Rear Wheel Drive-Chapter 1-New Year's Day
The laughter filled the nearly full dorm room. Jamie's music filled the air and forced my head and mind to move with it, it so deeply penetrated my soul.
"There's no way you can chug a liter of coke in under a minute Nathan", Tessa laughed.
I laughed, "yeah, you'll get high faster than if you drank a liter of beer, plus, the sugar will rot your teeth."
Tessa, my girlfriend, was a year younger than me at 20. She was about five eleven with dark brown hair that came past her shoulders and bright blue eyes. She was currently dressed in a white T-Shirt, blue jeans and a jean jacket that was slightly too big for her. She was one of the sweetest girls that I knew and I loved her.
Nathan, on the other hand, was the oldest of us all at 25 and the most obnoxious person on the face of this Earth. He was an even six feet with brown hair that was streaked with red highlights. He always dressed in cargo jeans, a red shirt and a brown jean jacket. He had a black G-Shock clasped around his wrist and this red band he always wore on his off hand. He said it was a memento from before his Dad was killed in a car wreck at Le Man's. He's still not over it. I sometimes wonder if he ever will be.
"I know I can", Nathan said, "ask Jamie, he'll tell you."
Jamie was another friend of ours. He was only about 5'11, shorter than most of us. He always dressed in these faded jeans and a white shirt. His hair was short and black, very black and his eyes were a frosty blue like Tessa's. It was his won private curse that he was Nathan's roommate. He was also sick all the time, and no one really knows why, because he won't tell us, but I suspect it was carelessness at the hospital.
"Well?", Tessa asked looking at Jamie, "can he?"
"You have no idea", Jamie replied, "I saw him do it once and he never came up for air, and didn't spill a drop."
"I bet five bucks you can't", Allen said.
Allen, who was a year older than me, stood at about six one. He had brown hair and eyes and always dressed in tan cargo pants and a black shirt, always. He was kind of cocky and it made him come on as an ass, but once you cut through all the smack he talks he's a real nice guy.
Nathan unscrewed the lid to big bottle of Coke and started drinking it down. All of us sat there awestruck as he drank the entire one liter in less than forty five seconds. When he was done, he took at deep breath and let out the loudest, longest burp I'd ever witnessed.
"Holy crap", Tessa said, "41 seconds."
"That's his personal best", Jamie said, "now you know the horror I am forced to forever endure."
"Horror?", Nathan asked, "what's so horrible?"
"You", Jamie said, " You crashed that 500 one to many times Nate, your head's messed up."
"Says the guy driving a Challenger", Nathan replied, "my Shelby is worth more than your Challenger ever will. Plus, if I crashed that car, my Mom would murder me."
I laughed, "yeah, she probably would."
Tessa grabbed another slice of pizza and then looked at the clock, promptly putting the pizza back, "it's almost midnight guys", she said, "school lets off tomorrow and it's a day's drive to CA."
"Yeah", I said leaning forward in my bean bag, "we gotta leave early so we can get there by 5 and get a hotel. Once Saturday hits, any hopes of finding one is ppfft, gone in the wind."
"No kidding", Jamie said, "whose car we taking?"
"We can take my pickup", I said, "it has the most space for us and our stuff."
"The Avalanche with the carburetor?", Jamie asked.
"Yeah", I said.
"How'd you even find that anyway?", Jamie asked, "my old man works on cars and he said he'd never seen a Cummins inline four with a carb on it before."
"My Dad did it", I said, "ask him. Now please, I'm going to bed, so leave my presence."
"See ya bro", Nathan said.
"Yeah", Jamie said, "see ya."
My friends left, leaving me, Allen and Tessa.
"Night my boy", Tessa said kissing me.
"And night to you too", I said returning it.
Tessa left and shut the door behind her, leaving just me and Allen.
"Saw ya working that hot chick", Allen said laughing.
"What the hell is your deal?", I asked pulling of my shirt and walking into the bathroom, flipping on the shower.
"You could have gone for some lip smacking", Allen laughed through the door, "but instead, you held back."
"Shut up you ass", I laughed over the shower, "your jealous 'cause you ain't got a girlfriend. This is Texas AM, so how you don't get beat up astounds me."
"Because everyone knows when I get a girlfriend", Allen said, "I'll have me some lips on the first date."
I sighed at my friend's ignorance. Allen was like a brother to me, but sometimes he was such a thorn in my ass I wanted to put a pillow over his face and hold it there till he stopped kicking.
"You suck Al", I said, "you know that?"
"I'm told", Allen said as I stepped out of the shower.
"What you doing in there Lucas?", Allen asked.
"Come in here and I'll shank you with my toothbrush", I said.
Allen laughed, "I get you every time man, I'm laying in bed with my tablet."
"I'm gonna make you sign something that says you will not speak to me while I'm in the shower", I said dressing and walking out.
"And if I don't?", Allen asked glancing up from his tablet.
"Then I might hold a pillow over your head until you stop kicking", I said cracking open the window and turning on the fan.
"Some pretty dark stuff", Allen said putting away his Ipad, "night dude."
I rolled into bed and covered up, "yeah, night man."
I rolled over and found a comfortable position before falling asleep.