Before the Summer's Out...

The next morning, King woke me up. He was sticking his big, wet nose directly in my ear. It was mostly the heavy, amplified dog breathing that woke me up. I opened my eyes and my head pounded. I groaned. King slurped the side of my face, sending saliva whooshing into my ear.

"Ernngh! King get outta it!" I growled and shoved him away unsuccessfully, since I was hung over and he was huge.

King climbed up on my bed, but avoided stepping on me. He lay down next to me. I turned over, glaring at him for the surge of heat he provided. I realized he was lying there to get access to the fan beside my bed. I began sweating when the fan was gone and in its place was a horse-dog radiator.

I crawled out of bed and went into the bathroom. I threw up and then took a shower.

You are stupid and shallow and I never want to talk to you again.

Shit.

After my shower, I got dressed and went downstairs. King was following me for some annoying dog reason. I put my sunglasses on and went outside and sat in a lounge chair. I moaned, feeling hung over and very unhappy. King took the world's longest piss against his favourite pissing post, a spindly Japanese maple.

My cell phone buzzed. My heart pounded and that made me hotter than I already was in the hot weather. I started to sweat. I prayed that it was a text message from Enid.

It was from Heather. Benj! Come to my house at seven. Bring those swim trunks I like cuz the Jacuzzi is hot she said. I started sweating more, thinking about a hot Jacuzzi.

I'll be there :) I texted back. I felt nauseous. I had to throw up. I knew I wouldn't make it to the bathroom and just hustled over to a thick hydrangea bush. I groaned when I was finished. King sniffed my vomit, interested. I pushed the beast away.

I spent the rest of the day lying on the cold, tile, kitchen floor. King flopped down nearby and that was actually nice because I could rest my head on his stomach instead of on the hard floor. At six o'clock, I hauled myself to my feet and went to my room. I stood in the middle of it for a moment and then crammed my hand into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone.

E, I'm really sorry about last night. Can we still please be friends?? PLEASE?? I was drunk and stupid and I need my bff back. C'mon, please forgive me? I texted Enid, fretting over every word. When you're dealing with a poet, the way you word things matters a great deal.

After I sent the message, I put the phone on my bed and got dressed. I pulled on the Heather approved board shorts and put on a white, short sleeved polo shirt. I ran a small bit of hair gel through my hair and brushed my teeth. My tan looked exaggerated in the white shirt. When my cell phone buzzed, I dove at it.

Look, Benj, things are just strange right now. I need to think about part of what you said Enid had replied. What?? What had I said?? I dragged up the drunken memories of last night, but couldn't remember anything specific. Except for the kissing and the fact that Enid didn't like it because she hates me and thinks I'm shallow. That I remember very acutely.

Which part? I was drunk and crazy. Don't take me seriously. I'm sorry. I decided to encompass everything I might have said. I'm sure I sounded like a psychotic douche anyway, right?

[i[The part about my image. I dunno. I feel like the kiss is hanging over our heads like a guillotine, waiting to really strike down emotionally and wreck everything Enid replied a minute later. Oh my god, things could become MORE wrecked than they already were??

I don't want to wreck anything! I want to fix it. How do I fix our friendship?? I texted desperately. My sober mind was really panicking now. Enid is my best friend; I couldn't get through my life without her. She's everything.

Er, that doesn't sound like a friendship. But... it's true. I mean, that's how I feel about Enid. I mean, she's my best friend. I mean... oh hell I don't know what I mean.

I don't know. I don't know that it can be fixed, to be honest Enid said. WHAT?? First of all, that's awful! I need Enid, like I said. And second, she's being melodramatic and a little hyperbolic. One little kiss can wreck years worth of friendship? That doesn't sound realistic. That sounds stupid.

Oh brother, yes our friendship can TOO be fixed I texted unwisely, sounding like a brat. Please Enid? I sent another text quickly.

I dunno. I'm going out tonight so I'll think about it and talk to you tomorrow she texted me back. Going out with who? She only hangs out with me. But I knew that it would be pointless to keep texting Enid now because she wouldn't respond. So, I just put my cell in my pocket and left the house.