“Excuse me waiter could you get me a beer.” Walking up beside me Brian tapped my left shoulder popping up over my right shoulder as I turned to my left.
“Over here dummy.” He deadpanned as I turned my head sneering at him.
“Real mature.” I said shoving the drinks into his hands.
“What’s this shit?” He sniffed the green drink wrinkling up his nose. “Jesus, that’ll burn your nose hairs.”
“It’s called Kaos and I dare you to drink it.” I said with a wicked smile.
“You dare me huh?” He grinned back as pink and red lights strobed on the wall behind him. And then before I could say ‘double dare’ he shot back the drink in his left hand following it up with the drink in his right.
Smacking his lips together his eyes sparkled as he signaled a passing waitress.
“Another round of Kaos for me and my friend.” He said signaling to the empty glasses as he set them on her tray.
* * *
“You’re drunk.” Stumbling into the crowded VIP section of the club two hours later Brian and I were greeted by Kevin, arms folded over his chest a scowl on his face.
“He’s not drunk.” Brian pointed in my general direction his eyes spinning in his head. “I’m drunk.”
“And I’m Kaos.” I slurred sticking out my hand to Brian. “Nice to meet you drunk.”
“And the same to you Kaos.” He giggled missing my hand as he stumbled forward into A.J.’s table.
“Shit Rok.” Jumping up A.J. tried to steady the table as Brian landed face first in a bowl of peanuts.
“Did you see that?” My voice sounded thick and slow to my own ears. “Kev, did you see him land in the peanuts.”
“Yeah, yeah we all saw it.” Leaning forward Kevin grabbed for my right arm slinging me up and over his shoulder in one swift movement that made my head spin. “C’mon Kaos, we’re going outside.”
“But I don’t wanna go outside.” I whined trying to focus on the people milling about in the VIP area. “I wanna stay here with you guys.” I rubbed at my eyes, laughing to myself as Brian slid sideways off of the table and onto the floor with a thud.
“Awwww he’s sleeping.” I said putting my finger to my lips. “Shhhhhh everybody quiet my buddy is sleeping.”
“Say goodbye Nick.” Kevin commanded as he walked down the six steps leading from the VIP pit onto the dance floor.
“Goodbye Nick!” I shouted waving wildly to the crowd of people laughing at me as Kevin pushed his way across the dance floor.
* * *
“You need some fresh air.” Kicking open a back exit to the club Kevin walked out into the alley, the cold New York wind slapping me in the face.
“Do you have any idea how sick you’re going to be in the morning.” Lifting me from his shoulder he dropped me to the ground. “Why do you have to do everything that A.J. and Brian tell you to do? Huh? They say jump you say how high.” Pushing me down onto a crate Kevin knelt before me.
“Being a sheep can get you in trouble Nick.”
“I’m not a sheep.” I shook my head.
“Oh no?” Wiping the drool from my chin with the back of his hand Kevin then dried off his hand on my white leather jacket.
“No. I’m no sheep.” I continued shaking my head as I looked at Kevin, wondering when he had grown another head?
“Give me one example of how you’re not a sheep. You do every fucking thing that those two ask you to do?”
“Not everything Kev.” Damn my tongue felt big in my mouth, it was hard to get the words out without tripping over it.
“Whatever Nick.”
“I could give you an example, I could give you an example that would make your fucking head spin.” Twirling my finger around in the air I slipped sideways falling off the crate.
“Yeah right buddy.” Slapping me lightly on the cheek Kevin smiled. Or at least I think he smiled? It was more like a big white blur that sort of curved up at both ends.
“Listen Nick just stay here for a few minutes and get some air. I’ll be back to check on you later okay.”
“My name isn’t Nick, it’s Kaos God of the Green Goo I moaned.” Falling the rest of the way over my cheek slapped against the gritty pavement as my eyes drifted closed.
“Goodnight Kaos God of the Green Goo. I’ll be back to check on you later.”
* * *
I’m not sure how long I was out but I when I awoke I was covered with a light layer of snow that gave the foul smelling alley a heavenly glow.
Pushing myself up into a sitting position my stomach protested and I quickly lay back down. I vaguely recalled that someone had brought me into the alley but who it was and why I couldn’t quite remember.
Trying again to sit up I ignored the lurching of my insides pulling myself to a standing position with the wall as my helper. Despite the snow around me I felt so freaking hot, so making my way down to the opening at the end of the alley I shed my heavy white leather jacket to the ground along with one of my Timberland hiking boots.
Popping out on the sidewalk I rubbed at my blurry eyes searching for a cab, trying to figure out how to stop the jackhammer going off in my head.
“Hey buddy do you need a cab?” Blinking a few times I looked around.
“Huh?”
“I said do you need a cab?” Looking down I saw a big yellow taxi in front of me.
“Okay.” I smiled reaching down for the door handle and missing as I smacked my face on the glass.
“Looks like somebody has had too much to drink.” Walking around to the back door of the cab the driver pulled open the door grabbing me roughly by my upper arm and leading me off of the curb.
“I can do it.” I mumbled shrugging him off before landing on my ass in the gutter.
“Yeah, sure you can kid.” Hauling me up under my armpits he propelled me face first into the cab pushing my feet and legs in after me before shutting the door.
* * *
“So do you even know where you want to go?” The guy had a thick New York accent that made me giggle.
“How about a bar?”
“You ain’t old enough to get in a bar kid.”
“Am so.”
“Are not. Besides any bar I would take you to you’d be dead by morning walking in there drunk, dressed like that and missing a shoe.”
“Where’s my shoe?” Pushing myself up from the seat I tried to see my feet.
“Who knows. Looks like maybe somebody beat you up and stole it.” The cab driver readjusted his mirror so that he could see me.
“Bunch of damn girls attacked me this morning.” Dragging myself upright in the seat I rubbed my eyes in an attempt to focus on the scenery passing by.
“Girls beat you up and stole your shoe?” The cab driver laughed.
“They beat me up but I don’t know where my shoe went?” Tapping on the glass I noticed that it was snowing again. “Hey how about we go to a bar together.” Leaning forward between the seats I smiled the loopy smile of a kid who has had one to many shots of Kaos.
“Why would I want to go to a bar with some twelve year old.”
“I’m not twelve I’m eighteen. And you want to go to a bar with me because it’s my birthday today….and I can get you hot chicks.” Waggling my eyebrows I stuck my arms out in front of me mimicking the motions of driving the cab.
“Tempting birthday boy, but I’m gonna pass.” He said shoving me back in my seat. “All I need is some kid waking up with a helluva hangover saying his cab driver beat him up and stole his shoe. Nope, I think it’s time for you to go home.”
“There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.” I sang loudly before passing out cold.
* * *
“Fuck you I did the best I could.”
“Yeah well it wasn’t good enough.”
“Who died and put you in charge huh?”
“I’ve always been in charge and you fucking know it so shut your mouth.”
“Prick.”
“I heard that.”
At first I thought it was a dream, the kind where you can’t see the faces but the voices sound familiar.
“I’m so fucking sick of you.”
“Oh yeah like hanging out with you is some big ass prize.”
My head was pounding and my mouth tasted like a pair of dirty sweat socks. And when I was finally able to pry open my gunk encrusted eyes all I could be sure of was that I was in a dark room………and I wasn’t alone.