I wake up to noise. At first I believe it to be Juniors snoring, but it is louder and… it is a machine. A fridge turning on its cooling unit. I get up fast as I gather myself and run to the toilet to get rid of… stuff. It’s always a bad start to a day when you let the contents of your stomach go through your head again. I try to get rid of the taste. And I find myself with Anders’ deranged beauty. My vision is blurred and sways. I am still intoxicated with… at least alcohol, most probably more. My memory is blocked and I turn around and return to my previous occupation. That must have been some bad booze Pops had served. The bathroom seems different too as my vision returns for moments. I try to calm myself. No voices, just the damn fridge.
As I flush the toilet, it’s like a thunderstorm. I fall onto my ass and try to gather myself. I look down. Seems like I was partying. My mind begins to understand I am no longer on the Little Snapper. A pity, I always miss out the good stuff and the hardcore banging. If it did happen. My memory is indeed blocked and a headache is turning my way. I look for painkillers as I realize: This is not my home. I most probably just crashed here as my clothes seem to be complete. I try to guess my age. Twenty-something. I look into my pants. Damn. Sin always wanted one of these, I never had the guts. This Anders has some interesting interests for sure. I turn back to the toilet and try peeing. No difference, what a relief. There is more… damn. Like damn man!
I brace myself for flushing and wash my hands. Painkillers are where they are supposed to be. I take two. I feel like something hit me last night. My back hurts and my chest. I check. Might be hit with something but not too serious only light bruises. More body jewelry. Really astounding is my back. Some pairs of wings have been painted… onto or into my skin. I am sure it has some symbolism. Feathery and leathery wings.
Someone hammers at the door and makes me jump: “Damn man, stop jackin it, I need to… I…”
My instinct kicks in and I open the door quickly and jump back in as the young man rushes to the toilet and does what I have done before… twice. His noises are even weirder than my own if I even registered. In a little break he takes for breathing, he asks indignantly: “Are you gonna stay there and watch?” I let air hiss from my mouth and step over him. I have to grab the door frame to keep me steady.
Must have been a hell of a party. The room is a complete mess. Looks like someone wanted to decorate more offbeat. I realize my socks are of different coloring. Maybe this Anders is in his early 20s and is looking for himself regularly on the bottom of a bottle and in the backyard of some body artist. Strange enough he missed his face… oh no… he didn’t, just the inside… and I missed the ears. How did I miss that?
Sin: Got your priorities… and the face ain’t none to you. You are less superficial than him… or more. I am unsure about that.
As much as I want to argue and hate him right now, I am too confused with the whole situation. There are a few guys almost comatose, distributed in the room. One couple at least. They seem separated from the rest but cuddled tightly together. One of them opens his eyes: “Jealous, Andy?” I start to giggle: “I simply knew you were awake.” He winks and I stick out my tongue. “Do we shower together?”, he flirts. “In your dreams only”, I shoot back.
His boyfriend wakes up: “Silence, some people want to sleep!” He gets cuddled and tries to free himself. “Poor little baby boy… my little doggy boy”, boyfriend A smooches. “Stop it… or I have to throw up again”, the voice comes from the bathroom. I start laughing, this Anders has some bad habits and even worse humor. “No sex, no sweet talk, no sleep. What kind of hostel is this?”, asks boyfriend A. “It is mine and you are free to leave if you don’t like it!”, the voice exclaims. “You would rob yourself of my fabulous pancakes?”, A asks.
Finally the painkiller kicks in. But my memories stay sealed. I am taken away on a cloud of fluffiness. “Hello, Andy?”, someone slaps me into my face. It’s boyfriend A, close to my face. I am sure, I am supposed to know his name. His lack of trousers irritates me. “He is still high… or again?”, the voice from the bathroom comes to support the other one holding me in place.
“I took some painkillers”, I stutter. “Good. But they are highly dosed. One always sends me onto clouds… two and I am almost trippin’. How much did you take?”, the voice with a fresh smell holds up several fingers and I start to touch them. Harder thought than done. “At least two… it’s just a short high as they kick in. Does this hurt?”, the voice diagnoses and he hugs me so tightly I cough up air.
I am placed on the sofa and the voice from the bathroom, now sitting next to me, tries to make me drink water. “It helps. I take a sip, you take a sip.” Boyfriend B goes to the bathroom. He even misses the shirt: “Why don’t you feed him birdstyle.” He makes kissing noises and runs into the bathroom. “What the hell? Why is he half naked?”, the voice shouts into my ears and I wince. “We cuddled, it was too warm with all the clothes”, boyfriend A answers sheepishly.
I simply smile, I feel really good. Everyone else seems to be tense but I am so relaxed and feeling fine. I start humming a song I think I heard last night. Or maybe… I lean on the voice. “Hey big boy. No cuddling here”, the voice states. “I missed your voice”, I confess. Laughter breaks out and I am irritated. “As long as it’s just my voice”, he sounds relieved.
I have my eyes closed and he holds me. For more than 20 minutes the world is my oyster. Then the thinking kicks back in and my mind is not happy. I stiffen as I realize who’s holding me: “Back to reality, hm, Andy-boy?” I open my eyes and cover them with my hands: “Oh no.” More laughter. “You are cute when you are high”, the voice mocks me. More and more people wake up. Ten guys including myself. “What’s with the pancakes?”, the voice asks. And I can hear several: “Pancakes? Pancakes!”
“Are you prepared and equipped accordingly?”, Rufus, I finally remember his name, asks. The voice, Ian, raises his eyebrow: “You told me what you need beforehand.” “You can follow directions? Who would have known…”, Rufus teases. “Quit it, please. Just make the pancakes. Can’t stand your teasing”, Ian begs. Rufus’ boyfriend returns from the bathroom: “Nobody can. Pretty please?” He is… skinny and looks just like Rufus. I can’t remember his name though.
But Rufus changes boyfriends on a regular basis, that I can recall. A hunky dude wakes up the last. Leopold. He was once a bit bigger but now he is quite sporty and… very masculine… and hairy. Fits him. He too is just in his slip that leaves nothing to the imagination. He doesn’t seem to mind. Rufus greets him wordlessly while the others growl and make ape noises.
Ian grabs and hugs Leopold: “How do you do that, hardly any booze and sleepin in like you were the last one out.” Leopold hugs him back, lifts him and places him on the other side. Then we hear him pee. “Close the door at least… next time sit down, please!”, Ian is a control freak. Or he just hates cleaning… most probably the latter.
Another guy sits next to me and sidehugs me: “Damn Anders, stay away from substances… you look like out of prison… or have you been abused at night?” He looks at Rufus’ boyfriend. I can’t remember his name… yet. So I just stare at him. “Blood not in the brain? Too much naked flesh?”, he starts to tease. “I am waiting for something interesting coming out of your mouth, but it’s just the usual shit chat”, I retaliate. He is kind of surprised: “Excuse me Sir, what kind of mood is that?” “Between high and headache. Leave him be, Jasper!”, Rufus shouts over. “Oh, sorry, man. You drank like a hoe… hole.. I mean… oh damn. You ok?”, Jasper seems to be off-track.
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