Gary and Tracy trotting forward, Gary down to skimpy black swim trunks, though Tracy was still fully dressed. Gary was maneuvering with difficulty. Darrell (apparently now dateless) was trailing along behind, with Alec and Aikin a few yards behind him , evidently to make sure the abandoned and obviously shitfaced Mr. Buchanan didn’t fall in the pool and off himself.
“Yep, here we are,” David acknowledged archly. “You need something?”
Gary patted Tracy’s tummy happily. “Not a care in the world, m’lad: got my diploma, got my acceptance at MacTyrie J.C., got me a pretty lady, and gonna be a dadeeee!!!!”
“All of which we knew,” Alec observed dryly.
“And I’m drunk !” he shrilled. “It’s my party, and I don’t have to go home!”
“But I do,” Tracy noted with resignation.
“You can take my car,” Gary offered, inclining his head toward his red Plymouth Laser—the new bulbous model that had replaced the old one, which he had totaled. His dad wisely kept him out of Bimmers, except for special occasions when he’d lend him a 735 or (like the prom) a new 850i.
“Yeah, but the night’s still young, eh Sullivan?”
David nodded and glanced at Liz. “Uh, yeah. But look, G-man, I think we’d better be travelin’. It’s a great party, and all, but—well, we partied all afternoon, and I kinda need to spend some time with my lady.”
“Nod-nod, wink-wink!” Darrell chortled loudly, poking Alec in the ribs.
“Yeah, and I’ve sorta got a headache,” Liz added. “Squinting through the rain all the way from Gainesville’ll do it to you.”
Gary’s face broke into an evil grin. He flopped an arm awkwardly across David’s shoulders. “Uh-oh, Sullivan, a headache ! Looks bad for the home team.”
“Yeah,” Alec chuckled, more tipsy than was his wont, but he’d probably be staying over.
“Better watch it!” Darrell guffawed, eyeing his running buddy. “You may wind up like G-man yet!”
David blushed to his ears, remembering the few weeks of real fear he’d experienced after the first time he and Liz had done it. Neither of them had exactly been prepared, and…well, the image of himself as a freshman at the University of Georgia with a small blond papoose stuffed in his backpack had haunted him for days, though he had to admit that it did have a certain charm. Since then they’d been more careful.
“Not likely,” David mumbled.
“You got something ’gainst my baby?” Gary slurred.
“Not a thing, lad,” David replied, standing. “Long as it’s yours.”
“ He ,” Tracy inserted. “Dr. Nesheim called right before graduation.”
“Another G-man? Oh, Lord!”
“Hey, congratulations!” Liz cried.
“He’s got the ceeeegars ordered already,” Darrell added, slapping Gary on the back.
Gary glared at him.
“’Course none of us smoke,” Alec noted.
“Who’s next? is what I want to know,” Tracy giggled, eyeing David and Liz speculatively.
“Who knows?” David mumbled, as Liz rose beside him. “But seriously, folks, we need to be movin’ on. Got deeds to do and promises to keep.”
“Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Okay, then, party poopers.”
“Right. See y’all later.”
“Thanks for coming,” Gary called. Without warning he turned and dived into the pool. The first shriek that followed was Tracy being splashed by the tsunami that marked his passage. The second was Aikin and Alec heaving Darrell in beside him. The last sounds David heard before Liz turned the key and rolled up the window was “Smoke On The Water” thundering out the back door, and the last thing he saw was Alec and Aikin improbably involved in a tickle duel with each other while a soaking Darrell wrung out his sopping graduation gown above them.
The clouds followed his example with a vengeance.
*
By the time David and Liz had reached Sullivan Cove the downpour had abated somewhat, but the branch that followed the road was still running high, red and frothy with
“Yep, here we are,” David acknowledged archly. “You need something?”
Gary patted Tracy’s tummy happily. “Not a care in the world, m’lad: got my diploma, got my acceptance at MacTyrie J.C., got me a pretty lady, and gonna be a dadeeee!!!!”
“All of which we knew,” Alec observed dryly.
“And I’m drunk !” he shrilled. “It’s my party, and I don’t have to go home!”
“But I do,” Tracy noted with resignation.
“You can take my car,” Gary offered, inclining his head toward his red Plymouth Laser—the new bulbous model that had replaced the old one, which he had totaled. His dad wisely kept him out of Bimmers, except for special occasions when he’d lend him a 735 or (like the prom) a new 850i.
“Yeah, but the night’s still young, eh Sullivan?”
David nodded and glanced at Liz. “Uh, yeah. But look, G-man, I think we’d better be travelin’. It’s a great party, and all, but—well, we partied all afternoon, and I kinda need to spend some time with my lady.”
“Nod-nod, wink-wink!” Darrell chortled loudly, poking Alec in the ribs.
“Yeah, and I’ve sorta got a headache,” Liz added. “Squinting through the rain all the way from Gainesville’ll do it to you.”
Gary’s face broke into an evil grin. He flopped an arm awkwardly across David’s shoulders. “Uh-oh, Sullivan, a headache ! Looks bad for the home team.”
“Yeah,” Alec chuckled, more tipsy than was his wont, but he’d probably be staying over.
“Better watch it!” Darrell guffawed, eyeing his running buddy. “You may wind up like G-man yet!”
David blushed to his ears, remembering the few weeks of real fear he’d experienced after the first time he and Liz had done it. Neither of them had exactly been prepared, and…well, the image of himself as a freshman at the University of Georgia with a small blond papoose stuffed in his backpack had haunted him for days, though he had to admit that it did have a certain charm. Since then they’d been more careful.
“Not likely,” David mumbled.
“You got something ’gainst my baby?” Gary slurred.
“Not a thing, lad,” David replied, standing. “Long as it’s yours.”
“ He ,” Tracy inserted. “Dr. Nesheim called right before graduation.”
“Another G-man? Oh, Lord!”
“Hey, congratulations!” Liz cried.
“He’s got the ceeeegars ordered already,” Darrell added, slapping Gary on the back.
Gary glared at him.
“’Course none of us smoke,” Alec noted.
“Who’s next? is what I want to know,” Tracy giggled, eyeing David and Liz speculatively.
“Who knows?” David mumbled, as Liz rose beside him. “But seriously, folks, we need to be movin’ on. Got deeds to do and promises to keep.”
“Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Okay, then, party poopers.”
“Right. See y’all later.”
“Thanks for coming,” Gary called. Without warning he turned and dived into the pool. The first shriek that followed was Tracy being splashed by the tsunami that marked his passage. The second was Aikin and Alec heaving Darrell in beside him. The last sounds David heard before Liz turned the key and rolled up the window was “Smoke On The Water” thundering out the back door, and the last thing he saw was Alec and Aikin improbably involved in a tickle duel with each other while a soaking Darrell wrung out his sopping graduation gown above them.
The clouds followed his example with a vengeance.
*
By the time David and Liz had reached Sullivan Cove the downpour had abated somewhat, but the branch that followed the road was still running high, red and frothy with
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