Synthetic Darkness (MFM)

Chapter 7: Happy Birthday, Kale

This was it, as soon as he unlocked the door and stepped through, he would be home. The months of both him and Raven saving money, all led to this. Their very first house. It might have been a rent house, but as long as they paid for it, it was theirs. Happiness washed over him. He unlocked the door and opened it. Instantly greeted by an empty room. The bare walls amplified Raven's squeal of delight. She pushed her way past Kale and stood in the living room. The plush beige carpet absorbed her footfalls as she did a happy dance in the middle of the room.

"Freedom!" she yelled to no one in particular. "Here's to drunken orgies and Kale losing his virginity!" She pumped her fists in the air and did a weird mix of spinning and stomping in a circle that ended with her jumping in the air. "And now let the wild rumpus start!"

Okay, besides the drunken orgies and his virginity being lost, Kale was completely in agreeance.

"Ray, you're not right in your head." He laughed as he went to join her cracked out dance.

"Imagine it, Kale! No sneaking around late at night. No more guilt over staying out after our parents have gone to bed! No eating 'well balanced' meals! We're free!"

As hard as he tried, Kale couldn't keep from sharing in her excitement. They were finally independant. Free to come and go as they pleased. Free to eat Cap'n Crunch for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if he wanted. Then the thought crossed his mind. Unpacking. Everything. Bleh! The happy feeling passed as he looked at the empty room. He twirled Raven one last time and stopped his dance.

"Where do we sleep?" he asked a hopping Raven.

She slowed her bouncy dance and looked at him. Her exuberance was only partially deflated.

"Friends! We need friends." Raven whipped out her cell and started texting like a mad woman. Her fingers flew over the keypad. A few minutes later her phone started beeping like crazy. Well, not beeping as much as kla-dunking. She looked up at him with excitment in her emerald eyes. And shoved her phone in Kale's face.

"Wild, drunken orgy, birthday party! Everyone's coming to help move our stuff. AND THEY'RE BRINGING BEER!"

Kale couldn't help but laugh. Leave it to Raven find a way to avoid unpacking both of their cars and the truck and trailer her dad was letting her use. He wouldn't doubt it if her room wound up being unpacked and decorated before the night was over. Her friends would do anything she asked of them.

"Woo-hoo." Kale replied as he spun his pointer finger in a small circle.

"Kaleb Andrew! You're twenty-one and free, don't 'woo-hoo' me in that placating tone. Tonight, we party our asses off!" She nodded her head like that settled it then headed out to her car.

Three hours later the house had some semblance of organization. The two bedrooms held their belongings and their beds. The living room was somewhat arranged into an inviting space. The kitchen was piled with boxes and littered with plastic cups and a keg. Raven's friends knew how to deliver.

Kale was buzzed. He'd lost count on how many trips he had made to the kitchen to refill his cup. Unusual for his normal party behavior. But he didn't have to worry about being the sober one. He let loose and mingled and drank. He was having a blast. The best birthday ever. Granted, the evening would be even better if Aiden and Reegan were there. He tried hard to picture them in the room. The bark of laughter burst out of him uncontrollably. They definitely did not belong in that kind of setting. Reegan, maybe. Aiden...and he burst out laughing again. He just couldn't picture it.

"Easy there, Tiger. Don't want to fall over. Come on, come sit down with me."

Kale blinked his doe eyes up at a blurry stranger. Either he was drunker than he thought or he really had no clue who the guy talking to him was. The guy put his arm around Kale's shoulders and started leading him to his new bedroom. In his inebriated state, Kale followed on wobbly legs. The image of Aiden surrounded by drunk teens and looking uncomfortable in his startchy dress shirt kept flashing through his mind. He laughed so hard that he would have fallen, had the stranger not been holding on to him.