(Get Together Before the Closet)

NOW

(Adena)

The doorbell rang and I put my cards down on the table. “Nobody cheat.”

“I’m looking as soon as you walk away,” Riley said.

“I’ll protect your cards, sweetheart,” Evan said.

“Aw, Evan… oh my Evan,” Andy said and laughed.

Evan grabbed a pretzel and flicked it at Andy, hitting him square in the forehead.

Everyone started to laugh.

I threw everyone the middle finger and hurried to the door.

I opened the door and looked back. “Oh, shit, it’s the cops!”

Everyone laughed even harder.

Scott jumped up and put his hands up. “I’m screwed. I can’t go to jail. I’m too pretty.”

“Dude, you look like you forgot that high school ended years ago,” Chloe said.

Mike started to clap and whistle.

“Can I come in or what?” Tommy asked, standing there in plain clothes.

“Sorry,” I said. “Come on in.”

He was holding a stack of pizza boxes.

He walked them to the kitchen.

“How much do I owe you?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Tommy said.

“No way. Come on. I wanted to have a little get together.”

Tommy turned and smiled. “It’s good to see everyone together without drama. That’s worth the cost of the pizza.”

“Pizza,” Scott growled as he hurried around the table.

Evan stood up and put an arm out. “You don’t get first dibs. Hell no, man. You’ve got the munchies going on, don’t you?”

“See, that’s not fair,” Leah said. “Scott smokes his brain away and eats and doesn’t gain a pound. I smelled that pizza and I’ve gained five pounds.”

“Nothing wrong with curves,” Mike said.

“Oh, damn,” Riley said.

Andy whistled.

“Mike likes curves,” I said.

“By all means,” Evan said. “Why don’t we all clear out and let you two figure this out.”

“Seriously?” Mike yelled. “You all suck.”

“You like curves,” Leah said. “I like the whole scruffy plumber thing.”

Everyone cheered louder. Mike actually started to blush. He stood up, shaking his head.

“I need another drink to survive tonight,” he said.

“Another round,” Evan said.

“Everyone go outside,” I said. “We’ll bring out drinks and food.”

“Boo,” Scott yelled, cupping his hand around his mouth.

“Everyone out!” Evan yelled.

“Don’t make me arrest anyone,” Tommy added. “I have my handcuffs.”

“Better give them to Mike and Leah,” Riley said.

Everyone ooooohhh’ed again.

“Fuck that,” Evan said. “I’ll take them for me and Dena.”

I gasped and felt the color rush to my face.

“Her face is redder than Mike’s,” Andy said.

“At least I can get some,” I said.

“Hey, be nice to Andy,” Ashley chimed in. “He has two hands.”

“Two hands?” Mike said. “He needs two fingers. The world’s smallest…”

Andy grabbed the bowl of pretzels and threw them at Mike.

We laughed so hard, it hurt. It felt so good to laugh. To forget about all the troubles. All the bullshit in our lives.

Tommy opened the back door and ushered everyone out. He was used to dealing with wild and drunk people so he had the patience to get everyone moving.

Then it was just me and Evan in the kitchen.

“Wow,” he whispered. “Maybe this was a mistake.”

“No way,” I said. “It’s… good. Everyone is happy you’re here.”

“Everyone is here for you,” he said.

“I love seeing everyone laugh. Reminds me of… well… I was never technically invited to parties.”

“Then you haven’t experienced the best part,” Evan said.

“Which is what?”

“Sneaking away to fool around,” Evan whispered.

He grabbed my waist and pulled me to him.

I laughed and reached for his face. “This is all too real for me.”

“Good. Real is good. Live in the realness.”

I heard shouts and laughing outside. I cringed. “This is going to be a long night, isn’t it?”

“Yes it is,” Evan said. “I agree with you though… it’s good to see and hear everyone laughing. We all need it. Now let’s get them all some pizza to absorb the booze. They think they can do what they used to do in high school.”

Evan kissed me and grabbed the pizzas.

I couldn’t explain it right away but I had this urge to have a get together at the house. To end everything on a good and happy note.

I looked around and smiled.

I knew what I wanted to do next… no matter how hard it would hurt.

* * *

“No, no, no, no,” Scott said. “Tell them about the time, at that party… when that guy tried to attack you with a sandwich.”

I looked at Evan. “You got attacked by a sandwich?”

“Well, to be fair, the sandwich was innocent,” Evan said.

Ashley and Chloe had fallen asleep in chairs, curled up in the corner. Scott was way out of his mind, but he was safe at the house. Tommy had to leave because he had to work in the morning. Andy sat at the table, playing with the top to a beer bottle. Mike and Leah were dangerously close, feeling each other out.

The rest of us sat out in the yard around an old, rusted metal fire pit with a fire going.

“That was a long ass night,” Evan said. “The sandwich thing was just the start.”

Everyone got a little quiet after Evan said that. It made no sense to me. Again, I wasn’t cool enough to go to the parties they were talking about.

“I want to hear about it,” I said to Evan.

“Okay,” he said with a smile. “So we were at this party. This guy was all tuned up and just started bugging me from the second I walked in. I wasn’t sure if he thought I was someone else or just wanted to pick a fight.”

“Someone pick a fight with you?” I asked. “Never.”

“Ha,” Scott said. “Your lover boy here almost got his throat sliced with a piece of salami.”

Scott cackled as his head fell back. Then he was strangely silent. I looked over and saw him pointing to the sky with one finger.

“Scott, you okay?” I asked.

“Perfect. Counting the stars. We’re so small down here, Adena. We’re nothing compared to our universe. We’re simply grains of salt on a beach that we believe is so much greater than the true purpose of existence…”

I felt Evan touch my hand. He leaned in. “He’ll talk himself to sleep. And probably cry. Just ignore him.”

“… I mean, can you imagine what it’s like up there. Way up there. Out there. There are things happening in the universe that time can’t even keep up with…”

“Do you want to hear about the salami or not?” Evan asked me.

“Right. Yes. I want to hear.”

Scott continued to ramble.

Evan took my hand, facing me, and interlocked our fingers together. He took my other hand and did the same. Our hands locked up tight, just like our eyes.

“This guy followed me and wouldn’t leave me alone. He had been drinking all day. I gave him a couple warning shoves to back off a little. Mind you, this was early afternoon. The party had just got started. But he was all messed up. He started accusing me of stealing something. Which could have been true. Who knows. Finally, someone decided to make him something to eat. To calm him. To try and sober him up a little. They made him a sandwich. He started following me with the sandwich.”

“We’re worth nothing,” Scott said, his voice crackling. “We’re nothing to you, Universe. We’re…”

I looked over at Scott. Yeah, he was starting to cry.

I shook my head.

“You gonna finish this story or what?” Riley asked.

I had almost forgot she was sitting there at the fire. She had a lawn chair almost flat with her hood pulled up all the way, head to the side.

“You’re awake?” I asked.

“Listening,” she said. “I don’t remember this story. You two are about to start humping in front of the fire, so finish the story. Don’t be like Mike and Leah over there…”

I turned my head and gasped. Sitting on the top step to the back porch was Mike and Leah. Kissing. Making out.

“Wow,” I whispered. “We better give them more space soon.”

“Good for Mike,” Evan said. “He needs it. His old man isn’t doing so good.”

“Leah needs it too,” I said. “She had a boyfriend who was a little more than controlling. Belittled her for months about her weight.”

“Yeah, that’s not right,” Evan said. “Hopefully they can distract each other.”

“Finish the fucking story,” Riley yelled.

“I agree,” I said. “Finish the fucking story, Evan.”

“Okay. It’s pretty simple. He got his sandwich and he kept coming after me. I finally turned and was ready to knock his ass out. That’s when he got on the defense. He put up a fist. Then he flicked his wrist and let his sandwich fall, minus a piece of salami. I think he thought it was a knife. He started swinging the piece of meat at me. Seriously. Like he was going to cut me or slap me.”

“What did you do?” I asked.

“Waited for my chance and I knocked him out,” Evan said. “One shot to the jaw and he was down until morning.”

“The true question is…,” Riley said, “did you clean up the sandwich and eat it?”

Evan turned his head. “No, Riley. I didn’t do that.”

“What a waste of a story then,” she said. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Riley,” I said.

“It’s forever night in our universe,” Scott said. “The stars shine until they explode with the fury of our anger… why did we cause this…”

“I can’t do this anymore,” I said.

Evan stood up and pulled me to my feet. He moved quick, turning sideways, hooking his arms under me, lifting me up. I let out a cry and threw my arms around his neck. He started to walk, skipping the back porch. He went to the side of the house, where he used to stand and hide. Where he used to smoke as he waited for my sister. Where I used to always look first when I left the house, hoping to see him standing there.

He stopped at the side of the house and put his hands to my waist, pinning me against the wall.

“You were everything to me,” he said. “You are everything to me.”

I touched his face. “Same for you, Evan.”

“Whatever you decide to do in life, I’ll be there with you. I swear on it.”

“Right now, my decision is that you’re to take me upstairs and have your way with me.”

“Consider it done,” Evan said.

He kissed me and I grabbed his shirt, keeping him close.

As long as he was close to me, nothing bad could ever happen.

At least that’s what I tried to promise myself over and over.