Where We Begin

Chapter 27 - You Shaved Your Beard

Sept 14th, 2002 - Busta

I watched Taylor and Brandy weave their way through the crowd of college students, until eventually I lost sight of them. There were too many people.

"Kiki, you're not going to go dance?" I asked.

"No, I think I'll stay with you guys for now," she said, leaning against Jake.

I sighed. "I'm going to go get a beer."

Jake shifted his weight, looking a little uncomfortable. "Oh really? I didn't think you'd, you know..."

By now, they all knew my dad was an alcoholic. Not necessarily all the gruesome details of what it was like growing up with him, but at least that he was drunk and crazy enough to get himself arrested for assault.

"Yeah, the whole dad thing, I get it," I acknowledged. "Trust me, I've seen enough to make sure I never going down a road like that, but at the same time, it's not going to stop me from having some fun every now and again."

"OK. As long as you promise not to do some whole drowning your sorrows in booze routine," Jake joked. Kiki smacked his arm. "What?! He knows he's fighting Taylor, it's not breaking news!"

"I can't lie, the fact that my girlfriend explicitly told me to leave her alone tonight might be some kind of factor in my urge to get a beer, but I promise not to get all weepy on you." 

Kiki pouted. "I don't like you guys being mad at each other."

"You're preaching to the choir, chica," I lamented.

"C'mon, let's get you a beer," Jake said, slapping his hands down on my shoulders and turning me toward the lawn in the direction of the keg.

There was guy with a stack of Solo cups, so I gave him $5 and waited for my turn at the keg. In front of me were a couple of girls, who were laughing hysterically and taking forever. One of them, a short girl with pixie cut, turned around and grabbed my arm. 

"Do you know how to work this thing? We can't get beers to the cups," she slurred.

"Yeah, you have to pump the thing on the top while you pour. Here, I'll do it." I stepped up between them. The other girl was tall, blonde, and equally as inebriated as her friend. I could feel her staring at me the whole time I filled their drinks for them.

"You're in my psych class," the blonde finally said, squinting at me. "You shaved your beard."

I was pretty damn sure I was not in her college class, nor had I ever been able of growing anything that could be classified as a beard. But, of course, I answered, "Yeah. It was getting really itchy." 

"Well, I think it looks great," she giggled, picking up her beer. I think she attempted to wink at me, but I can't be sure. "Thanks for the help."

I watched them stumble away, then went back over to Kiki and Jake. 

"How's the beer?" Jake asked.

"Ice cold but flat as hell. Really hitting the spot," I smirked as  Jake eyed my cup. "Did you want some?"

Kiki rolled her eyes. "Go get one Jake, it's fine." 

He kissed her on the cheek and went to go get in line.

Kiki and I stood together silently for a couple minutes, as I sipped my drink. Besides Jake, I really hadn't spent a lot of one on one time with Taylor's friends. Which is probably why I was still in the habit of calling them her friends, and not our friends yet. 

"I have a question for you, Kiki."

"Shoot," she said.

"How come you and Jake never fight?" I inquired.

Kiki was taken aback. "Gosh, I don't know. That's not an easy question to answer, especially when I feel like what you're looking for is a solution to your problem. You aren't going to find it comparing your relationship with others."

"OK, then I'll be more direct. How do I get Taylor to forgive me?" 

She let out a nervous laugh. "That, I really don't know. The last time Taylor was that mad at me was when I accidentally spilled soda all over her Mall Madness game when we were 11 and that only lasted about a half an hour. 

"I don't believe you would ever mean to hurt her, but what you said last night was harsh. Busta, I like you a lot, but Taylor has been my friend forever. I don't blame her for being so mad. I think I would be too, but I also don't know the whole story. All I know is you seem genuinely sorry for what happened and I think you deserve a chance to fix it."

I nodded. "I appreciate the honesty. I don't blame her either, it was the worst mistake. But it's so frustrating, every time make out we get to this point where..."

"Whoa," Kiki interrupted. "I don't want to hear the details and I'm also not the one who needs an explanation from you." 

"I know," I mumbled. "I can't get Taylor to even give me a minute." 

"Keep trying. She cares about you a lot."

Jake came back with his own beer. "Cheers! To college!"

"Cheers," I echoed. "Have I told you I'm a psych major?"

Jake look confused. Kiki tugged on his sleeve. "Any chance we could try and find a bathroom?"

"Sure, babe. Busta, you have to go?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I want to see if I can find Taylor and Brandy, it's been a while."

They left and I went to the keg to fill up my beer before heading back to the deck. The backyard was packed now, not to mention dimly lit. They obviously didn't have a skilled landscape artist to hang strings lights for their parties. I kept searching for flash of red hair or red dress but I was coming up short. I started to worry. 

Suddenly there was tap on my arm and I spun around expecting to see Taylor. Instead, it was the blonde girl from the keg. 

"It's you, with the beard!" she squealed.

I groaned to myself. "Actually, I shaved, remember?" 

She took a step forward, pressing herself against me, pinning me to the deck railing. I actually couldn't tell if she was flirting or just needed help staying on her feet. Her sleepy eyes, now inches from mine, told me it was a little of both. 

"OK, well, as cozy as this is, maybe we should go find your friend?" I offered.

"Let's dance!" the girl exclaimed, starting to rub up against me, completely off the beat of the music.

There was absolutely no way that I was reasoning with this chick, but at the same time, I felt bad leaving her like this alone. "OK, let's dance on over to the keg and see if your friend is there. I feel like it's a safe bet."

I waddled as close to the keg as I could get, through the sea of people, with this drunk girl hanging off my neck. I couldn't find her friend, or anyone I knew either. I tried to turn around to go search the other side of the yard, but when I did, blondie almost went down. I caught her around her waist right before her she hit the ground.

"Oh you saved me!" she gushed, draping her arms around my neck and hugging me. 

That's when I saw Taylor a few feet away, standing with a guy who looked like a J.Crew mannequin. She saw me too, her mouth dropping open. 

I tried to pry blondie off me, but I couldn't. She was officially dead weight. 

Taylor leaned towards the guy and said something I couldn't make out from where I was. She turned to disappear back into party, the frat boy right behind her. 

That was bad enough, but it got about a hundred times worse when the guy looked back at me, right at me, and gave a big thumbs up and smile. Taylor didn't see anything.

I shook my new date, attempting to get her to quit passing out on my shoulder. "Hey, you still want to dance?"

"Yes!" she screamed, instantly coming back to life.

I grabbed her hand and went after Taylor.