Friday Night

It wasn’t even midnight as Bradley left Jack’s apartment. The pizza was still unfinished, the case of energy drinks not even halfway through, and they hadn’t even made a dent into the usual damage they’d inflict upon the online gaming world on any usual Friday night.

 Jack was perplexed by how bad Bradley's aim was with the pistol, and how Bradley had tactically muffed so many of their strategic flanks, and how even over the headset, his usual trash talk was comparatively lamer than it had ever been. 

“Dude. What’s going on with you tonight?”

Said jack with a tone of scorn. 

“Dude, I’m probably just tired. That chemistry midterm Tuesday, and then the calc one today. I’m wiped dude.”

“Stop being a pussy. Drink a redbull. Come on man let’s take these fuckers down.”

“Not tonight, Jack. I’m off man.”

Jacks face showed little compassion. 

“Fine, whatever. Pussy. ”

The first semester was halfway over. Thanksgiving was just a week away. Being a sophomore hadn’t turned out to be much different from a freshman for Bradley and jack. At least not socially.

Indeed, it had proven to closely resemble their weekend nights in high school, except for that Harry and Brian—their two other accomplices— were missing, having both gone to another college. But still, Friday and Saturday nights, the four friends still got together— albeit from a distance— through online gaming. 

It was probably during the end of their final year in high school when other sounds began out to rise over the volume of the blaring video game sound effects and enter into Bradley’s ears. Different sounds than he’d ever heard; sounds he’d prior to then been too deaf to notice, or simply too juvenile. 

They were the sounds of roaring engines on souped up sports cars. 

They were the sounds of bassheavy electronic music blasting through subwoofers.

They were the sounds of deep male voices chanting and hollering “chug chug chug” harmonizing in chorus with their high pitched electrifying giggling female vocal partners. 

The sounds of glass breaking, and drunken singing— all sounds of real people, his age, living real lives— not some RPG video game. 

Bradley stepped outside from Jack's apartment and onto the elevator with a feeling in his chest he had never known before. It was a feeling which had slowly been growing inside him since those days in high school of suddenly realizing the other world of adolescence and abandonment which he had been so long oblivious towards. Up until that moment on the Elevator the feeling had been subtle enough for him to dismiss.

Now, on this Friday night, the feeling was impossible to ignore. 

As the elevator went down, so did his stomach. He reached the depths of an emptiness, a sense of inadequacy and lack which had been gaping larger all the time with every passing weekend, every wasted night. 

Suddenly, the elevator stopped on the third floor. A young brunette girl stumbled in and leaned herself up against the wall. Bradley felt too ashamed to meet her droopy red eyes. Eventually, when he did sneak a glance, he recognized her from a first year English class. 

She wasn’t particularly pretty, but Bradley remembered her for having one day worn a Metallica T-shirt. He saw her walk in and Bradley spent the rest of the lecture not listening to the professor, but instead, mentally rehearsing scenarios of talking to her. Now, as she stood on the elevator, he found himself doing the same exact thing. 

But, before Bradley could act upon his thoughts, the elevator touched the ground and she stumbled out into the night. With the pangs of his despair gnawing away, Bradley made a firm decision: “It’s NOW, or it’s never”

Bradley walked out the door to see the drunk girl sitting on a bench, head lowered, holding a skinny cigarette to her lips. As he walked closer, the pain in Bradley's stomach was at its most excruciating point. Against every impulse in his body, he opened his mouth and spoke. 

“Nice night, huh?”

The girl looked up at him and smiled. 

“It’s cold as fuck, actually.”

“Yeah.”

Bradley nodded in agreement and suddenly the conversation went flat. He felt the feeling in his stomach began surging once again. He stood with an awkward smile on his face and debated leaving when, to his avail, the girl spoke again. 

“Did we, like, have a class together?”

“Oh! Um, maybe” said Bradley trying to play it cool. 

“Wait. Did you once wear a Metallica shirt?”

Said Bradley, a little too eagerly.

“How do you remember that?” She asked 

Bradley froze with embarrassment. He was caught. 

“I just really like them, I guess.”

“You’re cute.” She smiled. 

“I’m Jasmine”

“Nice to meet you, Jasmine. I’m Bradley.”

“Bradley. Nice name. You seem like a nice guy.”

“I guess so” he said shyly 

“Are you nice enough to walk me home? Or is it too cold. I understand if it is. I’m just soooo drunk.....”

Bradley's face froze, but not from the cold. His entire body went numb before he could say anything

“Yeah, o-o-f of course!” Bradley sputtered. 

The sky was bright and it was snowing lightly-- the first snow fall of the season. Bradley’s excitement made him momentarily forget how cold his fingers felt, and the utter self loathing he had been experiencing the entire night leading up to him meeting Jasmine. 

He shuffled through his mind, looking for some kind of reference, some kind of lifeline, to tell him how to act— how to carry himself, and how to talk to the young drunk girl whom he was walking home that chilly midnight. 

“So how was your, uh, night?”

Immediately, Jasmine broke out into a whole recount of every event leading up to her smoking alone on a bench at midnight.

She explained how her and Giselle went to a party at Dan’s place, which was in the apartment where Bradley had met her, but then Giselle ditched her to fuck Tommy and that she had planned to go to another party at Conner’s frat house but that she suddenly got really tired and didn’t feel like it and just wanted to go home. 

Bradley stayed quiet and nodded, only getting the gist of her drunken ramblings.. It reminded him of listening to his little sister. One question could provoke a whole slew of rich detail from her. 

“You’re a good listener”

She had said at some point between her ramblings. 

Jasmine continued talking until she stopped in front of a tiny doorway entrance, tucked right off the street. 

The sudden break from Jasmines voice came as a shock to Bradley . Silence rushed over the two of them like a wave. Not being sure where to look, Bradley let his eyes flicker from the door, to his feet, to the sky, and finally— to Jasmine’s eyes, which were set firmly upon him. 

“I feel so awake now. “

Jasmine said. 

“Oh, uh, really? yeah, uh, same. ”

Jasmine kissed Bradley as he stammered. It was his first kiss and he was not prepared. He opened his mouth and clumsily tried to hold Jasmine there until finally she pulled herself away from the haphazard embrace.

“Well,” said Jasmine. 

“Yeah, uh, nice meeting you” 

“Yeah....” said Jasmine. 

“Goodnight” said Bradley, turning away. 

“Do you want to hang for abit? I’m still so awake.” Said Jasmine, as if to try and force him to get the hint. 

Jasmine's room was one tiny space which somehow managed to fit a kitchen, a mattress, and a drawer and rack overflowing with clothes. The mattress as well, was overrun with clothes, as was the floor. The sink was filled to the brim with dishes. 

“Can I get you anything?” 

Asked Jasmine. 

“No, uh...”

Bradley stopped mid sentence as Jasmine took her shirt off. Her eyes were ablaze as she came towards him and drew him towards her bed. Bradley politely tried to avert his eyes from her perky breasts. 

Before he knew it Jasmine was on top of him. Bradley was almost too lost in his mind to even feel her.

'How was any of this possible?' Bradley wondered.

And then her mouth came upon his and this time, he savoured the kiss, and he felt his first ever breast. Only a moment later, he enjoyed the first contact of his dick with another person’s hand, and not long after, mouth. 

It was all happening so quickly, and Bradley couldn’t have felt any luckier. His virginity had been the problem. All those wretched feelings he’d had festering inside— that was the cause: his virginity. He could hardly wait to have it taken from him. He could hardly wait to cast the weight of it off his shoulders 

Finally, They were both naked. In his anticipation, Bradley had hardly noticed any of the exciting firsts which had already come his way. It was the hideous monster of his virginity he had been focusing on the entire time. Finally he would strike right at its ugly head. 

With force, Bradley moved himself towards her opening. Jasmine thrusted her hips with a pleasure at his sudden assertiveness. 

Just as he felt himself against her, she spoke in a sleepy voice. 

“Wait”

“What’s the matter baby?” 

Asked Bradley, nearly choking from the suspense. 

“Don’t you have a condom?”

“Oh,” said Bradley. 

“Uh. I think I forgot...”

“How about I just finish you off then?”

“Are you sure? We can’t...?”

“Bad idea...” said Jasmine affirmatively. 

“What if I run to the store?” 

Bradley said, almost pleading. 

“Now?”

“Yeah, now! I’ll go now!”

“Uhh, I dont think so...”

“Fuck.”

“Whatever. What’s the big deal? Another time.”

“FUCK!”

Bradley's voice rose

“Whoa, chill.”

Bradley quickly got up and stormed outside into the bitter frosty night. 

For the rest of the semester, Bradley spent Friday and Saturday nights at Jack's apartment.