The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 21, 2000, Page 7, Image 7
Quote of the Day
“A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway.”
- Fr. Jerome Cummings
A New York Love Story
Part II
A Gamecock fiction
by Ann Marie Miani, Clayton Kale, Brad Walters, Mackenzie Craven, Brandon Larrabee, Todd Money,
Brock V e r g a k i s, Pete Johnson, David Cloning er , Kevin Langston, Kristin Freestate, Kenley Young,
Rebecca Cronican
Gamecock Staff
he walked toward his car with a new sense of de
srmination, something caught his eye. A tall, blond
aired, blue-eyed goddess asked him what was wrong.
Completely mesmerized, it took him a minute to reply. “I
just got screwed over by an old friend,” he said. “There’s
nothing like the pain that is caused by a woman.” Not miss
ing a beat, the goddess said, “Yes, but there’s nothing like
the tender healing of one, either.”
“You look like you could use some healing,” she said.
“Why don’t we go some place quiet and talk.” Somehow,
in only a few moments, the goddess had begun to ease his
pain and anger. He quickly accepted her offer and told him
self he’d deal with his ex’s suitor later. Now was the time
to “ease his pain.”
They both went in the goddess’ car and drove for hours
talking, until they realized exactly how far they had gone.
They had reached the Canadian border together and real
ized it was getting late and they both needed sleep. To
drive back to New York would take hours, but to drive to
-Montreal could be done relatively quickly. The decision
was made, and they entered Quebec. Immediately, they
were surrounded by French signs, and the conversation
turned toward the French language, the language of love.
As they arrived at a downtown Montreal hotel, there was
a definite connection between the two that could not be de
• 1
lilCU.
Immediately their conversation turned from French
words to French kisses, until there were no more words
to say. This was not a time for words; this was a time for
passion. This was a time to experience all the goddess
had to offer. This was a time to “ease his pain.”
♦>♦>♦>
James awoke to an uncomfortable, wet, sticky feeling
in his pants. His face was mushed down into the back
seat of his 1989 gold Pontiac 4000 LE and his feet dan
gled out from the open door. He groaned as his head pound
ed with the fuiy that only a long night of drinking could
cause.
“But she seemed so real...” he mused.
He moved his head to the side to see a dried pool of
vomit on the floor.
“Awwww maaaaaan...” he groaned. “That’s gonna be
a bitch to clean.”
He gingerly pushed himself up, backed out of the car
and fell onto the lawn, landing next to a kid who was still
lying there passed out from the night before. What a wild
night it was. James could hardly remember anything that
had happened.
Did Carrie show up with Laura or was that just a dream,
too? He wished it were, but he knew better. Carrie did show
up, and he made a fool of himself: How was he ever going
to win her back now?
And Ryan was another stoiy. He still felt the pain of
having Miranda stolen from him those many years before
and he was not about to let the same person steal anoth
er.
He got up and staggered through the front door, which
still stood wide open from the night before. The bodies of
those who were casualties of last night’s party lay strewn
over couches, in corners and wherever space would ac
commodate.
This was starting to look like a scene straight out of
“Animal House” or one of those countless cheesy ‘80s flicks
where eveiyone got trashed and passed out in awkward po
sitions. The house was a wreck. Empty beer cups from
the night before were littered everywhere, pretzels and
cheese balls were ground into the carpet from the feet of
those who had passed over them, and there was Ryan
All innocent looking, fast asleep on the couch, proba
bly having sweeter dreams than James could ever have.
Hey, was that a shiner on his right eye? Wonder how he
got that. And with that thought, James hatched an idea.
He made his designated pit stop in the bathroom to
take a whiz and then made his way toward the kitchen. Af
ter searching several cupboards, he found it. A blue ceramic
bowl, about 16 inches wide at the mouth and 10 inches deep.
He smirked and let out a sinister chuckle as he tested the
water temperature, then filled it up about half way.
With a splash, he gently dropped Ryan’s hand into the
bowl and turned to leave.
-L _l_l. 1_1_ _T__1_i_ " _ i_l_ * _ t_
rvii, cui, anumi ... nui ou xaoi uamco, wnai 13 lino l op^y;
A Polaroid camera sat on the edge of the wooden cof
fee table. James turned around, camera in hand, just in
time to see a small puddle expanding on the floor be
neath the couch.
He almost couldn’t hold the camera straight. He was
crying, laughing so hard his sides hurt, but keeping his
mouth shut to contain the noise.
James grabbed the still-undeveloped picture and ran
outside to let out a burst of laughter that could have shat
tered the windows of neighboring houses. He hopped in
the driver seat, put his keys in the ignition and turned them
to hear nothing at all. Pissed off and momentarily perplexed,
James realized that he had passed out with the door open.
The light was on all night, and now his battery was dead!
Karma was catching up to him. James had been having
a streak of bad luck, and now it was getting worse.
*♦* V *♦*
rf all the rotten luck. James had momentarily for
gotten the first rule of engaging the enemy. Always
make sure the escape route was up and running be
fore taking the-first shot.
“Dammit,” James sighed. What else could he do? It was
relatively early in the morning, so James straightened him
self out as best he could, tucked his wrinkled, smelly shirt
back in, tied his right shoelace, (was that a chunk of
meatloaf entangled in the lace?) and started homeward.
“I’m a healthy guy, right?” James thought. “It could on
ly be a couple of miles.”
James was dying.
He hadn’t felt like this since running track back in the
day when he still smoked. Hair hanging in his eyes, sweat
pulsing from his forehead with every heartbeat,-the sun
driving into his hungover head like some kind of medieval
dagger, James now knew what Charlton Heston felt like
when he was crawling through the desert in “Ben-Hur.”
“Where the hell am I?” wondered James as he panted
and labored up yet another hill. This part of the world did
n’t seem familiar, just scrub brush, trees and a desolate
road cutting through it like a solitary ribbon in a head of
blond hair. Of course, he could just turn back and grab a
ride, but come on, that would mean having to swallow his
pride and possibly face Ryan again. Despite the anger that
welled inside him about the other man, the drunken, ex
hausted state prevailed and James stumbled onward.
As he reached the crest of another hill, James turned
and looked in the direction he came from. A solitary car
was rising over the hill, but he didn’t recognize it as any of
the ones his friends drove.
A momentary smile split James’ face as he stopped on
the side of the road, raked his fingers through his hair
and stuck out his thumb.
The car came closer until James was sure the driver
could see him. At about 65 yards away, the vehicle started
slowing down and began edging over to the side of the road.
“At last,” James thought.
Suddenly, the car sped up, covering the remaining 25
yards between it and James with frightening speed.
James had enough time to utter, “Holy...” and desper
ately leapt to his left before he felt a searing pain in his right
leg and was tossed into the air, falling God knows where.
The last things James saw before his world turned black
were the taillights of the car burning twin holes into the
early morning light and the asphalt pavement rushing up
to meet him.
To Be Continued...
Campus Notes
Music and film
society presents film
The Creative Music and Film Soci
ety will present Monty Python’s “The
Meaning of Life” at 6 p.m. Sunday in
the Gambrell Hall Auditorium, room
153. This is free and open to the pub
lic. It will be shown on a 13-foot screen
on DVD-Letterbox in stereo. For more
information, call Kevin Green at 79}
7378.
Asian studies center
sponsors discussion
The Center for Asian Studies is spon
soring an Asian Election Watch Series,
“Political Demography and Recent
Elections in Korea,” given by Dr. Ken
Shin, from the department of sociolo
gy at USC, at 3 p.m. Tuesday in
Gambrell Hall Room 429. For more in
formation, call the Center for Asian
Studies at 777-0437.
Recital to feature
black sacred music
Students are invited to attend a recital
of black sacred music entitled “Re
membering Why We Sing” at 5 p.m.
Sunday at the Union Baptist Church
(1800 Germany Street, Columbia). The
presentation consists of a combination
of performance styles, musical quali
ties, history and social function. For
more information, call Frankie Good
man at 777-2636.
r.c. uenter win noia
stress blowout
The semiannual USC Stress Blowout
“Late Night at the Blatt” will be from
6 p.m. to midnight Wednesday at the
P.E. Center. There will be games, food,
door prizes and more. The event is
sponsored by Gamecocks Advocating
the Mature Management of Alcohol,
the Office of Alcohol & Drug Pro
grams, Carolina Productions and USC
Campus Recreation.
Briefs for Campus Notes can be sub
mitted to Russell House Room 333
or e-mailed togckfeatures@yahoo.com.
We can't promise to print everything,
but we can promise to try.
• CORRECTIONS
The caption for the Earth Week pho
to on the front page Wednesday mis
spelled the name of Sgt. 1st Class Wenk.
The Gamecock strives to report the
facts correctly and responsibly. If you
come across any inaccuracies in our
reportage, please let us know.
Propecia
I (finasteride)
Ask your doctor about this pill
} from T :rck.
For more inform* tion, call
5 1-888-MERCK-74.
I
§
o www.piopecia.com
f*’ f r Throwing your money
tlCutlQVK away on rent or dorm fees?
csourccs Well Don’t
Real Estate stnce 1983
Specializing in the sales of:
Condos & Townhomes
in the USC and
Downtown Areas
799-0859
(Toll Free: 1-888-799-0859)
1516 Richland Street
E-mail: landmark@logicsouth.com
Establish yourself
by investing in
your future.
Properties available in:
Park Circle * Plaza Centre
Senate Plaza * The Edisto
Place on the Greene
Single family homes also available
I | M
Sera Tec can help you earn
some fast cash!
New donors can earn...
$25 First Donation
$40 Second Donation
Regular donors can earn
$40 per calendar week!
Bring I.D. w/ Date of Birth & Social Security Number
| Hours: Mon, Wed, Fri - 7:30-4:00 • Tues & Thurs - 7:30-5:00
I_Now Open Saturdays ■ 9:00 -1:00_
j w I » j ra rlwiI m
fe; PI r t 3L' m.3v 11*;
EGG DONATION PROGRAM
Women Helping Women
Healthy, young women (21-32 years
of age) are needed to donate eggs
anonymously to help infertile
couples achieve pregnancy. This
procedure does not involve
surrogacy and requires only a
month of your time. Accepted
donors are compensated
$1,500 - $2,000.
For more information call: 803.779.4668