Next Friday

You and Karen sit side by side in the back of Amber's car as Amber drives back from Smalltown. You are holding hands and whispering to each other. The evening started with a trip to Woocottville. Woocottville as home of the Woocott Institute is the closest thing to a college town near Green River City. Johnson City (Home of Johnson College) is very small and being home to such an old institution, the town is old fashioned and extremely conservative. The city has an ordinance prohibiting chain restaurants and box stores although the unlikely success of such ventures may make the ordinance unnecessary. As a college town of sorts, Woocottville has a wider variety of restaurants. Bobby is riding in the front passenger seat next to Amber. For insurance purposes, only Amber or her mom can drive the car. You gave Amber gas money as your van is on blocks in your uncle's garage as you and Bobby are working on the brakes. It has been an uncomfortable evening.

It started out with Amber bitching that you and Karen are late. Karen got stuck working late at the Smith's grocery store. You and Karen sat butt cheek to butt cheek on the side of the table that had a bench, while Bobby (or more) Amber preferred the side of the table with chairs. Amber while not as mean to you as she has been in the past, is bossy and planned the night. You want to ask Karen if she likes this place, you sense she doesn't, but can't say anything with Amber there. Amber and Bobby don't look like they like each other or are having fun. After a tense dinner, you barely arrived in Smalltown in time to catch the last showing of a movie Amber picked. It seems alright but you sense Karen isn't into it. You start kissing her ten minutes into the movie and have no idea what it is about or how it ends. Amber is scowling at you on the trip back and drops you and Bobby off at your Uncle's.

You and Bobby find Joe and Tom waiting for you as you open the door. Tom's dad brought Tom to Joe's and they walked the three blocks from Joe's to your uncle's. The four of you, when you can, stay up all night on Friday and play video games or watch movies and talk about girls. When it is at one of your parent's homes, you all drink soda. When you can (like tonight) you drink beer or booze. There is always pizza or junk food as well. Your Uncle is doing photography for a friend's fall wedding in Capital City tomorrow and left tonight rather than get up real early for the four hour drive.

Joe and Tom are restless to go a party they know about in Smalltown. It is at the house of the Green twins. Lacey and Kacey Green are identical except one wears something green all the time. You don't know or care which one does as you are still in on the rivalry between the Green River City Beagles and the Smalltown Jets. You are still in a kind of daze as you remember kissing Karen earlier and don't want to look at or think about another girl. You would be bored at the party and don't want to be the sober one that drives home the drunks. Joe will drive and take Tom but he has to get his mom's minivan back by 5:00 in the morning. Your uncle left his car and took his good van as he had to haul a lot of lights. The car gets great mileage and has a full tank. You are on the insurance and would have took it for your date tonight but your uncle needed it until he left town an hour after your date.

As you all are deciding what to do you get a call on your cell. It's Karen! She is calling from the parking lot of a convenience store near Amber's house. She and Amber were supposed to be at Amber's all night. She tells you her and Amber had a fight. Amber was saying mean things about you and cutting down Bobby. Can you come get her? You tell her you are on the way. You tell the guys you are going to pick up Karen with your uncle's car and will be back soon or call them.