I got to sit outside in the lobby with the old folks while they stared holes through me and my matted hair. No reading material around, nothing to do … except avoid eye contact. I was so embarrassed and ashamed and what the hell was going on there, anyway?

Jason came wondering out of the back with a smug Steve and an overweight cop in a uniform that was bursting at the seams. Officer Humpty Dumpty told us that we were free to go and we gave Steve his car keys back. Steve left with the old couple, whom I later found out, were his parents.

Steve had reported the car stolen because they came by the bar, saw him and no car and demanded to know where it was. He panicked and said that we stole it. Humpty Dumpty was one of Steve’s friends and made it all seem real for the folks, but admitted that he didn’t really file a report and that we were never really in trouble. Not that it consoled my bladder at that point, though.

About ten minutes into the game, Ryan’s car whips in and out of the parking lot in one fluid motion. He drove off. My jaw dropped and I ran out into the parking lot yelling and waving madly. He drove away. I chased him for a block and lost sight. He was headed home.

I walked back crying my eyes out. This was all going horribly wrong. I was hot, dirty, “not-so-fresh” feeling, sweaty, tired and walking like John Wayne. Jason called one of his buddies, Mike, whom I had never met, and we got a ride to his friend Earl’s house to decided what to do.

Let me add here that Mike could not drive for shit. He was swerving all over the road, speeding like mad and slamming on brakes. The music was vibrating us and giving me a severe headache. Also, whenever Mike hit the brakes, our heads hit the top of the truck bed. I had several knots of my head by the time we got to Earl’s. Jason had one more knot on his head did I, however. The dumb ass had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to have sex while we were back there.

Upon our arrival at Earl’s, we called Ryan at his house to see if he would come back to pick me up. No answer. Jason decided to have Mike, DJ Slam-A-Lot, take me to Ryan’s house. Hopefully there we could find Ryan and get him to take me home to keep up the appearance of our date facade.

On The Road Again
Mike drove the twenty minutes to Ryan’s house. That seemed like the longest ride anywhere that I had ever experienced. I didn’t know anything about this guy other than the fact that he had nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon that drive nappy headed promiscuous teenagers around in the Base-Mobile. Neither of us spoke a word outside of my obligation to give him directions.

We neared Ryan’s house and there was no one to be found. Mike asked me what we should do.  I decided to go meet my punishment and to let this bloody horrible day be over with.  I told him to take me home.  His instructions were to drop me off and drive away as quickly as possible.

I struggled with my hair and tried to make myself somewhat presentable.  As soon as my house was in sight, I saw my step-dad on the front porch.  I almost told Mike to keep driving, but I knew I had to go home eventually.  I had him drop me off at the road.