The Dropout(s)

January 1st

Kids - Current Joys

2020

Four new years kisses five new years shots and one new year's kazoo. A goddamn kazoo. Oliver preferred it to doing nothing but cheering as people drank and kissed but the noise was awful. Fuckin hot pink kazoo screeching in the darkroom. That's one way to start the new year...

2023

'Happy new year!' rang faintly through the bathroom door. Rocky's head hit the tile as the second wave of cheers followed the brief silence of mouth to mouth and mouth to glass contact. After a moment the unlocked door slid open, a drunken girl stumbling straight to the bathtub as the man behind her grabbed her hair. It was perfect timing, her dinner and drinks filling the tub as he pulled her blue-and-black hair aside. Just as Rocky's vision began to give he caught the eye of the man. "Rocky? Oh shit-"

"Hm?" the girl lifted her head to see the trouble while the man hurried out of the bathroom and to the party. When her eyes landed on the shaking boy she sobered up, quickly turning him on his side as his condition worsened. "Fuck- Rocky? Can you hear me?"

The man returned, now talking on the phone as partiers stood around him to witness the scene. "Hello? We have an overdose."

2019

An innocent peck was quickly shared between the boys, "happy new year Ollie" the brunette grinned, throwing an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders. "Happy new year Birch" he replied, allowing another quick kiss. The two cheered with the rest of their friends, Rocky using his free arm to hold up a sparkling drink. "To the Dropouts! May 2019 bring new adventures and great music!" The room cheered and drank, oblivious to what the adventures would end up being.

2023

The music turned off as sirens were heard outside, the host quickly leading them to the bathroom. Guests stood in silence, nervously clutching their drinks. Amber sat next to a very pregnant blue-haired woman. "Is Rocky okay?" The small girl asked, taking the hand of her older friend.

Before she could answer Curly hurried over, picking Amber up. "Auntie Tiff needs to go to bed soon, just like you sweetheart." Tiffany looked up at her old bandmate, his nod reassuring her everything would be okay. "Can you tell her goodnight?"

The small girl looked behind her and answered her dad's question, "goodnight Tiff" she said with a wave. Tiffany smiled and blew the girl a kiss as the host brought his girl to her room.

"T?" A hand touched her back as her name was called, "they said he'll be fine. You don't have to worry, it's bad for you." The man sat down next to her, taking the woman's hand in his.

"I'm not worried, I'm upset. Curly said he was better now- that he was trying to sober up. Instead, he's just back to the Rocky we knew three years ago. This happened on our 2018 tour too- you remember how that ended" 

2018

"He's okay, right? He'll be okay?" Tiffany hid in her boyfriend's arms, the two standing in the door of their hotel room.

"How long has your friend been using?" The man avoided her question, not wanting to stress the young girl out anymore.

Tiffany shook her head, unsure. Her boyfriend answered instead, his voice confident in its reply "around Halloween, 2016. It was just marijuana and nicotine, maybe some alcohol. The normal stuff you know? We just thought it was because the band was getting so big... we had no idea it had gone this far."

2023

The house was quiet, only the old Dropouts gang left. Three ex-bandmates trying to figure out the next step. Curly was first to speak "he was talking about rehab just the other day." He took off his glasses, wiping the lense on his shirt "he was serious too, I had uh... used Oliver as a reason to do it."

"What do you mean?" Tiff questioned, the red-haired boy sliding his glasses back on before explaining.

"I was telling him who would be coming tonight, listing off the crew. 'Oh, Tiff and Zach will, they've got another month until the baby comes. Patty is over in France at the moment, not sure where exactly. Maybe Dean will come by?' and he asked about Oliver."

Zach, Tiffany's husband and one of the four Dropouts, spoke up, "What did you say?"

"I told him the truth, I had spoken to Oliver and he wasn't ready to see Rocky. Obviously, it hurt the kid but what was I supposed to do? Lie?" Curly shook his head "and who can blame Ollie anyway? After what Rocky did to him..." his voice had turned hostile so he took a moment to catch his breath. The other two waited, "I suggested rehab. 'Maybe he'll be more open if he knows you're really trying to change. Obviously, it wasn't enough."

"So where is Oliver?" Zach asked, looking to his wife for an answer.

She replied with her eyes on Curly, the poor boy exhausted from the night. "New York, celebrating with his LA friends." Tiff looked at her husband, then nodded to Curly. Understanding, the man stood up. "Colton? We're going to go to bed if that's alright?"

Curly looked up, the sound of his actual name catching his attention. "Of course. Can you look in on Amber for me? I'm going to call the hospital." Tiffany agreed, rubbing her friend's shoulder before heading off to the guest room. Zach wasn't far behind, hesitating to leave Curly alone. After a minute Curly took out his phone, "Hello? Hi Mrs. Birch, it's Colton. I know it's late but, do you have a minute?"