I could probably kill my mates for dragging me out here but, they are mates, so I guess that's what they do now and again. This place is loud and crowded and now, getting on two o'clock in the morning, I am in a situation that makes me uncomfortable and I just really don't want to be here.
Dave and Robert showed up at my apartment at almost nine, leaning in through the doorway when I open it like a couple of delirious clowns. I could tell that they had already had a couple of pints on the way over.
“C'mon 'Stick', we're taking you to a party,” proclaimed Robert, grinning at me.
“S'right,” echoed Dave. “It'll be good for you.” Against my better judgment, I opened the door wide and admitted them. I looked down at myself, already in baggy sweats and a rumpled t-shirt for the evening. I glanced longingly over my shoulder at the couch and the good novel that awaited reading, resting on the broad armrest. The two mad clowns burst into my haven. Dave immediately headed for the kitchen for some crisps: if I don't buy them, he doesn't eat them.
“You know, mate, that we're not taking 'no' for an answer,” threatened Robert brushing past me to flop on the couch. He burped loudly as punctuation.
“Yup,” came Dave's consent from the kitchen, partially drowned out by the rattle of a foil bag. He emerged with his hand repeatedly dipping into the bright silver packaging and shoveling crisps into his mouth. I conjectured it would be easier to affix it to his face like a feed-sac.
“Look, mates,” I said, fumbling for a way to escape the inevitable. “I was really just gonna read my book tonight and relax - had a long week, you know.”
“What, this one?” Robert asked, retrieving the volume from the arm of the couch. He scanned the cover. “It's complete tripe.” He tossed it and it landed, 'plumf', on the overstuffed cushions.
“Huh?”
“Yeah. After all the buildup and all the historical meanderings, Heather elopes with Joshua. They catch a ship to Oz and start a new life together. Really soppy.”
“You bastard!” I exclaimed.
“Right. So now we're done with that, you can come to the party with us.” He smiled at me victoriously while Dave continued to munch and look on, amused. “Alicia and Natalia are gonna be there,” he added in afterthought and grinned again.
“Alicia?”
“See?” commented Dave between crunches.
“See what?” I asked, getting confused.
“Yeah, I saw,” responded Robert with a wink.
“Saw what?”
“Mate, if you've got a thing for Alicia, then you should just go for it,” pointed out Robert. “And tonight you've got an extra hour to do it.” I was beginning to wish I had played dead when they knocked.
“What do you mean?”
“It's 'fall back' tonight. That means at two o'clock, it's actually one o'clock and, whatever you were doing, you get to do it again.” He winked at me lasciviously. “Just make sure you're doing something fun. Now go get dressed,” he ordered. I understood that my fate was already written and there was no escaping it. I trudged off unwillingly to the bedroom.
While I dressed myself, I thought back over the previous 8 months. It was true that, after my break-up with Monique, I had completely withdrawn into myself and, were it not for the lads, I would probably still be shut inside, gathering dust and, quite possibly, mold. The 'break-up' had been the most bizarre of my life and, more than once, if not for my bitterness, I would have laughed over the ridiculousness of the situation. One day, we were doing great and seemed to have all the possibilities in the world before us. The next day, she was leaving. 'It's not you, it's me,' she had said to me on her departure. Needless to say, the clichéd phrase did not help; self-doubt and personal recriminations only mounted. When I emerged a few minutes later, Dave had disposed of the crisps and both he and Robert were waiting anxiously for me at the door.
“Where're we off to?” I inquired innocently, slipping into my shoes.
“Um, it's Patrice's place,” answered Dave, a little nervously and glancing at Robert for backup. Patrice is one of Monique's best mates; they both came over from Bruxelles for University and ended up staying.
“Ah, look...,” I began, rapidly reconsidering the whole situation.
“No worries. She's not gonna be there, mate,” rejoined Robert quickly. “We checked. She's got other things happening.” He clapped me on the back. We left, walking the short distance to Patrice's block of flats.
thanks for visiting.
please read 'Standard Time (II)'.
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