LMPYITP: The Random Passages

Four on the Floor

It was odd weather for January. Nearly sixty degrees when it should've been a frozen tundra. We couldn't complain though. It allowed us to leave our coats in the car.

"You remember the rules, Gene?" I asked as we walked across the muddy gravel.

"Yes, Jules." He replied. "No drinkin', no smokin', and an 'X' on the back of me hand."

"And if you try and wash that 'X' off your hand, you'll get it cut off."

He shrugged. "So what's the point in that then? If I get it cut off then I won't have an 'X' no more." He smirked.

I scowled. "Don't mock me!" I wagged his finger at him.

He snickered as we kept walking.

"So is Courtney here yet?" I inquired.

"Yeah, about that." He spun around towards me stopping us in front of the building. "Please don't do anythin' that's gonna embarrass me."

"We're not gonna-"

"I'm serious, Jules-"

"Please, Gene." I waved my hands at him dismissively. "We're like the most uncoolest people you'll ever meet." I thumbed from myself to Matt. "If anything, we're gonna embarrass ourselves. We definitely won't cramp your style or embarrass you in front of your girlfriend-"

"She's not my girlfriend!" He denied. "She's a girl who's a friend but she's not...please, Jules! Don't-"

"We won't!" I assured him. "So have you told her anything about your kin?"

He nodded. "She knows about you two but as far as Mum and Dad go...I told her me dad works in a shop and me mum...well, me mum don't do much of anythin', does she?"

I sighed. "So you lied to her?"

"Nah!" He shook his head. "I withheld information but I didn't lie to her. I'm not my dad."

"Right. Well I'm not about to stand out here and waste this night away. I'm goin' in there to dance." I headed for the door.

Gene and Matt were right behind me as we entered the dance hall. The music blasted us as we stepped up to the booth to get our IDs checked.

Gene rolled his eyes slightly extending his arm through the open window so the woman could draw an X on the back of his hand. When she was finished, he pulled it back and examined just how big she drew it with the black Sharpie.

We marched on to the first empty table we could find.

"There's Courtney and Tyler!" Gene announced waving at them.

They trotted right over with the rest of their friends.

"Hi, Jules!" Courtney smiled at me.

"Hi, Courtney!" I smiled back at her.

Some of us sat down while others stood around the table for a bit. The kids snapped various photos including one of some of our boots as we all sat with one leg crossed.

Eventually, the kids departed to the dancefloor. Gene blended right in with his backwards baseball cap featuring the Ford logo on the front, his gray long sleeved shirt with the John Deere logo on the front of it as well, and cowboy boots.

I wasn't ready to dance just yet as my favorite songs still hadn't been played. So, I opted to people watch while I waited.

That's when I noticed Gene and Courtney holding hands across the room.