So wasted I couldn’t perform, nice Aidan.
Monday rolled around too quickly. It was time to get back to AIS and Grandfather. The week passed with long hours and boring client dinners. However, the weekends became a change from the normal go out, drink, hook-up and move on routine.
Oz and I had started spending more Saturday mornings playing ball with Dixon. We even spent more time hanging out with him at his place. We were very close to becoming the three musketeers. It was nice to having another guy to hang out with since Oz would often have to work a weekend shift at the hospital.
Lilli hung out with us occasionally. She liked baseball, some video games and had a massive guy movie preference. I found out through small conversations with her, or with Dixon, that she was trying to finish college while working nights and weekends. I was confused as to why she worked more than went to school. That seemed a little odd to me, but it wasn’t my business. I just enjoyed her when she was around. Lilli was becoming a friend and was fun to hang with.
When we introduced James into the mix, I was little nervous. He can come off a little blunt. Dixon was put off at first, but learned to just brush James off and give it back to him. Lilli seemed to tolerate him, but when he was around she would avoid the group. At least that’s what it seemed liked.
A couple of months went by and we seemed to become a group. Dixon came to my place with Oz after work one night when I wasn’t working late with Grandfather.
"Holy shit," Dixon exclaimed when he entered the two story apartment. "Explain to me why we have been hanging at my shitty place when there is this option?"
"There is nothing wrong with your place." I handed him a beer and we gathered around the pool table in the game room.
The game room was just an extra room that could have been a dining room but I wasn’t holding dinners here. So in its place went the pool table, dart board, chess board, etc. James showed up with another friend and we hung out for most of the night. It was just us guys, until James called over some friends. James friends were typically of the young, fake breasted variety.
When the doorman buzzed up, James barked his order to let them up. I apologized to Jeffrey immediately.
"James, don’t fuck with Jeff man! He’s a cool guy!" I smacked his arm.
"Whatever, he should have some respect for who you and I are."
I rolled my eyes.
On the Saturday morning before my life entered a fucked up reality, I arrived to Dixon’s place. I was supposed to meet him so that we could all head out to a Yankee’s game. We were meeting Oz and James at the box.
Lilli answered the door. Her eyes were swollen and red. It was obvious she had been crying.
"Dixon’s not here," she said as she opened the door.
"Oh…he told me to meet him here, is he…?" she walked away from the door. "Hey are you okay?"
The messy knot of hair on top of her head shifted up and down with her nod.
"Yeah, I’m fine." She was a bad liar.
"Are you sure? If something is wrong I can—"
She forced a smile.
"Everything’s fine, thanks. Just reality comes crashing in on me every once in awhile," she laughed half-heartedly. "Dixon is probably running behind. You can wait here for him." She forced another smile and went down the hallway. I sat down feeling really shitty for interrupting her ‘moment’.
I couldn’t help but notice the papers that were on the coffee table in front of me. Bank statements, a letter, pay stubs and some other financial paperwork sat scattered all over. Dixon burst through the door. I turned my head to him quickly.
"Hey man, sorry. I got caught in traffic. Just give me ten—"
"You may want to check on Lilli," I glanced toward the hallway leading to her room. "She looked like she was crying when I got here." I added the last part quickly, so he didn’t think I'd done something.
Dixon studied me before looking down towards the bill covered coffee table. He moved quickly down the hall.
"Lilli," he said softly and knocked on her door. I heard the creak of the door. "Oh Lilli," he exclaimed and I could hear her sniffling. "It’s going to be alright, shhh."
"How can you say that?" she seemed upset. "You know that he’s going to lose the house," she sobbed. "He has nowhere else to go if that happens!"
"I know, but we’ll figure something out," Dixon was trying to soothe her. Unintentionally, I moved closer to the hallway to better hear them.
"It’s not your responsibility, Dixon, it’s mine." The defeated tone in her voice gripped at my chest.
"I think you should take me up on not paying part of the rent—"
"Dixon Thomas Haywood, don’t you even finish that sentence! I am not going to let you pay for me to live here," she shouted. "I’ll just have to get another jo—"
"Don’t you finish that sentence," he yelled. "You’ve already pushed yourself down to part time status at school and now you won’t finish up when you originally planned. Besides, you work way too much as it is!"