He sits on top of the picnic table watching as she flirts away with a guy. Tall and big, the guy is everything that he is not, and he wonders why he ever bother. He turns to the cooler that his frat buddies dropped on the table's bench. After a search in the ice, he pulls a beer out and flips the tab.
The two are gone when he look over after a first long swallow from the can. He drinks again. He puts the can down and rubs his eyes.
It has been a long time he reminds himself, but in a way not long enough. Again, he thinks that he shouldn't bother with the games. He should just pull his horns in and let the world and love and all the rest go to hell.
The beer he's been drinking all day starts to cry to be released. He walks to a tree away from the party. To the other side he can see a meadow just below the lip of the hill that they have set the party. The girl is there and so is the big, tall guy. She is on her knees in front of the guy.
He closes his eyes and leans his head against the tree. He listens to the guy's voice encouraging her on her task. He shakes and turns and walks away. The cry of pain he wants to shout dies in his throat. He walks past the table with his beer. He waves off his friends and head to his car, his one way of escape.
A girl leans against he SUV next to his old junker. She smiles. He looks into her green eyes and fight the urge for just a moment.
"Hi, my name is Greg."
© 2002 Kenny N Gamera