Young Lather

Train Wreck

No one. Nothing. Track and I stood around by the Falls for awhile. We each had a beer with us. We each drank a beer. Nobody showed. Couldn't think of anything to say. It got darker. We went home.

* * *

My mind is racing now, though. I'm walking home after I split with Track at the corner. Are we fucked, him and me? I don't remember anything quite like what just happened, which was absolutely nothing. Whenever I hang with Track, I don't know, something. Always something, even if it's just talking about people and joking around. Climbing a good tree. Throwing rocks. Even just checking out YouTubes. Something. I hope him and me aren't fucked.

And now I'm going home. Really? At 9:30? I mean, I know it's Thursday, but it's summer. I don't have a shift tomorrow. I never have a curfew, but that's because I'm basically good and my parents are basically chill. I did get a long look when I limped into breakfast after party night, but, no biggie.

I decide to walk by Archie's. I'm just looking for something to do, and it's only an extra two blocks. He's been off his phone for some reason, so maybe he's with Dara, or doing some family thing. I get there and just stand in the street and look at his house. Looks normal. I sigh. I don't really want to knock at his door this close to 10. Kind of tired anyway, so, "Fuck it," I mumble, and then start for my street.

"Lather?"

I stop and look, and in a couple seconds I see him in his yard. "What're you doing, Arch?"

"I don't believe it. It's you."

"Well, yeah it's me," I said. "You weren't on your phone, so I was thinking I'd stop, but it's late, so I changed my mind, but..."

"I gotta talk to you," Archie said, and then he comes out into the street, and we kinda start walking slow down the block.

And he tells me...

Uh, what am I supposed to do with this?

"Really?" I say.

"Yeah. I just... It just... I didn't know that could happen," he said. "I didn't know. Did you know?"

Um, it had never happened to me, but... "Well, I mean, yeah, I'm pretty sure it can happen." And then I flashed on a memory. "Remember Big Mouth?"

"That show was lame."

I had kind of liked it. "I know, but remember — the same thing happened to that kid when he was dancing."

"That show was fucking middle school," he said, but he stopped walking. He stood there for awhile. There weren't any cars. No dog walkers. No one. "I can't stand this anymore," he said, and started walking again.

"Archie, it happens! But it won't happen again, right? I mean you know now."

"Lather, I... spermed in my pants," he said, almost too quiet to hear. "How can I..."

"I pissed in mine," I said, like hitting myself with a shovel. He stops walking again and looks at me. So then...

I tell him all — the whole party night drunk at the Logs with Track story.

It feels like falling out of a plane.

"So," I finish, "I don't know what the fuck happened. Not really." We stared at each other.

And stared.

Then Archie laughs, and — swear to god — in a second we're both laughing, and it's real laughs. It feels real good. So so good.

We settle down.

"We're fucking train wrecks," I said. "Track too."

"Yeah," he said. "Track too," he said. "Track is a good name for a train wreck."

Not so big.