Chapter Thirty-nine: Cycle and psychosis
After being dropped by a cab at the gates, I was able to convince the security guard sitting in a white golf cart to let me in. I threw the one bag around my neck and climbed up to my brick dorm baking in the sun. The campus was deserted. The cardkey scanner took a few swipes but I was able to open the heavy fire door. A rush of cold air touched my hair as it drafted by.
I bowled my bags down the vacant hallway. My door creaked open and no strange smells assailed me. The thin sheets and cotton blankets wooed me. I rolled up my blinds to inspect the carnage of the tree slaughter. My portal had been transformed.
It was absent of rustling leaves.
Below, there was only shredded bark on a circle of topsoil.
I shut my blinds and went to take a long shower and remove the days of accumulated filth. After the prodigious pruning, my stomach churned so up to Buzzy’s I went. The other dorms were hollow. The sky was clear and the mountains set up the horizon on their shoulders.
On one of the parking spots in front of the store I came across Luke’s blue convertible clunker, a hoopdy, called Colossus.
The bell chimed as I entered. There was nobody at the front register so I got on my toes and looked around. Luke and the owner everyone called “Old Man” were at the deli counter in the back. Still on tip toes, I walked up behind Luke and put my finger up to my mouth to signal the “Old Man” not to say anything.
I got behind him and said, “Boo mother fucker!”
Luke spun at his waist.
“Joaquin, shouldn’t you be with the guys in Florida?” he asked and I shrugged my tight shoulders.
“Did not go. Got a room and chilled by myself for the last week.”
“That sucks. What are you doing now?” Luke asked as he pointed to ground meat behind the glass case.
“I just came up here for some grub and a pack of smokes. What are you doing?” I asked.
He was handed a large paper bag.
“Grillen dogs and burgers. Don’t bother buying food come over and celebrate our victorious return.”
“Can I get a ride?” I asked.
“Of course.”
We paid for our items and the Colossus tore down the street. The breeze slicked back my wet hair.
“Why are you back today?” I asked as we pulled into gravel driveway.
“Certain things were said and done. Basically, we got kicked out,” he said.
“It is a good day for a party,” I said.
“It is at that!”
We grabbed the bags and I followed him inside to put away the groceries.
“Grab anything you want. Tubs are full. Going to change. Others are out back throwing shoes,” Luke said and bound upstairs.
I went out back to the junk piled backyard and was greeted with “Yo” by the six baseball players and Paul.
Meat burnt on the hibachi as we tossed shoes. More people shifted in and when the tubs were emptied of beer, I strolled back to my room.
Sleep couldn’t be denied.
The next day I swung my door open in time to see Tim carrying his luggage towards me. I waved and he nodded a tired and roughed up head. His white linen shirt barely held on to his frame.
“How was your trip?” I asked.
He stopped and said, “I’ll tell you later. Let me get situated. Come down in an hour or so. Any parties tonight? Need to go out and blow off some steam.”
“I think Luke and those cats are having people over,” I said and let him go to his room.
He had just been on vacation and he wanted to ‘blow off some steam.’ Something was amiss in paradise. I went back to my room, got dressed and called Luke.
I knocked on Tim’s door an hour later.
“Come on in.”
I parked myself in the clutter of pillows and figured I should tell him what was going on before I began prying.
“Luke is having people over and other shit is going down like Shoot the Boot,” I told him and slipped out a smoke from my shirt pocket.
“Cool what time we going out?” he asked.
“An hour if you want?”
“Cool, let me shower,” he said.
“What ever. What is up with the bummed attitude and why would you want to blow off steam after being away for that exact particular purpose?” I asked as he sighed and lit a smoke.
“Everything was great. The hotel was huge and the outlook for the week was shining. The first night was exploring and drinking. Then Erin scored Meth from some guy. I warned her to cool it but she did the whole shitload by herself over three days and I realized she’s a Tweaker. That’s why she went to Rascal behind my back. The forth night there, I was talking with this hot girl by the bar and Erin walks up grabs the girl’s hair and beats the snot out of her. I pull her off and the girl’s friends come over and a brawl breaks out. Erin run away and I took off. Found her later in the room ripping my shit up. I stayed with Rob and Lisa until we left. I tried to speak to her but she spit on me. Rode back in separate cars.”
“Fucking crazy. I think you should tell Rascal to cut her off. You should take a shower so we can get out of here,” I said.
“Easier said than done. Rascal’s not going to give up a client. I’ll see what I can do. Might need your help man,” he said.
“I am here,” I said.
He nodded once and I left.
We gathered James, who told us he “Didn’t do shit.” and were at Luke’s in a matter of minutes. There was a small crowd of about thirty. We broke away from each other and mingled. Tim went to the tubs and talked to every girl that came by. I went to find Luke and he was occupied with some girl I had never seen before. Not wanting to cock block, I let him work. Soon the house couldn’t contain another body.
I sifted through and sipped my beers and came upon James with a cute brunette who came up to his armpit. With an acknowledging wink, I went to find Tim and maybe I could do a line or two. He was at the tubs.
“Anything good happening around here?” I asked.
He poked me in the chest and said, “Erin’s here man. She just walked in the door. You think I should talk to her?”
“Talk to her dude. Go out back where there is room,” I said.
He chugged, grabbed two and turned away.
The evening lingered.
It amazed me how long the night could be when I wasn’t drunk. Then as I scampered around the kitchen, I overheard that a fight was going on in the backyard. Rushing out the door, I pushed my way through the crowd expecting to see guys brawling.
As I broke into the ring, I saw Erin slap Tim and scream, “Fucker.”
Tim stood back with his hands up and she flailed him with her fists. He didn’t retreat and grabbed her shoulders and yelled for her to stop. She rammed her forehead into his nose. He went down on all fours and checked for blood as he got up.
“Erin chill. You can’t…” he tried to finish but she spit in his face.
Erin covered her face with her hands and ran off into the chaotic camouflage of the night.
I went over to Tim while as some idiot said, “I would have hit her back.”
I lead him inside where he washed his face in the sink and dried his face with some paper towels.
“You all right?” I asked.
“I’m okay, but she’s not. I’m done,” he said and then blew his nose.
“Give her some time,” I said.