3. Like You Just Don't Care.

"Today, two more vessels, one commercial and one private, failed to arrive at the harbour. Both lost connection to the mainland. The police and maritime authorities speculate…"

He sat in the car as the announcer's voice buzzed away on the radio. He was still coming to terms with what had happened to him that Sunday dusk. That ship that crushed and grazed past him. He imagined all the people it must have been carrying and how he, had been lucky to survive. He remembered book club and his eyes rolled to the floor. Once he got out of the car, madness would begin.

The rhythms and rhymes dogged on in their usual nature. Which can be summarized as painfully boring. Class melded into class and the bell worked to announce how close they were to insanity. If that sounded dramatic, you must not have gone through highschool yet. Finally, last period arrived. Lit, perfect.

Adam wondered how and why Mrs. Camps snooze fest was right at the end of the academic day. The class was uneventful, no shock there, Camp choosing to use the time to practice her snoring. She had instructed them to read up on the curriculum mandated poetry book, River's Ties.

Naturally, he chose to not be a complete need and instead planted his phone over the book. He kept adjusting in accordance to the boy seated before him lest the undertaker awaken and catch him reading some online girly mag. Yeesh! Not going through that again.

Occasionally, he spied a random girl looking at him and with a smile. He had never noticed her before. Several girls fawned over his athletic build, tall stature and regal features. He used to adore the attention but lately, he felt nothing, so hearts broke and heads rolled. The bell rang and everyone basically jumped to their feet.

"Remember, Mr. Davis. You have book club." Camp's annoying voice howled as he walked out. He could hear Brad Pains laugh his head off somewhere behind him.

"What's wrong Davis? Can't read?" the blonde boy teased as he walked past with Brian, his one and only faithful follower. Adam couldn't understand how Brian who was arguably the smartest guy on the team, could hang out with Pains, who was a literal pain in everyone's ass.

"Couldn't have picked a better name for him."

A slippery voice called behind him. He turned to see the captivating Bethany Brooks. As always, she was a vision. He had talked to her once or twice but mainly outside of school in parties and games. All he knew was her name and that she was a cheerleader. The flames of her long hair fell to her sides. Her been-stung lips pulled in a smile and he snapped out of his gaze. As if to ease his embarrassment, she spoke.

"You're in book club?"

"I know," he sighed "so fucking lame."

"Since when?"

"Today will be my first day. Camp made me do it and honestly, I'm sure it's just full of weird nerds." he said.

"I can imagine." her eye went over his shoulder and she said with a smile, "See you around."

Adam drove up to the library where Camp had said the meeting would before it hit him. Tony and his sister were having a week-long house party. So, like any sane person would do, he turned the car around and headed to have a life.

The fall on the floor beats were a gut punch. It was barely seven o'clock and the house was already full steam. Tony's family had a great house. The main floor room had as much space as any decent club and the pool out back didn't hurt. And to think he'd be cooped up in some library reading.

Talia, Tony's twin sister, walked up to him and grabbed his arm. He smiled in acknowledgement because the loud music would permit no small talk. She pulled him along into the kitchen. It was just as crowded but way quieter… kind of. He knew the twins since he was little.

"Tony's in the VIP lounge." she shouted, opening up the refrigerator.

Adam knew the 'VIP lounge' was their basement also aka, their father's man cave which they would have spit cleaned by some unfortunate soul. As she got all she needed, he looked around at all the moving faces. Some he knew, others he didn't. He wasn't feeling the usual excitement. He sighed.

"You're just taking supplies to him, it's not that deep." she chuckled. "I could've gone but one of us has to keep an eye on these animals."

Just then, a drunk shirtless guy in zebra print biker shorts staggered past Talia and projectile vomited into the shiny steel sink. Talia simply pushed the clown aside and handed him the drinks.

"It's okay, don't stress about it." he let her kiss his cheek before shoving him on his way.

Down in the basement, Tony wheeled to his friend and guided him to a solitary sofa in the corner. In the "VIP" lounge, everything was civil. The people just mingled easily in tiny groups and drank and played games. The house was in such an elite neighborhood that no one was even close enough to hear their debauchery, let alone report it. Adam sank into the sofa but Tony stayed in his wheels. It was going to be a short talk.

"What happened to book club?"

Adam had told Tony about their conference with Camp. Now seeing Tony's disapproving face, he regretted it.

"Look," Tony continued. " Nobody wants you to get kicked off the team. Come on! You gotta hustle!" Tony slapped Adam's thigh. That was a painful reminder for both of them. "Now get the hell out of here and go read some books. The team can't take another player's suspension."

Tony was junior team manager for a reason but Adam wasn't. So he went upstairs and danced the night away. He danced over the incoming change. In his final moments of sobriety, he saw a large painting on one of the walls. The Ladies in the painting were mesmerizing. His jaw clenched and he fell down.