Twenty

Josh

So, I’d been debating calling Gwen for the past week. 

Yes, it’d been a week. 

She was Fox’s sister. I knew that for sure after asking Garrett. He also told me that Fox was very protective of her for some reason, which I figured. Fox was the type of guy who didn’t talk a lot, but everyone steered clear of him. I couldn’t tell you why exactly. It was just something you knew from the moment you stepped foot onto the campus. 

Of course, she was a big girl and plenty old enough to see me if she wanted. It wasn’t like Fox and I were bros or anything. I wasn’t breaking any sort of code, by asking her out. She was free to make her own decision. At least I would think so. 

What the hell?

I grabbed my cell phone out of my jacket pocket and called her. It was Sunday, and since I knew nothing about her, I wasn’t sure if she’d answer or not. 

“Hello,” her sweet voice came through the speaker of the phone.

“Hey. Gwen?” I questioned, even though I knew for a fact it was her. I just wanted to say her name.

“This is her.”

“It’s Josh.”

“Oh,” she hesitated, and I could picture her cheeks reddening. “Hey.”

“I thought maybe you might want to get that coffee we talked about.”

“Uh, I’m sorry. I can’t.” Her voice was barely audible. 

There was no explanation, just a no. 

“Okay, well,” I paused. “You have my number now. So how about you call me when you can,” I suggested.

“Okay. I’ve got to go. Bye.” She quickly hung up the phone.

Wow.

All right then. 

Shot down twice in a row by the same girl. You got to love how that feels. 

Damn. I needed to get laid.

***

Somewhere between kind of drunk, and slobbering I remember telling some red headed chick that she was the prettiest thing I’d ever laid eyes on. Then I remembered very quickly that I’d told her a bold-faced lie. Those were the effects of too much Vodka. Call it what you will, but getting laid was a high priority, and lying was a price I was willing to pay. She was pretty enough. 

Too bad I was picturing a petite little blonde when I looked at her. 

Sex wasn’t good for the uncoordinated or the heavily intoxicated. It made me limp in more ways then one. Thankfully, because of the vodka, we didn’t make it past first base before I was too nauseous to move. The redhead griped but I didn’t care. I was ready to go back to my dorm. 

Garrett and I had been at this party for hours, and I’d only seen him once since we’d gotten there. He was probably off getting laid himself, and hopefully having a little more luck than me. 

Reaching for my phone, I squeezed it tight in my fist. 

“Call Lee,” I told it. Then laughed, because I was commanding my phone to make a call, like I was damn magician.

Thank goodness I had the girl on speed dial because I couldn’t search her number if I wanted to. 

I pressed the number two key on the phone keypad and held it down.

“This better be good Joshua. It’s fucking three in the morning.” She griped. She hated being woken up from her sleep, but I thought it was funny. That’s why I couldn’t stop laughing. “Seriously, Josh. I’m hanging up.”

“No, wait. I need you.”

“What do you want?” She yelled into the phone. 

“I need you to come and get me.”

There was a long pause. “Where are you?” She asked.

I laughed again, but I couldn’t help it. 

“You don’t have any idea where you are, do you?” 

“Nope.” 

I heard her say something under her breath, and then there was a loud commotion from her side of the phone. She was cussing me like there was no tomorrow. 

“You owe me big time,” she told me, and I knew she’d make good on that threat. “Is there anyone around there who can tell you where you are? I can’t go tramping around the whole town asking if anyone has seen you.”

Good point. “Hold on,” I told her.

Outside the living room I was sitting in, I looked for someone who was alert. Everyone seemed to be passed out from what I could tell, but my vision was a bit blurry. Holding my eyes closed tightly, and then opening them quickly I thought that the view would change. 

No.

It made it worse.

I kept thinking that I needed to get outside.

“Josh!” Lee yelled.

“I’m here,” I squinted my eyes. “Just need to sit down. I’m feeling sick.”

“Who were you with?” She asked.

“Garrett,” I whispered. “I don’t feel good.” 

The floor came up to meet me, and my eyes felt heavy. 

Sleep. That was what I needed. I heard Lee call my name again, but all I wanted to do was close my eyes. I didn’t want to talk, because I was afraid I’d vomit. The darkness felt good, and so did the cold floor beneath me.