One of the inevitable guests at the King household told me Steve had not come home since last night, while John's mother denied her son's very existence.
"Thanks," I said, hanging up the last time. I wondered where my friends could be. I worried. I hoped there had been no foul play. I hoped nothing bad had happened to them. I hoped the Police State wasn't involved.
The chill was there to stay.
I had to find a way to heat it up.
Continue The Story
Back to Moon's Edge
Back to Contents
Back to Main Page

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page