Suzie’s House 385 : Reeling

James had had a little too much to drink, but it wasn’t bothering him any. He pulled into the driveway too fast and ended up parked with the driver’s side on the grass. He tripped on grass and fell when he got out.

No one was looking. He jumped up all jubilant acting, and rubbed the grass off his T-shirt, then looked around again with a silly grin because a silly grin would get him out of any trouble. No one applauded.

Disappointed but maybe relieved, too, he went for the knob on the front door. Focusing on the knob was about as much as he could handle right now. It loomed before him, but his sense of space was a little messed up so he wasn’t sure when he was supposed to grab for it, and missed the first couple of times.

Still no applause.

Life should be full of applause. There should always be someone there to tell him he was the smartest, fastest, biggest, and best. It was his due.

Too often the world disappointed him. Friends jeered when he didn’t quite get the two points for dropping a piece of trash into a basket from across the room. Coworkers complained to the boss, who told him he wasn’t flipping burgers the right way. As if there was a right or wrong way to flip a fck’n burger. Chicks told him he neglected them. It wasn’t right.

Well, now that he was home, it would all be fine. He would find Emma. He’d play a trick or two on her, and that would make him feel good.

Her voice came from the kitchen, along with Mom and Dad. That wasn’t so good. He had to pretend to be brotherly in front of Mom and Dad. Then again, he could maybe talk them into giving him the car permanently now. It was way past time he got his own wheels.

“James. You’re home.” Dad didn’t sound too happy about it. The other two just looked at him like he was a bug under glass.

“What? Did Emma say su’thin? She’s lying. She’s always lying.”

He glared at her for good measure. She compacted herself around a glass of water in her hand. That felt good, except a minute later she gets all mulish looking and straightens up. He’d have to sneak into her bedroom after the folks crashed and show her the error of her ways.

“No. It isn’t Emma.” Dad tried to sound stern.

He was always trying to do that, sound stern when there wasn’t anything real about him.

“Yeah. Right.” James smiled and nodded his head like he understood what was going on, though he hadn’t a clue.

“James, there comes a time when every young man must make his own way in the world. We have given you ample opportunity to get yourself on your feet. You have done nothing to find a new job.”

“Hey! Hey, hey, hey.” James punctuated each word with a pointing of his finger. “Hey. That wasn’t my fault. I flipped those burgers right. The other emp… emplo… guys had it in for me.” He nodded his head sagely.

“Tell him,” Mom said. At first James thought she was hanging on to Dad’s elbow because she was going somewhere. Then he realized she was just clinging.

“Clingy Mom,” he said under his breath in a sing song voice. “Clingy, clingy Mom.”

“This isn’t your mother’s fault either. The point is, that’s it’s time you moved out and supported yourself.”

“Yeah. Riiiiight.” James nodded his head and grinned.

Like they would ever really do anything like that. These people were all such pushovers. It would never happen. Never.

“James, I’m serious.” Dad stood there looking concerned while Mom clung to one side and Emma hid behind the other. It was like a freaking sit com.

“Yep. You’re absolutely right.” James burped, then swayed.

The whole world was spinning. Maybe he’d had a little too much to drink after all, because he as having full blown hallucinations. Like that his family didn’t want him any more, and that the floor was coming to meet him really fast.

He felt a cold, hard impact all over his body and his eyes focused on linoleum tiles from an inch or two away. Then he closed his eyes and passed out.

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