The blinking Christmas lights were starting to give me a headache.  I was mentally trying to prepare myself for the Friday night crowd that would be rolling in soon. I was still recovering from my hang-over that was due to the previous night from trading shots of  whiskey with all the regulars. I started to to situate all the necessary bar supplies needed to ensue fast service to the local drunks. I was immediatley interrupted by a can of red bull that was being shoved in my face. ” Who needs a pick me up? I know you’re hurting from last night, because when I came home you were an island in a sea of Whataburger on the living room floor.” I looked up to see my wonderful, caring, and concerned roommate, Kylie. I snickered at her and grabbed the can from her extended hand. Kylie and I had an amazing living relationship. I would come home hammered on a regular basis, and she would always have strategically placed water bottles, at room temperature, all over the house where I usually passed out… It was the most beautiful, healthiest relationship I ever had with another human being.  I could feel the carbonation slide down the back of my throat with a slight burning sensation. I crushed the can and turned to throw it in the trash, and heard a voice speak, ” Hey, you think I can grab one of those nice, cold, refreshing beers from you?” I turned around to see who the owner was of this familiar sound.

I now feel my broken-heart. The familiar sound belonged to a Mr. Kevin Harold. I had felt as though I had just seen a ghost and managed to choke out, “When did you get back into town?” He stared at me for a moment and answered, ” I just got back into town and dropped my things off at my parents and decided to come straight here.” By this time I could see out of the corner of my eye that Kylie, my boss Lou, and his girlfriend, Rachel had made their way to the door nearest to the bar I was working at. They must have wanted a good spot to watch the show. I turned my gazed back to Kevin, ” Are you home for….”

“Mattie, I have to tell you something” I stared intensely at him for what seemed like forever to me.  He was looking off to the side and doing a wonderful job of avoiding eye contact with me. Then he slowly raised his left hand to my eye level. I swallowed the large lump that had started to form in my throat and began to say…