Byron O'Dell, 3/17/09 11:39 AM

Ugh! I’m going to be late! When I went over this with Eric the night before I told him to be ready by 11:00 AM, but here it is almost noon and he still isn’t awake.

I pound loudly on his door; the frame vibrates and groans a bit in response. “Come on man! Get up! We gotta go!”

I groan and pull my phone from my pocket and call his number yet again. It rings several times as I mutter about his mother under my breath. I should have known better than to let him drink so much last night! It clicks over his voicemail and I hang up only to hit redial.

“Come on you bitch, pick up the fucking phone!!”

A few rings pass and finally a groggy voice answers, “Hello?”

“Finally!” I exclaim, “Eric get your sorry ass out of bed and let’s roll this guy told me not to fuck around we gotta be there now!” I bang on his door to add emphasis to my statement so he knows I’m here. I cringe a little at the cracking noise and the small fracture that formed under my fist. I guess I don’t know how strong I am sometimes… Oh well I don’t give a fuck he needs to hurry up!

“Huh? Byron? Oh hey, hold on man, someone’s at my door,” I smack my forehead in disbelief, he’s so fucking dense!

“Dude, it’s me at your door! Remember we are going to the Starbucks?”

There is a drawn out pause as the cogs in my best friends head slowly start to crank, “Oooohhhhh right, the Mexico guy.”

I cringe instinctively at the word Mexico. “Yeah dude that’s the one… lets keep it down on this Mexico shit though until we know for sure what’s going on.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right man, let me grab some clothes real quick and we’ll go,” he pauses and I can hear him sniff himself. “Think I have time to shower?”

I grit my teeth as I speak, “Hell no you don’t have time to shower, get your ass out here now!”

“Jeez alright… I’ll be there in a sec.” The phone clicks as he hangs up and I stand tapping my foot. After a few minutes I hear a crash coming from inside the door followed by a string of swear words. Shortly there after, the front door opens and my friends stands in the door rubbing the back of his close trimmed head. He’s wearing and old Tau Sigma Kappa shirt that’s almost two small for the hulking man, it’s obviously old and covered in old stains. It barely fits him. I raise an eyebrow and look at him.

“What? Everything else is dirty!” he stairs back at me incredulously, “It’s wash day dude.”

“It’s always wash day with you, now come on get in your truck and lets go! I’m gunna be late!” I walk down the steps leading up to his small apartment building and hop on my bike that is sitting on the sidewalk. “Remember you are supposed to go in first and scope out the place, I’ll call you and you let me know which guy you think he is and if you can make anything of it.”

Eric scratches the back of his head and nods slowly, “Yeah I got it man, lets roll.”

He heads for his pick up parked in the lot in front of us and I start up my bike. It’s 12:07. I’m late.