Ringing Round For A Night Out (Part 2)

Ringing Around For A Crowd

With Shawn leaving for Tyler’s house to pick up his jacket I began my night of planning that minutes earlier was given up. A big crowd always pulls big confidence and it would have brought complacency to my otherwise shy life. The first person I decided to call after Tyler left was to see if Jett wanted to come down for the night. However, Jett was babysitting with Min-Su at her house and as they were home alone, I gathered why he wanted to stay.

Despite this, I obtained Anders’s number off Jett and giving Anders a call next I was again let down. Anders had already left for the Catholic Club but that only meant that meeting him there would be more of a certainty. Third, giving Binh a call I put on the enthusiastic voice as the two of us began talking. Asking him how his trip was and always keeping an elevated high I asked if he wanted to come along to the Catholic Club because a couple of people were going to be there.

“What’s the special occasion” he asked, figuring that my trying to call everyone had to have a catch. “Nothing man” I replied, “I just hate sitting at home and watching the weekends waste, I’m trying to make plans, get everyone together”. Binh told me that he would head down to the Catholic Club a little later in the night by himself which gave me some hope of his arrival but made me suspicious as to his desires. I figured that this was Binh’s way of turning down my invitation for the night, to silently slip away into the gray area of the night.

The buzz was even in the air to give Johnnie a call to see if he wanted to meet up with us at the Catholic Club. For this past week I’ve wanted to give Johnnie a call so I can plan some sort of gathering to head to the City. Johnnie would be the best option as he knows Tyler so he wouldn’t have too much trouble intermingling with everyone. However, Johnnie wasn’t home as I heard the answering machine so I figured there was only one place he could be, the Catholic Club.

Chatting Up Ace’s Girlfriend

As the night lengthened and the inevitability of my heading out drew closer I decided to give one more person a try despite my earlier attempts and chat to his girlfriend weren’t too promising. In my cocky mood of old, when I started talking with Ace’s girlfriend the sarcasm and attitude that kept her laughing and thinking I was an easy to get along with flirt reminded me of my old ways. Back in the day, on the phone, I used to be a dynamo.

Last night, in my conversation with Ace’s girlfriend that smooth roll came flowing back. From the onset, I was (For lack of better illustration) a smooth operator and if it hadn’t have been Ace’s girlfriend she would have harbored some secret interest for me, that’s my opinion. The conversation was cocky in which I never allowed there to be a sizeable gap, always asking questions and keeping that irremovable smile of zest on her face.

The conversation began not with my asking where Ace was but with my asking who was on the other line as she came from call waiting. Explaining that it was her lady friend I kept the conversation up, asking where Ace was. “He’s at work love” she told me trying to figure out whom I was. Finding out that Ace was getting back at 10:00 p.m. from Penrith his girlfriend went on to note that he wouldn’t be allowed to go out for the night.

“You have him locked down by ball and chain” I asked and as she smiled in agreement I made a crack about how I had the key to get him out. “I’m in the prime of my age” I uttered, “I can’t be stopped”. From Ace I changed the subject as I heard swishing noises in the background and asking what the hell it was she told me that they were both moving.

Video Collections And Call Waiting

Advised that they were moving in with Ace’s parents I made some more lucid conversation by noting they had a great video collection. “Oh, in Ace’s room you mean” she remarked inquisitively and figuring she probably thought I meant a porno collection I noted “Yeah that’s what I meant, but is there something you should be telling me about”.

“Shouldn’t you get back to your friend on the other line” I asked her, having already been around five minutes on the phone together. “Nah, I don’t really want to talk to her” she uttered making me feel privileged to have held a conversation with my new confidence for so long. Despite my continually saying that I would let her get back to her friend I also kept digressing to small portions of conversation.

Finally, I noted “When Ace gets home you make sure to have him give me a call here, he has my number” and after some more procrastination I let her go. Being in such a confident boon I didn’t want to end my favorable conversation so soon but I knew the great me of old had to come to an end at some time. Nevertheless, our conversation ended because I received another call on my call waiting and figuring that it should be time for her to get back to her friend, I said goodbye and answered the call.

Shawn Ditches The Plan

Finding the caller to be Shawn, I was somewhat surprised how with a couple of words he did undo the whole night of planning. Binh told me something when we were at the Catholic Club that sticks to Shawn’s character like an ego. “Shawn uses everyone for what he can get” Binh told me later that night as I informed him that Shawn decided to head out with Ralf after all. That was the purpose of Shawn’s call, to inform me that he was at Ralf’s house and getting ready to head for the City.

So basically, he dogged Ralf, had me lie to Ralf when he rang me up asking for Shawn, he borrowed a jacket from Tyler and then headed home only to reunite with Ralf again. That is a good case of using people for personal benefit, a touch from Keith’s selfishness. The difference between Keith being selfish and Shawn taking all he can get is that Shawn has an amount of respect and dignity, Keith has none. Keith will knock down everyone to get what he wants, Shawn will inquire and possibly dog but in a way so that you will still hold respect for him.

Upon hearing the damning news that my night was literally in ruins I took a step back to look at the whole picture. For a couple of seconds I felt a void inside of me, a hopelessness, knowing that nothing was going to happen and all that anticipation going to waste. You build yourself up for something only to find it won’t even create a stir. To add insult to injury, the series of things that happened next would downcast what would have been some commendable plans on the last moment.

Scrambling For A Lift

Somehow Shawn invited me down to the City with him and Ralf because he knew the night was going to be shit. “If Tyler and I head down to the City” I questioned, “Will you come out to a nightclub with us”. Shawn agreed damning himself more for being a dog and user as we would be leaving behind Ralf. Regardless, with these details I asked Shawn to advise Ralf of the plans and also to see if we could get a lift down with the both of them.

Somewhere in this time I decided to give Keith a call or I think way before this time. Upon asking him what was going on he uttered “Everyone but me is headed down to the Catholic Club”. Upon asking the reason, the pussy whipped Keith told me that he was spending the night with Tamsen to watch a movie. Keith, one who was making plans to head out on the weekend since Monday, who had managed to loosely arrange a night and then to fold in the dying minutes to his pussy-whipped mind.

What makes this situation worse is that Tyler had already left for the Catholic Club in which he was there alone, waiting for Keith and I to walk in. When I called Tyler after my tussle of decisions with Shawn and began to unfold the dogging story his first words were “Fuck Keith’s the biggest dog”. For the next two or three minutes we empathized about that fact as I unleashed all the dislike I have for Keith, mostly on these pages.

Bringing forward the plan to head to the City, Tyler didn’t sound too pleased or interested. Despite my persuasion that almost had him buckling to my suggestion, Tyler didn’t want to catch a train into the City and face uncertainty of whether or not Shawn will come with us. Nevertheless, Tyler agreed to head down to the City if we got a lift from Ralf and with that in mind I gave Shawn a call back.

Ralf Says No

Even before I had the chance to share the news Shawn informed me in a despairing voice that Ralf wouldn’t allow us to jump in his car. Ralf, the pig-headed who doesn’t want to take shit from no one and because it’s his car and his time, he won’t bend on any of his plans. As far as Ralf was concerned, his well being was all that mattered and despite his coming to pick up Tyler and I who were already ready which would have taken ten minutes, he decided to be stubborn.

Still, as I chatted with Shawn I asked if he was still intent on meeting up with us if we caught a train into the City. Acting as if he didn’t want Ralf to hear his answer he agreed that he would meet up with us if we made our way down to the pub just down from my work. Blessed with a touch of good news I wasn’t too sure if I could trust Shawn with my night. Placing all the good-will of my hopes and expectancies onto a burdensome Shawn and Ralf, that was a bit of a gamble.

Calling back up Tyler I told him the story and how we had to catch a train but as estimated, Tyler didn’t want to catch a train down and a night-ride back home. “Nah man, I’m just going to stay here tonight, wait for Binh to come down” he despondently cited. Again, that void was felt in my chest, of hopelessness, of knowing that my expectations had been dashed. Hanging up the phone with Tyler I was trying to look on the bright side.

Tyler Changes His Mind

Instead of seeing all the dogs and the pricks who call themselves my friend but don’t stick their hands out to help us have a good night, I saw my chance to fill up these pages of my memoirs. However, as Tyler called me back minutes later saying “Fuck it, let’s go to the City, this is shit” the expectation started swelling in these veins again.

Already having my Hound Dog gear firmly wrapped tightly on my body and having danced in front of my mirror for fifteen minutes, I was pumped to go out. Agreeing that I would meet with Tyler down at the Catholic Club I quickly prepared my money and tried giving Ace another call. The way I figured, if we were headed to the City then Ace would have been a great person to come along with us and if he wanted to drive, bonus.

Round Two On The Phone

The second conversation with Ace’s girlfriend was just as favorable as the first to my confidence. The time had now arrived to 9:45 p.m. on Friday night and feeling like my chatting to Ace would ride the night’s fate through, I wanted him to be home. Nevertheless, when his girlfriend picked up the phone again and I just started chatting as if I had known her since we were children and as if we were already halfway through conversation, I was having just as great a time.

In this conversation I sought to ask how old she was, more news about their moving out and I also asked about the glasses she wears. Figuring we could find a common interest, I started to tell her my story about the plastic glasses costing me $350 if I am to buy them and we discussed how we were only paying for the name. Ace’s girlfriend actually had her mum buy the glasses but they ended up costing around $220.

Alas, even though our second conversation took fifteen minutes, Ace didn’t arrive home in time. Nevertheless, I asked her politely if she could advise Ace that we would be at the Catholic Club for the night and if he had any queries to call Tyler or myself for the night. Before leaving our conversation I got into the conversation about my personality pledging that I was shy. “Oh I can see that” she sarcastically huffed.

Replying with sincerity I said “On the phone, I’m a dynamo and I have the greatest confidence but if you see me in person, you’ll see that I’m shy”. Adding to my comment I asked “Didn’t I look shy when you saw me at Byblos” I asked of her and as she had to think for a couple of seconds she agreed half-heartedly. Content that my flamboyant charm was being recognized again, I was grateful for a second conversation of bliss…