31.

I fell asleep as Grod drove back across the country, and when he shook my shoulder to wake me up I looked out the window and realized we'd already reached our destination. Apparently Grod had driven me straight to my apartment, rather than the bar like I was expecting. I couldn't remember if he was supposed to know where I lived, but it didn't seem very important anymore. The building was completely dark, and managed to look even more run-down than I remembered, which seemed pretty impressive to me at the time. As I looked from empty window to window I realized that since Grod and I had left the bar weeks ago, I hadn't thought once about my home, or my parents, or anything I left behind. Maybe I hadn't planned on coming back at all.

"Welp," said Grod, "I suppose-"

"Wait," I interrupted, "We left all my shit in Mexico."

"Nah," he said, "it's in the trunk. I got it before we left. I owe you a couple weeks pay, I think. It's in there, too." Grod popped the trunk, and we both got out and met in front of the car. He threw the dufflebag into my chest, and put a briefcase on top of that. "Well," he said, extending his hand to shake mine, "It was a pleasure working with you."

I opened up my hand under my dufflebag, struggling to hold onto everything, but Grod grabbed my hand and pulled on it, causing everything to fall. He started to laugh, but then the briefcase cracked open, letting loose a barrage of green leafs with "100" in the corners. I was still picking up the bills when Grod got back in the car and gunned the engine. He rolled down the window and pointed at me.

"Two weeks, Paul," he said, "Two weeks. Be ready." Then he put the car in gear and sped away, sending the remaining cash fluttering all over the road.

I stuffed everything I could find into the briefcase and pressed it closed, then gathered up my stuff and stepped up onto the porch. I put my key in the lock, but realized when I tried to turn it that the door wasn't locked after all. Cautiously I pushed it open and stepped inside.

It was dark as hell inside, and when I tried the light switch I found that the power was, not surprisingly, still off. I piled my belongings up next to the front door and walked into the kitchen. As soon as I did, I realized that something wasn't right.

"Ahhhh!" sounded a battle cry in the kitchen, and before I knew it I had been taken to the ground by an exorbitantly fat man in short white shorts and a wife-beater. "I'm calling the cops!" he said with one hand on my throat and the other searching his pocket. "You'd better fucking--Paul?"

"Yes," I said as best I could without a working esophagus.

"Well, shit. Gary said you'd up and disappeared."

The man stood up, and I did too. I rubbed my throat with my hand. "What the hell are you doing in my apartment?"

Now that things had calmed down, I finally recognized this man as one of my landlord Gary's friends. "Gary said I could live here, man."

"Shit," I said. "Okay, I know I haven't paid my rent or anything lately, I haven't even been here. Something came up. But I'm back now, and I need somewhere to live."

"Where were you?" The man was looking at me oddly, and I wondered, for the first time, what I looked like. I vaguely realized that I probaly hadn't shaved, bathed, or even changed my clothes in several days.

"You wouldn't belive it," I said.

"Well, you know Gary's gonna be looking for his rent," he said. "I mean, he's gotta pay his bills, you know."

"But you don't even have electricity," I protested. It was true - I could barely see the man in the darkness. He shrugged. After a brief, awkward silence I hazarded, "I'm sorry, I forgot your name."

"Larry, man," he smiled, "The name's Larry." We stood in the darkness some more until he finally spoke again, "Yeah man, I mean, you're welcome to sleep here on the floor if you want."

A rush came over me, and for a moment I figured I should go off on him. I mean, this was my place and I should be able to sleep in my fucking bed. But he was right. I hadn't been there a while, and it really didn't matter all that much. "Thanks, man," I said, "I think I will." More silence followed, and then I remembered my favorite past time. "Ok, Larry, I'm heading out to the bar. I'll see you later tonight."

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