Ten thirty am on the Wednesday of finals week. The Rho Sigma
Gamma house has been throwing its nightly ‘end of finals’ week party since the
Saturday. Lacey was frozen out in the front yard. She had seen the kind of girls that went to these parties, and heard what the guys said about them in the days after. She had promised herself she would NEVER step foot near the house, much less go inside voluntarily, and if she hadn’t
made a promise to Faith she never would have. She walked up the front steps and
covered her mouth and nose with her hand as she passed a pledge who was covered
in vomit and asleep in a bush near the front door.
The inside of the house wasn’t much better. There were
students and brothers passed out in what seemed like every corner of every room. Every
piece of furniture seemed to have at least one person drunkenly passed out on it. She
found clay passed out on the floor in one of the bedrooms the brothers had
converted to a room for beer pong. His mouth was wide open and he was snoring
around a ping pong ball. She carefully made her way around the room, avoiding trash and piles of empty
beer cans to reach Clay.
The first time she lightly shook his shoulder and limited herself to a whispered. “Wake up Clay.”. Which got her nothing. She shook him more violently the
second time.
He snored around the ball again in response. She slapped him lightly on the cheek. His eyes opened in a flash. He spit the ping pong ball out as he sat up, looking around the room, everything filtering through his hang over. “Wha?” He looked at Lacey in confusion and rubbed his eyes. ‘What are you doing here?” He asked her.
Lacy rolled up the sleeves of her cardigan. “ I’m checking
up on your sorry butt.” She explained. She tried to get Clay up on his feet but
he just folded himself over with his head between his knees.
“I think I’ma puke.” He warned.
Lacey rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Ok lets get you
into the bathroom.” She said putting everything she had in getting Clay to his
feet.
In the hallway they ran into Porter who was coming out of
his own room. He saw Lacey and immediately dove under Clay’s free arm. “Here let
me help you.” He offered as he took most of Clay’s weight.
Lacey struggled to give him a polite smile from under Clay’s
other arm. “Thanks.” She offered. The pair of them dragged Clay to the bathroom
and got him to the toilet. Lacey had just turned away from him before he
started emptying his stomach into the toilet. She stepped out into the hall and
Porter followed her, closing the bathroom door behind them. “He’s a mess.” She
gestured to Clay.
Porter nodded. “A five day bender will do that.” He
explained.
Lacey was shocked. “You let him stay drunk for a week!” She
almost shouted.
Porter nodded and waved his hand in a motion for her to
quiet down. “I’m not his mother, I did
what I could but he is hurting pretty bad right now. Personally I would rather
have sloppy drunken Clay instead of angry smash things Clay.” He explained.
Lacey nodded at this explanation. Inside the bathroom Clay
sat hard against the wall and sighed heavily. “I feel way better now.” They
heard him say.
Lacey checked her watch and then looked at Porter. “Do you
know if he has any finals today?” She asked.
Porter shrugged his shoulders and knocked on the bathroom
door. “Clay buddy, you got any finals today?” He asked.
There was the sound of frantic movement from inside the
bathroom. “Oh my god is it finals week?” They heard him say as he got up off
the floor and stumbling out of the bathroom when he tripped over his own two
feet, hit the opposite wall and then the floor. Lacy and Porter look down at
him on the floor. “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” Clay burst into
laughter at his own joke.
Lacey checked her watch. “I’ll get us some coffee. You try
and figure out when and where his finals might be.” She instructed. Porter nodded
and watched her walk down the hall and into the kitchen.
Forty minutes later Porter had gotten Clay to a bench
outside the building his psychology final was in. Clay looks worse for wear, he
is more hung over than he has ever been in his life. Lacey walked up with a
bottle of water and a tiny travel bottle of pain pills. She handed them to Clay.
“Here, these should help. Your final starts in fifteen minutes.” She said
pointing at the building behind the bench.
Clay looked up at her. “I don’t wanna be rude by why all the
assistance today? I thought I was to be shunned?” he asked.
Lacey shook her head. “I‘m here because you haven’t answered
your phone in a week, I’m here because Faith and I quit the sorority, but
mostly I’m here because Faith was worried if she showed up you wouldn’t talk to
her.” She wasn’t trying to make him feel bad but he did look worse than he had
thirty seconds ago.
“Who’s got two thumbs and feels like an asshole?” he pointed
his thumbs at himself. “This guy.” He gave a halfhearted laugh.
Lacey suppressed a smile. “You should go and get a good seat
for your final.”
Clay nodded and headed toward the building. He stopped and
turned back around. “Lacey!” he called
after her. She turned back toward the building. “Thanks, for everything.” He
said. She nodded and turned back to the student union. Clay went inside to take
his final.
