Part 1: The call is coming from inside the house.
Life had somehow made it impossible to enjoy living in the moment. Work demanded a million nonsensical little things from me that ate away my spare time. My days seemed to have been following a soul-crushing routine for what seemed like an eternity. Wake up, eat a halfway-decent breakfast, work under the influence of too much coffee, hit the gym, eat an efficient and nutritious meal, complain about everything, and sleep.
I wanted to get out, have fun, and meet up with the guys, but it seemed impossible. Everybody was suffering the same weirdly adult lifestyle. We made appointments and promises, but at the end of the day, nothing stuck and it all just ended up going nowhere. We were drifting apart and I couldn’t find the time and energy to stop it from happening.
Jason’s call came at an unexpected moment.
I stared at my phone for a couple of seconds, surprised that people still used it to call. I picked up and heard Jason’s slightly boastful voice tell me that I needed to pack my shit.
“Why?” I asked while I looked at my schedule.
“Because I’ve got a golden opportunity!”
“To get rich quick?” I quipped.
“Bro, don’t be like that,” Jason laughed accusingly. “I’m house-sitting this fucking insane place and I’m fucking bored out of my skull. You’re expected.”
“I have to check if I can…”
“Fuck that,” Jason said cutting me off. His voice took on a slightly theatrical tone that reminded me of something I once heard in a movie. “I’ve listened to you whining and moaning about being stuck for ages. Fuck all that noise. Fuck the excuses. It’s time. You’re coming. You’ve got to see this. Next week. Friday. I’ll send you the address.”
“Wait, who else is coming?”
“Doesn’t matter, don’t be a little pussy. You’re coming regardless. Don’t be a loser. Next Friday. See you then,” Jason said with absolute finality. I could almost hear him grinning on the other end.
“But, should I…” I began to formulate a question, but I wasn’t talking to anyone anymore. Jason had disconnected. I felt like an idiot standing in my kitchen with a phone in one hand, just trying to devise an excuse not to go, while also telling myself that Jason was right. I had absolutely zero reason to not go. I wanted to go and escape the dangerously boring monotony of whatever this was. Summer had started, why was I so goddamn lazy?
I watched a message pop up on my screen, it showed a location.
***
The place Jason had told me to go to was located on the edge of the good part of town. I wasn’t quite sure who lived here, but this part was where people with money lived. People that none of us had ever really hung out with, as far as I knew. I parked my car and hesitated before getting out. I grabbed my bag from the backseat and heard two bottles of booze clinking. I walked up to the front door. From the outside, the place looked like it was of a fairly classic make. A decent combination of wood and brick. As I approached it became clear that this place had been renovated recently, what appeared old was just something new cleverly disguised as something old.
I looked around to see if there were other cars parked, only to realize my car was the only one there. I wondered if I was the first one or if Jason had only invited me over. I checked my phone and felt stupid for not asking the other guys if they had received an invite.
I rang the doorbell and waited for an answer.
“Bro, you’re early,” Jason’s voice said. I tried to discern where the sound was coming from and where the camera was hidden. The doorbell looked inconspicuous, whatever camera there was, it was hidden from sight and the same was true for the intercom.
“I’m a wizard, never too late, never too early,” I smiled as I mangled the quote from Gandalf about being precisely on time.
“No, you’re early dude, like, real early.”
“Just open the door, I’m sweating my balls off.”
“I thought you lost those ages ago,” Jason joked.
“It’s me, not David,” I shot back.
“Hold up,” Jason replied and I heard the connection break. The heat pressed down and I felt sweat running down my back. I wanted to get inside. I needed to replenish the fluids I had lost, I desperately needed a drink. Something cold, something alcoholic.
I heard something click and then whirr, something slid into something else, one piece uncoupling from another. The door opened slowly, but Jason wasn’t the one who had opened it. He stood at a slight distance from the door, showing off that he wasn’t the one who had opened the front door. His hair had the characteristic sandy blond hue of summer.
“Fully automated,” he said before I could say anything. He added: “This shit is wild.”
“Hello to you too,” I said as I stepped over the threshold and into the hallway. I was greeted by a pleasant temperature, a huge difference with the temperature outside. I shuddered slightly. The entrance hall looked like something out of a movie or a television show. A large staircase went up to the next floor, there was one open door that led to what I assumed was the living room, two other doors were closed and I couldn’t tell what was behind them. It was spacious and sleek, the modernity clashed with the appearance of the outside. I noticed that there was nothing personal on the walls, no photographs, just generic black-and-white art that broke the pristine white walls.
Jason was wearing board shorts and a loose tank top. His skin looked bronze, but his shoulders were slightly brunt and I could see the freckles on them. There was something almost exotic about him as he stood there. I checked my forearm and concluded that while I had a slight tan, it wasn’t nearly as deep as Jason’s. He’d been out in the sun, enjoying the weather. I could tell he’d been working out. His chest seemed pumped, the definition being more pronounced than when I last saw him. I wanted to compliment him on his gains but decided against it, I wasn’t drunk enough yet to give compliments to old friends.
“Okay, so, I’m not giving you a tour of the place yet,” Jason said as he gestured for me to follow him into the living room. “You’re early, and I’m not doing it twice. Fuck that noise. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Right?”
“Yeah sure,” I said. “So, wait, this whole thing is shady as shit. Who the fuck would let a first-class idiot like you into their house?”
“I’m hurt,” Jason said theatrically grabbing at his chest. “I’ll have you know, my credentials are the best. My reputation is perfect. The owner is my dearest and closest friend.”
“Doubt,” I said with a little grin.
“Okay, so, maybe not that, but yeah, I know the owner. I helped install some of the shit. Do you remember Avery Harrison?”
“No, wait, yes, kind of. The name sort of rings a bell.”
“His dad owned the company that owns a bunch of other companies. You know that shitty coffee place in town? Not Starbucks, the other one. They’re like, bottom of the food chain. Avery’s dad basically owns that and, like, a fuckton of other shitty coffee places.”
“And you know this guy how?”
“You know, I installed some things, we got talking, you know. Shit like that. Great guy. Hung out a couple of times. He’s cool.”
“That doesn’t really answer anything,” I said with obvious disbelief in my voice.
“Bro, does it matter? Like, you obviously need something to make you fun,” Jason said defensively. He moved to a large liquor cabinet and swung the glass doors open. He grabbed a bottle of something foreign and poured two glasses. He handed me one.
“Dude, you can’t just raid the liquor cabinet!” I exclaimed with shock. I knew I sounded like a scared 15-year-old and accepted the jokes that would be hurled my way.
“It’s cool, don’t worry. Permission. Consent, whatever. Just drink. You’re so fucking uptight and weird right now.”
“I’m in a stranger’s million-dollar home, drinking their top-shelf booze and trusting you. Of course, I’m fucking tense,” I laughed. “If I get shot I swear to God, I’m going to kill you.”
“Bro, just trust me, okay?”
“Sure,” I said as I waved my left hand dismissively and threw back the drink he had handed me. It tasted surprisingly strong and rich. “What is this stuff?”
“I don’t know, do you like it?”
“I could see myself enjoying this. So who else did you convince to come over?”
“Obviously, the whole gang,” Jason said as he sipped his own drink and poured me a second glass. “David’s not coming, ever since he started hanging out with Lisa he’s been insufferable. Adam is out of town this weekend. Bobby is a maybe.”
“Luke?” I asked a little too quickly. I assumed he was on the list of invitees.
“Yeah, obviously. Luke missing out on anything? That’s not happening,” Jason said with a laugh. “Mike’s coming.”
“Mike?” I asked with a slightly confused tone.
“Yeah, you know, meathead Mike.”
“Dude, you still talk to him? I haven’t seen him in for-fucking-ever,” I said with a smile. The alcohol was already working its magic. I blamed the summer. “Holy shit, how is he?”
“Yeah, he’s doing great. He’s a personal trainer these days. Built like a brick shit-house. The dude’s massive.”
I looked Jason up and down and figured that Mike was responsible for his recent gains. I tried to conjure up a couple of memories of Mike from way back when. He was always the athletic one, he had charisma and charm and was fun to have around. He never quite stuck around our group. The type of guy that showed up and vanished then showed up again. He was never all that popular back in school, but he wasn’t unpopular either. Mike was just Mike, doing his own thing. I remembered that he used to hang out more with David, but the details were fuzzy.
“What time are they here?” I asked.
Jason checked the clock on his phone and then looked at me. “Shouldn’t be long. You were early.”
“Were you busy?”
“Yeah man,” Jason said as he grabbed his crotch and shook it wildly. “Balls deep.”
“In what? Your crusty old cum-sock?”
“Bro, why do you have to make it nasty like that?”
“Just facts dude, just facts,” I laughed.
I looked around the living room area. A couple of matching couches and chairs, black and white leather. A small rectangular coffee table and the same black-and-white art on the wall. There was an impressive screen mounted on the wall opposite the largest of the two couches. A herringbone pattern on the floor made the room look expensive and classy, the boards were of a slightly warm grey wood, polished with a mild sheen. I wondered if it was real wood or something synthetic. I tapped my right foot lightly to listen and concluded that it wasn’t real wood.
“Checking the material? Or if there’s a basement?”
“Both?” I replied with a touch of guilt in my voice.
“So we basically renovated most of the old stuff, used it as a template, you see. We dug out most of the base and reinforced it with more durable stuff. We had to re-do the basement and we expanded it without cutting into the structural integrity of the place. Remember the sunken living room area at the lodge? Avery wanted something similar here, but due to the layout, we couldn’t.”
I nodded and pretended to listen to most of what Jason was saying. It didn’t really interest me, but watching Jason get excited about stuff made me appreciate having him around. He pointed at something above and I saw that he had shaved his armpits.
“How’s the lodge doing, by the way?” I asked breaking his story.
“What? Oh, yeah. I’ll tell you once the rest is here.”
“Dude, seriously? Is there anything you can tell me?” I asked stressing the word ‘can’ for effect.
“Yeah, I can tell you that it took for-fucking-ever to get the stench out,” Jason laughed as he threw back his drink and poured himself another one. He offered to top my glass off, which I didn’t decline. I felt my balls itch. Jason nudged me with his elbow: “But yeah, it’s impregnated wood. Get it?”
I snickered gently as I sipped my drink. Jason winked at me in his usual over-the-top way. It had been a joke he was probably dying to make, and he finally made it. He looked pleased with himself.
“Fuck, dude,” I said throwing my chin up and exhaling as I embraced the feeling of getting halfway drunk. “It’s been fucking ages. You know. Not gonna lie. I kind of missed it. You know. Just dudes. You know.”
“Yeah,” Jason said with a carelessness in his voice that made me feel completely at ease. Things had happened since we last all gathered, and I realized that I was genuinely looking forward to whatever Jason had planned. I wanted to thank him for not allowing me to give him a piss-poor excuse not to come, but I didn’t.
I punched his shoulder playfully and commented: “Nice work, by the way. Hitting the gym?”
“Yeah,” Jason said boisterously as he flexed his biceps. “Welcome to the gun show.”
“Wouldn’t go that far, champ,” I teased.
Life had somehow made it impossible to enjoy living in the moment. Work demanded a million nonsensical little things from me that ate away my spare time. My days seemed to have been following a soul-crushing routine for what seemed like an eternity. Wake up, eat a halfway-decent breakfast, work under the influence of too much coffee, hit the gym, eat an efficient and nutritious meal, complain about everything, and sleep.
I wanted to get out, have fun, and meet up with the guys, but it seemed impossible. Everybody was suffering the same weirdly adult lifestyle. We made appointments and promises, but at the end of the day, nothing stuck and it all just ended up going nowhere. We were drifting apart and I couldn’t find the time and energy to stop it from happening.
Jason’s call came at an unexpected moment.
I stared at my phone for a couple of seconds, surprised that people still used it to call. I picked up and heard Jason’s slightly boastful voice tell me that I needed to pack my shit.
“Why?” I asked while I looked at my schedule.
“Because I’ve got a golden opportunity!”
“To get rich quick?” I quipped.
“Bro, don’t be like that,” Jason laughed accusingly. “I’m house-sitting this fucking insane place and I’m fucking bored out of my skull. You’re expected.”
“I have to check if I can…”
“Fuck that,” Jason said cutting me off. His voice took on a slightly theatrical tone that reminded me of something I once heard in a movie. “I’ve listened to you whining and moaning about being stuck for ages. Fuck all that noise. Fuck the excuses. It’s time. You’re coming. You’ve got to see this. Next week. Friday. I’ll send you the address.”
“Wait, who else is coming?”
“Doesn’t matter, don’t be a little pussy. You’re coming regardless. Don’t be a loser. Next Friday. See you then,” Jason said with absolute finality. I could almost hear him grinning on the other end.
“But, should I…” I began to formulate a question, but I wasn’t talking to anyone anymore. Jason had disconnected. I felt like an idiot standing in my kitchen with a phone in one hand, just trying to devise an excuse not to go, while also telling myself that Jason was right. I had absolutely zero reason to not go. I wanted to go and escape the dangerously boring monotony of whatever this was. Summer had started, why was I so goddamn lazy?
I watched a message pop up on my screen, it showed a location.
***
The place Jason had told me to go to was located on the edge of the good part of town. I wasn’t quite sure who lived here, but this part was where people with money lived. People that none of us had ever really hung out with, as far as I knew. I parked my car and hesitated before getting out. I grabbed my bag from the backseat and heard two bottles of booze clinking. I walked up to the front door. From the outside, the place looked like it was of a fairly classic make. A decent combination of wood and brick. As I approached it became clear that this place had been renovated recently, what appeared old was just something new cleverly disguised as something old.
I looked around to see if there were other cars parked, only to realize my car was the only one there. I wondered if I was the first one or if Jason had only invited me over. I checked my phone and felt stupid for not asking the other guys if they had received an invite.
I rang the doorbell and waited for an answer.
“Bro, you’re early,” Jason’s voice said. I tried to discern where the sound was coming from and where the camera was hidden. The doorbell looked inconspicuous, whatever camera there was, it was hidden from sight and the same was true for the intercom.
“I’m a wizard, never too late, never too early,” I smiled as I mangled the quote from Gandalf about being precisely on time.
“No, you’re early dude, like, real early.”
“Just open the door, I’m sweating my balls off.”
“I thought you lost those ages ago,” Jason joked.
“It’s me, not David,” I shot back.
“Hold up,” Jason replied and I heard the connection break. The heat pressed down and I felt sweat running down my back. I wanted to get inside. I needed to replenish the fluids I had lost, I desperately needed a drink. Something cold, something alcoholic.
I heard something click and then whirr, something slid into something else, one piece uncoupling from another. The door opened slowly, but Jason wasn’t the one who had opened it. He stood at a slight distance from the door, showing off that he wasn’t the one who had opened the front door. His hair had the characteristic sandy blond hue of summer.
“Fully automated,” he said before I could say anything. He added: “This shit is wild.”
“Hello to you too,” I said as I stepped over the threshold and into the hallway. I was greeted by a pleasant temperature, a huge difference with the temperature outside. I shuddered slightly. The entrance hall looked like something out of a movie or a television show. A large staircase went up to the next floor, there was one open door that led to what I assumed was the living room, two other doors were closed and I couldn’t tell what was behind them. It was spacious and sleek, the modernity clashed with the appearance of the outside. I noticed that there was nothing personal on the walls, no photographs, just generic black-and-white art that broke the pristine white walls.
Jason was wearing board shorts and a loose tank top. His skin looked bronze, but his shoulders were slightly brunt and I could see the freckles on them. There was something almost exotic about him as he stood there. I checked my forearm and concluded that while I had a slight tan, it wasn’t nearly as deep as Jason’s. He’d been out in the sun, enjoying the weather. I could tell he’d been working out. His chest seemed pumped, the definition being more pronounced than when I last saw him. I wanted to compliment him on his gains but decided against it, I wasn’t drunk enough yet to give compliments to old friends.
“Okay, so, I’m not giving you a tour of the place yet,” Jason said as he gestured for me to follow him into the living room. “You’re early, and I’m not doing it twice. Fuck that noise. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Right?”
“Yeah sure,” I said. “So, wait, this whole thing is shady as shit. Who the fuck would let a first-class idiot like you into their house?”
“I’m hurt,” Jason said theatrically grabbing at his chest. “I’ll have you know, my credentials are the best. My reputation is perfect. The owner is my dearest and closest friend.”
“Doubt,” I said with a little grin.
“Okay, so, maybe not that, but yeah, I know the owner. I helped install some of the shit. Do you remember Avery Harrison?”
“No, wait, yes, kind of. The name sort of rings a bell.”
“His dad owned the company that owns a bunch of other companies. You know that shitty coffee place in town? Not Starbucks, the other one. They’re like, bottom of the food chain. Avery’s dad basically owns that and, like, a fuckton of other shitty coffee places.”
“And you know this guy how?”
“You know, I installed some things, we got talking, you know. Shit like that. Great guy. Hung out a couple of times. He’s cool.”
“That doesn’t really answer anything,” I said with obvious disbelief in my voice.
“Bro, does it matter? Like, you obviously need something to make you fun,” Jason said defensively. He moved to a large liquor cabinet and swung the glass doors open. He grabbed a bottle of something foreign and poured two glasses. He handed me one.
“Dude, you can’t just raid the liquor cabinet!” I exclaimed with shock. I knew I sounded like a scared 15-year-old and accepted the jokes that would be hurled my way.
“It’s cool, don’t worry. Permission. Consent, whatever. Just drink. You’re so fucking uptight and weird right now.”
“I’m in a stranger’s million-dollar home, drinking their top-shelf booze and trusting you. Of course, I’m fucking tense,” I laughed. “If I get shot I swear to God, I’m going to kill you.”
“Bro, just trust me, okay?”
“Sure,” I said as I waved my left hand dismissively and threw back the drink he had handed me. It tasted surprisingly strong and rich. “What is this stuff?”
“I don’t know, do you like it?”
“I could see myself enjoying this. So who else did you convince to come over?”
“Obviously, the whole gang,” Jason said as he sipped his own drink and poured me a second glass. “David’s not coming, ever since he started hanging out with Lisa he’s been insufferable. Adam is out of town this weekend. Bobby is a maybe.”
“Luke?” I asked a little too quickly. I assumed he was on the list of invitees.
“Yeah, obviously. Luke missing out on anything? That’s not happening,” Jason said with a laugh. “Mike’s coming.”
“Mike?” I asked with a slightly confused tone.
“Yeah, you know, meathead Mike.”
“Dude, you still talk to him? I haven’t seen him in for-fucking-ever,” I said with a smile. The alcohol was already working its magic. I blamed the summer. “Holy shit, how is he?”
“Yeah, he’s doing great. He’s a personal trainer these days. Built like a brick shit-house. The dude’s massive.”
I looked Jason up and down and figured that Mike was responsible for his recent gains. I tried to conjure up a couple of memories of Mike from way back when. He was always the athletic one, he had charisma and charm and was fun to have around. He never quite stuck around our group. The type of guy that showed up and vanished then showed up again. He was never all that popular back in school, but he wasn’t unpopular either. Mike was just Mike, doing his own thing. I remembered that he used to hang out more with David, but the details were fuzzy.
“What time are they here?” I asked.
Jason checked the clock on his phone and then looked at me. “Shouldn’t be long. You were early.”
“Were you busy?”
“Yeah man,” Jason said as he grabbed his crotch and shook it wildly. “Balls deep.”
“In what? Your crusty old cum-sock?”
“Bro, why do you have to make it nasty like that?”
“Just facts dude, just facts,” I laughed.
I looked around the living room area. A couple of matching couches and chairs, black and white leather. A small rectangular coffee table and the same black-and-white art on the wall. There was an impressive screen mounted on the wall opposite the largest of the two couches. A herringbone pattern on the floor made the room look expensive and classy, the boards were of a slightly warm grey wood, polished with a mild sheen. I wondered if it was real wood or something synthetic. I tapped my right foot lightly to listen and concluded that it wasn’t real wood.
“Checking the material? Or if there’s a basement?”
“Both?” I replied with a touch of guilt in my voice.
“So we basically renovated most of the old stuff, used it as a template, you see. We dug out most of the base and reinforced it with more durable stuff. We had to re-do the basement and we expanded it without cutting into the structural integrity of the place. Remember the sunken living room area at the lodge? Avery wanted something similar here, but due to the layout, we couldn’t.”
I nodded and pretended to listen to most of what Jason was saying. It didn’t really interest me, but watching Jason get excited about stuff made me appreciate having him around. He pointed at something above and I saw that he had shaved his armpits.
“How’s the lodge doing, by the way?” I asked breaking his story.
“What? Oh, yeah. I’ll tell you once the rest is here.”
“Dude, seriously? Is there anything you can tell me?” I asked stressing the word ‘can’ for effect.
“Yeah, I can tell you that it took for-fucking-ever to get the stench out,” Jason laughed as he threw back his drink and poured himself another one. He offered to top my glass off, which I didn’t decline. I felt my balls itch. Jason nudged me with his elbow: “But yeah, it’s impregnated wood. Get it?”
I snickered gently as I sipped my drink. Jason winked at me in his usual over-the-top way. It had been a joke he was probably dying to make, and he finally made it. He looked pleased with himself.
“Fuck, dude,” I said throwing my chin up and exhaling as I embraced the feeling of getting halfway drunk. “It’s been fucking ages. You know. Not gonna lie. I kind of missed it. You know. Just dudes. You know.”
“Yeah,” Jason said with a carelessness in his voice that made me feel completely at ease. Things had happened since we last all gathered, and I realized that I was genuinely looking forward to whatever Jason had planned. I wanted to thank him for not allowing me to give him a piss-poor excuse not to come, but I didn’t.
I punched his shoulder playfully and commented: “Nice work, by the way. Hitting the gym?”
“Yeah,” Jason said boisterously as he flexed his biceps. “Welcome to the gun show.”
“Wouldn’t go that far, champ,” I teased.