Mitch decided he had been awake long enough to get out of bed. He threw his blankets off the bed, not unlike the man who threw his hat over a wall. Now he had to get up. So Mitch put his feet on the wooden floor and roared a yawn matched only by the laziest of lions.
The late morning sun hadn’t heated the house as much as Mitch would have liked, so he threw on a jacket and walked into the hallway. The apartment was quiet but not unusually so. On his way to the kitchen, he stopped in the bathroom and coughed up what could only be described as death manifested in his throat from the night before. Mitch put his mouth under the sink facet and washed out the remnants. He then lazily inspected himself in the mirror and quickly felt convinced everything was presentable to the world. Mitch always told people he took good care of his body. For instance, he grew a gut the size of a small pillow to protect his six-pack abs. No one ever knew how serious Mitch was but it didn’t stop him from walking into the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Mitch found his glass tube water bong among the cereal boxes. He opened the freezer, reached past some frozen popcorn chicken and broke out a couple of ice cubes to put in the bong. He then went into the living room. Dropping down on the couch, Mitch grabbed a plastic, orange, former pill bottle and a RoboCop DVD case. Breaking apart and scattering the parcels, Mitch methodically filled the bowl, grabbed his Bic lighter and took hit number one.
Then hit number two.
After an indefinite amount of time, Mitch picked up the orange pill bottle. Why are some pill bottles orange? Maybe it filters out sunlight. Maybe orange is just a cheap color. Maybe the inventor of the bottles just liked orange.
A quick knock at the front door impressed Mitch but didn’t startle him. After hearing Mitch’s permission, Lily entered the residence she had entered so many times before.
-Lily?
-Hey Mitch. I’m back.
-Holy shit.
-Yeah.
Mitch put down the bong, stood up and beckoned Lily for a hug with out-stretched arms--as if retelling a big fish story. She approached him and they hugged. Mitch immediately noticed Lily smelled nice, maybe like peaches. She thought he smelled like a bed. Neither told the other. After the brief embrace between the friends, Lily asked if Seph, Mitch’s half-brother and full-roommate, was around. And even though Mitch hadn’t inspected every corner of the place--most notably Seph’s bedroom--Mitch was sure Seph was gone.
Mitch asked Lily if she wanted in on his one-man bong rotation; she declined but took a seat on the couch next to him, moving a cereal box to a nearby table. Mitch took the cereal box from the table and started reading the back of it while taking another hit. After realizing that Mitch wasn’t going to start a conversation, Lily asked if he wanted to come with her to see Blair at work. Lily also agreed with Mitch’s assumption that he should put on some pants if he intended on going to a museum. Accepting Lily’s invitation but still in no hurry, Mitch finished off his bowl and walked into his bedroom with a song vaguely in his heart. Within moments, Lily could faintly hear Mitch singing.
-Good bye, Ruby Tuesday. Who could say a name for you? When you change a la la new day. Still I’m gonna miss you. Good bye, Ruby Tuesday…
Lily smiled, jealous of Mitch’s complete, yet soothing, indifference with his self-image and others. She stood up from the couch and, somewhat unconsciously, straightened her skirt. Unfinished with the light grooming, she brushed her hair away from her face with her thin fingers. Lily’s dirty blond hair was the same past-shoulder length it was in college. For the first time in years she considered getting a more mature hair cut. While Mitch struggled in his bedroom to find pants that’d make him look good for his guest and old friend, Lily asked about Emmit’s dog.
-He got him about a year ago, said Mitch. I think Blair had something to do with it.
-Oh. Is he named after Humphrey Bogart?
Mitch didn’t respond right away but rather put on some pants and walked back into the main room. Stopping on the other side of the room, Mitch explained that “bogarting” was slang for hogging a joint or cigarette, as old H.B. always had one hanging out of his mouth in the movies. When Emmit got the puppy, Mitch was convinced people would fight for the puppy’s love and attention. People wouldn’t pass the puppy around. They didn’t and the name stuck.
Lily laughed and Mitch smiled in return. Mitch ran his hand through his hair and somehow made himself look casually perfect. Watching Mitch, Lily was jealous for the second time in as many minutes. I forgot he has eyes that hug you, thought Lily.
Mitch picked up his wallet, hoping he wouldn’t have to open it today and reveal to the world its emptiness. She has a contagious smile noticed Mitch. Also, thought Mitch, didn’t I have fifty dollars in these pants? He put his hand in the right front pocket. Where is that money?
And with that, the two of them took Lily’s car to the Paul Walker Art Museum--both hoping it was free. It was.
Mitch had been to the gift shop a couple of times before, usually with Seph but once when he was really, really high. Lily had only been there once, when she and Blair had visited the gallery years ago. Blair had been at the gift shop five times in the last week (four shifts and one schedule-check) and was happy to see friends rather than nobody. Though to be more specific, Lily was an old friend who only knew the broadest strokes of Blair’s life and Mitch was just the roommate and half-brother of her boyfriend.
At her most cynical moments, Blair considered Seph a coward for rarely choosing between her and Mitch but rather always trying to keep them both around. It wasn’t that that Blair needed to feel more important than anybody; she just didn’t like being a side character in Seph’s life. Even when Seph wasn’t with Mitch and Blair, he was still their strongest connection. So that Mitch would come see Blair at work with her old best friend struck Blair as a slight variation on the usual.
-Hey Mitch, Lily. Where’s Seph?
-Got no idea. None idea at all. You?
-No. I asked.
-Asked what?
-Where’s Seph.
-I said I don’t know. Do you?
Blair turned her head slightly but kept her eyes on Mitch. His perpetual confusion is contagious, she thought. And now they have nothing to talk about. Only Lily could help.
-What’s this job like?
-It’s okay. Looking for a job, Lily?
-Just curious.
Did Lily want to work with Blair? Did Blair want to work with Lily? Neither girl really knew what they wanted nor what the other wanted.
-Say, Blair.
-Yeah Mitch?
-Do people ever call this place “p.w.a.m”?
-Pwam?
-Yeah.
-No.
-How about P-WAM?
-No.
-Can I start?
-What do you want from me, Mitch?
-Can I have a dollar for the vending machine?
Feeling this was a cheap price to get a moment’s peace from Mitch, Blair obliged him. She would get her money’s worth, as Mitch would go missing for much longer than it took a normal person to purchase a candy bar. Mitch was like a kid at a candy store; since having anything was possible and everything impossible, choosing one item would take longer than the time spent eating it.
Blair then found herself downplaying her job as any variation of “a dream come true” to Lily. Yes, she worked at an art museum, but that’s not the goal of most artists. Even if Blair was named Employee of the Month or promoted to manager, it would all be for nothing. Blair didn’t want to be known as a gift shop employee. Not that Blair sought recognition on a regular basis, but she certainly only wanted to be famous on her own terms. And even then, famous wasn’t the right word. She wanted to be influential. She wanted to be affective, not effective.
In all sincerity, Lily tried to keep up with Blair’s unrehearsed, dispassionate tirade but got lost somewhere between artistic goals and employees of the month. Blair picked up on Lily’s accidental indifference and regretted that she had once again fallen into a rant about the future of her own life and, by extension, the world.
Mitch returned with some M&Ms just in case Blair and Lily would want some candy, too. But before Mitch could offer the girls any chocolate pieces, Lily suggested that the friends throw a party that night. Though originally thinking it was the best idea she’d had in weeks, Lily retracted some of her enthusiasm by admitting that her house was an unacceptable location, as her parents made for unacceptable party guests. Mitch, already running out of M&Ms, suggested his own place, pretty sure that Seph would be okay with that.
Blair would be off work at four. Seph would be found before then. And Emmit would also be off work by late afternoon. Text messages were sent amongst the group of five. Separately and around the city, Blair, Seph and Emmit all made individual predictions for the night. They would all be wrong.
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