The Dakota
I finally managed to get in touch with Brent. Turns out he decided to come home a few days later then scheduled himself. Suddenly I felt like maybe it was normal to want to blow off your family.
We decided to meet up for dinner at our old hangout. The Dakota Diner. This was the place we went to after every football game, movie night, concert, you name it. The diner was always our last stop before heading home.
The three of us, being Mark, Brent and I would usually meet up at the Dakota for dinner on Fridays before going to a movie or sometimes just going back to Brent's house to hang out on his roof.
The owners knew us by name. They knew me as the kid who worked for that other high school hangout, Mario's. Maybe it's because I worked there so much but when I had time off I seldom wanted to hang out there so we christened the Dakota as ours.
So how fitting it seemed that we would be meeting up there again after not seeing each other for so long. Brent said he would try to get a hold of Mark and some of the other guys we hung out with and that we would all meet up by 7ish.
I jumped in the shower and got dressed almost jumping with joy about our reunion. It may sound stupid but I missed those guys. I bounded down the steps to the sound of salsa music coming from the kitchen. I laughed when I saw Howie in the kitchen polishing the table and dancing. It was kind of refreshing after his melancholy mood at AJ's a day or so earlier.
He turned my way then stopped when he saw me standing there smiling at him, "Oh...hi I didn't hear you come in"
"Howie what on earth are you doing?"
He walked over to me and grabbed my arms and threw me down into a dip, "The meringue" He said in the worst Spanish accent ever.
I laughed, "I think you have been sniffing that Pledge! That's what I think" He brought me back to my feet and smiled. "Just trying to take cleaning to a whole new level"
"Yeah I see that...and I suppose it has nothing to do with Ricky coming to visit us?" He winked at me.
I was grateful that Ricky would be spending the holidays with us, if nothing else just to see my brother smile again. He has been so down in the dumps. Maybe it was just from missing her.
It will be weird to be the only one not attached to a ladies arm this Christmas. Everyone in my family was getting married and having babies and here I was, the ex boyfriend of a lesbian. Didn't seem fair at all. I placed my hand in my pocket which reminded me the other reason I needed to find Howie. My funds were a bit low so I need the international bank of Howie to help me out.
"Hey Howie....Can I borrow a few bucks for tonight?" He suddenly stopped dancing, his mood turning sour right in front of my eyes.
"Nick...how much do you need?" I was kind of surprised by the reaction, "Um...it's no big deal really. we are just going to The Dakota for dinner so about $10?" I was going to ask for $20 but the way he was acting it seemed like that would be pushing my luck.
He nodded and went for his wallet on the table, "Sure no problem" I was happy to see him take out a $20. "Better to have more then less right?"
I reached over and took the money and of course I had to grab him into a hug and give him a big wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Thanks I love you man!"
That's when I remembered gas "Oh Howie can I also have some money for gas?"
"Jesus Nick! Money doesn't grow on trees you know!" Again he jumped down my throat.
"Sorry....you didn't have to yell though! I odn't know what the hell is going on with you Howie but your moods are getting ridiculous!"
Howie literally threw me another twenty. I mean he threw it at me. It hit me in the face. I was twenty dollar bill slapped! SO I did the only logical, at least in my mind, thing to do. I threw it right back at him, "You know what? Keep your damn money! I'll walk and have a glass of water"
I didn't wait for a reply I just charged out of there. "Damn!" I said when I realized how incredibly cold it was and how far of a walk I was giving myself. I got about as far as the high school before I went to a payphone and called Brent collect. He seemed to get a huge kick out it.
He picked me up and we were on our way to the Dakota. I almost didn't even recognize him with his buzz cut. When I last saw him, he had hair almost shoulder length. Now it was all gone save for about an inch all over.
"What's with the hair?" I asked feeling the top of his head. He bowed his head down so I could get the whole effect, "Just decided it was time to cut it Kaos! Besides the chicks love it!" I had to laugh, Brent always thought he was the ladies man to beat all ladies men. "And I suppose you have those ladies falling at your feet?"
"Yeah and other places as well if you catch my drift" He said sticking his tongue out and gyrating.
"You are an idiot!" I decided to start playing with his car radio, "So is Mark meeting us?"
"Yeah once he ditches his girlfriend"
"Girlfriend?"
"Uh huh actually he is already talking marriage. You believe that?"
"What?"
"I know crazy right? So what about you Kaos?"
"What about me?"
"Have you and Kelly gotten it on yet?"
"No, we decided to just be friends actually" I was not going to tell Brent about Kelly. She would never forgive me if I did.
We dropped the subject when we saw Mark waving at us from the front of the restaurant. I found myself having a warm feeling. I felt like I was coming home again.
We tried to get our usual table in the back corner, away from all the noise and commotion. The waitress smiled at us when we walked in, "We've missed seeing you boys here" She said while bringing us to the table right next to ours.
"I can't believe she actually remembered us" Brent whispered into my ear. Mark is the one that answered though, "Why wouldn't she? We gave these people half their business"
Once we took our seats I was able to take in the sight of my two best friends. College had done well for them, you could tell. I barely spoke to Mark since parting ways and you could tell by the obvious awkwardness felt between the two of us. He kept glancing over at me and smiling and I would do the same.
Brent was the glue for us, the one we both called bast friend. It used to drive me crazy when I was a kid. Actually I was jealous, always afraid that in the end it would be Mark he would chose leaving me out in the dust.
Brent looked incredible he really did. He had a bronze tan and new look of confidence. Kind of amazing for one who was already as confident as a tiger. We sat in silence for a few minutes before I finally decided to start things up, "So....Mark, Brent tells me you are thinking of getting married?"
He took a gulp of water and nodded, "Yeah, her name is Diana and she is the best. You guys would love her"
"Is she from here?"
"Nope she's a southern gal" There was his humor shining through. I had missed the way Mark could make me laugh. He spoke with a southern bell accent, "She is form Mississippi"
"What the heck is she doing here?" Brent asked impatiently waving the waitress over to our table.
"I brought her home to meet the parents" We both laughed.
"Shut the hell up...so what about you guys? Kaos I haven't heard from you in ages what's up with you?"
"Not too much" It saddened me how much that was true. I had nothing going on in my life at all! Not one thing.
"Ooh I made the football team guys. Did I tell you that?" We both looked over at Brent and smiled, "Congrats man"
"Thanks, I mean I'll be on the bench but at least it's something and this way I can be closer to Lila"
Mark winked and once again I hurt, knowing that Mark knew slightly more about Brent's life then I did. I wanted to ask about Lila but I also didn't want to let on that I was so in the dark so I just smiled and happily sipped away at my soda while the two of them talked.
I always had a talent for blending into a conversation. Making it appear I had added on more then I actually did. I always used this tactic with my family over big dinners or even at college when I would just try to observe these people to see if I wanted to be friends with them. I never thought I'd have to do it with these two guys.
They talked about their new roommates and the frats they were pledging. I wished that Amy was there to share a sly smile with. They talked about their courses and how much they wanted out of everything. Mostly they talked about their love lives! Their active sex drives and a few times I turned around embarrassed that someone was actually overhearing this conversation.
"You have been too quit Kaos" Mark finally said when his coffee arrived.
"Sorry"
"He had a fight with Howie"
"Oh, how is good old D these days?"
"Moody as all hell"
"Mom said he's been to the bank a lot recently"
"Yeah?" Brent's Mom worked as a teller for our local bank.
"She asked if everything was okay over at your place"
I popped an ice cube into my mouth, "Yeah it is why?"
He shrugged, "She just was wondering" And that was all their was to my part of the conversation. Mark managed to bring it back to him and his new set of friends. And I found myself becoming sad.
At the end of our meet Mark promised to get together one more time before second semester, which we never did and then Brent and I drove back to my place.
"Is everything all right man?" Brent asked turning the corner on High.
"Yeah...just didn't feel much like talking I guess"
"That's cool buddy. He grabbed me in a headlock, "So mom wanted me to invite you over for Christmas Eve. Actually you and Howie both"
"Aww that's so nice but we are going over to AJ's. We are leaving day after tomorrow and staying for a week maybe"
"Okay well tell J I said hello then"
He waved as he drove off and it began flurrying. I walked over to my front steps and decided to sit. I didn't feel like going inside. I was in a contemplative mood. It just felt like everything was changing and I had no control over it. I used to be so comfortable with Brent. I mean he was my farting friend. I could pass gas in front of him and not blink an eye. We'd get a good laugh over it. Something changed in our dynamic, our conversations were friendly but forced. I did feel like maybe he had chosen Mark over me. They were moving in one direction, and I was going the other; and that hurt.
I felt the same way about Howie. I never felt uncomfortable walking into a house when it was just Howie and I. Why did I feel that way now? There were times when I would come home from hanging out with those two guys, that I would never want the night to end because eventually that meant having to come back home to dad and a very depressed Mel. I hated that feeling and yet it was that same feeling that was preventing me from turning the doorknob and walking inside.
Knowing he was probably watching me from inside, I decided to go ahead in. I swiped off the flurries from my shoulder and stepped inside. The whole house was dark. I decided I needed to talk to Howie now, find out what was going on with us. Confront what was happening head on, so I went up the steps to his room and knocked on the door.
When he didn't answer I started to get scared so I pounded. Still nothing. I had visions of him lying on the floor dead because of me perhaps? But in a panic I opened the door to see an empty bed.
He had left without so much as a note.
I sat on his bed and sighed, everything was changing and I didn't like it.
