Punchline (Demo)

2. To get to the other side

Why did the blonde guy cross the street?

Because Gregory Hanz was there, on his way to meet his friends. Andy Brown thought it would be a good idea to get over there and say hi, perhaps make a new buddy or two.

What Andy Brown did not know was that he was going to die in one month.

If someone had asked blonde guy Andy where he would see himself in the future, his reply would have been a lot cooler than the actuality: with twenty percent of his body tattooed, two pierced nipples, waking up each Sunday with the rancid taste of Ale, had already tried pot and popped his cherry on a random Tinder hookup.

And lastly, sharing the apartment with sweetheart Danielle Reid, who got through her sugar daddy—the girl that made his life worth living in these two agonizing years in college.

Fast-forward those two years, and here is what happened: sobriety, no body modifications, virgin hair—not the only detail—and working forty hours a week, moving out from his parent's basement and into a Manhattan apartment alone. After graduation and back in the quiet suburbs in Wisconsin, Andy recalled writing in his notebook over the nocturnal sounds of crickets—his average Friday night—instead of abusing his joint mobility and pink liver on a trip down at the old bar. The place where he'd gone with Danielle multiple times, with the jukebox, Elvis Presley, and the billiards pool table.

Even the lousiest of bars held meaning, as Andy wondered if you brought in the right people.

Andy was like a chipped spare tire: not reliable when it came to calling a cab. He might not be the first option to pick up the tab either—Andy often came as stingy. But he was a pleasant guy to have around. Who could blame the guy for being socially awkward after his rupture with college sweetheart Danielle? Anyone would have been two years holed-up in that tiny apartment after she broke up with him. Of all places, Danielle ended their relationship at a fucking iHop. (Goodbye pancakes!)

Gregory saw Andy crossing the street from the little window at El Tejano's waiting room. Andy had gone outside his hermit shell, and beneath the torrent, his conscience quickly sent vibrations. A taxi sped past a dirty puddle. Sewage water doused Andy's boots as he yelled the cab driver's not-so-pretty words.

Gregory was late and out of the veterinary as he waited a while. To his surprise, Andy made his way in with soaked cardigans, one of Duke's boys approached the guy with a scowl on his face.

"No shoes, no entry." He warned as Andy had his soggy socks halfway across his ankle.

Wade, Johnny, and Diego were in the usual spot already, unaware of what was going on next to Gregory.

"Please, sir. It's pouring outside." Andy's pleas struck a sensitive nerve in Greg like he knew he could save this guy from further embarrassment.

"Take it somewhere else, buddy,"

Greg finally turned to the two men. "He's with me,"

That evening, Andy Brown, the guy Gregory had seen before at his university campus but never spoken to, joined him and his friends, turning the group into a fivesome. Gregory felt worthy, felt like he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for his valiant efforts—for making this secluded fellow into someone important.

That evening Andy Brown became one of the boys, taking in the youthfulness of corporate leaders, a soon-to-be husband, a rising executive chef, and a veterinarian who became his incentive to approach El Tejano—all being effortlessly polite in their half-drunken state.

Everyone at the table was quick to befriend Andy. He had a congested voice that Johnny was keen to mimic whenever he was out of earshot. (Keep that detail in mind, as you'll soon find out why this information is relevant.)