Lost in Arcadia: A Novel by Sean Gandert

Author:Sean Gandert
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: 47North
Published: 2017-07-01T14:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Autumn had driven Devon to Steve’s house down in the valley. Devon was supposed to be staying over with his friend that night, though he had no idea what exactly that would entail. They’d been playing Dungeons & Dragons since fourth grade, when Steve talked their teacher into believing that its combination of math and storytelling would be a great tool for learning of some sort, and that was supposed to be the main event for the evening. Devon had spent a few hours planning out a campaign on his tablet’s simulated graph paper, and skimmed through the core rulebooks to refresh his memory on the game’s basics, but the constant hints of a surprise Steve had been dropping all week kept him from getting too excited about things. Devon didn’t like surprises, and as far as he was concerned, the unexpected was nearly always bad.

They pulled into the overgrown dirt path that functioned as Steve’s driveway, and his mom parked the car while Steve seemed to spring out from his house. Steve’s eyes passed over their BMW approvingly, and Devon tried to ignore this. It wasn’t like he’d chosen to be wealthy, that’s just how it was.

“Hey, Mrs. Reyes,” said Steve, speaking to Autumn’s rolled-down window. “Thanks for letting Devon stay over.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow. Have fun,” said Autumn. Devon picked up his enormous army camo backpack and hurried out of the car. The BMW’s spotless white paint and chrome hubcaps felt so out of place here; he pretended he had nothing to do with it.

While she sped off behind them, Steve’s body language changed immediately. “Okay, I’ve got the keg in the back on a dolly, but you’ve gotta help me with it.”

They walked around the side of Steve’s house, past his beater car and tall stalks of uncut yellow grass to where a squat gray keg sat with two bags of ice and a tap on top. Devon had never been certain whether Steve and his mother owned the place or rented it or were squatting, but he also barely knew his friend’s family, and Steve had always been cagey about his background. He doubted that even the Baby Eaters at AHS knew that Steve’s parents were illegal immigrants. And when Devon caught Steve, despite claims of US citizenship, paying a school secretary for certain changes to be made to his permanent record, both of them pretended it never happened.

“I knew you were getting beer, but … a keg?”

“A pony keg, but I’m not really expecting anyone outside of the usual suspects. Why, you think we need more?”

“No, I mean that seems like a lot. Maybe too much. Not that I’m an expert in these things…”

“Ahh, well I’ve also got some vodka and tequila, just in case.” Steve walked through the house’s back door and returned a moment later with a cloth grocery bag filled with bottles and cups.

“And some Coke and Mountain Dew for anyone too much of a wimp to drink this shit straight,” he continued.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.