Alone Again
2003-10-28 - 10:17 p.m.

So there we were, all driving down the road, happy as can be. There’d been some concern earlier that we couldn’t all fit in my truck, but we’d managed, somehow.

Tom and Aaron were laughing at something Jason had said. I was talking to Ashley and Jon, and trying my best to concentrate on the road. Mark was sitting quietly in the back, occasionally injecting a pithy remark into whatever conversation was going on.

Jenny was talking as fast as she could, like she always did, and Marie was just listening, as she usually did. I was listening too. You could hardly help but listen. Not that the stories themselves were so enthralling, but the enthusiasm with which they were told dragged you in and wouldn’t let you go.

As the trip progressed, the conversation got quieter. One person after the other dropped out, until I could hear only Jason, Aaron, and Ashley. They were talking about hanging out at my place for a while. I pretended to be annoyed at their presumption that it would be ok, but I didn’t mind. I never minded.

I listened halfheartedly to their chatter, their words echoing in the back of my head like some drunken mantra.

Finally, we were two miles from home. Only Jason could still be heard, and he was sounding far off. I guess the trip had really taken it out of everyone.

I pulled into the driveway and got out of the truck. No one followed. I opened the back door and took in my suitcase, the ghosts of my friends still talking in my head.

I tuned around to lock the doors, and all was silent.

I was alone again.