Ray and Roy, chapter 2

Chapter 2

Since no one else had arrived yet, I went for a short hike into the woods. The mountains, or actually, large hills north of Grand City remind me of North Carolina. Best of all, unlike so-called “Grand” City and its environs – there’s no fucking corn! Since I only had sandals on, and I didn’t know poison ivy from my ass, I quickly turned it around. When I got back, there were people – some employees, like me, who were accompanied by their parents. Other summer workers arrived on their own. I rushed over to see if I could be of help – again, “don’t be a snob!”

Half-way to the lodge driveway, I froze. Oh my god! Is that who I think it is? Holy shit! “Hey, stranger!” I shouted. He turned around, stunned. “No way! Remi!?”

“John!” I ran up to my old friend and we high fived. “No way, you can’t work here!” I joked.

“Yeah I can, bitch!” In the background, his mom leaned against the car door as John fetched his bag. Finally, she approached me.

“Well, my goodness! Remi!” she gave me a hug. “How’ve you been?”

“Oh, good, good. Things turned out well at the Academy. Got into North Carolina like I wanted.” I turned to John. “So, where are you going this fall? Brown? Princeton? Yale?” I laughed. John displayed the most sour look I had ever seen.

“Uh, well, I was headed for Central State, but…it didn’t feel good to me,” he seemed to be begging for time. “I, um, I’m going to Sandborn,” he finally confessed.

It was very impolite of me, but it was an involuntary response. I mean, John Alberts was by far one of the smartest people I knew. “What? Are you kidding me?” I cruelly laughed my ass off. “Sandborn State? I can understand going to a place as lame as Central, but…” I couldn’t stop laughing, as much as I wanted to.

John didn’t stick around to take any more ribbing from me. He grunted a detached “bye” to his mother, and then stomped down the path to the lodge. “Yeah, fuck you, Rim Job!” he mumbled as he passed me. I knew what that name pertained to, but by this time, after being out for so long, it barely stung. Why would John, of all people, even consider that an insult, I wondered.

I turned around. His mom shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t get it either, Remi. John could’ve gotten into Harvard for all I know, but… We got into a fight on the way here, so his nerves are a bit raw.” Mrs. Alberts sighed and checked her watch. “Listen, Remi, I’ve got to be going. Glad you’re doing well. Good luck!” I said “thanks” and waved goodbye. I found it a bit strange she didn’t say goodbye to her own son. Hoping to patch things up with my old middle school friend, I went back to the lodge.

Not knowing quite what to say to him, I returned first to my room, where I met Matt and Evan, two of my roommates who just arrived. Evan greeted me with an outrageously disgusting, “Welcome to Captain Splooge!” I joked to myself, A cum reference – must be from Central! Both were indeed enrolled at Central State, and from my initial observation, were complete slobs. I gnashed my teeth as we shook hands amidst all their crap strewn about, excuse me, my bedroom! Adding to the chaos, Troy, my third roommate, stormed in, loudly high-fiving Matt and Evan. Troy indiscriminately plopped his bag down, along with a case of Miller Genuine Draft. Right away, his whole hip-hop, “I wanna be black” thing turned me off. I courteously exchanged greetings as I grumbled to myself about the smuggled alcohol.

I exited as quickly as possible, practically begging for the “snob” label. Carefully, I poked my head into John’s room. None of his roommates arrived yet. “John?” I grinned contritely. “I’m really sorry, man. I mean, REALLY!” He sighed and motioned me to come in.

“Congrats on all your success,” he uttered sarcastically while hanging his shirts. John didn’t even bother with eye contact.
“Um, thanks? I think. Hey, can we put this behind us? I want us to be friends.”

John sighed, still avoiding eye contact. “Yeah, look. Things are a bit fucked up right now, alright? I had to go there to avoid some people.” He looked at me, finally, and explained, “Everyone I know is going to Central. I had to find somewhere in a hurry!”

I took a seat on an empty bed. “Who are you hiding from, John?”

He sat next to me. “It’s complicated.” John ran his fingers through his long chestnut bangs. “We’ll have the entire summer to talk about it.” He turned to me and smiled, “I’m glad you’re here!”

Something within me stirred. It was about that thing we had in eighth grade – I can’t minimize it. John was my first kiss, and a little bit more. Though at 18 I considered myself a virgin, in middle school he and I fooled around a little…no more than most eighth graders do, really. As I begged those old feelings to depart, John and I talked about nothing in particular, nothing I can remember, that is. Fair to say, perhaps we were both distracted by each other.

Copyright © 2009 by Mark D. Solay. All rights reserved.