chapter 26

-  -  -   -   - – - –-  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - b o o t y d h a r m a ’  s v a n b o o r k i n w o r k i n w o r k i n w o r k i n w o r k i n w o r k i n w o r k i n w o r k i n -– - – - - -  -  -   -     -      - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

So bootydharma use to be a big drinker but now he doesnt drink anymore, and in order to make up for all the years he got away with drivin drunk, he gives drunk peeple rides. if you see booty dharmas van, wherever, whenever, you can hop in. and if your drunk enough, he’ll give you a ride.

—oh i remember. neutralmilk hotel. in the airplane

over the sea.

she said it so matter o factly it almost got by me.

—reely?

she nodded.

—firstime i heard that record i thought  you can do this,

with your life. music, i mean.

—well i’m glad you did, i think you made the rite choice

[ fanstruck stuttering praise etcetera ]

—not the firstime but whos countin, so which side were you on?

—which what?

—side a the bet, i see D is behind this.

D was backthere cacklin to herself while she wiped
prater vomit off her glasses with johnsons flannel shirt.

—the wrongside.

—if you want my advice, dont take any a D’s bets.

no matter how much of a sure thing it might seem.

kayla peekd her head into the fronta the van.
it was like a seprate room up here.

—So yall met a-l?

—not ofishally⋞ booty-d  ⋟

introductions were made, we shook hands,

it was awsom.

—we useto be lovers⋞ kayla  ⋟

—yes we did⋞ booty-d  ⋟

—but we’re not’n y more⋞ kayla  ⋟

dont imagine sadness tho. kayla reported it like a kid
tellin her mom what she did at school that day, and it was a pretygood day.

then bootydharma took out a cigaret-lookin thing, but it was too big for a cigaret, but i dont think it was a one-hitter. he put it to his lips and inhaled, and then what hapend is two conversations began simultaneusly and went on paralell, ocasionly intersecting like a trail and a river but moreso, because they got mixed up together.

Anyway, their real into simulconvee here. i ve been wantin to give it a
shot, so here goes—

—so you took the bait?⋞booty-d to me  ⋟

kayla squinted at the cigaret.

—you mean D’s bet?⋞me  ⋟

—whats that?⋞kayla  ⋟

—no, my invitation to athens⋞bd  ⋟

—its an e-cigaret⋞madi to k  ⋟

—so that was you?⋞me  ⋟

—whats an eesigret?⋞k  ⋟

—theres only one bootydarma i hope⋞←b d→⋟an electronic cigaret. no smoke see?

bootydharma suckd on the apparatus, then exhaled something that lookd like smoke exept it disapeard instantly.

—you must be the one who told them i was comin⋞me to bd  ⋟

kayla held out an empty cup.

—  i might a warnd a person or two⋞←bd→⋟ would you like a drink kayla?

—is that somethin yall do to fuck with

—sure!⋞k  ⋟

peeples minds?⋞me  ⋟

—theres oldcrow in the console⋞bd  ⋟

—not exacly⋞bd, to me  ⋟

—whats a console?⋞k  ⋟

—morelike to not to fuckwith yourmind⋞m  ⋟

—th’thing between the seats⋞bd to k  ⋟

—athens is confusin enough as it is⋞bd  ⋟

—why dintcha just say that?⋞k  ⋟

—troodat⋞m  ⋟

—cause theres a word for it⋞bd  ⋟

—especialy since nobody will explain

—consoles a stupid word⋞k  ⋟

anything to me⋞me  ⋟

—you gota better one?⋞bd  ⋟

—

—yeah. shitbox⋞k  ⋟

confusion isnt always a bad thing ⋞←m→⋟did you justsay shitbox?

—i knew youd come⋞bd to me  ⋟

—i made it up!⋞k  ⋟

—how?⋞me  ⋟

—i nevercould remember whatcha calld

—when i mentiond neutralmilk dude,

that thing⋞m  ⋟ i like shitbox way better.

i could see your drool thru the screen,

—its a box for yer shit⋞k  ⋟

i betchyou read that shit ten times.

—i m never gona say console again.

—i read it a few⋞ me  ⋟

—y know i made it up⋞ bd  ⋟

my face fell, i am sure.

—you did not!⋞ m to bd  ⋟you shuldnt fuckwith newbies like that.

—aright, i didnt make it up⋞ bd  ⋟but i had you. you shoulda

seen yourself, al. you had suckerface.

—you have a prety awsom suckerface⋞ madi to me, then

to booty-d  ⋟whadju tellim about?

—firstime jeff playd in town—

—with elfpower and he was

nockin peeple over and broke aarons drums. dont handout all your goldstars
now al, booty-d’ll give you plennymore chances to be imprest.

—but i am imprest.

—i’m sure you woulda been there if youd livd in

athens then, but remember— most people didnot. its easy to forget that
sometimes. your here now, thats what matters.

madi’s little speech made me feel kinda woozy, like
taylor and his nyquil.

—but i’m not— here.

—sure ya are⋞ madi  ⋟even if you dont plan to be here forever,

your here now.

—well thats true.

soon as i admitted that, i felt light, like i’d shifted up a few inches.

it was scary, but i breathd in like a flowerout like a cloud

this is not a metaphor not a metafor 

you can be a flower  you can be a cloud

you already are

[ chapter 27 ]