The Long Way Home (2 page)

"Well the only reason I ask is because this is going to be our last year in high school and I was wondering if you wanted to do anything different that's all." Mike said trying to defend his question. There was a long pause. He of course knew this was his last year but it was Mike that put this into perspective for him.

"Yeah I do." Grey replied questioningly. He did not realize that this has some sort of significance. Grey decided that he was going to do things differently this year he was going to... to... he didn't know but he knew that he was going to do something differently he just had to figure out what.

The last days before school started, flashed by in a blaze of boredom for Grey. When school actually began it was no more exciting than usual. The first couple of days were like it always is figuring out where your classes are, trying not to laugh out loud at the freshmen and wondering if you'll have any classes with your friends. But despite all that Grey found it rather finicky and worthless. None the less he found that due to this being his last year he had a new spring to his step and a gleam in his eye.

Not even two weeks into the new school year, Mike came to Grey explaining that "all had been lost" and "that all was for not".

"I can't believe this, it's over... she's...she's" Mike sobbed into his best friends shoulder like a blithering child.

"What happened man?" Grey said with honest concern. Grey was walking to his machine-shop class, and even though he was late and in a hurry before Mike got there he had forgotten now and was bracing himself for the worst.

"I found Gina in her car..." Mike blubbered out.

"I went to go and see her, and ask if she wanted me to pick up lunch for her. But do you know what I saw..." Mike only paused long enough to clear his eyes and his heart before he started again.

"She was getting the old 'stinky finger' from Randy Beamen... I saw it man, I saw the whole thing. He was looking right at me for not one, not two but three...strokes." By this time Mike had lost it completely and went weak in the knees nearly knocking Grey down in the process. It was all Grey could do to drag Mike over to the nearest bench and console his heartbroken comrade. It was sometime before he came out of it and looked up at Grey, and in his friend's eyes he saw true loyalty and knew that he would help him.

"Grey help me, I want to forget about her I want to be simple again," Mike had managed to say with a strength that nearly brought Grey to tears, and his only reply was, "See me after school and I'll have an idea by then." In a way Grey knew that Mike was being overly dramatic like a really bad episode of The OC.

There was still four more periods before the end of school and Grey hoped that Mike would make it. Meanwhile, he was trying to think of a way to cheer his friend up. It was in the last period (English no less) when Grey thought of a great idea.

Out of seven periods Jill was happy to have Charlotte in four of them. In the first two weeks she was more than happy to have nothing on her mind but school, this was a first for her. Normally, she would be up to her ears in parties, shopping, hanging out and who knows what else.

Jill realized that everything was perfect. She managed to have everything she wanted at the beginning of the school year. With this she decided that she was going to start this year off right and really take this year seriously. No parties, no late night outings, no trouble which meant no men, boys, guys or any version thereof. She was determined to make this year really count; she was going to make something of herself.

Even though she made this decision and was very convinced of herself she knew somewhere in the back of her mind that there was an exclusion, a doubt of sorts. But she took this and kind of covered this up in the back of her mind. She hid it very well; but not so much as hid but locked it away so as not to look at it any more. After this there was a tingle of fear that ran through her for she knew that if she locked it no matter how hard there was some, no matter how slight, some small chance that one could unlock it. She dismissed this as she walked into her locker room to change for her badminton game.

It was in the locker room that Jill decided to explain to Charlotte her new outlook on life. Unfortunately Jill never got the chance, Charlotte was there and she was beaming with excitement, and Jill could hardly imagine what was going on in that little head of hers.

"What?" Jill said already disappointed in her lack of self control. Only because she knew that whatever it was she would probably agree and ruin her whole decision.

Slightly shocked by her friend Charlotte decided to tell her the news anyways, "I heard that there was going to be a huge party this weekend."

"Oh yeah, well I am not interested. I made a decision today I am going to just concentrate on school from here on out. I mean it's the right thing to do you know what I mean?" Jill said this and was now anticipating an honest reply, what she got was unfortunately what she thought she was going to get.

"But I need you to go you're my best friend, and besides that there might be hot guys there. I thought you would want to do this." Charlotte had a horrible look of disappointment on her face.

Jill did feel a little guilty and decided to compromise. "Whose party is it?"

"That guy, what's his name?-um Grey that's right Grey you know him you have English with him?" Charlotte had a bright gleam of hope in her eye and in her voice when she spoke.

"Here's what I'll do I will go with you and if I see anyone worth talking to I'll stay. If not then I'll go home and you can call me when you are ready to leave, deal?" Jill said knowing her friend would complain. But she was ready, to take on any argument from Charlotte. She had to get her naïve but delicate friend to understand.

Jill did end up having to explain all of her decision making to her, but Charlotte took it well and decided to encourage her best friend in her new look on life. They walked together after school and it was there that Jill explained everything to Charlotte. It went so well that even Charlotte had made up her mind to do the same thing that way they could stay together. Jill knew that Charlotte would put up a little fight, think about it and then finally agree and follow suit. Admittedly Jill felt a little mischievous for manipulating her best friend, but it was so easy to do, and Jill hated to do things without her anyway so she figured that whatever Charlotte didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

They drove home and decided that Jill needed to help Charlotte determine what she was going to wear to the party. The party was after all the first of the New Year and she needed to make an impression even if she was only going to walk in and out. And the party was only three days away and they were running out of time. Now come to think about it Jill had probably think of something cute to wear just in case she decided to stay she had better look good for who ever was going to make her stay.

Mike was excited at the prospect of a party in honor of his girlfriend dumping him. He had almost forgotten about her in the planning of the party which had consumed every waking hour he had before the party. Grey had told him that he wanted it to be big and put Mike in charge of getting everything they needed for it. And to promote it in all the right places so that everyone would go.

It was what drunks normally call a moment of clarity when Mike realized what Grey had been doing. Grey had Mike doing all of these things so that he would forget about Gina. It had to be, Grey knew that Mike loved parties more than anything and at that thought he almost broke down again. Not because of Gina but because he realized how much Grey was his friend and how truly Grey cared for Mike's wellbeing. As a result of this Mike decided that he was going to do something big for Grey to pay him back for everything that he had done for him. Not just with this Gina thing but for all the times he was just there for him for whatever reason, without judgment, without anything other than just plain compassion and care. Mike had to tell himself to shut up before he got too far with this touchy feely crap.

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Grey meanwhile had other plans, while he got Mike's attention off of Gina; he was planning and searching for someone else to fill the void in Mike's heart. In the days before the party Grey spent most of the time searching for the perfect girl for Mike. He had looked all over the school and was growing moderately desperate about the situation. He had searched everywhere, in every class, after school, before school, in random stores he even went so far as to call one of those date lines. But it wasn't until he was walking by the football field and saw a bunch of girls playing what looked kind of like volleyball. Only they had racquets and a feathery ball (he later found out it was badminton). It was at this time he saw the girl he had been looking for, he knew her from English it was Jill, and she was perfect for Mike. Through the fence he studied her from afar she was strikingly pretty with auburn hair and a smile that seemed to be too big for her face.

Grey decided to ask the girl that was always with Jill to come to the party. That way it wouldn't seem like he was going after Jill and Mike would have a clean shot at her. Grey knew that those two girls were inseparable and that if he asked the other one Jill would definitely come to the party he just wished that he could remember the name of the girl that was Jill's friend.

Just now he felt a lot like an FBI agent whenever he got to planning things; he hadn't done it in while and was getting excited.

The next day Grey put on his best façade when he went up to Jill's friend to ask her to the party. He put on a sort of nervous look and went over to her during lunch.

"Hey, I am throwing a party this weekend and I was sort of-uh wondering if you wanted to come with me. It will be cool you know if you could." He said with his best boyish charm, it was all he could do to not burst out laughing.

"Um-yeah, I mean I don't know." Charlotte said in all of her innocence. She had seen Grey before but was always to afraid to talk to him because he always seemed way too hot to talk to.

"Well it's this weekend. Will you come if I bring a friend for your friend? Maybe they'll hit it off or something." Grey said feeling cunningly sly.

"Yeah totally it sounds like fun! I'll ask Jill and we'll go together." Charlotte was overwhelmed with excitement and it was showing. She thought to herself that she had better not seem too eager but it wasn't working.

"Cool I'll see you there, it's at my house." Grey had to hide the devilish grin that was developing under his innocent smile.

Grey walked away feeling almost bad about all this but he decided it was for the best. All he was doing was using some random girls' feelings to get his best friend a new life. He didn't see what the harm was. It was all for Mike anyway.

When Charlotte walked away she was so exhilarated that she almost screamed out she even made little yelps on her way to the locker room. She was nearly running. She had to tell Jill the news and was overly excited.

Grey got home he called Mike and told him the news and Mike was more than excited to hear that they were going to throw a party. It was all that Grey told him for now. Mike was on a need to know basis, and right now he did not need to know. All was set and all Grey had to do now was get Jill and Mike together in the same location with a little alcohol and let the cards fall where they may.

The party was on Saturday night and all day Grey and Mike were busy getting it together. They were fortunate that Grey lived with his father who went out of the country most of the time, being that Grey's father worked for some government agency that required him leaving all the time. And Grey's mother after she was committed went to live with nature in Montana when Grey was six. Grey never really thought about his mother much except for when he was alone. But I digress we will get to that latter. On the other had Mike's Father was a trucker and his mother didn't really like him and never let him in the house until after she had fifth or sixth bourbon.

This is essence left the two boys to their own devices, and their particular device this time was getting this party planned and set up. Since neither one of them were twenty-one their biggest problem was getting the booze. But they had a way; Grey's father had always left him a credit card for him. All Grey had to do was call up a liquor store and order it over the phone by pretending to be his father and have some kegs delivered. Grey knew that his father would never even look at the bill from the credit card company, and even if he did he wouldn't care. His father's only concern was that Grey not drink and drive. They had to wait an hour or so before the kegs got there so they decided to plan what they were going to serve for food.

They went back and forth with different ideas; the first one that Mike proposed was to cover the living room with plastic tarp and have two tons of chicken wings ordered and then just leave it in huge piles on the tarp. That way everyone would just throw the bones on the floor and when the party was over they could just roll up the tarp and throw it out. Surprisingly Grey did not go for this although he did like the idea of quantity over quality; they opted to go to one of those club members' only grocery stores. The ones where everything is sold on palettes and you can only buy army sized quantities of food or get a new tire.

After the beer came they were on their way. They spent a good three hours in the store and were a little frantic being that they only had a couple of hours before they figured people would start coming.