Page 33 of Footlights and Forever

“Should we call Austin?” Hailey’s hand stilled.

“And say what,‘your friend is being mean to me, come save me.’?”I honestly couldn’t believe I was here yet again, like high school had never ended. I noticed a small coffee shop about two blocks down with its lights on. “Come on, I might as well get you caffeinated since I’m keeping you from a party.”

We sat in a small booth near the back, a pendant light with a dim bulb hanging just overhead. The bubble-gum blue leather upholstery of the seats did not match the Formica tables at all, yet somehow the place still had a somewhat cozy and familiar feel.

“Still the same loser from high school you remember huh?” I passed the glass jar of sugar across to Hailey. “Nothing much has changed.”

“You’re not a loser Dylan.” She spooned out a heft amount of sugar and stirred it into her black coffee. “You just seem to end up mixing with a lot of dickheads is all.”

Natalie coughed, pointing her spoon at herself While giving Hailey a pointed look. “I think you will find I’m awesome, thank you very much.”

“Apart from you, girl.” Hailey smiled. “Thank you for looking after Dylan for me.”

“Anytime.” Suddenly I didn’t feel so bad anymore.

The next hour was spent in a sort of stasis, in that we were in this limbo of being annoyed that we weren’t at a party yet somehow relieved that we could be spending this time, just the three of us, shooting the breeze. Natalie and Hailey naturally adored each other and their favorite joint activity seemed to be making fun of me in any way they could, which I loved, but would never admit, even under torture and pain of death.

“Natalie?” A high-pitched voice sounded from behind out table.

Natalie turned around with a smile on her face. “Michelle!” she gasped, throwing herself out her chair to stand and almost tumbling onto the floor in the process.

“What are you doing here?” Michelle looked around the almost deserted coffee shop. “I thought you would be at the party tonight.” She looked away sheepishly and almost nervously between me and Hailey.

“Yeah we were supposed to.” Natalie leaned in closer to Michelle. “One of your D-bag brothers wouldn’t let us in.”

“For real?” Michelle whispered. Natalie walked with her to the cash register to get her coffee, at the same time filling her in on the events of the night no doubt. I saw Michelle look back towards me with that horrible pitying expression that made me want to pull my skin off.

They sidled back up to the table with cups in hand. “Listen, we are gonna go back to the party okay?”

I looked up at Natalie who nodded resolutely.

“What about…”

“I’m going to take you in as my guests,” Michelle beamed, “and since I paid for most of this fucking get-together, I dare him to try and kick me out.”

I wasn’t a hundred percent sure which was worse, being kicked out of a party or showing up to one where you were very much not wanted. I got the feeling that Austin’s housemates and Kevin would not be pleased to see me there. I took solace in the fact, though, that Austin would be pleased to see me. I smiled; Austin was always pleased to see me. That was what spurred me on out of the coffee shop and had me walking back down the block with the others towards the frat house.

We need not have worried about getting back into the frat as one of Michelle’s sorority sisters was puking over the side of the stoop, with another affectionately rubbing her back and telling her that ‘he wasn’t worth it’. Michelle gave them a nod as we headed into the brownstone.

College parties differed from high school parties in only a few subtle ways. Whereas in high school parties, beer and spirits were king, there was an effort in college parties to try and convey an element of class by the opening of bottles of wine. Saying that, the end result was the same, as evidenced by the sorority sister throwing her guts up just outside.

Also, frat boys were basically just the popular kids from high school that had organized and taken their douchebag natures national, rather than just local.

Michelle tipped her head towards a group of shirtless frat guys with their Greek letters painted on their chests as they tried to prove their masculinity with the time-honored tradition of beer pong. “Why even bother with the pretense? Wouldn’t it be easier to have an actual pissing contest and the winner tries to get the girl’s number? I’m so happy I’m only into women.”

“Amen sister,.” Natalie mumbled, but not without Michelle noticing and throwing her a lascivious wink. Natalie pressed close into my side, her lips near my ear as she bit out, “Let’s get your man and get out of here, I need to get that lady back to my bedroom quickly.”

“What happened to Michelle being a bitch? And what about Rina?” I mumbled under my breath.

“Pfft!” I guessed that was the only answer I was going to get from her on this subject.

Hailey barked out a laugh next to me, before patting her gently on the shoulder. “Remember that patience is a virtue.”

“So is fingering,” Hailey coughed on air, “so let’s get this show on the road so I can get to it.”

I laughed as I pushed through the masses of frat brothers and sorority sisters and their worshippers towards the kitchen. That was likely where the alcohol was at, and if I had to stand in the middle of this level of douchery any longer, I was going to need a slight buzz. I saw a nest of bottles on one of the countertops and closed the distance between me and my prize. I swiped a bourbon bottle off the table and poured myself a generous shot, topped it off with some diet soda from the fridge. I took a swig, letting the alcohol do its things as it heated my throat on the way down. My pleasure lasted only moments.

“Dylan?” I turned to find Kyle looking at me across the kitchen island, perplexed. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”

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