is at the door!”
“It’s probably this g uy I know, Tad,” Henry mumbled.
Lucas looked at me incredulously. “Is he for real? Tad ?”
“I know. Ridiculous, right? Who names their kid Tad!” I turned to Henry. “See, it isn’t just me who thinks that’s the worst name ever.”
“Oh my God, at a time like this we’re really discussing his name! What are we going to do?” Henry’s voice was coming out in a low-pitched wail.
“What did you tell him?” Lucas snapped.
“Just that I was going to a party with some girl I was hooking up with and her ex-boyfriend would be there.”
“And you felt the need to give him my address?” Lucas asked angrily.
“I thought you brought us here to kill us!” Henry said defensively.
“Maybe he left,” I interjected. “I haven’t heard any more knocking.”
“Maybe,” Henry echoed hopefully.
Knock. “Anybody home? Looking for the par-tay!” A loud voice screamed from behind the door.
“Well he sounds like a real winner,” Lucas said dryly. And then, “I guess I’d better go get rid of him! You two stay here,” he commanded.
“Now look what you’ve done!” I said angrily to Henry as soon as Lucas was gone.
“I’ve really fucked up,” Henry admitted. “I’m sorry.”
I immediately felt bad. Henry’s worries had been legitimate. I hadn’t wanted to admit it, but I’d had the exact same fears.
“Eh, don’t beat yourself up over it,” I said. “Anyone in your position would have done the same thing, even me.”
Henry smiled. “Thanks, Rory. That makes me feel a lot better.”
“I told you, your friend must have been mistaken about the location of this party!” Lucas’ voice boomed down the hallway.
“Uh oh!” H enry and I said simultaneously.
“This doesn’t sound good,” I whispered.
“No, man, you’re mistaken!” Tad was almost shouting now. He hiccupped loudly.
“Is he drunk?” I asked Henry.
“I don’t know. He kind of sounds like it! Lucas can’t let him drive drunk.”
Before I could stop him, Henry jumped off the couch and headed down the hallway. “Henry, wait!” I called, running after him.
Henry and I reached the door at the same. “Henry! Dude!” Tad raised his hand for a high five.
“What are you doing here?” Henry asked nervously.
“Amy dumped me tonight,” Tad slurred. “So I thought I’d get some brewskies and head out to this awesome party you invited me to.” Hiccup .
Lucas was standing sideways between Henry and Tad. Yowza! If looks could kill, Henry would be 6 feet under ground right about now.
“I, uh, didn’t invite you,” Henry said. “How much have you had to drink?”
Tad clumsily raised his right arm up to reveal a half-full six-pack of beers. “One, two…three,” he carefully counted. “Three left. So I’ve had three.” He grinned broadly, obviously proud of himself.
“Those are some fine math skills, Tad,” Lucas said.
“Thank you.” Hiccup . The sarcasm was lost on Tad.
“But Henry was mistaken,” Lucas continued. “There’s no party here.”
Tad swayed back and forth on his feet. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?” he asked, ignoring what Lucas had just said.
Lucas s ighed loudly. “Like a vampire?”
I wanted to laugh but stifled the urge.
“Can I talk to you guys alone for a minute?” Henry asked. “Tad, give us just a sec.” And with that, Henry pulled the door shut, leaving a very confused looking Tad standing on the doorstep.
“I know you’re pissed,” Henry said. “But he needs to sleep this off. We can’t just let him drive off into the night, drunk out of his mind. Yes, it’s bad, but it can get worse. What if he crashes and kills himself? Or somebody else? They’ll start investigating where he was tonight and it will lead straight back to your quaint little home. Do you want that kind of attention? Can you afford that kind of attention?”
Henry looked at Lucas imploringly, then back at me. “Rory, help me out
“It’s probably this g uy I know, Tad,” Henry mumbled.
Lucas looked at me incredulously. “Is he for real? Tad ?”
“I know. Ridiculous, right? Who names their kid Tad!” I turned to Henry. “See, it isn’t just me who thinks that’s the worst name ever.”
“Oh my God, at a time like this we’re really discussing his name! What are we going to do?” Henry’s voice was coming out in a low-pitched wail.
“What did you tell him?” Lucas snapped.
“Just that I was going to a party with some girl I was hooking up with and her ex-boyfriend would be there.”
“And you felt the need to give him my address?” Lucas asked angrily.
“I thought you brought us here to kill us!” Henry said defensively.
“Maybe he left,” I interjected. “I haven’t heard any more knocking.”
“Maybe,” Henry echoed hopefully.
Knock. “Anybody home? Looking for the par-tay!” A loud voice screamed from behind the door.
“Well he sounds like a real winner,” Lucas said dryly. And then, “I guess I’d better go get rid of him! You two stay here,” he commanded.
“Now look what you’ve done!” I said angrily to Henry as soon as Lucas was gone.
“I’ve really fucked up,” Henry admitted. “I’m sorry.”
I immediately felt bad. Henry’s worries had been legitimate. I hadn’t wanted to admit it, but I’d had the exact same fears.
“Eh, don’t beat yourself up over it,” I said. “Anyone in your position would have done the same thing, even me.”
Henry smiled. “Thanks, Rory. That makes me feel a lot better.”
“I told you, your friend must have been mistaken about the location of this party!” Lucas’ voice boomed down the hallway.
“Uh oh!” H enry and I said simultaneously.
“This doesn’t sound good,” I whispered.
“No, man, you’re mistaken!” Tad was almost shouting now. He hiccupped loudly.
“Is he drunk?” I asked Henry.
“I don’t know. He kind of sounds like it! Lucas can’t let him drive drunk.”
Before I could stop him, Henry jumped off the couch and headed down the hallway. “Henry, wait!” I called, running after him.
Henry and I reached the door at the same. “Henry! Dude!” Tad raised his hand for a high five.
“What are you doing here?” Henry asked nervously.
“Amy dumped me tonight,” Tad slurred. “So I thought I’d get some brewskies and head out to this awesome party you invited me to.” Hiccup .
Lucas was standing sideways between Henry and Tad. Yowza! If looks could kill, Henry would be 6 feet under ground right about now.
“I, uh, didn’t invite you,” Henry said. “How much have you had to drink?”
Tad clumsily raised his right arm up to reveal a half-full six-pack of beers. “One, two…three,” he carefully counted. “Three left. So I’ve had three.” He grinned broadly, obviously proud of himself.
“Those are some fine math skills, Tad,” Lucas said.
“Thank you.” Hiccup . The sarcasm was lost on Tad.
“But Henry was mistaken,” Lucas continued. “There’s no party here.”
Tad swayed back and forth on his feet. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?” he asked, ignoring what Lucas had just said.
Lucas s ighed loudly. “Like a vampire?”
I wanted to laugh but stifled the urge.
“Can I talk to you guys alone for a minute?” Henry asked. “Tad, give us just a sec.” And with that, Henry pulled the door shut, leaving a very confused looking Tad standing on the doorstep.
“I know you’re pissed,” Henry said. “But he needs to sleep this off. We can’t just let him drive off into the night, drunk out of his mind. Yes, it’s bad, but it can get worse. What if he crashes and kills himself? Or somebody else? They’ll start investigating where he was tonight and it will lead straight back to your quaint little home. Do you want that kind of attention? Can you afford that kind of attention?”
Henry looked at Lucas imploringly, then back at me. “Rory, help me out
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