Half Drunk Men Gets Sober

Back in Revere High School in 1978, I walk around the alley and across the hallway in the school. Graffitis everywhere, especially on the stone with quote, '78'. I live with lots of uncertainty. Even I remember there is a bean I kicked on the floor, slipped around the place I used to placed stuff such as plates and spoons, and afraid if it stuck on a pipe. Because I'm not kind of very masculine man, sometimes I question it until now. I'm very bad when it comes to handyman stuff and electricity. Even my dad sometimes make fun of me about it. But it's different in school, some I hang around with some friends, sometimes living outside feels safer rather than inside the house. It's quite chaotic and mess, but I don't want to be pitied. Now I'm sitting on the bench, across the hall with a locker right infront of me. I look at it closely, try to not stuck on a word in my head, it's golden and clean, and I'd rather to not put any meaning of it, or even a simple theme. "Hey Joe?" A simple voice from a man named Bobby, dressed as a greaser who always think everything in cover. It's on the evening, the time I mostly look outside to see a sundawn slowly pass on the sky. "Hey you look faint, are you alright?" Bobby asked me. He's a very soft person, very handy when it comes to material, but never think he has more balls than anybody. I hold my tears, it just.. I don't know what to say. "Let's grab some omelette on Nanny's Kitchen. It's a canteen all the students mostly get there and eat some stuff. Bobby doesn't smoke, he doesn't try to being a rebel, but he's cool as hell. I try to be myself, maybe I'm quite sensitive but probably just need to get to railroad tracks and sleep on it. Bobby lets his wallet out and put some pennies in it, we just order some tacos, my favorite to make my stomatch calm as ever be. "You still use those records and try to make some sound?" He asks me with fascination, but still hold his bravado style. "Yeah, of course man. I want to create some masterpiece by just put some every bits of badass sounds and put it together in order." That word, order, something fabulous and scary as hell. Music is my only escape from the reality of my messed up self. I even barely to do things most men ever could. No peers noticed it, especially Bobby, but even some greasers try to hangout with me. I always say no, I don't even feel I feel belong with them. "Where is your friends, Bob?" I try to get into conversation. "Ohh Jimmy and Fontana? He just try to make something up?" He answers it sweetly. "What is it man? I don't think you think about me in some way, don't you?" I try to be suspicious. "Ahh come on dude, can you just be chill out?" "I won't." I slammed the door, leaving him speechless. I'm very ashamed of myself, I can't even look myself on the mirror. I still don't understand why the jocks scared of me, I'm just an outcast I know it. I'd rather hang with the cool guy named Molly, who used to meditate on the forest and slice his forearms and lick it. It looks really cool for me. And put some needle on it, with some heavenly pills to make me forget everything as soon as possible, to leave this nonsense pricks! But everytime I get there, Betsy tries to stop me. She's a dark-blonde haired girl with a soft and tender voice I always try to avoid. I just want to keep myself tighten up, so I don't need to being vulnerable.

"Hey Joey, what the hell man? I thought you are going to skating park," I don't expect Bobby goes over here.

"Don't get closer with that Molly. he's-" "Shut your fucking mouth, you slope. I know you think I don't have balls to do anything," I almost hold tears, but I keep my eyes wide open to not let those teary out.

"You just need to practice man. Every person in this world can experience failure anytime, flaws, and even some feminime side." For the first time I heard him being philosopical. "Spare me the philosopy lesson." I try to keep tough, even though I know it's useless. I kick the trees. Somehow Jimmy and Fontana appears right infront of me. "What the hell you guys doing here? Are you try to spying on me?" They laugh at me. "I never know you can be this comedic, Joey." I hold laugh, just by hold my tongue with my teeth. "Betsy is waiting for you. Don't you realize she stares at you everytime?" I don't even blushed.

"Let's get to you guys wooden house you built. I hope you don't give me the nail and hammer."

"That's the spirit, Joey," Bobby being excited.

It's a disco era so we all get into some trouble in some kind of way. Near our places, most of them are forest and narrow streets, so It's almost impossible to not even try to get some colorful round lights like we know exist. Right on the narrow street, we find a huge caravan. But it looks suspicious from the outside since it's very clean and has no mold. Even we see some colorful lights in there. I heard Badfinger song "Day After Day" slightly. "Let's get into it," I said clearly. My back start vibrates everytime I heard those songs played outside near the people i don't know like it or not. They probably enjoy Kiss and "Boys Back In The Town" song.

There are some jocks there, they smile at me and give me a hand gesture with bottle of wine.

All these years I thought they think I'm innocent clean boy. But there is Molly, the one who always compete with me when it comes to writing. The only difference he looks creepier and no guys seem want to near him.

He just looks at me passively, but widen eyes. His fingers give a gesture that something is wrong. But I just try to have fun. "Hey man, I want to have a break," what I mean by that is some songs from Boston, "More Than a Feeling".

“What is it pal?” Molly just look at me with some conviction after I ask a simple question.

“You think they really want to give you some gratitude?” He asks me with some cynical words.

“Well I don’t know what they want to do anwaya? We just have fun before graduate.”

Molly facepalmed himself, and I almost have a laugh.

“One day they stole my supplies, then use it on themselves,” he whispering on my ears while look on the opposite direction just to make sure no one notices. But they are half drunk as long as I see.

“You’re the one who almost influence us to do that thing,” I backfire him unconsciously. It’s my first Martini, and I don’t realize I already drank the whole bottle, but somehow still stable.

“Listen man, we can’t let this thing going up, otherwise they have urge to blow their own heads with some gun supplies I have from my dad on his job in Germany,” he explains it as if he’s a general.

“Well, what do you make me suppose to do?” I asks.

“Beat them up.” He said it with ease. “You crazy man,” I said. “No I’m not. No, I’m not.

Me and Molly kick them right on the stomatch, some of them already half awake, so it’s easy. But Bobby seems still too strong as a football player, so he dodges several times.

“So what they have to do now?” I asks him.

“Well, just left them here. We got the future ahead of us.”

Me and Molly left and drive Bobby’s car with a bright future ahead of us.