For You(102)
It was like a lot of parties he’d been to in high school, in college and, before Feb grew out of them or, more precisely, broke up with him, a little while after college.
Sherry and Sheila’s folks were away. The girls got a couple six packs and asked their friends around. Their friends asked their friends who asked their friends. It was out of control within hours. A couple of people brought kegs. Some scored hard liquor. Others brought weed. Necking, fighting, laughing, puking, passing out, everything happened.
Colt remembered it because he woke up the day after alone in Sheila and Sherry’s parent’s bed. He didn’t remember getting there. He’d been drunker than he’d ever been in his life, before or since. So drunk, he didn’t remember a thing. He felt like an ass. It wasn’t a high school party but he’d been one of the few who was of age and waking up in someone’s parent’s bed was high school shit.
He’d been clothed when he woke up though, he remembered that, and hungover. Nasty hangover, again the worst he’d had in his life, before or since.
He remembered it too because the next day, Feb, cold as ice, broke up with him. She didn’t say why, she just said it was over. He felt such shit he remembered getting angry but not much. She could get in a snit, though she’d never broken up with him. He knew he’d talk her around.
He never did and, shortly after, she went wild.
With sudden clarity he remembered Amy Harris was at that party standing removed at wall and talking to her friend, Colt couldn’t recall the friend’s name. He remembered seeing Amy there, being vaguely surprised, smiling at her and she smiled back.
He’d always smiled at her, he remembered and even as shy as she was she always smiled back. Until after that party, now he was realizing, the rare times he’d see her, he’d smile but she didn’t smile back, she just hurried away. He never thought a thing of it considering her disposition but now he feared he knew why she’d changed.
That night though, that was it. As far as he remembered, he didn’t even speak to her.
And Denny Lowe was at that party too.
And Denny Lowe’s father was a pharmacist.
He felt Feb’s hand tug his and she called urgently, “Colt!”
His eyes focused on her.
His chest wasn’t cold and his gut wasn’t heavy. His whole body was frozen and he felt like he weighed a ton, as if he tried to move a leg, he’d put his foot down and the earth would shake.
“I didn’t fuck Amy Harris at that party,” he said softly.
Feb was watching him. He saw distractedly that she wasn’t angry anymore, she was something else.
“You did,” she said softly back. “I saw you.”
Christ. No.
Please, God, no.
“I didn’t,” he said.
“Colt, I saw you, you were moving on top of her and you were kissing.”
He closed his eyes and shook his head, stepping away, pulling his hand from hers.
He thought back to the party.
It’d be easy to slip someone a mickey. So many people, so much booze, pot, it was a crush, a daze. He had no doubt he’d set his drink somewhere and went back to it later. Or handed his glass to someone who was offering to get him a refill.
Date rape drugs weren’t prevalent back then but people had been finding ways to slip a mickey for over a hundred years, probably longer.
“Colt?”
He opened his eyes again. “You didn’t see that, Feb.”
“I did,” she whispered.
“You’re sure?”
“Colt, why are you acting this –?”
“Answer me,” he clipped.
She nodded. “I was looking for you, asking around. Craig Lansdon told me –”
Colt’s muscles got so tight he thought they’d snap.
“Craig Lansdon?”
He watched the color leak from her face. She remembered.
Craig Lansdon was Denny Lowe’s best friend.
“No.” She reeled back, her arm out, searching for purchase. Finding none, she kept going until her legs hit the couch and she stopped.
The whole time, her eyes stayed locked with his.
“I don’t remember anything that night,” Colt told her.
“You said that before,” she whispered, the weight of understanding heavy in her voice.
“Because it’s true.”
She was still whispering and tears were shimmering in her eyes when she said, “They slipped you something.”
“Amy too.”
He watched as she visibly started shaking.
“Amy too,” she nodded, “Amy too. Oh my God,” her hands went to her head, her fingers ripping into her hair, her palms resting against her forehead, “Amy,” her eyes were glued to him, “I thought it was weird, even then, thinking…” She stopped. “You looked at me like you could see through me. Amy looked…”