Date: Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:07:42 +0200
From: Egan e2 <egan44@gmail.com>
Subject: My Night with Joe - Part 10: "Party People"

Hi again everyone.

This is the Tenth (And second last) installment in the series "My Night with
Joe" called "Party People".

IMPORTANT: The story parts are in chronological order, so I suggest that you
read the first 9 in the series before jumping into this one (Just search for
"My Night with Joe").

This is an erotic gay story about two guys and involves themes of a sexual
nature, so if that offends you or you are not old enough to read this, then
hit the "back" button and please leave now!

Enjoy!
Egan Sheridan

***

My Night with Joe - Part 10: "Party People"

As I paid the taxi driver and walked over to my dark house, only slightly
lit by the street light shining next door, it looked darker than ever. As I
opened the door, and clicked on the hall light, I half expected to see
Rebecca sitting at the kitchen table. She was not there. Just the hideous
kitchen table cloth that she left for me. I put my bag down and walked over
to it, rubbing my fingertips over the cotton texture, thinking. Looking up
at the clock, it read 7:07 pm.

I pulled out a chair and sat down, suddenly feeling very alone and
depressed. Where was my life going? A few months ago,I had everything
planned out. Becca and I were going to marry and have a few kids. The
perfect suburban family. And now? Now things seemed to have fallen apart.
For the first time in a long time, I did not know what life had in store for
me. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I sighed and put my head
down on my arms, trying to clear my mind. I suddenly jumped, as a car full
of young party animals drove down the street, making a huge noise. I looked
up at the clock, and it read 9:38 pm. Damn, was I that tired? I dragged
myself through to the bedroom, removed my clothes, and fell onto the bed,
letting the sleep take hold of me.

---

The next two and a half weeks were the slowest I had ever experienced. They
dragged on and on. Work was monotonous, food tasted bland (that was probably
just my cooking though, but still), and everything seemed very mediocre. I
never knew what coming home to an empty house every night felt like before
now. I didn't like it one bit. Damn Becca and that loser of hers! Then I
thought about Joe, but pushed it straight out of my mind. What the fuck? I
was supposed to use this three weeks to think about that, but, like a
coward, I pushed it away like it was poison to my brain. However, for some
reason, the closer it got to the end of the three weeks, the more excited I
seemed to get. I was going to see Joe again! Again, just for one weekend,
but it was at least something. Things were going to become more social
again. I would see my best friend, Joe, and my new friend, Brad, soon. What
good guys they were. I was a lucky man to have....

"JASON! Get back to work! You have been sitting at that desk for the last 45
minutes, staring blankly at the screen! I'm not paying you to do nothing...
I am paying you to work!"

"Sorry sir..." I groaned, and moved closer to my keyboard, as my boss walked
past my cubicle, back to his office.

Oh, well... In two days, I'll be back with Joe. And things will be better.
At least for two more days.
They went by quicker, and, before I knew it, the plane touched down, and I
waited patiently for my luggage to come around on the conveyor belt. Walking
through into the arrivals reception area, I looked around, and my heart
lifted, as I picked out the familiar sexiness of my man from the rest of the
crowd. Everyone else seemed like they blurred out, and only Joe was in
focus, smiling from ear to ear. Reaching him, we hugged tightly, patting
each other on the back.

"Hey, buddy" he said, looking very happy.

"Hey, dude. How you doing?"

"I'm doing perfect now that you are here. These were the longest three weeks
ever!"

"You got that right."

"Let's get the fuck out of here, OK?"

"Yeah", I replied, as I grabbed my small kit bag, flung it over my shoulder,
and we walked to his car.

He put his arm around my neck, like we were football team mates that had
just won a match, and we happily chatted away, like we had never been apart.
 Once in the more deserted darkness of the parking lot, Joe, while we
continued walking, pulled me towards him, and kissed me on the cheek, like
he couldn't resist any longer.

"Fuck! I missed you!" he grinned

"Jeez, dude, you don't know how badly I missed you! Being alone in my house,
after a weekend like we had, was pure hell. I have never been so lonely!"

"Actually, I do know... Bradley moved out one week ago! Can you believe that
shit!?"

"What?" I said, acting surprised, opening the car door and getting in,
throwing my bag on the back seat.

"Yeah, said something about one of his mates needed a roommate in order to
make the rent while studying. So you know Brad. He always thinks of his
friends. And he moved out."

"Shit", I replied, as we drove out of the parking lot and headed to Joe's
apartment.

"Yeah, shame. He was loud when he was there, but I miss him. The fact that
he was so loud makes it even more lonely, now that he is gone! The house
seems so empty. But he seems to miss staying there, as he comes around
almost every day for a visit, before running off to his study group."
chuckled Joe chuckled, who and I could see who was missing the company of
Brad.

"Yep, visit and a fuck, no doubt," I laughed, trying to find out what I had
missed.

"Surprisingly, no. Since you left, he seems to be much more subdued. He even
told me that he sees this birthday as a turning point in his life. That he
is trying to grow up now and take his responsibilities more seriously. Don't
know what you said to the guy, but you certainly had an impact on him,
dude."

I smiled, and wondered if Bradley did have this other roommate who needed
help to make half the rent, or if he was just saying that to not let Joe
feel bad. Whatever the answer was, Brad had kept to his word. He must have
really felt strongly for Joe. I felt even more close to Brad now. And more
sorry for him. I hoped his story was true, and that he was not staying
alone. I would definitely find out, when I saw him later.

"But..." Joe continued, "He said that he is going to, I quote, 'party the
fuck out tonight!'"

"Like only Brad can," I chuckled.

"Yep. Twenty one today... Our boy is becoming a man!" laughed Joe.

"Yeah, he is. Where is he now, by the way?" I asked.

"Apparently getting his Med School entry exam results... I certainly hope he
passed. He said he battled a little, and wasn't sure if he had made it.
Would put a bit of a damper on the party if he didn't, that's for sure,",
said Joe, concerned

"Yeah, definitely," I replied, knowing how important becoming a doctor now
meant to Brad, after we discussed it previously.

"One good thing with Brad not staying there now, is that we can at least
chat a bit more. Last time you were here, the weekend flew past like it
wasn't even there. I still don't even know the full story about you and
Becca splitting. We actually have quite a bit of catching up to do."
I nodded, knowing what he meant. I got a nervous twist in my stomach. The
'serious' talking would happen tomorrow or Sunday, that was for sure. I
didn't have a clue if I was ready for it. Even if the last three weeks had
been three years, I would still not know any more than I do right now. The
answer still eluded me. Where the fuck was it!?

---

We arrived at Joe's place, got freshened up, and put on some casual clothes.
I caught a look at myself in the mirror, as we headed out the door, and
thought I looked quite good in my jeans and new red Diesel T-shirt. I was
slightly pissed off, when I noticed how one was creased from being stuffed
into my bag. My admiration in the mirror was cut short, as Joe slapped me on
the ass as he walked past, looking for his keys, and said, "You look
awesome!"

"My sleeve is creased!" I complained.

"Oh, come on...We're gonna be late... Besides, that sounded fucken' gay! We
are going to a party, not a fashion show!" he laughed.

I burst out laughing, thinking, 'My God, that did sound gay!', and we headed
out the door and jumped in the car.

We headed out to what was dubbed 'the Party House', a house that was down
the road, close to the university. A huge, fancy double story, with a
beautiful view from the balconies, that all the students would put cash
together for, to rent for big campus parties in the area. The one that Joe
and I had paid halves for this evening, and tomorrow morning, so that Brad
could have a twenty-first birthday party to remember. I sincerely hoped that
he would enjoy every moment of it, and was quite excited to see the guy.

---

"Hey, mother fuckers!!" shouted the familiar Loudspeaker voice, as we pulled
up to the house, and I stepped out onto the pavement. A huge amount of
people were standing around drinking already; the music was pumping from the
house, and the sun hadn't even disappeared behind the horizon yet! This was
going to be a party of note; that much was obvious!

Brad came running down the pathway and surprised me by jumping up onto me,
wrapping his legs around my waist. I stepped back quickly to support his
weight, thrusting one arm back onto the car to support myself. Joe laughed
from the other side of the car, as he walked around

Bradley shouted, as he ruffled my hair: "JASON! How you doing bitch!?"

"Don't fuck up the hair, dude!" I said, with a big smile, putting him down.

He did a dummy punch to my stomach, causing me to instinctively cringe,
making him burst out laughing. I then suddenly jumped forward, grabbed him
around the neck, and held him in a tight neck lock, as he squealed with
laughter, trying to wriggle out. Joe just stood there laughing at the horse
play.

I let him go and laughed: "How you doing, you mad fucker?"

"I'm perfect Jays. Just perfect. Awesome to see you again!"

"You, too, dude! Happy birthday, by the way," I said, extending my right
hand out to him"

He grabbed it and pulled me forward, giving me a very tight hug. He then
gestured to Joe to join us. Joe came forward, and was suddenly engulfed into
a group hug by Bradley.

"Thank you, guys. This is gonna be an awesome party. I will never forget
what you have done for me here", Bradley said sincerely.

Joe and I both smiled.

"You deserve it," I said.

"You really do... By the way... You have to tell us... did you pass the
exam?", added Joe softly

"Don't know. Haven't opened the envelope yet," he whispered back.

He then broke the hug and stepped back, pointing both his thumbs behind him:
"Listen guys... I have to..."

"Go network; yeah, we know", interrupted Joe

"You go do that", I added, smiling.

"And I will see you bitches later!", he finished, slowly extending his index
fingers, too, pointing them at both of us, like two pistols.

"Later", said Joe and I simultaneously.

Brad smiled, as he turned around and ran back towards the house, up the
steps, skipping a few at a time, in through the doorway, and disappeared
into the growing crowd.

---

The party started to heat up, but it was very informal, just like all the
students liked it. There were no speeches, as per Bradley's request. The
only words being thrown around over the awesome loudspeaker system was that
of the DJ that Joe and I had hired for the party. And, damn, was he good.
The tunes he was filling the house with really got the party going.

I knew there was going to be a lot of students at the party, but, by 9pm, I
was astounded at just how many kept coming through the door. The house was
full, and so was the front and back garden. Students certainly know how to
party. I kind of missed my student days, as I watched everyone partying, and
as I quietly drank a beer, sitting on the steps of the huge staircase
leading up to the second floor. Below me was the huge party 'dance floor'
room. I was really enjoying the party, but had decided that I was not going
to drink like a drunkard that night. I would watch the others do so, and
just chill out and relax; I wanted to feel fresh tomorrow. Seeing all the
party animals going crazy, I realized that Brad was definitely one popular
guy! It was a pity that he had such large emotional barriers around him. He
simply did not let many people into his world, to see the real Brad. As far
as most of those people there were concerned, Brad was a hot jock that had
everything going for him. He was a loud mouth hothead, and everyone loved
him for it. Well, almost everyone. Some people despised his attitude and
forwardness. Hell, when I first met him, I didn't care much for him at all.
But now... Now we were very close...something that surprised me, seeing that
we hadn't even known each other for very long. I was one of the lucky ones
to know the true Brad; not even Joe did.

Thinking of Joe, I looked around for him, and saw him standing with a group
of people on the side of the dance floor, chatting, shouting loudly over the
music, as he laughed at some joke. Joe looked very happy and content. I just
watched him mingle from afar, and was extremely grateful that he was my best
friend. What a great guy! A few minutes later, I saw him looking around the
room for somebody, and then realized it was me. When his eyes finally locked
onto mine, he smiled from ear to ear, and then he waved, as he raised his
beer towards me, and took a sip. I smiled back, doing the same. Then burst
out laughing, as I saw Brad run up behind Joe and jump onto his back, hang
onto him for a few seconds, and jump off again, Joe mock punching at him as
he spun around, laughing. The guys were having a great time; I loved it!
Brad then shouted something into Joe's ear, and Joe turned and pointed up at
me. Brad smiled and waved, making a motion that I should stay right there. I
nodded, expecting him to come running over, but instead he ran over to the
DJ, shouted something to him, and after looking at the laptop screen and
pressing a few buttons, the DJ handed over the microphone to the Loudspeaker
himself... my God, here we go! I looked at Joe questioningly, and he simply
shrugged his shoulders, and smiled. The DJ turned a knob and the music
softened a little... but only slightly. The crowd carried on dancing.

"Hey, all you fucking party animals! How you doing tonight?" shouted Brad,
over the music.
The students erupted with noise, all shouting birthday wishes to Brad, as he
stood on a chair, and then got onto a table next to the DJ. Obviously
knowing how drunks can react at his parties, the stocky man moved and
steadied it with his tree trunk arms.

"I said no formalities for tonight, but I have just two things to say before
we party until we pass out", he screamed. His voice would be hoarse
tomorrow, if he carried on like that, that was for sure.

The crowd went wild again.

"Firstly, I would just like to thank the two most special people in the
world to me. Joe... Where are you Joe?" He looked around until he made
contact with him, and then pointed. "There's Joe! And Jason... Sitting up
there on the steps. They organized this fucking awe-sum-thumm par-tay for
me!"

The crowd went crazy again, as Joe and I smiled. I had never been one to hog
the attention, and felt slightly embarrassed, especially since I was sitting
higher than the dance floor.

"You guys are the best... You are both extremely special to me, and I will
never forget what you have done for me. You guys are my family, and I want
you to know that I love you both, even though you are the oldest guys in the
room! HAHAHA," he laughed, as the crowd clapped and cheered at for Joe and
me. I. I felt my cheeks getting warm, as I raised my beer, and nodded from
my perch, acknowledging him.

"Second, I have a song that I have asked the DJ to play for that man right
there... It is Jason's anthem," said Brad, grinning naughtily, as he pointed
directly at me. In true Brad style, it was not yet enough. I smiled shyly,
looking at Joe, who simply looked at me, shrugged his shoulders, and shook
his head, while smiling.

"Hit it Mr. DJ!" shouted Brad, as he pointed at him.

"Ooohhh YES, I'm the great pretendeeeer.... Ooohhh, Oooohhh," started the
well-known Queen track, as the DJ turned the knob up and let it whine
through the entire house. I burst out laughing, and put my head into my
hands, feeling my cheeks go from pink to chili-red in a matter of 2 seconds.


Bradley screamed with laughter, and shouted on the microphone: "We love you,
Jason!"
I raised my beer to him again and took a big gulp, as the crowd joined in,
screaming the same thing. Tears were running down Joe's face, he was
laughing so much, standing just next to the table. I showed him a fist,
joking that I was going to fuck him up for telling Brad that shit. Obviously
he had done so when he was drunk, sometime ago...and nothing worth a laugh
and a jab missed Brad. A few seconds later, after slow dancing on the table
with himself, Brad shouted to the DJ, using the microphone again, of
course... as if he wasn't loud enough without it: "Ok, Mr. DJ... Put some
real fucking music on!" The beat suddenly rocked up into some student party
music that I had never heard before. Thank the fuck that was over! The crowd
went back into frenzied party mode, and the night continued like before.

A while later, Joe joined me and shouted into my ear, asking if I wanted to
get some fresh air. I gladly accepted, as the house was starting to get very
warm.

We walked up the steps and ventured out onto one of the large twelve by six
meter balconies, overlooking the bay. It looked beautiful, as the night
lights shimmered over the sea, that was visible in the distance. We put our
beers down on the flat railing, standing right next to each other, and
leaned on it with our forearms, looking into the night.

"Damn, that's better," I said, as the cool night air hit me.

"Much! Sorry about Brad's little song request... I honestly had no idea he
was going to do that. I know you don't like that kinda shit. But you know
Brad," said Joe, chuckling.

"Yeah, thanks for selling me down the river by telling him that in the first
place," I said, playfully jabbing him in the left ribs.

"You know me. Another one of my drunken truth-telling sprees!" he laughed,
shaking his head. I smiled back at him, and we just stood there for a few
minutes, admiring the wonderful view, the music slightly softer, now that we
were outside. We were both feeling very relaxed and quite upbeat from the
alcohol.

"What a great place," Joe commented. Joe

"Yeah, perfect evening," I replied.

We just stood there, saying nothing, for about ten minutes. You know you are
comfortable with someone when you can do that. There was no other place I
wanted to be. Standing next to Joe was all I needed. All the craziness that
had gone on the past few months, the conflicted emotions, the worry, the
joy, the sadness, had taken a lot out of me. I started to realize that the
only time I really felt at peace was when I was close to Joe. I sighed,
starting to feel conflicted again.

Joe turned his head and looked at me, saying nothing. I continued to stare
forward. Joe simply put his left arm around my shoulder and lightly squeezed
my neck, and looked forward again. He knew how I felt about
everything...about him and about coming out. He knew I was having a hard
time. He also knew words would not help at that moment. He was right. Joe
knew me so damned well, that he knew all I needed was for him to put his arm
around my neck. I felt emotion welling up. Fuck, I hated this. Was I just
being a coward? Why could I just not see what was in front of me and grab
it. Joe was the best thing that had ever happened to me... ever! Did I even
want to come out? Even if I did, why the fuck was it so damned difficult?
What would people think...my other friends, and my family? Did it even
matter? Yes... No... I don't know! All I knew was that if I wanted to be
with Joe, I would have a difficult time hiding the fact that I was not in
love with him. Why could it just not have been simple? Why could I have not
fallen in love with a girl the same as I had with Joe. I don't suppose you
can control who you fall in love with. That much was clear. Joe was the
person for me, and I was the person for Joe. I put my head down, closed my
eyes, and sighed deeply again.

Joe looked at me and put his left hand on my neck, rubbing it softly.

"It's ok, Jason."

I shook my head slowly, not lifting it. "Tell me, Joe... Am I just being
selfish? Why the fuck am I so scared of this?"

"Because it is scary... Ask me; I know all too well. I've been there. And,
`no', you are the most unselfish person I know. "Remember, this is not
something you do for anyone else. Only you can decide what to do. And
whatever you decide, I'll back it. You will always mean the same to me,
whatever you choose," he said quietly.

"I don't deserve you," I whispered, feeling like I wanted to cry. What the
hell? You don't cry! My situation with Joe had such an effect on me
emotionally, and it was really taking its toll.
Joe smiled and put his arms around me from the side, as I stood leaning
forward, head still in my arms. I tilted my head to the right, and rested it
on his chest.

After a few minutes, he calmly replied, while looking out into the bay over
my head, "You deserve to be happy, regardless of the outcome."

One tear escaped from my left eye. We stood like that for a while, saying
nothing else.

---

As I lifted my head, I felt a somewhat light-headed, and stumbled a little.
I felt like I had had maybe a beer or two too many. Joe quickly steadied me,
and sat me down in one of the deck chairs, sitting up, facing me in the one
next to it.

"You just relax there. I need the toilet. Too much damn beer... I'll be
right back." He smiled gently when as he got up, touching my head, as he
walked back into the house.

"There you are, my old men! I thought you had faded on me!", shouted a
familiar drunk voice from behind me.

"Wait, birthday bitch, let me through... If you don't let me past, I am
going to piss my pants!" said Joe urgently.

I heard Joe's footsteps disappear down the passage into the house. "Old
man's bladder," and I heard

Brad laugh, as he walked out onto the balcony and sat in the chair that Joe
had just occupied. Maybe some Brad humor was just what I needed to try and
lift my spirits. He then suddenly patted me hard on the stomach, making me
lurch up from my half-lying position.

"Wake up! You not falling asleep at my party!" he commanded.

"Do that again, Brad, and I'll puke on you!" I warned. It was not too far
from the truth. Brad laughed.

He then pulled a folded envelope from his jeans back and handed it to me. I
took it, and looked at him, puzzled.

"It's my exam results... I can't open it. But I'm not going to enjoy this
party as much as I could have without knowing... I just can't open it," he
sighed.

"And you want me to do it for you?" I asked.

"Yes... You are the only person who knows what that result means to me."

I looked at the envelope, swung my legs off to the right, and sat on the
edge of the deckchair, looking at Brad. I suddenly got nervous. What
happened if it was not what he needed to hear? How would he react? Of all
people, he wanted me to tell him. Fuck...

"Whatever this says, Brad, you know it doesn't change you... You need to..."

"Yeah, yeah... Please just read it! I can't take it anymore," he said,
staring at the brown envelope.

"OK then...," I said, unfolding it, removing the paper, and opening it. As
my eyes ran over the letters on the page, Bradley stared intently at my
eyes. I could feel his stare burning holes into them.

I slowly looked up at him, and took a deep breath.

"Well?" he said nervously.

I stared blankly at him, and sighed.

"WELL!" he said, raising his voice slightly.

"Welcome to Med School, Dr. Bradley Knox," I said, breaking a smile.

"Jesus! You fucker! You almost gave me a fucking heart attack!" he shouted,
slapping me softly on the cheek, and then jumping up and giving me a huge
hug. I laughed, as I knew how much this meant to him. It was only the entry
exam, but it was a start to something big for Brad.

"Well done, dude!" I shouted, hugging him back.

"WHOOO HOOO!" he howled, as he jumped up. "Now you are going to see me
fucken' party!" and he started to dart back into the house. As he got to the
sliding door, he turned around and said, "Thanks, Jays. I could not have
done that alone." I smiled and gave him a thumbs up, as he disappeared into
the house.

"I passed, Joe! I fucking passed my entry exam!" I barely heard him say over
the music, as he obviously bumped into returning Joe.

"HEY! Fucking awesome, dude! Well done!" Joe shouted.

Two seconds later, and much louder, as I pictured him standing at the top of
the steps, he shouted to the dancing crowd, "I passed mother fuckers! I'm
going to Med School!!!! WHOOO HOOO!"

The crowd reacted accordingly, as I imagined him doing a stage dive into
them, hoping that he wasn't that drunk yet.

Joe came out, smiling, looking at me, still with the envelope still in my
hand. I smiled back, our spirits very much lifted. Again, Brad came to help
out. This time, he didn't even know he had.

"That is the best news ever... I am so glad for the kid," grinned Joe, as he
sat down across from me.

"You got that right," I replied, putting the letter back into the envelope,
folding it, and putting it in my back pocket for Brad later, in case he
needed it.

"You feeling a little better?" Joe asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah," I said.

"Good."

After a short pause, I spoke, "Joe... I really want you to know... " I
wanted to say something, but words failed me. I was not sure what it was I
wanted to even say. "This fucking repetitive music is driving me insane! I
can't think. Brad is right, we are getting old!" I suddenly laughed,
realizing that I had definitely had a few beers too many.

Without a second thought, I just grabbed Joe's hand and said impulsively,
"Let's go for a holiday together. Starting tomorrow... Tomorrow morning we
pack a few things and we go somewhere quiet for a whole fucking week! Just
you and me. Fuck everything else! I need to spend some time with you alone.
Now is not the time for us to talk. I am too pissed, and I am too conflicted
right now to even know what I want to say. What do you say?"

Joe's smile started small, and grew into a large set of white teeth.

"OK! What the hell! Let's do it. But don't you have work on Monday?" he
said, suddenly dropping half his smile.

I thought for a second... "Fuck it... I'll call in sick! I can't work
anyway, in this state I am in!"

"OK, cool... and I am in charge of the office here. I will take a few days
off next week. The team can handle the shit here for a few days, no
problem."

"Perfect... Now let us old men go down there and enjoy this fucking party!
We are paying enough for it; might as well make the best of it!"

"Let's party!" shouted Joe, and jumped up.

I followed him, and we jogged down the steps to each get another beer. I
felt much better now... I didn't know if it was because I had successfully
avoided a difficult conversation, or if it was just because I was drunk, but
I decided then we would enjoy the night and be the Party People Brad wanted
us to be. It was his birthday! And we were going to make it the best we
could, for his sake.

We partied like animals that night... So much for taking it easy!

When I woke up the following day, on the front lawn, the sun was coming up,
and I was surrounded by a whole lot of passed-out people like myself. My
clothes were wet from the dew, and I felt like a train had run me over.
Again, hangover is a bitch! As always, I promised myself to never drink like
that again. Deep down, I knew I was lying. Oh, well... Managing to finally
pick myself up, I walked to the house, dodging what could have been bodies,
and the hundreds of empty alcohol bottles that scattered the lawn. I walked
into the house; the DJ had left. When, I don't know. I finally found Joe,
who had passed out in a chair; he was still passed out. I decided to let him
sleep off at least some of the hangover.
Not remembering how the night really ended, I went looking for Brad, to make
sure he was ok, as well. Looking through the rooms, seeing some scenes that
I really didn't want to see (the types that only mad parties like this can
bring), I finally found him, in a scene of his own - lying naked in bed with
two really hot women. Score x 2 for Bradley! I smiled, shook my head, and
stopped immediately, as it was too painful to do so, and closed the door,
allowing him to sleep in, and to experience the joy of waking up like that.

When I came back down, Joe was starting to slowly wake up.

As he looked at the people scattered across the house, he moaned, "God,
please don't let me drink like that ever again!"

I sat down on the floor next to him. "Fuck, me, too."

What a mess the house was in; I held my head in my hands. "Don't tell me we
need to clean up this place."

"Thanks to Bradley, `no'. He said I should go for the "Party House Maid
Cleaning Service" option. It was quite a bit more expensive, but I think we
will find it was worth it."

"Thank you, Bradley,", I said, lying back on the cold tiles, and closing my
eyes.

"Dude..." said Joe, joining me on the floor, trying to stretch his obviously
stiff back, as he lay down next to me, closing his eyes, too, obviously in
similar agony as I was.

"Yeah..."

"Would it be OK... if we started our holiday... tomorrow, rather than first
thing this morning... like you suggested yesterday?"

"Thank God you said it, and not me."

We each gave a little laugh, and fell asleep where we lay.

---

Six hours later, we were all kicked out of the house by the crazy cleaning
staff. They were obviously used to the students scattering the house, and
knew the best way to quickly get rid of everyone was to make one hell of a
noise with their equipment, and sing loudly, while cleaning. It was a
strategy that definitely worked. Whoever owned the house must have been
making a killing renting it out for the student parties, as it cost an arm
and a leg. But, even so, there was apparently another one happening that
Saturday evening. Thank God we would be nowhere near it! As we left, I
looked back and, seeing the now subdued students leaving the premises, it
could easily have been a scene of the movie 'Dawn of the Dead'. I chuckled
to myself, remembering my student days, and parties similar to this one.
Brad was right... I was definitely getting too old for this shit!

Joe, Brad, and I got into Joe's car, and he gingerly drove to his apartment.

"I'll drop you off at your place later, Brad. Right now, I need sleep,",
said Joe said.

"Kay," battled Brad, as he made his way to where the headache tablets were
kept. He put out six, two each, and popped his, drinking plenty of water to
wash them down. Joe and I did the same.

I walked into Joe's bedroom with him, saw my kit bag, and remembered that I
hadn't given Brad his gift. I opened it and took out the present, smiling as
I looked at it, and walked to the spare room to where Brad had made his way,
and fell onto the bed. I threw the gift on the bed next to him, and waited
for his reaction, knowing that it would never be anything like it would have
been had he not been in his "shy" hungover state.

"I suppose you won't be needing that as much as I thought you might,
considering how I found you this morning, with those two ladies," I smiled.
"But now that you have moved out, I thought you might need it...just in
case," I said, grinning.

He picked it up, and looked at it. The outer packaging showed a picture of
the most hideous blow up lady sex doll I had ever seen. Brad burst out
laughing, and then instantly held his head in pain, but was unable to stop.
I laughed with him.

"You, fucker!" he smiled. "You can't give me shit like this without blowing
it up for me first!" he joked.

"Fat chance! Last time I remember, you were pretty good in the 'blowing'
department!"

He laughed again. "Stop making me laugh, you fucker! My head wants to
explode!"

"Happy birthday, dude," I smiled, and headed for the door.

"Thanks for everything, Jason."

"No... Thank you Brad... Thank you for everything,", I whispered, as I
closed the door, and let him sleep it off.

I got onto the bed next to Joe, who was snoring already. I stared at him for
a few seconds, then lay back and hoped that sleep would come quickly, in
order to put me out of my misery, too. It did, and I was very grateful.


To be CONCLUDED...
***
End of the Part 10, "Party People".
Look out for Part 11, the CONCLUSION of Jason's story, coming soon, called:
"As the Sun Rises..."
***

As always, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. I would like what you
all think of this chapter and story so far, so don't be shy to drop me some
comments (egan44@gmail.com), as feedback is always welcome and appreciated!

Thank you all so much for the feedback so far. It is very inspiring!

And a special thank you to a dear friend, Jere, who is always willing to
help out with the editing of chapters when he has a chance.

Until the final chapter, Peace!
Egan