With it being a new year, it wouldn't be long after until my birthday. This year, I will be turning 16. While 15 has definitely been a year of awakening, 16 will simply be a continuation of that.
Maybe I'll even evolve.
Lately, my mom has decided to start going out with a few divorcee friends she made during an outing. I'm happy she's moving on and healing, but it seems she's never really there anymore.
Walking into an empty home after school has become so normal. My little brother would be with my aunt and Pebbles would be out there doing her own thing, leaving me alone with just my thoughts.
It became truly lonely. I was just counting the days when night school would start so I actually had some kind of company.
Company? I thought.
What if I threw a party for once. No parents, having all my friends over. Maybe I could get CC to come. Just bringing the island home for a weekend.
I began to get excited.
A house party. My first unsupervised house party.
I'll need to get drinks, some pizzas, definitely score some smokes. My living room was big enough. It's the perfect idea.
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All day at school, that's all I was talking about with everyone on the Island of Misfits.
"Your boy is going to turn 16."
I just needed figure out all the details to make it happen.
In English class, I noticed my classmate Jake, who sat behind me, had a PlayStation game on his desk.
Jake was a very quiet goth type. He had bleached hair that drapped over his face and wore these white contact lenses that made it look like he only had pupils. Everyone thought he was creepy.
I thought it looked cool—like a vampire.
Me being the gamer nerd that I was, asked "What game is that?"
Jake stared at me surprised and removed a wired ear bud from his ear. "What?" He asked.
I pointed to the disc case.
He casually just passed it over to me. "Wipeout 3".
The cover art had me amazed. It was very futuristic, lots of geometrical patterns and many colors that just made it visually appealing. "Is it any good?"
"I don't know. I don't have a PlayStation." Jake shrugged and giggled. "I got it for the soundtrack."
"What?" My eyes narrowed. Why buy a game without a console. This really struck my curiosity. "Can I listen?"
He nodded and passed the other ear bud to me. The music took me by surprise. It was techno with trance elements. Perfect mix for a futuristic racing game.
After listening to a few tracks with him, I wanted a copy of this soundtrack. "Dude. Can I borrow this so I can make a cassette? I'll bring it back tomorrow, I promise."
Jake just stared at me with that emotionless face he always had. He did a simple nod. "If there's a scratch on it, you're buying me a new one."
I placed this disc across my chest. "I'll guard this with my life."
I did not dare put it into my discman as that would increase the risks of scratching it. I was a man of my word and I did not have $50 to drop on a new game.
-----
Being home alone that day made it worth it. I was able to play a few rounds of the game to test it out without my mom nagging to turn it off. The soundtrack along with the gameplay did not disappoint. It was a treat for the senses.
Alas, playing the game was not part of the deal.
Since Pebbles wasn't home either, I had access to her stereo system. I could play it as loud as I wanted to while recording it to my blank cassette was waiting in the dock.
Looking through the game booklet while the music surrounded me had me in a happy place. I was just sitting there getting lost in the rhythmic electronic music and admiring such artwork.
Suddenly one piece of art really stood out to me — one of the team Logos in the game.
It had 3 figures that looked like they came straight out of an Atari game holding pinwheels with the words "Let's Be Friends" in a futuristic digital font.
That gave me an idea.
I started to draw those figures, but changed the head to the center figure to an Alien head. The flow of inspiration kept going and I started to add some UFOs, a few mushrooms and some pixelated figures. It reminded me of some of the rave flyers that I've seen passed around at school.
Looking at the calendar when my birthday was, the Saturday after that seemed like a perfect party date since my birthday landed on a school night. (Bleh)
Did I just create a party invitation?
You better believe it.
I slapped on the details and was ready to make copies at the library.
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THE NEXT MORNING
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Walking into that library I couldn't contain my excitement.
I had my walkman playing my new cassette, my invitation ready at hand, and a stupid grin on my face.
The misfits already in their game just stopped to watch me stroll by to the copy machine. Victor in particular watched in curiosity.
Now with a small stack of copies, I joined them at the table and passed them around.
"Let's be friends?" Bear raised his eyebrows. "Why does this look familiar?"
"I don't know, but it looks dope." Boss looked at it and noticed the details within the details.
"Eyy wey. You're throwing a party." Victor smirked
"Yeah. I figured why not. I'm turning 16, Mom's not going to be there. Good chance my sister will be at Virtigos or something. We can game, have some drinks, a smoke, just have fun."
"Is your sister hot?" Victor asked excitedly.
I quickly slapped him in the back of the head. "Pendejo. How would I know? She's my sister."
"Yeah she is." Boss nodded.
"Mhmm" James agreed.
I shot both of them a glance. Both of them had met Pebbles before. She wasn't very fond of them, or at least James.
"A Gaming party? I'm in." Bear smiled.
Boss drummed at the table excitedly. "Dude. You got to let me bring my friends PlayStation."
"But I already have a PlayStation." I shifted my face
"Not like this." Boss sat up. "He got his while in Korea and has a ton of games you probably never heard of."
"Yeah dude. Let him bring it. That way I can kick all your asses at Bloody Roar 2." Victor laughed and crossed his arms like a cocky villain.
Boss laughed. "We'll see."
"Bloody Roar 2? Never played it, but I'm up for the challenge." I agreed happily. If this meant playing a bunch of new games, I don't see a problem.
"What about girls?" Nate asked.
"Yeah!" Victor agreed.
I rolled my eyes. "I'll invite some, but don't keep your hopes up."
CC and Betty were at their table chatting away. I went over and handed them invitations. Not just any invitation, a tiny sliver of hope.
"Is this what all that commotion was about?" CC looked over the invitation.
"Yeah. I'm going to throw a party and everyone I know is invited." I smiled proudly.
They both looked a little unsure of it. "What's going to be going on?" CC questioned. "Is it just hanging out and gaming?"
"For the most part, yes." I nodded.
CC smiled. "I will see what I got going on. I'm not making promises, okay."
I clapped my hands together and did a little bow.
The first bell of the morning rang and school was set to begin.
Now that I got most of the people I planned on inviting anyways, who else can I invite? Manny? Tito? Lilly? Cherise? Some of my old teammates from swimming?
We'll see how it goes.