Basement Royalty

Chapter 10

Over the weekend, Ray persuaded his mom to let him go to the party, as long as he found someone to drive him there and back again the next day. Another condition was that he didn't drink, but Ray told himself that was less of an issue. After all, he didn't plan to get properly drunk. Just a little tipsy. He sent Ryan a Facebook message with the news and received a happy thanks in return. By Monday, he was really starting to look forward to the party. It was still a little formidable, but he was sure he would be fine. Now he just needed one more thing.

He had texted Joel and checked that they were still okay to meet up on Monday in the library and got a confirmation. So, after he had eaten with the others, he headed upstairs, dodging a passing senior with an armful of books. He looked around the library, not finding Joel sitting at the computers or at one of the tables doing work. Finally, he spotted him, sitting on the floor next to one of the armchairs in the corner, leaning on the wall. He headed over and stood next to him.

"Hey, Joel." He said. Joel looked up from the book in his hands and smiled.

"Hi. Do you wanna sit down?" He asked.

"Sure." Ray put down his backpack and sat down on the floor opposite him. "What are you doing down here?"

"Well, I didn't have any work to do today, so I'm just hanging out."

"Why do you come here on Mondays? You never told me."

"Everyone else is busy on Mondays. Matt has band practise, Gus has a junior he tutors on Mondays. Geoff always sits with you guys anyway. Burnie used to have football practise, but nowadays he just goes to the gym."

"You could just come and sit with us on Mondays."

"Well, I usually take the chance to do homework or something. Today I just came up here because we arranged to meet here. Otherwise I would have come to sit with you." He shrugged.

"Okay then." Ray paused. "So. About the party..."

"Yeah. The party."

"Are you coming, or not?"

"I think so. I don't know who I'm going to ask to drive me, but as long as I find someone I should be coming." Ray couldn't stop himself from smiling at the news.

"That's great. I'm the same way, though, I don't have anyone to drive me. I was thinking about asking Burnie."

"That might be a good idea, actually. He should be able to take us both, shouldn't he? I mean, he'll take Ashley as well, but... Yeah. I'll ask him later." Joel nodded. "Hopefully he's sober enough to drive us home in the morning."

"Hopefully. That was one of my mom's conditions for letting me go."

"I'm surprised she let you go at all. I mean, come on, a junior's holding a party and a bunch of people you know and a bunch of people you don't are all gonna pile into his house and get drunk."

"I didn't tell her all of that. She doesn't know Ryan's older than me, she doesn't know it'll be any more people than Burnie's party was, and she made me promise not to drink."

"And are you gonna... go through with that?" Joel looked a little concerned suddenly.

"Probably not. I mean, I don't wanna get really drunk. I just kind of want to see what it's like."

"Like I told you, it's overrated. But it's not bad. Anyway, I'll look out for you." Ray laughed.

"You will if you're not so drunk you can't stand."

"I won't be that bad. Or I don't think I will, anyway."

"So..." Ray looked at Joel, who raised his eyebrows and smiled. "What are you gonna do with yourself all night?"