Interim

We arrive back to the hotel at 4:41. We are scheduled to meet in the lobby at 7 to leave for our cruise down the Thames River. Mentally I have vowed not to call Harmony. Again I can’t understand why she seemed excited to see me when she was away from her group but when she was seated at the Ambassador the only person who was smiling was Meg Weaver.

En route to the room Trevor notes that BIG TEN, mandatory meeting to go over skit. We brainstorm for forty-five minutes. At the end of our meeting we still have no clue what we are doing for the skit tomorrow. Josh is flipping out. He says let’s take a vote of hands to see who is in favor of skipping the dance tonight so we can just seriously rehearse.  Justin suggests that there is way he is missing the dance tonight, there are girls there. Finally we decide to do a five-minute re-enactment of the entire trip done from the BIG TEN’s perspective. There are nods. We need a script. I raise my hand and add that I can do an outline and tomorrow, after we return from Windsor, we’ll have two hours to rehearse.

“I’ll write the script,” Josh, the future Eagle Scout says, looking at me.

I tell him fine. We are given a half hour to return to our hotel room shower and get ready for the dance tonight.

Again I have vowed that I will not call Harmony. Sir Charles steps up.

“Uhm, before you guys leave Jim has something he needs to say.”

Jim steps forward.

“I just need to tell you guys that I need to apologize for always acting crazy and everything. I’m really sorry for being immature. I promise I won’t go around cursing and screaming and trying to get you guys in the nuts all the time anymore.”

Every head in the room is looking down as if they are either praying or standing over the urinal. There is silence. Jim again says sorry guys. Jim again says that he didn’t mean to make any of you guys uncomfortable.

Trevor is smiling. He says my boy. He says yeah. He adds a that’s how the BIG TEN does things.  He adds a with class.

As we are walking down the hallway Jim stops me just as Justin is opening the hotel door.  From the other end the phone is ringing. Jim looks down the carpeted hallway, near where the drunk bloke vaguely reminiscent of my English teacher. Jim points in the direction of the ice machine, near the elevator. It looks like he is ready to cry.

“They wanted me to apologize to you specifically. You know, for always calling you gay and shit.”

I tell Jim that no apologies are necessary. I tell him that I’m sorry I snapped I was just having a bad morning. I hold out my hand in an emblem of truce.

“It’s all good brother. Yeah, It’s all good.”

We are shaking hand. Jim looks down. He says a one more thing.

“Yes,”

“Harry, you are a total fucktard man. Go stick your dick in your fat girlfriend when she’s in the trough.”

He yells out open jewels. He kicks me as hard as he can. I turn so that his shoe seems to punt my waist.

“Fuck you Harry. This isn’t over yet bro. Fuck you.”

When I get back to the hotel room I go to shower. Justin tells me that some girl called for me while I was out having a pow wow with Jim.

He says that she didn't leave a name but said that I don't have to call her back.

That she will see me tonight at the dance in about an hour.