The party store was payday crowded on a Tuesday.
Rick Monroe was holding a six of tall boys, third in line, cans of beer cold, almost too cold against his inner forearm.
Guy at the counter was getting a slice of pizza, Apple Now and Laters, and Johnny Johnny was putting a fifth of some fancy bourbon in the bulletproof carousel.
Rick looked closer. It was Snuv. He had a new haircut.
Snuv usually drank Kesslers.
Four 3s had hit the four digit lottery the night before. Rick thought that seemed like some dumb shit Snuv might play.
When Snuv turned to leave the black chick in front of Rick backed up, stepped on his foot, turned and apologized. Rick told her it was cool, but it hurt when she pushed forward when Johnny Johnny said Nex!
Rick paid for his beer, walked outside, was gonna get in his car, saw Snuv leaning against the wall, pulling pepperoni off his pizza and eating them separate.
The way the bag was twisted, it looked like he might have already hit the fancy bourbon.
“Ain’t you on probation, Snuv?”
Snuv tried to wipe cheese from his lip, missed, let it sit there while he spoke.
“Fuck makes you think I’m on probation?”
Rick smiled, more with his eyes than his mouth.
“You’re always on probation, or a lot, anyway. Plus I drove by that party in the parking lot at St. Lad’s, that retirement party for Father whatshisface, saw you volunteering, figured it was community service.”
“Naw, I ain’t on probation. That ain’t why I was at St. Lad’s.”
Snuv smiled, showed the gap in his teeth from a pickup football game in the gravel at St. Mary’s when Rick and Snuv were kids.
Mariana Vincent was watching, tried to shove Snuv’s teeth back in his mouth and hold them there like they’d magically re-attach.
Rick looked at the smile, Snuv’s emerald green eyes. Snuv was creepy handsome for a loser.
“You were there voluntarily volunteering?”
“Yeah, sort of,” Snuv said, rolling his pizza like a burrito and taking a bite.
“Looking for a Catholic sugar grandma, were ya?” Rick asked, and he was much more serious than he was joking.”
“Technically,” Suv said, swallowing a huge bite, “ I was a vendor.”
“Like Snocones or some shit?”
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